Smartphone and tablet vendors seem to be locked in an arms race to build the thinnest possible devices at the moment, with the current thinnest smartphone - the Oppo R5 - being so skeletal at 4.85mm that it can't even accommodate a 3.5mm audio jack.

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 form-factor didn’t change since last year’s redesign, but even though the iPad Air 2 is slimmer than its predecessor, Apple didn’t sacrifice battery life. The company claims up to 10 hours using Wi-Fi, and in three battery rundown tests I averaged 10 hours and 14 minutes of continuously watching...

Incredibly fast A8X processor makes everything feel more immediate; same great battery life; easier to see in bright sunlight, Comes in gold and has Touch ID

16GB isn’t enough storage for the entry level model, Otherwise it’s the same as last year’s

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

Thinner, lighter, mightier – looks like Apple’s done it again

Stunningly slim and beautifully made, Screen is better than ever, Vastly more powerful

Very small hit to battery life

While we were a bit skeptical at first mostly driven by the sale price of the 16GB Wi-Fi only iPad Air 2 tablet, our impression has changed quite dramatically after using the tablet extensively on a two-week period.

Overall, there’s a lot to go over on the iPad Air 2. While the name suggests that it’s an iterative update in nature, in practice these updates add a lot of compelling hardware to the high-end iPad line. One of the first areas worth looking at here is the design.

The iPad Air 2 is a thinner, lighter and more powerful replacement for the iPad Air. It's probably the best tablet you can buy in 2014.

While the Air 2 is a definite leap forward on several fronts, it does come at a slight cost to battery life.

The iPad Air 2 has a faster processor, thinner body and better battery, but is it time for you to upgrade? Our tablet expert lays it out for you.

The Apple iPhone 14 is no match for the just-released iPhone 14 Pro, but if you ignore that, it’s one of the most effective phones around.

Great cameras, front and back, Fast performance, Good battery life, Innovative safety features

Design too familiar, Some average features