Apple started with the size of the iPad. The Air 2 retains its 9.7in, 2048x1536 resolution screen, although it rests in a body that is 6mm thin. Turns out Apple has shaved the Air 2 down by 19 per cent.

Great performance; Thin at 6mm; Improved cameras; Finger scanner

Expensive; Apple locks its ecosystem

When the iPad first arrived on the scene it took the world by storm and basically brought the idea of tablets into the mainstream. Now, Apple is facing tough competition from other manufacturers and has seen their sales flatten out in the past couple years.

Reduced weight and thickness; Incredibly fast performance; Beautiful display with vibrant colors and deep blacks

Potential issues with bending; 16GB base model not worth the price; No real improvement in battery life

The Apple iPad is fading away, so it can make iOS apps even more visible. Apple's obsession with making its iPads thinner and thinner, lighter and lighter every year is a philosophical statement. The computer should disappear; all that should be left is the app.

Very thin and light; Extremely fast processor; Best app design and selection of any platform; Cellular models can be switched between wireless carriers in software

Expensive; Battery life is just okay

What is an iPad? When Steve Jobs introduced Apple's tablet in January 2010, he delivered an unequivocal answer. "The iPad, if you were to sum it up, is our most advanced technology in a magical...

Terrific display; So very thin; Great battery life; Super fast

No multiuser support; No multitasking; Safari icon still objectively terrible

The iPad Air 2 is Apple's most powerful tablet yet, and is incredibly thin and light. It's a solid upgrade over last year's Air, and should definitely be one of your top tablet considerations.

Beautiful; thin aluminum design; Incredibly powerful A8X chip; Touch ID included; Upgraded camera; Touch ID now comes included; Long battery life; Good performance

Battery life could be better; Some will miss the mute switch; Only a couple of upgrades; Commands a $100 premium over last year's model

The iPad Air 2 is undoubtedly Apple's best tablet to date. Its Touch ID fingerprint scanner works well, it's thin, light and powerful and lasts a long time on a single charge. But it no longer stands head and shoulders above the competition.

thin; light; long battery; powerful processor; fingerprint sensor; decent camera

expensive; small upgrade over last year; square screen; no expandable storage

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

But as I tested out Apple's new iPad Air 2 , I see why people like to shoot pictures with a tablet. Images look great on the large screen, and there's less guesswork about whether or not small details, such as lettering on a sign, will be in focus.

Razor-thin, fast as hell, finger friendly, and now in gold: Apple's iPad Air 2 is the best tablet you can buy.

Thinner than any other Apple device; Screen brighter than iPad Air; Powerful new processor is a step up; iPads have best app selection of any tablet; Improved rear camera; Touch ID added

16GB model does not have enough storage; Speaker quality worse than Air 1; iPad Air 1 is $100 cheaper; Not water resistant; No MicroSD storage options

Apple's marketing suggests that the iPad Air 2 is the fastest, thinnest, best iPad Air ever. But they would say that. Is the iPad Air 2 worth buying, or upgrading from if you're an existing iPad owner? First up: My early impressions, and a comparison to last year's iPad Air.