Thinner, lighter and more powerful than last year's model, the iPad Air 2 is a tablet that's hard to beat. It's the sleekest tablet on the market, and its 9.7-inch display is beautiful to behold. Plus, the addition of Apple's Touch ID fingerprint scanner gives it a big security boost. But as a work device, Apple's flagship iPad still has some noteworthy shortcomings — especially with so many great Windows-powered slates to choose from. That bottom line is that the iPad Air 2 is a very good productivity device, but it's far from perfect.
Design
Otherwise, not much of the design has changed from the original iPad Air 2, aside from a reflective ring on the home button that indicates Touch ID functionality (more on this later). With a slick glass-and-metal design, the iPad Air 2 follows in the footsteps of its predecessors as a device that business users can take seriously.
At just 0.98 lbs. (15.68 ounces), the iPad Air 2 is pretty light for a full-size tablet, especially considering its aluminum construction. In comparison, the plastic Galaxy Tab S 10.1 weighs slightly more, at 1.02 lbs. (16.32 ounces.) The Air 2's barely-there design is a perk for business users who carry their tablet with them everywhere.
Display
Apple hasn't upped the size or resolution of the iPad Air 2's display, but it still produces a better picture than last year's model. That's apparently due to a new manufacturing technique that fuses the glass, LCD panel and touch sensor into a single unit, eliminating air gaps. The result is a picture that practically seems to sit on top of the display.
Meanwhile, a new anti-reflective coating makes it easier to use the iPad Air 2 outdoors in direct sunlight. Indoor reflections are also a bit more diffuse and less distracting than on last year's model. The result is a clearer picture with wider viewing angles, both indoors and out.
The 9.7-inch display feels large enough for most business tasks. While running the iPad version of Microsoft Word, the screen afforded plenty of space for both my document and the options ribbon at the top of the screen. For seriously screen-intensive tasks like editing a spreadsheet, however, things can start to feel a bit cramped. Those tasks are better suited for a desktop computer with a larger monitor. Either way, you'll want to pair your iPad Air 2 with a Bluetooth keyboard, since the touch-screen keyboard takes up half your usable screen space.
Security
The best new thing about the iPad Air 2 has to be the Touch ID fingerprint scanner embedded in the home button. The feature, which was introduced with the iPhone 5s last year, makes its tablet debut with the iPad Air 2 (as well as the iPad mini 3).You'll register your fingerprint as part of the setup process. After that, unlocking your device is as easy as holding your finger over the button. That way you can keep your work tablet locked down without annoying password screens. You can also lock individual apps using Touch ID, to keep business data from being tampered with if you share you tablet with family.
Performance
Most modern tablets are more than speedy enough for basic productivity tasks. If you need a little extra horsepower, though, the iPad Air 2 delivers. It includes Apple's new A8X chip, an upgraded version of the processor found in the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. Apps open and close quickly, and jumping between apps using the Recent Apps panel (double-press the home button) works without a hitch.
Apps
Android and iOS may have similar app libraries overall, but Apple's platform boasts far more tablet-optimized apps. Plus, apps are typically introduced and updated earlier on iOS than on other platforms. For example, Microsoft's Office for iPad debuted over the summer with a set of features that nearly rivals the full desktop version. Android tablet users, meanwhile, are still waiting for the full Office apps to launch on their platform; the Office Mobile apps currently available for Android are extremely limited in comparison.
Still, you can't run Windows programs on an iPad, which may make Windows tablets like the Surface Pro 3 or Dell Venue 11 Pro a better choice for some business users. Another annoyance is that you can't change which apps iOS uses by default. For example, clicking a Web link in your email will always open up Apple's own Safari browser, even if you prefer to use Chrome.
Still, you can't run Windows programs on an iPad, which may make Windows tablets like the Surface Pro 3 or Dell Venue 11 Pro a better choice for some business users. Another annoyance is that you can't change which apps iOS uses by default. For example, clicking a Web link in your email will always open up Apple's own Safari browser, even if you prefer to use Chrome.
Keyboards
Business owners are likely to spend more time typing on their tablet than other users. That's why the new ability to install third-party touch-screen keyboards on the iPad Air 2 is such a perk. For example, the Swype app (99 cents) lets you drag your finger from letter to letter to type a word, instead of tapping each key individually. I love typing this way because it's fast and accurate, especially when you have only one free hand.
Unfortunately, Apple is still restricting keyboard developers from implementing some features that are standard on other platforms. For example, Android tablets let you long-press on letters to input numbers and special characters, but that functionality is missing from iOS 8. That means you have to jump back and forth between keyboard menus while typing, which really slows me down. And while the stock keyboard looks nice, the fact that it always displays capital letters on keys is a nuisance, since it forces you to constantly check to see if the shift key is selected. It's one example of Apple choosing style over functionality.
Accessories
One of the perks of owning an iPad is the huge range of accessories available for it, and the iPad Air 2 is no exception. There are dozens of cases, keyboards and styluses available for the device. There's still no mouse support, though, which can make precise tasks difficult. Likewise, there's no easy way to link your iPad up to a larger monitor like you can with a Windows tablet.
Conclusion
For most consumers, tablets don't get much better than this. The iPad Air 2 is the thinnest, fastest and best-looking iPad yet. Meanwhile, the inclusion of Touch ID gives the device a welcome security boost, and iOS still has the best selection of tablet-optimized apps of any mobile platform by far. But iOS still has some annoying limitations, like a limited keyboard and the inability to change your iPad's default apps. And if you rely on a specific Windows program to stay productive, you might be better off with a Windows tablet. But for most people, the iPad Air 2 makes for a great portable productivity machine.
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