Although every Apple product goes through a well-established four-stage life cycle - introduction, growth, maturity and decline - the same is also true of its product families, which begin by building awareness (introduction), begin to increase in sales through advertising (growth), rocket upwards...

A comprehensively superior replacement for 2012's third- and fourth-generation iPads; packing almost twice as much horsepower and noteworthy extra battery life into a considerably narrower and lighter body.

Industrial design is new to full-sized iPad but highly familiar given last year's iPod touch and iPad mini releases, feeling lighter than past 9.7" iPads but heavier than iPad minis, and still not comfortable for truly extended hand-holding; stands are required yet sold separately.

Remember when the original iPad debuted in the hands of Steve Jobs, and he bold-facedly called it an incredibly thin and light device? Imagine what he'd say if he could see what his 9.7-inch roll-of-the-dice became just five short years later. Behold: the iPad Air. You've come a long way, baby.

Apple tends to slowly evolve their product lines, instead of making sweeping and drastic changes. I have noticed a trend where users skip a generation because it seems the processor is a bit faster, hardware a bit better, but seldom a WOW factor that compels you to drop everything and buy it.

Smaller Bezel; Does not get as Hot as prior models; Noticeable difference in hues; colors and tones being more defined; Lighter and More Portable; Stereo Speakers; Amazing Battery Life

Still Expensive; Video Quality is on par with 3rd generation iPad; Still no way to bulk delete emails; Camera received no major upgrade

That line was prominently displayed to audiences at Apple's June developer conference and the iPad Air event, during a video about the company's values and commitment to design. "If everyone is busy making everything," the video asks, "how can anyone perfect anything?

Amazingly thin and light; Terrific battery life; Excellent performance; Class-leading app selection; Amazingly thin and light; Terrific battery life; Excellent performance; Class-leading app selection

iOS 7 still glitchy in places; Gets expensive fast; Safari icon remains an abomination; iOS 7 still glitchy in places; Gets expensive fast; Safari icon remains an abomination

If you want a better iPad, the Air is for you. If you want a better iPad with a smaller screen, wait for the iPad mini with Retina Display that will be released later this month.

Apple first introduced the "Air" branding scheme in conjunction with its ultra-slim and portable MacBook line back in 2008. The term was meant to connote a laptop that wasn't just lighter, but also uber thin, and able to achieve epic battery life.

Incredibly lightweight with a super-slim, redesigned form factor; A7 chip, in addition to helping provide an impressive 10-plus hours of battery life, offers superb overall performance whether you're surfing the web or streaming media.

No TouchID, just a regular old home button; Despite upgrading to stereo speakers - audio separation remains poor; 5-megapixel rear-facing shooter could use an update

Apple iPad Air is a 9.7 inch fifth generation tablet featuring latest iOS 7 OS and A7 chip with 64-bit architecture and M7 motion coprocessor. It is available for price tag of $499 for 16GB model.

For a company that obsesses over making devices thinner and lighter, it must have been torture for Apple to spend nearly three years making a series of iPads that were better than their predecessors, but not smaller. Now it has.

Ten hours of battery life; twice as fast as fourth-generation iPad; light and thin

Still too big for long-term one-handed use; no Touch ID

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

For a company that obsesses over making devices thinner and lighter, it must have been torture for Apple to spend nearly three years making a series of iPads that were better than their predecessors, but not smaller. Now it has.

Ten hours of battery life; twice as fast as fourth-generation iPad; light and thin

Still too big for long-term one-handed use; no Touch ID