It's hard to believe but it's been less than four years since Apple released the iPad, opening the door to an entirely new market of portable devices that, along with smartphones, has eroded the traditional PC industry in a way that most people would have never imagined a few short years ago.

Thinner and lighter, but still solidly built; Great performance with power to spare; Efficient design, runs cooler than previous iPads; iOS 7 is a worthy update and strong app ecosystem

No Touch ID; Camera is just ok; iPad mini might give the Air a run for its money

Good product

Bit heavy

The consensus is that this is the first, real successor since the last major iPad, the iPad 2. And that consensus is correct. The iPad Air not only feels different (lighter, faster, less calories) but it is different, from the way it has been designed, to the hardware lurking inside it, to iOS 7...

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

In contrast to the last iPhone 5S, iPad Air brings this important news both for design and for the hardware sector as well as for the new operating system. Overall, the result is a user experience revamped, mainly thanks to the more compact chassis and easy to handle.

Spectacular design; high performance; Improved front-facing camera and autonomy

Missing Touch ID; Price

There's no question that you'll get a thrill the first time you pick up the iPad Air. It's so much more holdable, even in just one hand, than the previous full-size iPads. The new iPad has shed a quarter of the old weight, has the nicer-feeling case design of the iPad Mini, and has lost a quarter of...

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

Many have criticized Apple for not drastically changing its devices over the years. The biggest change the line had was the introduction of the iPad Mini. Apple's iPad Air wants to innovate further without changing what makes the line so popular.

Many have criticized Apple for not drastically changing its devices over the years. The biggest change the line had was the introduction of the iPad Mini. Apple's iPad Air wants to innovate further without changing what makes the line so popular.

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