This device stands out for its design and power since it is pleasant to the touch and integrates the powerful A14 bionic processor, which allows demanding tasks such as 4K video editing.
A couple of months ago, Apple launched the iPad Air 2020, a serious competitor that aims to meet the needs of the most demanding public. To be honest, the Apple brand does not have it easy, as it faces competition that fits into that group of devices that have a good relationship between quality and price. However, this bet has enough characteristics that could make more than one reconsider their purchase decision.
The iPad Air 2020 captivates at first due to its design, because with this, Apple managed to maintain a fairly minimalist concept (as it had already shown in 2018 with the iPad Pro ) by leaving the screen free of the Touch ID and keeping some frames that, Although they are not the thinnest, they offer an adequate use of the display.
Its entire exterior is aluminum, which provides a cool and robust feel to the touch. Holding this iPad in one hand is a pleasant experience, weighing only 458 grams and only 6.1 millimeters thick (somewhat thinner than many smartphones today).
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However, its dimensions may be a bit exaggerated, as it is 24.7 centimeters high and 17.8 centimeters wide, which can be somewhat uncomfortable when browsing or writing when held horizontally, since the thumbs They must extend far enough to reach the center of the screen, but also vertically, as the hands have to slide up and down to reach the ends of the device.
In this regard, Apple has in its favor that this iPad is compatible with the Magic Keyboard and the Smart Keyboard Folio, both are a kind of case with a built-in keyboard that makes typing easier on these types of devices. Although they do not come with these accessories, which could mean an additional investment that ranges from hundreds of thousands of pesos and even exceeds one million pesos.
On its right side, we find the volume up and down buttons and, in the center, a magnetic connector that serves to wirelessly attach and charge the Apple Pencil (which is also sold as a separate accessory).
At the top is the unlock button, which incorporates TouchID technology, through which not only can the device be accessed quickly, but also allows validating the user’s identity to download applications and make purchases in Apple Pay. It also brings two speakers and, in between, a microphone.
The left side is completely smooth. At the bottom, there is another pair of speakers (so with this iPad we can enjoy stereo sound) and, in the middle of both, a USB type C input.
This last feature, which Apple had already presented in previous models, makes it a considerable candidate when considering a computer for day-to-day tasks since through the type C port it can not only be loaded, but also receive data from hard drives or external memories, with a transfer capacity of up to 5 Gbps. This makes the iPad pass one of those barriers that differentiated it from portable computers, thus increasing the versatility and productivity of its users.
Speaking of charging, this is another advantage of the device, since approximately one hour of energy supply is enough to give it an average use of a full day, without major complications. Something that stands out is the optimization of it, since it can be left unused even for days and, when accessing it again, a considerable decrease in its battery is not noticed.
On the back of the iPad, we have the Apple logo, the connectors for the keyboards that were discussed earlier, and the main camera, which is a 12-megapixel camera that records at 4K. On this there are no major comments, the photographic quality becomes acceptable (although not so much in dark scenes) and incorporates functionalities such as fast camera, slow motion, the capture of photos in square format, and panoramic.
The second camera is on the front, this is 7MP and, again, it offers a quite acceptable experience, especially for video calls, which would be the most frequent use that would be given to this lens in this device.
On the front, we have one of the most prominent sections of this device, its screen which is a 10.9-inch Liquid Retina that reaches a high degree of definition thanks to its 3.8 million pixels. Likewise, it supports the P3 and True Tone color gamut, which is an attractive feature for those who work with photo and video editing.
The truth is that it offers a quite pleasant visual experience, reaching a considerable degree of detail in colors, as well as in its brightness and contrast. The viewing angles are quite good and the reflection of the same (when there is no light bulb that bounces directly on it) is almost non-existent.
One aspect to improve that this device has is the ease with which fingerprints, and other hand marks, remain attached to its surface. This obviously, with the passage of time, comes to give the impression of dirty equipment, so it must be cleaned at least once a day with a soft cloth.
We put aside its external characteristics and move more to its internal components and, again, this iPad has something to stand out with, as it incorporates a powerful processor, the A14 Bionic, recently introduced by Apple that even allows this device to be comparable and even outperform some notebook computers.
And it’s not an exaggeration, as overheating was never experienced, even when used for demanding video games. The fluidity when moving from application to application is remarkable, even storing an endless number of open windows.
Thanks to the incorporation of iPadOs 14 as an operating system, it is possible to do multiple tasks using the same screen, making the criticism of the beginning about its dimensions have this exception. The possibilities have no limits, since, for example, you can write a text while a video is played on YouTube (a practice that many journalists do when recording interviews), or have the calendar open while planning a series of events in the notepad.
The widgets that this operating system incorporates also allow access to information and applications in a simpler way, even emulating the experience that one could have with a computer.
The response of the Apple Pencil is also quite satisfactory. For those who are professionals in arts or graphic design, they will surely find more of goodness to take advantage of it, for those who are not, it can be an alternative of writing (freehand) or simply a complement to relax drawing or coloring.
Another positive is that with the provision of wireless charging, this pen is never going to be discharged. However, you have to be careful, because although it remains magnetically attached to the iPad, when you store it in a bag or handle it roughly, it can be easily lost. Perhaps a new version of the Apple Pencil should include a small speaker that allows you to find it in case it gets lost, as happens with Airpods.
Conclusions
In short, and answering the question that heads this review, the experience offered by this iPad can be quite useful for day-to-day tasks, mainly due to its processing, dimensions, and size, which makes it a device that we know that we can demand demanding tasks and that it will respond quite well, with the plus of being light and compact for transport.
It can easily replace a laptop, of course, if certain programs are not required that cannot be installed on this device, although to tell the truth in the App Store there are a wide variety of applications that can be useful for designers, social communicators, writers, accountants, and students, among others.
There are only a couple of objections, and that is that to obtain this experience yes or yes you should invest in one of these keyboard accessories since otherwise there would be no point of comparison with the productivity offered by a laptop.
The second is the limited capacity of its internal storage memory, which reaches 256 GB in its highest version. Although it can be expanded through iCloud (which requires an additional investment every month), it would have been appreciated if at least they had left it with 512GB of maximum capacity, so that the user has been to choose from.
Its value in Colombia is around $ 2,800,000 and $ 3,200,000, depending on the trade.
With these devices, the line between large laptops and the small computers that could eventually replace them is increasingly blurred. Apple, already demonstrated that it can do it in terms of processing, you can even connect a monitor. In the future, we will continue to see advances that make people question whether to buy a tablet or a PC?