Apple's new iPad Air impresses tech world with an apt name, lightweight body

Cynthia Boris of Marketing Pilgrim hits the nail on the head about Apple’s swanky new iPad Air:  “They say you can never be too rich or too thin. Apple’s got the rich part down, now they’re working on the thin.”

Apple unveiled the much-talked about “iPad 5” in their fall event yesterday – only the Cupertino based company named it iPad Air instead. Why? Because it’s the “iPad that's so light, they needed a whole new name,” points out Engadget. The new iPad Air weighs merely a pound and sports bezel that is 43 percent thinner, with the device itself being 7.5mm thin, a good 20 percent thinner than the current iPad. The apt naming of the new iPad has not gone unnoticed, in fact becoming one of the most important talking points of the new launch.

Thin and powerful

The Verge recounts the run-up to the unveiling of the new iPad Air, “Where we're perhaps most confused about the Air is its naming. There was a palpable tension in the room in San Francisco when the name change was revealed, as if an iPad Pro were imminent — and though Tim Cook and others spent time bashing the strategies of Microsoft and Apple's other competitors, it seems like a natural progression from the current lineup.”

The general consensus on the iPad Air also seems to be the fact that it is so easy to hold on to and use, despite its 9.7-inch screen. Laptop Mag summarises it well, “Apple was right to name the iPad 5 the iPad Air, because it redefines how a big-screen tablet feels in your hands. After spending just a few minutes with this 1-pound device, we were amazed with just how comfortable it felt. We could easily see ourselves spending hours with this device reading, playing games and more without the usual strain associated with holding a 9 or 10-inch tablet.”

You can use the iPad Air with one hand

CNET’s Senior Editor Scott Stein adds, “The new tablet feels exactly like the first-generation iPad Mini. This is a good thing, since the first Mini has a near perfect feel.” TechCrunch too has the same feel-good feeling about this iPad device that can well turn into a one-handed tablet “The most important thing about Apple’s iPad Air is the fact that it is now a one-handed device…So far the new iPad looks like a fairly nice update, especially for those who found the old models a bit cumbersome.”

The iPad Air’s impressive light-weight nature and specifications have even made a few forgive the fact that it is missing one feature that we were expecting Apple to throw in – the TouchID sensor. “Even despite a couple of surprising omissions, like a TouchID fingerprint sensor, this device deserves a new name: it feels completely different than the full-sized iPad once did. Apple's clearly trying to turn the iPad Air into a full-size device you're willing to take outside your home, and based on our first impressions we'd happily throw one in our backpacks today,” The Verge adds.

The tech world loves it

Needless to say, Apple has managed to impress the socks off the tech world with its earnest effort to make the iPad Air into something more than just a tablet. And the price point of $499 for the 16GB model is forgiven. “It's slimmer, it's lighter and Apple managed the feat without sacrificing speed or power -- in fact, it's improved on both counts. If you're in the market for a new tablet and don't mind dropping $500, the iPad is once again going to make a compelling proposition this holiday,” writes Engadget.

“To take advantage of the new pixel-dense screen, you will be paying up over last year's Mini. It's gorgeous, though, so I'd imagine the new premium will definitely be worth it to some people,” agrees Stein. SlashGear summarises, “We’d usually take Apple’s 'you have to feel it to believe it commentary as hyperbole, but here’s one of those times that you only really get the wow-factor when you pick up the fifth-generation slate.”