iPad Air 2 vs. iPad 9.7 (2017) Comparison – Take A Look At The Latest Apple Upgrade

While the upcoming iPhone models and the new iOS received plenty of advertising, the new iPad had a subtle release back in March. The tablet is called simply “iPad” or “iPad 9.7” and it is supposed to take the place of the iPad Air 2. However, let’s see exactly what are the main differences between these two Apple tablets.

Display

Both iPad 9.7 and iPad Air 2 have the same 2048 x 1536 screen that has 9.7-inches and the pixel density of 264 pixels per inch. Therefore, both tablets have the same resolution and size, although Apple mentioned that the new iPad comes with a brighter screen.

Design

The iPad Air 2 measures 240 x 169.5 x 6.1mm and weighs 437g (444 g for the cellular version), while the new iPad comes at 240 x 169.5 x 7.5mm and 469g (or 478g for the cellular model). The Apple iPad 9.7 is thicker and heavier than the iPad Air 2, but both devices have the same width and the same length.

The tablets have the same aluminum build and they are available in silver, space grey or gold.

Price

Since both products are pretty similar, the price can be the biggest reason to buy the new iPad 9.7. Even after the iPad Air 2 price drops, the newest iPad is still cheaper. You can get the iPad 9.7 at $329 and it goes up to $559 while the previous model starts at $399 and it rises to $629.

Power

Despite the fact that it did not use the latest A10 chip, the new iPad comes with a more powerful A9 chipset and an M9 coprocessor, while the iPad Air 2 had the Apple A8X chip that is older.