Buy iPad 2 or iPad Air - which is better?

If you want to buy an iPad, you now have various models to choose from. With iPad 2 and iPad Air, there are two 10-inch tablets that at first glance separate only minor differences - although there are three generations between the devices. In this practical tip, we will show you a few examples of what distinguishes the two tablets and how you should approach your purchase decision accordingly.

1. Display - the heart of the tablet

Both displays are the same size at 9.7 inches - but size doesn't always matter.

• The iPad 2 is equipped with an LCD display that has a resolution of 1, 024 x 768 pixels. This value is only partially up to date today. The brightness of 364 candelas and the contrast ratio of 800: 1 are quite decent.
• The iPad Air has an even better screen: thanks to the retina resolution of 2, 048 x 1, 536 pixels and further improved brightness and contrast values, the display is practically unrivaled.

2. Size and weight - how handy are the devices?

• At 8.8 mm thick and 600g in weight, the iPad 2 is now rather average.
• With the iPad Air, the name says it all: with 469g, it is a real flyweight in the 10-inch class. The thickness has shrunk to 8mm and due to the narrower frame, the new device loses 17mm in width.

3. Equipment and software - what's in the iPad?

The current operating system iOS7 is the same for both devices. When it comes to storage and mobile internet, the equipment is mainly a question of cost:

• The iPad 2 is only available in Germany in the version with 16 GB memory. Unfortunately, you cannot expand the memory yourself. For a surcharge, you can buy the 3G version, which also allows you to use mobile data.
• The iPad Air also starts in the Wi-Fi version with 16 GB. However, additional memory sizes of up to 128 GB are available. The module for mobile Internet is also optional here - but at LTE speed. Here, however, the price is steep: instead of 479 euros in the basic version, you pay a proud 869 euros for the most expensive version.

4. Performance - the basis for pleasant operation

Both devices are equipped with Apple's own processors: the iPad 2 with the Apple A5 processor, the iPad Air with the A7 processor.

• If you compare both tablets in a direct comparison, it quickly becomes clear that the new A7 chip works considerably faster. Compared to the iPad 2, the iPad Air applications often load twice as fast and there are also significant differences in the boot time.
• The basic operation works smoothly on both devices and without stutters.

5th price - what do the tablets cost?

The price should play the decisive role in the purchase decision. We compare using the 16GB version with Wi-Fi:

• At store.apple.com, the iPad costs 2, 379 euros (as of December 2013).
• The new iPad Air is exactly 100 euros more expensive in the same configuration, so it can be ordered for 479 euros.

Conclusion - Clear advantage for the iPad Air

No matter what value you compare: the iPad Air consistently performs better than its predecessor. This is most evident in the greatly improved display and the incredibly fast CPU. Together with the very good handling, they ensure an optimal operating feeling.

• In this respect, the only decisive factor is the price: the two tablets separate just 100 euros, which is quite justified due to the strong improvements. This makes the iPad Air the much better alternative.

If you would like more detailed information on the individual devices, you can do so in our detailed individual test for the iPad 2 and the iPad Air.