Update, 12th April 2016: Apple has discontinued the iPad Air 1, replacing it with the

Look and feel Apple's last 9.7-inch iPad was far too clunky, but the iPad Air is beautifully slim and light enough to comfortably clutch for long periods. It still looks gorgeous too.

Light and slender build; Zippy A7 processor; Sleek new iOS 7; Great battery life

Not cheap; Good ol' iTunes; Still no memory card slot

Slimmer, lighter, and faster than last year's model, Apple's iPad Air (which starts from £399) is the best tablet for the most people. It's a fully-fledged computer which is 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

Relatively expensive

Apple has done it again: the iPad Air is a tablet better than the last iPad. Simply put the iPad Air is the best iPad the company has ever made. It's light, it's thin, it's fast, it's amazing.

Thinner; lighter; faster; iLife and iWork apps are great; truly desirable tablet

Same camera as iPad 4; no 802.11 ac; can't realise 64-bit speed yet

An item that is a bit like a friend you see every so often that is usually reliable... The screen is very clear and bright...handy on Christmas and winter nights! I enjoy how the information remains, on say an internet communication and you can switch to Safari, go back and the email you are working...

A selection of small but meaningful changes means the best tablet in the world just got even better

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

Very small hit to battery life

Apple's iPad Air is the most comfortable to use 10in tablet on the market. While the cameras remain average, the iPad Air also boasts some improvement in speed and battery life, and remains a market leader when it comes to the 9.7in Retina display.

Great design and display; free iWork apps; improved performance and battery life

Cameras are still poor; not many 64-bit optimised apps

The iPad Air is the best iOS tablet to date – with a sleek design, excellent performance and battery life. But be warned: the 16GB of storage on the entry level model will get used up quickly by large 64-bit apps, so it's worth considering the 32GB option if you're an app junkie.

Thin & Lightweight; Brilliant battery life; Retina Display; Great app selection

Still no expandable storage; No Touch ID; Expensive

Apple makes the best tablets, and the sleeker, lighter iPad Air maintains its lead over the competition.

Screen; Speed; Size; Weight; Battery life

Price

Summary: Apple's large-format tablet is thinner, lighter and faster than ever, and delivers good battery life. We'd like to see the biometric home button and a wi-fi upgrade as soon as possible, but it's still a high-quality, if premium-priced, device.

Thin and light; Classy design; Fast 64-bit A7/M7 platform; Excellent LTE frequency band support; Good battery life

No Touch ID; No 802.11ac wi-fi or NFC; Expensive; especially when accessorised for maximum business productivity