iPad Air vs. older 9.7-inch iPads: Worth the upgrade?

Gizmag compares the features and specs of the iPad Air to the previous three full-sized iPads

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With the new iPad Air set to launch next week, you might be wondering whether it's worth the upgrade. Or maybe you're eyeing a discounted or used older model, and wondering if that's worth saving a few bucks on. Let Gizmag lend a hand, as we compare the new iPad Air to the 4th-generation iPad, 3rd-generation iPad, and the iPad 2.

What do you call your model of iPad? Don't ask Apple, as it keeps changing its mind. At the simplest level, it's always just been "iPad," but the way Apple described each particular model when it launched has changed with every generation.

We've seen numbering with the iPad 2, newness with the 3rd-gen model, and Retina Displayness with the 4th-gen version (to differentiate it from the non-Retina iPad mini that launched beside it). And now it's "Air," to emphasize the new model's lighter build.

When in doubt, just refer to the generation number, as that's how Apple now (retroactively) refers to the older iPads. You'll also hear "iPad 4" and "iPad 3" used casually.

In case you're fuzzy about which model you have – or forgot how long you've been using your iPad – these are the dates that each model released.

Still don't know which generation of full-sized iPad you have? Then you can look for the model number in the tiny print on the bottom of your iPad's backside, and check it against the above visual.

Somehow 2011's iPad 2 is still on the market, for US$400. The 3rd- and 4th-generation models are now kaput, though retailers are still offloading their iPad 4 stock. You can probably find some nice deals on that year-old model, if you keep your eyes open.

The 3rd- and 4th-generation iPads are the exact same size. The iPad 2 is actually a little thinner than those two, but otherwise is identically proportioned.

The new iPad Air is the biggest physical redesign since the tablet's inception. It's only a hair shorter than its predecessors, but is nine percent narrower. It's also 20 percent thinner than the iPads 3 and 4, and 15 percent thinner than the iPad 2.

This is the iPad Air's killer feature. Apple managed to squeeze the same size 9.7-in screen into a body that's 28 percent lighter than the 3rd- and 4th-gen iPads, and 22 percent lighter than the iPad 2.

Still aluminum all the way, though the appearance and finish of the iPad Air's back now matches that of the iPad mini.

It's still basically black and white with the iPad Air, but since the colors on the back of the new iPad vary as well, "space gray & black" and "silver & white" it is.

Every full-sized iPad has had a 9.7-in screen with a 4:3 aspect ratio, and the iPad Air is no exception. It retains the Retina Display that the last two models had. The iPad 2 was the last pre-Retina model.

These are the storage options that were available during each iPad's initial run. As the budget full-sized iPad, the iPad 2 has only been sold in a 16 GB model since March of 2012.

The 3rd-generation iPad was the first Apple product that supported LTE. The cellular model of the iPad 2 only supports slower 3G data.

The iPad Air also has some improved Wi-Fi capabilities, with multiple antennas, and supposedly delivers up to twice the performance of last year's iPad.

The iPad Air's cameras have the same resolution as the iPad 4's, but Apple did mention some improved sensors in its presentation.

If cores and clock speeds don't mean anything to you, then just know that the iPads above get faster as you move from right to left. Though the iPad 3's A5X has the same processor as the iPad 2's A5; that chip just added quad-core graphics to drive its Retina Display.

Apple included the iPhone 5s' M7 motion coprocessor in the iPad Air. It can log data from your iPad's motion sensors, and compatible fitness apps can use that data without draining your battery. This makes sense on the iPhone, but not so much on an iPad (who works out with an iPad?), so we're suspecting the M7 has more to do with a future iWatch than with fitness apps.

We'd bet on 1 GB of RAM in the iPad Air, but we'll have to wait for benchmarks and teardowns to know for sure.

If the above battery Watt hours look like gibberish, then just know that Apple has always advertised the same 10 hours (web use over Wi-Fi) with each model. In our experience, those estimates are pretty sound.

All four of these iPads now run the new iOS 7. Only the original iPad, which we left out of this comparison, got locked out of the iOS 7 action (it's forever stuck on iOS 5).

If you like to use Apple's virtual assistant on your iPad, then everything but the iPad 2 delivers. There's no technical reason why Siri can't run on an iPad 2 (jailbreakers can vouch for that), so it looks like Apple left it out just to make upgrading that much more enticing. Those rascals.

Starting with the 4th-generation iPad, Apple dropped the old 30-pin connector, and replaced it with the smaller Lightning port. So if you're upgrading from the iPad 3 or 2, and you have charging docks or other accessories, you'll need a $30 adapter for your newer iPad.

We've yet to put the iPad Air through the paces (it launches on November 1), so we can't definitively say whether it's worth the upgrade. But based on its features and specs, it looks like a rebirth of sorts for the full-sized iPad. It's so much lighter than the older models that its comfort in hand alone could potentially make it worth the upgrade. Potentially.

Of course there's also the iPad mini. A new model with a Retina Display will be launching sometime in November. If you're happy with its smaller screen, you could potentially save $100 and get it instead of the iPad Air.

Unsure? Then you can check out our comparison of the iPad Air and the Retina iPad mini or see how the two generations of the iPad mini compare.

Share About the Author Will Shanklin covers consumer technology for Gizmag. He's previously written for Android Central, Geek, GottaBeMobile, Android Police, and The Huffington Post.
He lives in New Mexico, U.S., with his lovely wife, Jessica.
All articles by Will Shanklin
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