iPad 5 specifications dimensions. Apple iPad tablets. An operating system is a system software that manages and coordinates the operation of hardware components in a device

Apple's smallest tablet has finally been updated. In terms of design, nothing has changed. This is still a miniature, neat and all-cute iPad mini. But under the hood there is now angry hardware, like in the latest iPhones. The device has also become friends with the Apple Pencil. It's time to take a closer look at the tablet in our Apple iPad Mini 5 review.

In today's iPad mini 5 review, we'll figure out whether it's worth buying an updated tablet and what tasks it will be useful for. However, to fully immerse yourself in the topic, it would not hurt to plunge slightly into the recent past.

The Legend of the Lost Tablet Market

I first became acquainted with the iPad mini in 2013. The promotion of one of the retailers was successful. For 20 thousand rubles you could buy the maximum version (64 GB + Cellular) and in addition get an Apple TV of some generation. The latter was of little interest to me, so the console was safely sold under the hammer. Thus, I bought a new iPad mini at the top with an official guarantee for only 16,500 rubles. It's time for us all to hug and cry together. In the comments.

The first mini made me incredibly happy. It was extremely compact, very thin and powerful. Its display was much larger than the current smart phones at that time, and its dimensions allowed it to be taken anywhere. A sort of super advanced Kindle, but not for reading, but for everything in general.

iPad mini price in 2015

A couple of years passed, iOS 7 was released with a new design and a bunch of its own goodies. The update simply killed the tablet, freezes, lags, crashes and endless brakes began. Essentially a fast and modern tablet overnight turned into a single-tasking device for working in a taxi.

It was 2015, a time when everyone had long played enough with tablets. And Android device manufacturers have completely relaxed. They began to rivet disgusting game with hardware that was far behind the smartphone market. But not Apple. The company continues to create powerful, ultimate solutions for the tablet market to this day. Just look at the iPad Pro 11, which suddenly turned out to be much more productive. I’m generally silent about the screens of both devices. However, Apple completely forgot about the legendary iPad mini. The fourth, now previous, generation has not been updated since September 2015.

And now, the long-awaited update has finally happened!

Meet the iPad mini 5th Gen. The device received the most modern hardware at the level, but at the same time retained a compact and extremely thin body. Of course, that's not all.

Main

We begin our iPad mini 5 review with key changes compared to its predecessor:

• fierce A12 Bionic processor - exactly the same chipset installed in the iPhone XS
• the screen now supports True Tone and the 1st generation Apple Pencil
• more built-in memory, cooler front camera (was 1.2, now 7 megapixels)

Display

Key screen parameters have not changed. This is still the same IPS matrix with a comfortable resolution:

• diagonal. 7.9 inches
• 2048 by 1536 pixels
• DPI density: 326
• oleophobic coating

Compared to the previous iPad mini, the brightness has increased slightly (from 450 to 500 nits), and the anti-glare coating has also improved. Plus, support for the P3 color profile is now announced. Professionals working with photography, graphics and design will appreciate the innovation.

They also brought True Tone technology. Depending on the lighting, the color temperature on the screen is adjusted to the most comfortable value for the eyes. To put it simply, color rendering always leaves warm, slightly yellowish tones. Once you try it, you won’t want to go back to regular screens with a predominance of blue.

The second innovation is support for Apple Pencil. I am sure that illustrators, designers, and mobile artists have already been waiting for such a compact, neat and powerful solution for working on the road.

Yes, of course, you can remember its previous versions. However, this is a little different. The smartphone is excellent and extremely functional, but its screen is large only by smartphone standards. For comfortable drawing and editing, you need a larger display. Ideally iPad Pro 12.9 or at least . However, these devices may not always be convenient due to their size. But the iPad mini is an almost perfect tool. Not for creating work from scratch, but for proofreading almost finished images, layouts or models. On the way home, to work or to the airport.

There is only one caveat. During operation, if you press hard with your finger or Apple Pencil, the display bends slightly. I don't think this will have any impact on the durability of the tablet. It’s just that the iPad Pro didn’t have such nuances.

Characteristics and kit

Full list of iPad mini 5 specifications, as well as comparison with the previous generation.

There is nothing interesting in the tablet box: a 10-watt power supply, a USB to Lightning cable, pieces of paper and traditional white stickers.

Performance

I'm incredibly upset about Android tablets. Even the most current models are 1-2 generations behind smartphones in performance. But it’s so convenient to play on tablets. The grip is more comfortable, the screen is larger, and it’s much easier to spot an enemy hidden in the battle royale grass.

And only Apple has not disappointed for many years now. The Pro versions received a chipset even more powerful than that installed in the latest generation iPhone - A12X Bionic. Our hero is not far behind, because the usual A12 Bionic is used as the “brains”. Well, what about “ordinary”? This is just one of the most powerful processors in the world. And so, nothing special.

In any case, it copes well with any, even the most sophisticated title like PUBG Mobile and The Elder Scrolls: Blades. If you notice at least one lag or slight freeze, it’s worth focusing on the optimization of a specific game. The same PUBG Mobile runs at maximum graphic settings. The “ultra” item has not been working for several years now, even on . As for me, this is some kind of canard from the developers of the title, they say, look, we will soon make it even cooler (no).

4K video with a frequency of 60 frames, video editing, music mixing - all this successfully rotates and rotates on the relatively large screen of a miniature tablet. And it itself weighs 308 grams and fits in the inner pocket of a jacket or windbreaker. Not bad.

AR - augmented reality

Today, augmented reality is one of the most computationally challenging mobile tasks. However, the iPad mini 5 can handle it just fine.

Nothing slows down or lags in any AR application. By the way, I was recommended to evaluate the work of augmented reality in the JigSpace program. In turn, I will forward the project to you. It has a bunch of pre-installed virtual 3D models that can be placed on a real table to study their structure in detail.

And very soon, Angry Birds AR will be available in the App Store - the release date is April 30. I had a chance to try the title and it seems that Rovio were able to breathe new life into a long-worn toy. Three-dimensional birds and pigs right on your table - it’s really exciting. Not only do I know for how long.

What to do with the iPad mini 5 in 2019?

Well, first of all, read. This is one of the most convenient and sophisticated e-readers on the market. No options, but with one caveat. Buying an iPad mini 5 just for reading is really strange. And extremely expensive. In addition, the tablet itself will be offended that its fierce power is used only for reading. You understand.

Viewing huge PDF and DjVu files is another popular functionality for this tablet. Older iPads are too large and there is not always room for them in the workspace. And the little mini will fit anywhere. At the same time, on its screen the docks open to their full height without the need for scaling.

Drawing, sketching, 3D modeling, designing - we've already dealt with all this. A tablet is perfect for this kind of thing. However, in my opinion, for more serious, professional work it is better to use . And the “mini” will be an excellent addition to it on the road, when you need to be very light.

The A-Pencil and iPad mini 5 pairing can be used to edit and organize millions of notes. For example, the GoodNotes application can recognize handwritten text. Moreover, he does this even in Russian and even if you are a doctor. A beginner, during or after residency, of course.

By the way, the manufacturer of the legendary notepads Moleskine came to the rescue and released special applications for tablets: Timepage, Actions and Flow. The first is an advanced calendar with a custom design. Actions is the craziest organizer. There are so many possibilities that it can blow your mind. But it is functional. Flow will be appreciated by fans of quick sketches. Sketch a diagram, make a caricature, get distracted and just draw a little - for this, here, in the sense, in the Flow application. It is made in Moleskine tube design, so fans of the brand will be delighted. And of course, get ready to shell out a little. Still, Moleskine, that's all.

Timepage Flow

There is another option. Buying a new and modern iPhone XS is either expensive. And you always want fresh, productive hardware. The solution is simple - buy an iPad mini 5 and keep your old smartphone.

I have a good friend who chats and calls on an iPhone 6, and handles all other work and not so important issues on an iPad mini. She got used to it a long time ago and she feels so comfortable.

Cameras. There are more cameras!

There is one 8 MP camera at the back. There's probably no need for more. Moreover, it shoots very well for a tablet. Below is a visual comparison of the “minik” and the monster.

Yes, there is a lot of noise and less detail. But in general, the difference is not so colossal as to seal the camera’s peephole with a plaster once and for all.

The HDR mode very often saves the situation: it returns the azure sky to its rightful place, simultaneously highlighting excessively dark bushes or ground.

No HDR
HDR

No HDR
HDR

No HDR
HDR

The fifth generation iPad is expected to be released at the end of 2013. According to rumors, the tablet will resemble the iPad mini in its appearance and, of course, will receive improved technical characteristics.

The winter and spring holidays are finally far behind us, and this not only means that the snow will soon melt (honestly), but also another reason to get new products and other devices from Apple. Now, when there is no strong excitement around devices, stores make real discounts, and the situation does not occur when the price during a sale is the same as it was before (the so-called “imaginary discounts”). You can grab a whole bunch of devices at a discount - from iPhone to, you just need to know where.

As often happens in recent years, a few days before the number of information leaks about new products that Apple is going to introduce on October 22 has noticeably increased. This time, popular insider Sonny Dixon has published high-quality photos of the display of the fifth generation full-size iPad.

If the sources are correct, Tim Cook will take the stage to demonstrate the fifth generation of iPad and the second model. According to the latest rumors, the new tablets will inherit the color schemes and will come in three colors - silver, gold and space gray. Today, another source confirmed information that the iPad in gold color will indeed be presented.

According to reputable sources, the new generation of Apple tablets will inherit the color scheme received by . Previously, we published photos of the case in Silver, Gold and Space Gray color options. Judging by the latest data, this innovation will extend to the full-size version of the gadget.

Apple presented at WWDC and soon released new iPad Pro tablets: models with diagonals of 10.5 and 12.9 inches. In the Apple company’s product line, they replaced the first generation iPad Pro 9.7″ and iPad Pro 12.9″, respectively. At the same time, the younger model aroused particular interest: Apple had never had such a diagonal (10.5 inches) before. We tested the new product in detail.

Note that the iPad Pro line has not been updated for quite some time - more than a year. The iPad Pro 9.7″ was released in the spring of 2016, and the iPad Pro 12.9″ was released in the fall of 2015. So the current release, one might say, is long-awaited. And this is especially true for the model with a smaller diagonal, because after the appearance of the regular iPad with a diagonal of 9.7 inches this spring, the feasibility of purchasing the iPad Pro 9.7″ became completely doubtful: with a huge difference in price, the iPad Pro 9.7″ was only slightly superior the new iPad in performance and offered some options that were needed mainly by professionals (working with a stylus, for example).

Now the resulting imbalance has been eliminated: in the Apple tablet lineup, the iPad Pro 9.7″ model has been replaced by a 10.5″ firmware, and the regular iPad remains the only option with the classic “Jobs” screen diagonal of 9.7 inches.

We tested the iPad Pro 10.5″ in detail and found out how much better it is than its immediate predecessors.

First, let's look at the technical characteristics of the new product.

Technical specifications of Apple iPad Pro 10.5″

• SoC Apple A10X Fusion, 2.4 GHz (six 64-bit cores with ARMv8-A architecture, three of them energy efficient)
• Apple M10 motion coprocessor including barometer, accelerometer, gyroscope
• RAM 4 GB
• Flash memory 64/256/512 GB
• No memory card support
• Operating system iOS 10.3
• Touch display IPS, 10.5″, 2224×1668 (264 ppi), capacitive, multi-touch
• Cameras: front (7 MP, 1080p video via FaceTime) and rear (12 MP, 4K video shooting, optical stabilization)
• Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n/ac (2.4 and 5 GHz; MIMO support)
• Mobile Internet (optional): UMTS/HSPA/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz), CDMA EV-DO Rev. A and Rev. B (800, 1900 MHz), LTE (bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 38 , 39, 40, 41)
• A2DP LE, GPS/A-GPS (in version with cellular module), Glonass
• Second generation Touch ID fingerprint scanner
• 3.5mm stereo headset jack, Lightning dock connector
• Lithium polymer battery 30.4 Wh
• Dimensions 251×174×6.1 mm
• Weight 477 g (our measurement of the version with cellular module)

For clarity, let’s compare the characteristics of the new product with the iPad Pro 12.9″ and iPad Pro 9.7″.

*according to manufacturer information
** version with cellular module, our measurement
*** for the version with a minimum of flash memory and communication capabilities

As you can see, there are many improvements over the iPad Pro 9.7″. In addition to a larger diagonal screen, this also includes an SoC, twice the amount of RAM, an increased battery, and an improved camera... It looks promising! And you can learn how this manifests itself in practice from testing.

Packaging and equipment

The packaging of the iPad Pro is traditional for Apple tablets and is practically no different from the packaging of previous generations of tablets. With one exception: a huge (almost the entire front surface of the box) bright color picture attracts attention and the style itself strongly contrasts with the usual minimalistic image.

As for the packaging, there are no surprises here either: leaflets, charger, Lightning cable, stickers and a key for removing the SIM card cradle. The charger has the same power as the iPad Pro 12.9″: 12 W (2.4 A, 5.2 V). This is more than the iPad Pro 9.7″.

Design

Externally, the new iPad Pro 10.5″ is very similar to the iPad Pro 9.7″. Of course, with the exception of the size of the case and display. Everything is clear with the display: it has become larger, and this, of course, is a plus. The difference is really significant, and at the same time it does not turn the tablet into a compact laptop (as is the case with the iPad Pro 12.9″).

The idea is clear: they decided to increase the screen area, but keep the dimensions the same. In general, this is almost exactly what happened. “Almost” - because after all, the new product is a little larger than the iPad Pro 9.7″ - by a centimeter on the long side and half a centimeter on the short side. But the thickness remained the same: 6.1 mm. And that's really great. Making the tablet even thinner doesn't make much sense. But, at the same time, thanks to a slight increase in the area of ​​the body, the illusion is created that it has become thinner.

It is clear that a significant increase in the screen area with a not such a significant increase in the body area could only occur due to the frames around the screen. And this immediately catches your eye: the frames are now even thinner than before. Which, of course, is great both in terms of functionality and appearance.

Otherwise, the iPad Pro 10.5″ is identical to the iPad Pro 9.7″. With one tiny exception that only the most attentive users will notice: the microphones have moved from the right edge and the corner near the camera to the center of the top edge and the space below it. Perhaps this is due to some design reasons, or perhaps Apple engineers decided to insure the user against possible covering of the microphones with his finger when holding the tablet by the corners.

However, this change is so insignificant from the point of view of everyday use that it is hardly worth classifying it as a plus or minus. Summarizing the impressions of the design, we can say that they are pleasant due to the increased screen area while maintaining all the advantages of the iPad Pro 9.7″ (including, for example, four speakers on both short edges). But, of course, there is no need to talk about revolution.

Screen

The iPad Pro has a 10.5-inch screen with a resolution of 2224x1668. This is a new diagonal and a new resolution in the iPad line. However, the dot density here is the same as in previous models. So in terms of picture clarity there will be no differences.

Apple has introduced a number of technologies into the screens of the new iPad Pro line that were not previously presented. And our testing is designed to show how innovations affected the operating experience and overall image quality. Detailed testing of the screen was carried out by the editor of the “Monitors” and “Projectors and TV” sections, Alexey Kudryavtsev. Below is his conclusion.

The front surface of the screen is made in the form of a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface that is scratch-resistant. Judging by the reflection of objects, the anti-glare properties of the screen are much better than those of the Google Nexus 7 (2013) screen (hereinafter simply Nexus 7). For clarity, here is a photo in which a white surface is reflected when the screens are turned off (on the right is Nexus 7, on the left is iPad Pro 10.5″, then they can be distinguished by size):

The screen of the iPad Pro 10.5″ is significantly darker (brightness according to photographs is 64 versus 115 for the Nexus 7). Note that the manufacturer claims a reflection coefficient of 1.8%. The ghosting of reflected objects in the iPad Pro 10.5″ screen is very weak, this indicates that there is no air gap between the layers of the screen (more specifically, between the outer glass and the surface of the LCD matrix) (OGS - One Glass Solution type screen). Due to the smaller number of boundaries (glass/air type) with very different refractive indices, such screens look better in conditions of intense external illumination, but their repair in the case of cracked external glass is much more expensive, since the entire screen has to be replaced. The outer surface of the screen has a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating (effective, but still slightly worse than that of the Nexus 7), so fingerprints are removed more easily and appear at a slower rate than with regular glass.

With manual brightness control and when the white field was displayed in full screen, the maximum brightness value was about 520 cd/m², the minimum was 4 cd/m². At the same time, if you place the tablet under bright light (20,000 lux or a little more), the maximum brightness temporarily (while such conditions persist or until switched to standby mode and turned on again) increases to 620 cd/m². The maximum brightness is very high, and, given the excellent anti-glare properties, readability even on a sunny day outdoors will be at a good level. In complete darkness, the brightness can be reduced to a comfortable value. There is automatic brightness adjustment based on light sensors (they are located in the upper corners in portrait orientation, the readings of the one that produces a higher value are used). In automatic mode, when external lighting conditions change, the screen brightness both increases and decreases (with a slight hysteresis of the established values ​​for intermediate lighting conditions). The operation of this function depends on the position of the brightness adjustment slider - the user uses it to set the desired brightness level for the current conditions. If you don’t change anything, then in complete darkness the brightness drops to 3 cd/m² (very dark), in an office illuminated by artificial light (about 550 lux) the screen brightness is set to 100-140 cd/m² (acceptable), in a very bright environment (corresponds to lighting on a clear day outdoors, but without direct sunlight - 20,000 lux or a little more) rises to 620 cd/m² (to the maximum, as needed). We were not entirely satisfied with the result, so in the dark we slightly moved the brightness slider to the right, and for the three conditions indicated above we got 10, 115-160 and 620 cd/m² (ideal). It turns out that the auto-brightness function works adequately, and it is possible to adjust the nature of the brightness change to suit the user's requirements. At any brightness level, there is no significant backlight modulation, so there is no screen flicker.

This tablet uses an IPS matrix. The microphotographs show a typical IPS subpixel structure:

For comparison, you can see the gallery of microphotographs of screens used in mobile technology.

The screen has good viewing angles without significant color shift even with large viewing deviations from perpendicular to the screen and without inverting shades. For comparison, here are photographs in which the same images are displayed on the screens of the iPad Pro 10.5″ and Nexus 7, while the screen brightness is initially set to approximately 200 cd/m² (across the white field in full screen), and the color balance on the camera is forcibly switched at 6500 K. Perpendicular to the screens there is a white field:

Note the good uniformity of brightness and color tone of the white field.

And a test picture:

Color balance varies slightly, color saturation is normal. Recall that photography can not serve as a reliable source of information about color rendering quality and are provided for illustrative purposes only. In this case (apparently due to the peculiarities of the screen’s emission spectrum), the color balance in photographs of the iPad Pro 10.5″ screen is slightly different from what is visible to the eye and determined by a spectrophotometer.

Now at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the plane and to the side of the screen:

It can be seen that the colors did not change much on both screens and the contrast remained at a high level.

And a white field:

The brightness at an angle of the screens decreased (at least 4-5 times, based on the difference in shutter speed), but in the case of the iPad Pro 10.5″ the drop in brightness is less. When deviated diagonally, the black field is highlighted very weakly and acquires a purple tint. The photographs below demonstrate this (the brightness of the white areas in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the screens is approximately the same!):

And from another angle:

When viewed perpendicularly, black uniformity is almost perfect:

The contrast (approximately in the center of the screen) is high - about 1400:1. The response time for the black-white-black transition is 21 ms (11 ms on + 10 ms off). The transition between halftones of gray 25% and 75% (based on the numerical value of the color) and back takes a total of 33 ms. The gamma curve, constructed using 32 points with equal intervals based on the numerical value of the shade of gray, did not reveal any blockage in either the highlights or the shadows. The exponent of the approximating power function is 2.19, which is very close to the standard value of 2.2. In this case, the real gamma curve practically does not deviate from the power-law dependence:

Color gamut is sRGB:

Let's look at the spectra:

Such spectra are (unfortunately) found in top mobile devices from Sony and other manufacturers. Apparently, this screen uses LEDs with a blue emitter and green and red phosphor (usually a blue emitter and a yellow phosphor), which, in combination with special matrix filters, allows for a wide color gamut. Yes, and the red phosphor apparently uses so-called quantum dots. For a consumer device, a wide color gamut is not an advantage, but a significant disadvantage, since as a result, the colors of images - drawings, photographs and films - oriented to the sRGB space (and the vast majority of them) have an unnatural saturation. This is especially noticeable on recognizable shades, such as skin tones. But unlike many famous and not so famous companies, Apple knows what the color gamut should be, and therefore carefully adjusts it to the sRGB boundaries. As a result, visually the colors have a natural saturation.

This applies to those images that have an sRGB profile or no profile at all. However, the native color space for the top modern Apple devices (at least for the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, iPad Pro 9.7″, MacBook Pro, etc.) Display P3 with slightly richer greens and reds. Space Display P3 based on SMPTE DCI-P3, but has a D65 white point and a gamma curve of approximately 2.2. In addition, the manufacturer states that starting with iOS 9.3, color management is supported at the system level, which makes it easier for iOS applications to correctly display images with a specified color profile. Indeed, by supplementing the test images (JPG and PNG files) with the Display P3 profile, we obtained a color gamut wider than sRGB (output in Safari):

Note that the coordinates of the primary colors coincide almost exactly with those specified for the DCI-P3 standard. This coverage is different from Adobe RGB, red in Display P3 slightly more saturated, and green can be considered less saturated:

We look at the spectra in the case of test images with a profile Display P3:

It can be seen that in this case no cross-mixing of components occurs, that is, this color space is native to the iPad Pro 10.5″ screen. The most important question is whether the support provides Display P3 at least some significant advantage, and doubts are associated primarily with the fact that there is practically no content with a coverage wider than sRGB, and when it appears, it is not a fact that it will be in the variant Display P3, and all current devices will be hopelessly outdated by that time. However, you have to start somewhere, and the wide screen coverage, as well as the color management built into the OS, contribute to this. In the meantime, content can be created by the user himself, since a profile is written in photos from the cameras of the iPhone 7/7 Plus and this tablet Display P3. However, we know nothing about the real color gamut of these cameras.

The balance of shades on the gray scale is good, since the color temperature is close to the standard 6500 K, and the deviation from the blackbody spectrum (ΔE) is less than 10, which is considered an acceptable indicator for a consumer device. At the same time, color temperature and ΔE change little from hue to hue - this has a positive effect on the visual assessment of color balance. The nature of the change in values ​​from hue to hue indirectly shows that software color correction is used. (The darkest areas of the gray scale can be ignored, since color balance there is not very important, and the error in measuring color characteristics at low brightness is large.)

It is clearly seen that the new product is significantly ahead of all its predecessors, including the former leader - the 12.9-inch iPad Pro of the first generation. The difference is up to one and a half times. This is very significant. The superiority of the new product compared to a regular iPad turns out to be almost twofold.

Now let's see how the iPad Pro performs in Geekbench - a multi-platform benchmark that measures CPU and RAM performance, and from the fourth version, which we used for testing, also GPU computing capabilities (if you want to mine bitcoins on an iPad, you should be interested in this item :)). Plus, we haven’t forgotten about the comprehensive AnTuTu Benchmark.

The picture turned out to be very interesting. In single-core mode of the Geekbench processor subtest, the new product outperformed the iPad Pro 12.9″ by about 30%, but in Compute mode and multi-core mode the gap was more impressive - almost twice. What can we say about the superiority of the new product over the iPad 9.7″: the iPad Pro 10.5″ is almost three times faster in Compute! In Antutu, the situation is similar, although here the results are more “moderate”: the difference between the most productive and the weakest models is twofold, not threefold.

The last group of benchmarks is dedicated to testing GPU performance. We used 3DMark, GFXBench Metal 3.1.5 and Basemark Metal.

Let's start with GFXBecnh. Let us remind you that Offscreen tests involve displaying a 1080p image on the screen, regardless of the actual screen resolution. And tests without Offscreen mean that the image is displayed in exactly the resolution that matches the device screen resolution. That is, Offscreen tests are indicative from the point of view of the abstract performance of the SoC, and real tests are indicative from the point of view of the comfort of the game on a specific device.

With the exception of a single subtest (T-Rex Onscreen), which is too easy for all tested models, the difference between the new product and the other models is so significant that the last doubts about the success of the new Apple A10X Fusion disappear.

In Ice Storm Unlimited mode, the layout is similar to previous tests. There is a crushing victory of the new product over previous models. In Sling Shot Extreme the difference is much smaller, although the balance of power remains the same.

Finally - Basemark Metal.

Again, no surprises. A clear victory for the Apple A10X Fusion.

The benchmark results leave no doubt: the Apple A10X Fusion is the most powerful Apple SoC to date, and the new generation iPad Pro is, accordingly, the most powerful tablet (at least in the Apple family). Moreover, the difference with its immediate predecessors is so great that it is time to talk about a truly serious step forward.

Obviously, today this may be needed either by professionals involved in creating/editing photos and videos on a tablet, or by those who consider buying a tablet as a long-term investment - in two years, on some iOS 13 or iOS 14, the difference in performance with the previous one generation will be clearly felt. And the very fact of such productivity growth cannot but rejoice.

Playing video

To test the output of video files on the screen of the device itself, we used a set of test files with an arrow and a rectangle moving one division per frame (see “Method for testing video playback and display devices. Version 1 (for mobile devices)”). Screenshots with a shutter speed of 1 s helped determine the nature of the output of frames of video files with various parameters: the resolution varied (1920 by 1080 (1080p) and 3840 by 2160 (4K) pixels) and frame rate (24, 25, 30, 50 and 60 frames/ With). In the tests, we used the Safari browser, from which we launched video files for playback using direct links and switched to full-screen output. H.265 files could not be played. Here is an example of a photo in the case of H.264, 4K, 60 fps:

It can be seen that the duration of the frames varies slightly, but there are no gaps. This indirectly indicates that the refresh rate is above 60 Hz. The manufacturer claims that this tablet has a screen refresh rate increased to 120 Hz, and when playing video files, the refresh rate is adjusted to the frame rate in it. Indeed, in the case of video files with frequencies of 24, 25 and 30 fps, the frame duration is the same, but in the case of files with frequencies of 50 and 60 fps in 4K resolution and, for some reason, 50 fps in 1080p resolution, this is not the case , and the arrow image in the test files shakes due to variations in frame duration. The strangest thing is that a file with a frequency of 60 fps in 1080p resolution is output perfectly.

Autonomous operation and heating

We conducted detailed tests of the iPad Pro 10.5″ battery life. Judging by them, the tablet is not only not inferior to its predecessors, but also superior to them, especially in reading mode. This may be due to the appearance of energy-saving CPU cores in the Apple A10X Fusion SoC.

One way or another, the iPad Pro 10.5″ tablet is one of the longest-lived today, and it is certainly the leader in this indicator among Apple tablets.

Under high loads, the tablet heats up, but moderately. Below is a thermal image rear surface obtained after three runs in a row (about 10 minutes of work) of the Basemark Metal test:

Heating is localized in the center of the device, which apparently corresponds to the location of the SoC chip. According to the heat chamber, the maximum heating was 36 degrees (at an ambient temperature of 24 degrees), which is relatively little.

Work in LTE networks

The tablet will work on almost all LTE networks. That is, you can safely buy an iPad Pro in another country and at the same time be sure that in Russia it will be fully functional in terms of communication capabilities.

LTE reception is reliable. Speed ​​measurements using the iOS application Speedtest.net (Beeline SIM card was used) showed normal results for both data receiving and downloading. However, results may vary greatly depending on the operator and conditions.

iPad is hot-swappable and SIM-swappable (no reboot), it also supports the Apple SIM virtual SIM standard and all the latest LTE and Wi-Fi standards (LTE-Advanced, 5 GHz Wi-Fi and 802.11ac). We didn’t notice any differences from the iPad Pro 12.9″ and iPad Pro 9.7″.

Camera

The new iPad Pro is equipped with two cameras - front with a resolution of 5 megapixels and rear with a resolution of 12 megapixels. For the first time, iPad Pro is equipped with the same camera module as the latest generation iPhone! And for the first time, Apple added a flash to a tablet. In addition to this, 4K 30 fps video recording is supported. Finally, for the first time, optical stabilization appeared in the cameras of the iPad line!

We tested the main camera outdoors, in real conditions. The results were commented on by Anton Soloviev.

The camera turned out to be good, which was quite expected, since it has a time-tested 12-megapixel module. The only thing I can complain about is a slight lack of sharpness in the very corners, but it can only be noticed when looking at the pictures very closely. In general, sharpness, detail and software processing do not raise any questions. The noise reduction, of course, is not ideal, but it copes with its main task. As a result, the camera will cope well with many different scenes.

4K video still seems a bit heavy for the camera, even at 30 fps. Light ripples, blur and periodically slow pieces indicate that only static images should be shot in 4K. But 1080p video at 60 fps looks great.

conclusions

Having released the new iPad Pro line, Apple took the long-awaited step: it increased the screen size of the more compact model, without changing its dimensions. And if you consider that along with the display area, the resolution has also increased, and in addition to this, performance has significantly increased (on average by one and a half times), cameras and battery life have improved, then the update can safely be considered successful.

Another thing is that tablets have already grown to such a level (and this applies especially to Apple tablets) where for an ordinary user who does not use the tablet for some highly professional tasks, the difference between models of two generations or a cheaper and more expensive model is almost imperceptible . That is, despite the release of the iPad Pro 10.5″, the spring iPad 9.7″ model has not lost its attractiveness. And given the difference in price, its audience should be larger than that of the new product.

But, of course, the imbalance that existed before is no longer there: if the iPad Pro 9.7″ was only slightly superior to the regular iPad, now the list of advantages of the more expensive model is much more impressive. And if you need the most productive and advanced Apple tablet, but the 12.9″ model is too big for you, then the choice is obvious: the iPad Pro 10.5″.

For successfully updating the hardware and increasing the screen size with minimal changes in dimensions, we present the Apple iPad Pro 10.5″ with our editorial Original Design award.

Having studied all the iPad models and their characteristics, you can understand how the technologies for creating Tablet PCs have developed and progressed from 2010 to the present day.

After all, these famous gadgets, both a few years ago and now, are equipped with the most modern parts. And you can see development from them.

Moreover, some analysts suggest that iPads will eventually be the first to displace a significant part of desktop computers from the market, surpassing them, if not in power, then at least in mobility and ease of use.

iPad 1

The first iPad went on sale in 2010 and became a truly revolutionary gadget that received many technologies that other tablet PCs did not have at that time - an IPS display and a powerful gigahertz Apple A4 processor.

High operating speed, a screen with a diagonal of almost 10 inches and a capacious 6667 mAh battery made the iPad 1 popular.

However, it was still just an experimental model, with a number of shortcomings and shortcomings.

Among the disadvantages of the device were the relatively short operation time on a single charge - even such a battery was not enough for the large display and the resource-intensive iOS operating system.

In addition, the iPad was quite thick by the standards of other tablets and did not come with a camera, which is why it could not be used for video chatting.

But its body has rounded edges and stylish volume control buttons on the right side.

The developers’ original solution was the button for switching lock modes and screen orientation, which lights up green when turned on.

Another impressive characteristic is the tablet’s built-in memory, the maximum capacity of which was 64 GB.

Although the rather modest RAM parameters did not allow installing more modern versions on the tablet.

Technical specifications:

• Screen size: 9.7 inches;
• resolution: 768 x 1024;
• processor: single-core, 1000 MHz;
• cameras: none;
• memory capacity: 256 MB RAM and from 16 to 64 GB built-in;
• Battery capacity: 6667 mAh.

iPad 2

The next generation of iPad, which appeared in 2011, was more advanced and had many fewer shortcomings.

First of all, this concerned the amount of RAM that had increased to 512 MB - quite enough to run modern applications and install new operating systems.

In addition, the model received two cameras at once - the main one with 0.69 megapixels. and frontal with resolution (640 x 480), gyroscope and dual-core processor.

Most other characteristics, except for a more powerful processor, remained at the same level. Visually, the gadget was distinguished by the edging of the Home button, which matched the color of the body.

Tablet parameters:

• screen: 1536x2048 pixels, 7.9 inches;
• chipset: 2 cores, 1300 MHz;
• cameras: 5 and 1.2 megapixels;
• memory: RAM – 1 GB, ROM – 16, 64 and 128 GB;
• Battery capacity: 6471 mAh.

Another plus is the most affordable price in the entire history of the series. The basic version of the model can be purchased for only $329.

At the same time, decent capabilities and quite affordable prices allow the gadgets to compete well with the top versions of other manufacturers.

And not only among fans of Apple products, but also among users who prefer high performance and modern technologies.

A girl of about nine years old was sitting at the table opposite. She looked in my direction without blinking. There was a mixture of admiring helplessness and racial hatred in her gaze. No, she's unlikely to remember my face. But my hands will probably live in her memory for a long time (5 months). Because in them I squeezed what her soul yearns for - the newest, coolest iPad with the airy name Air. While I was wondering why such a little girl might need the latest and most productive Apple device (besides the obvious reason to show off to her classmates), she, continuing to stare at it, in a broken whisper, told her indifferently munching hamburger friend something about a “64-bit processor.” , “powerful co-processor”, “thinner frame, like a mini”, “less weight” and “retina again”. Taken aback, I decided to take my thoughts back. The young man is well aware of what he wants! And this is worthy of respect. I think that among potential owners of new iPads, such knowledgeable users are unlikely to reach a few percent. Truth: if we give a very brief description of the fifth generation of full-size Apple tablets, the words of this girl are quite enough. Little girls are not the same anymore, I thought. And that's great! Apple tablets are also not the same anymore. And at first glance this is also wonderful. But you need to take a closer look.

Video review

How it was

For those who do not follow the development of Apple technology as closely as the girl from the cafe mentioned above, or who missed this chapter in the history of gadget development, let me remind you of the main milestones of “iPedo construction.” The birth of a new device - iPad - took place in 2010. With it began the era of Internet tablets. Contrary to the predictions of numerous skeptics, this breed has spread quite quickly, partly replacing portable laptops and netbooks. The first iPad was heavy (680 and 730 grams depending on the absence/presence of a 3G module), but they didn’t know about it yet. Because there was nothing special to compare with. This machine immediately received an excellent 9.7-inch screen for those times (and, perhaps, not every tablet can boast of this today) with an IPS matrix, 3:4 aspect ratio and a resolution of 1024x768 pixels.

The following year, 2011, the world was presented with one of the most successful incarnations of Apple tablets - iPad 2. The “second” was much lighter and faster, its design also underwent certain changes. And, by the way, we saw this design not only in the second, but in the third and fourth models without any special changes. This model is still in production today, now considered a budget version of the iPad, while the next two updates have already been discontinued. It weighed 613 grams with 3G and 12 grams less without it. It wasn’t that they criticized him for the screen, which also had a resolution of 1024x768 pixels, but they wanted more. We wanted it and we got it: the long-awaited Retina (2048x1536 pixels) really makes the image incredibly smooth and somehow... airy. Only now the weight of the third iPad, which at one time was called “The New iPad,” has grown to 652/662 grams. There was a more powerful processor, double the amount of RAM, and a capacious battery... It got pretty hot, this new iPad, and it didn’t take long for the next update to arrive. Next was the iPad 4, featuring a more energy-efficient processor, and then... There was also the iPad Mini, which literally blew up the market: the same as the iPad 2, but in a light and compact eight-inch body! With a beautiful thin frame. With stereo speakers... Well, except that Retina is not enough. Naturally, the second iPad Mini will correct the situation, but for now - for now we have an iPad Air with a design like the iPad Mini...

iPad Air specifications

Equipment

Traditional white box. From all the information diversity of the world, on it you can see a photo of the device, its name, and also, in small letters on the back, the version of the device (with or without 4G support, the built-in storage capacity is from 16 to 128 GB. We are testing the version with 64 GB ). In equally traditional niches there is a charger, a USB-Lightning cable, an envelope with a key for removing or installing a nanoSIM, stickers with apples, and an extremely laconic device for use.

Design and Construction

The comparison with the iPad Mini, which has been hackneyed since the announcements, is reasonable. The iPad Air indeed takes its design cues from its smaller brother: the same proportions, the same thin bezel, which is especially thin along the long edges of the device. The corners are less rounded, but the curve from the back to the screen is sharper. There is also a shiny edging around the perimeter of the device.

The device creates the most ethereal impression: those who are familiar with at least one full-size iPad of any generation will understand what I mean. If previously there was only a slight decrease in the weight of the device (and sometimes, on the contrary, an increase), now the tablet has become lighter by as much as 183 grams. As a result, we get 478 grams. And this is very small for a tablet with a 9.7-inch screen diagonal!

Together with iPad 2

Together with iPad 2

Thin, 7.5 millimeters, iPad Air does not tire your hands when using it for a long time. Although, of course, some will prefer the more compact second-generation iPad Mini with similar hardware, a Retina display and a weight of 341 (331) grams. The difference in weight in the case of the two newest iPads is quite reasonable, it is justified by the size of the screen.

The device fits well in your hands and can slide, but not too much. The quality of materials again pleases and leaves all competitors, even the most famous and serious ones, far behind.

A thin but durable sheet of anodized aluminum in the case of the 4G version is diluted with a plastic strip, very thin glass is used - in many ways, it was the materials that contributed to the reduction in weight and dimensions.

At the same time, the assembly is again at its best: no creaks, gaps or deflections. All buttons and connectors fit perfectly. When you press the buttons, you feel a clear click with your fingers. The only thing that shows a decrease in the rigidity of the structure is small streaks on the screen when you press hard on the matrix.

The color of the device is white on the screen side (frame) and silver on the back. Now this color is called Silver. Black, to match the iPhone 5s, became Space Gray or “Wet Asphalt” in our opinion. Noble. I haven't heard of the gold version. The case, as usual, is non-separable. The arrangement of all the elements coincides with - whoever you think - of course with the iPad Mini. Top left is the audio jack, right is the power button. At the top of the right side there is a Mute toggle switch for muting the sound, as well as separate buttons for adjusting it, replacing the traditional rocker.

Well, the best part is that, like the Mini, the device is equipped with two speakers. They are located on the bottom edge, separated only by the Apple Lightning connector.

The Home button on the iPad Air is traditional. Alas, there is no such convenient fingerprint scanner as the iPhone 5s.

Display

The main characteristics suggest that the Air's screen has changed little compared to the previous two full-size iPad models. IPS with a diagonal of 9.7 inches, resolution 2048x1536 pixels. And my favorite (at least by me) aspect ratio is 4:3. However, there are certain changes.

For a user unprepared for such high quality, the screen makes an indelible impression: the dots are not visible at all, the icons seem to float above the background - such a 3D effect is observed. Especially in combination with a thin frame. By the way, the protection against false alarms at the edges is also excellent. At the same time, the screen sensitivity does not disappoint either. The maximum brightness has increased (360 cd/m2), as has the contrast. The color rendition and color gamut close to sRGB are pleasing. By the way, the maximum brightness is almost always too much, even on a sunny day 80% was enough for me, and in the dark I reduced this figure to 60%. The only thing that disappoints, even if only a little, is the presence of an air gap between the matrix and the protective glass: there is glare, although the iPad Air is one of the best in this regard. Movies and games look great on it. And this is not because I love Apple, but because objectively it is so. In all my time, I have not met a single tablet with a better screen than this one.

System and performance

Regarding the iOS 7 operating system, I don’t have much to add other than what was already said in the iPhone 5c review. In turn, the hardware is described in detail in the iPhone 5s review. The new iPad uses the same dual-core 64-bit A7 processor, M7 coprocessor, and quad-core PowerVR G6430 graphics. Only the A7, located inside the iPad Air, has each core running at 1.4 gigahertz, while the heart of the smartphone beats at 1 GHz. There is only a gigabyte of RAM, which will cause a contemptuous laugh from fans of flagship Androids. Apple apologists will tell them that iOS uses resources much more economically, so a gigabyte is enough for the device. And they will be right: Air simply flies. Both the interface, and loading games, and the games themselves, including heavy 3D ones, work perfectly on the large Retina display (and how nice it is to play with such detail and clarity of the picture!). Not to mention the smoothness of interface transitions. The only task in which I managed to make the iPad slow down was watching a FullHD movie in a mkv container using the PlayerXtreme player. Most likely, there are optimization or compatibility problems here: heavy films in Mpeg4 and all others played smoothly. Geekbench 3 scores are the best on the platform. Yes, and compared to others, it’s also very, very... Having habitually launched the cross-platform Ice Storm Extreme test, I received the Maxed Out result and a message that this test is child’s play for such a powerful device, go to another level - Ice Storm Unlimited. The tablet was also among the best in this category, slightly behind the Galaxy Note 10.1 and LG G2. By the way, it’s very difficult to force yourself to take your eyes off the spaceships drawn in this test...

In a word, there is plenty of iron here. I think it will be enough for any games from the AppStore for at least two years.

Camera

There are two of them. The first is 5 megapixels, with an aperture number of ƒ/2.4. No flash, but with autofocus, back-illuminated sensor and five-element optics. It is not much different from the sensor that we could see in the iPad 4. But it is strikingly different from the iPad 2. For the sake of bragging - a couple of pictures for comparison.

iPad 2 camera

iPad Air Camera

The camera is not outstanding, it is far from what the last three iPhones (or even four) had. But for a tablet, if for some reason you still want to shoot with a tablet, that’s not bad. But the front camera in a tablet is much more useful. Well, video telephony. Here its resolution is 1.2 megapixels. For Skype - headlong. Below are photographs taken from it. Only with the effects of the wonderful entertainment program Photo Booth.

Sound

Two stereo speakers significantly improved the sound situation. There was even a feeling of some kind of volume. Although there is still little bass, the mid frequencies are well developed. During sound, the body feels pleasant in your hands. The speakers play clearly and loudly at maximum. You can watch movies without headphones or external speakers while in the room. Only their location is somehow...smartphone-like. Of course, this is a little better than its predecessor; you can hold the tablet in a landscape grip so as not to cover them... However, physiologically a person perceives stereo better if the speakers are spaced on both sides of the ears, here in landscape orientation, and movies Usually they look this way, they are next to each other and on the same side. So, although things have gotten better, it's even better with headphones, just like when connecting to good portable speakers.

Autonomy and heating

9 hours in active mode is a sort of standard for the iPad, which has remained virtually unchanged from generation to generation. Here, despite the reduced battery capacity compared to the iPad 4 (a 32.4 Wh battery fit into the thin case, 42.5 Wh in the iPad 4), the tablet should honestly work for 10 hours. The increased energy efficiency of the processor and screen has an impact. With almost maximum screen brightness, half the sound and disabled wireless interfaces, the device played a FullHD video for about 7 hours 45 minutes. In operating mode (half brightness, Wi-Fi on, Internet, mail, some movies, music), the iPad Air is quite capable of lasting a couple of days without recharging. So the talk about ten hours is quite true. The device still charges slowly, but faster than previous iPads with retina: about 4 hours. When running tests or 3D games, there is some slight heat in the camera area and along the long edge next to the camera. However, much less than in the iPad 3 or even iPad 4.

Bottom line

Testing the new iPads is both difficult and easy at the same time. The manufacturer shows a certain uniformity, and after seeing one device, it is easy to notice family traits in all. The likelihood of getting a buggy sample is also extremely low. And all the declared programs will definitely work. In a word, it's easy. And it’s difficult in the sense that there are no surprises. And the constant repetition of phrases “the same as ...”, “nothing has changed” and so on makes few people happy. Nevertheless, I tried to convey my feelings about working with the device, and I must say, I liked them: oddly enough, this is the first full-size iPad that I would like to have at my own disposal. The device is very well put together, it is beautiful, light and productive. I think two factors can keep users from buying it: financial (you have to give a lot of money) and religious (hatred of Apple). Well, or simply unnecessary. Or.. Or, say, the presence on the market of the iPad Mini 2, a tablet that I would call the main competitor of the iPad Air.

7 reasons to buy an Apple iPad Air

• This is an iPad;
• this is the best iPad;
• with an excellent screen;
• beautiful design;
• the lightest (except for Mini models);
• the most tenacious;
• and the fastest.

3 (+1) reasons not to buy an Apple iPad Air

• You're leaning towards the Mini version;
• you don’t like Apple or think this company’s products are unreasonably expensive;
• you like to tinker with the OS and customize it for yourself;)
• You don't need a tablet at all.