Slimmer, lighter, and faster than last year's model , Apple's iPad Air ($499-$929) is the best tablet for the most people. It's a full-fledged computer that's now so thin and light that you won't even notice it's in your bag.

Impressively slim and light; Fast; Very good camera; Top-notch app selection; LTE version works with every U.S; carrier

Expensive; Pages and Numbers, while free, don't measure up to Microsoft Office for productivity

After a lot of speculation and waiting Apple finally revealed a set of new iPads to the world a few weeks ago. While we still are waiting for the new iPad Mini we have gotten our hands on the new iPad Air and are putting it through the test to see if it is a worthy successor for the previous...

Excellent screen; Much improved design; Fast; Excellent app-selection; Perfect for reading comics and magainzes

iOS needs a bit more innovation; No fingerprint sensor

The iPad Air is probably the best 10-inch tablet we've ever used, but if you want one tablet, we recommend holding out for the iPad Mini with Retina.

Thin and light; looks great; Powerful 64-bit processor; New Wi-Fi antennas are fast; iOS 7 runs best on Air; Battery life is a solid 10 hours

Speakers are a step down from iPad 4; Camera quality has not improved; Not as comfortable as iPad Mini

Just as the original MacBook Air redefined laptop design, Apple is hoping to do the same thing for tablets with the iPad Air. This 1-pound slate attempts to combine a big-screen experience with a design so compact you can easily use it with one hand.

Apple first introduced the "Air" branding scheme in conjunction with its ultra-slim and portable MacBook line back in 2008. The term was meant to connote a laptop that wasn't just lighter, but also uber thin, and able to achieve epic battery life.

Incredibly lightweight with a super-slim, redesigned form factor; A7 chip, in addition to helping provide an impressive 10-plus hours of battery life, offers superb overall performance whether you're surfing the web or streaming media.

No TouchID, just a regular old home button; Despite upgrading to stereo speakers - audio separation remains poor; 5-megapixel rear-facing shooter could use an update

This is truly the new iPad we've wanted for a long time, at least as far as the design and form factor is concerned. With the iPad Mini, it was clear that Apple's focus would be on improving the portability and use comfort.

Weight shed makes a lot of difference; Very sophisticated design; Good battery life; Retina Display still rocks

Pricey proposition; for the higher storage versions; No TouchID

Calling this device lighter, thinner, and more powerful may sound like some buzzwordy, marketing nonsense. We thought so ourselves at first. But after using it for a week and comparing it to last year's iPad 3, we're convinced this was exactly what the aging iPad lineup needed more than anything.

Gorgeous; crisp display;  Very lightweight and portable;  Impressive performance with no notable issues;  Long battery life;  An endless amount of available content to consume

The iPad Air was released on November 1 with a base price of $499 plus tax for the 16GB model; Each higher-capacity model increases in price by $100, meaning the 32, 64, and 128GB will set you back $599, $699, and $799, respectively

That line was prominently displayed to audiences at Apple's June developer conference and the iPad Air event, during a video about the company's values and commitment to design. "If everyone is busy making everything," the video asks, "how can anyone perfect anything?

Amazingly thin and light; Terrific battery life; Excellent performance; Class-leading app selection; Amazingly thin and light; Terrific battery life; Excellent performance; Class-leading app selection

iOS 7 still glitchy in places; Gets expensive fast; Safari icon remains an abomination; iOS 7 still glitchy in places; Gets expensive fast; Safari icon remains an abomination

Apple tends to slowly evolve their product lines, instead of making sweeping and drastic changes. I have noticed a trend where users skip a generation because it seems the processor is a bit faster, hardware a bit better, but seldom a WOW factor that compels you to drop everything and buy it.

Smaller Bezel; Does not get as Hot as prior models; Noticeable difference in hues; colors and tones being more defined; Lighter and More Portable; Stereo Speakers; Amazing Battery Life

Still Expensive; Video Quality is on par with 3rd generation iPad; Still no way to bulk delete emails; Camera received no major upgrade

It's been tempting lately to conclude that Apple doesn't have it anymore, and tablets in particular is where Cupertino does need to silence the prophets of doom and gloom after an iPad 4 that was more like a 3.1 and a mini that should've had a retina display.

9.7" LED-backlit IPS LCD touchscreen, 1536 x 2048 pixels, ~ 264 ppi; scratch-resistant, oleophobic coating, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n connectivity with MIMO dual antennas, LTE connectivity (data only, GPS with A-GPS and GLONASS support (for the Cellular model only, Dual-core A7 64-bit 1.3 GHz Cyclone...

Non expandable memory; Price of storage climbs steeply; and storage is largely overpriced; Tied into iTunes for uploading most of the content; iOS 7 could've made better use of the bigger screen; No standard USB port; No GPS receiver in the Wi-Fi-only version