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

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

Lame as Apple's "Power of lightness is" tagline is it does seem apt. The iPad Air is much lighter than the iPad 4 , in fact it's lighter than most other tablets in its class at 469g. It has shed almost 200g, or 29%, of the weight that the iPad 4 carried. That's a massive generational leap.

Very light; Robust and premium design; Excellent screen; Solid battery life; Consummate all-rounder

Storage comes at a premium; No Touch ID

Good product

Bit heavy

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.

Since Apple retired the iPad Air, the newer iPad Air 2 and iPad Pro 9.7 would seem the logical choice. But if you're looking to get a quality larger tablet on the cheap, it may still be worth considering an iPad Air. Why?