Welcome to our iPad Air 2 review, last updated back in January 2016. Please note that (as of 21 March 2017) the Air 2 is no longer on sale on Apple's online store (you'll still be able to find it on some reseller websites and through Apple's education sales scheme).

Not a must-have for owners of the original iPad Air, but a great buy for owners of older iPads and first-timers

Slim and light; Flawless responsiveness; Fast; Useful Continuity features

iCloud features have some problems; No waterproofing

Update: Later this year the iPad Air 2 will see an update to the latest iOS 11 software. Apple has now stopped selling the iPad Air 2 and has instead replaced it with a new product, simply entitled the iPad. We've compared the new Apple slate with the iPad Air 2 here .

The iPad Air 2 is the best tablet ever created - and that's not us getting excited over an Apple product for the sake of it. From the amazing engineering that got this thing so thin and yet still feeling so premium, to the A8X chip which has given the tablet more grunt than anything else out there,...

Upgraded screen; Slimmer design; Super speedy processor

16GB is a little low on space; No mute switch

Summary: The iPad Air 2's performance enhancements will appeal to those who run graphically demanding apps, although Apple's quest for thinness comes at the cost of reduced battery capacity. Last year's iPad Air remains a good option, but the Air 2 will be the power user's choice.

Thin; light and elegant design; Excellent build quality; Excellent performance; Low-reflectivity Retina HD display; Touch ID support; Improved iSight and FaceTime HD cameras

Lower-capacity battery than the 2013 iPad Air; No MicroSD storage expansion

The original iPad Air is a fantastic tablet. Perfect for the home, upon its launch in 2013 it shared the stage with the more portable iPad mini with Retina display, offering equal power in different sized packages.

Screen improvements (anti-glare limits reflections); even more power; thinner design; TouchID integrated; best iPad camera yet

No curved glass from the iPhone 6 range; camera could be better still; lock/rotation switch absent; original iPad Air remains strong

We were not sure it was possible, but Apple has done it. Apple has taken the best tablet ever made and made it even better.

Faster performance; Improved screen with richer colours and deeper blacks; Greater contrast; Smoother graphics; Superb build; Better cameras

Speaker could be better; Restrictive

Besides the Touch ID fingerprint feature, the screen assembly and uprated processor are the headline features. New cameras are a bonus too. Overall the Apple iPad Air 2 is the best tablet you can buy, even though it's been discontinued by Apple.

What I personally really like about the iPaid Air 2 is that it's lightweight and easy to carry while having a perfectly sized screen for watching videos. It's fast, reliable and feels/looks good (especially the gold colour, which is what I own).

Good sized Screen; relatively lightweight; looks & feels good

Limited storage; fragile without a case; slightly overpriced

The iPad Air 2 is very light and compact, you can take it anywhere you go. I purchased it for a recent trip to Prague and with the superb camera and recording facility, it saved taking my camera and DVD camcorder.