iPad Air 2 vs Lenovo Yoga Tab 3 Pro vs iPad Air:Best performer is...................
iPad Air 2
It's even thinner and lighter than last time around and to a
noticeable extent. The screen is better, with more vibrant colours, it's more
powerful thanks to its A8X processor and the battery life holds up just as
well. It even benefits from Touch ID and Apple Pay and while these features
aren't as exciting here as they are on phones they're still nice to have. Performance
The 64-bit A7
processor introduced on the iPhone 5S was altered to provide a power boost to
last year’s iPad Air. Called the A7X this chip was similar in performance to
the A7 – up 5-10% in our benchmark tests.
This year Apple
has gone further and designed a processor specifically for the iPad Air 2. The
A8X has a tri-core CPU running at 1.5GHz and a quad-core graphics processing
unit coupled, for the first time, to 2GB of RAM.
If we play Specs
Top Trumps the iPad Air 2 looks a shadow of top-end Android tablets such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5 and its 2.3GHz quad-core processor.
Don’t let that fool you, though. The iPad Air 2 is the most powerful tablet
we’ve ever tested – and that’s including Nvidia’s Shield Tablet that packs the great new Tegra K1.
And while the
processor is key to that performance, Apple has also ensured that iOS 8 can
make the most of it. Metal lets developers take full advantage of the quad-core
GPU, while the new iOS programming language, Swift, means apps can hook into
certain features such as Touch ID.
Some observers have even compared the iPad Air 2's
performance to a desktop PC. In some respects they’re right. The A8X processor
performs a few tasks faster than PCs just a few years old, but the question is:
do you need all that power? If you intend to use your iPad as a productivity
device then you’ll appreciate it. Even if you don’t, you may find yourself
using it more as a laptop replacement than you anticipated.
During the launch of the Air 2, Apple showed off a
video-editing app called Replay that lets you create slick-looking videos with
ease. The iPad Air 2 powered through the edits.
There are clear benefits to be had from the extra
performance, but let’s see how it stacks up against the competition.
The iPad Air 2 scores an excellent 4,509 on Geekbench 3.
To put that in some context, the next fastest tablet we’ve reviewed, the Nvidia
Shield, scored 3220 – that’s 40% faster. That also makes the iPad Air 2 almost
70% faster than the iPad Air. That’s some impressive work in just a year.
And the wins keep coming with a 3D Mark Ice Storm
Unlimited score of 21,797. That’s 33% higher than the Shield and almost 50%
better than the first-generation iPad Air.
The iPad Air 2 is astonishingly fast – so fast, in fact,
that you might not know what to do with all that power. Not that we’re
complaining, of course. The extra grunt means that this is a tablet you can use
for more than just checking out the latest memes and Facebook. It future-proofs
the Air 2 to some degree.
There’s also been an upgrade to the co-processor, now
called the M8. This handles all the sensor data from the iPad Air 2, such as
the accelerometer and the new barometer. The reason that Apple favours a
co-processor is that it uses much less power than the main processor, helping the
battery to last longer.
In short the iPad Air 2 really is the complete package and while
you can always find things to niggle about there are no significant flaws.
In the time since the original iPad Air
launched everything else is still struggling to match it and yet Apple has
managed to raise the benchmark higher still. Everyone else really has their
work cut out if the iPad Air 2 is going to be unseated from the number one
spot. The new iPad Air gets an improved A8X
processor, better rear and front-facing cameras, an even thinner and lighter
design, an anti-reflective screen, a Touch ID fingerprint sensor, and more
built-in storage at higher configurations than last year. But The Air 2 isn't a big change from last year's iPad in terms of
overall function; battery life remains the same, although its battery life is
already pretty good. Audio playback via speakers makes the thin metal body
resonate more than before. The
Bottom Line The iPad Air 2 is a nice refinement and finesse of last year's
model, with a bevy of tweaks, enhancements, a much faster processor, and the
welcome addition of Touch ID. Simply put: it's still the gold standard for
tablets.
Weight: 437g | Dimensions:
240 x 169.5 x 6.1mm | OS: iOS 8.1 | Screen size: 9.7-inch | Resolution:
1536 x 2048 | CPU: Triple-core 1.5 GHz | RAM: 2GB | Storage:
16/64/128GB | Battery: 7340mAh | Rear camera: 8MP | Front
camera: 1.2MP Lenovo Yoga Tab 3 Pro The
YOGA Tab 3 Pro’s QHD display is perfect for immersive gaming and rich, detailed
video. It also delivers crisp, bright visuals for a great viewing experience
under all angles and ambient lights.The Lenovo Yoga Tab 3 Pro has a
built-in pico projector and an ergonomic design with a kickstand. Performance
and gaming is fast. Screen is sharp and speakers are loud. Battery life is
long.
Performance
The tablet is powered by a quad-core Intel Atom
x5-Z8500 processor that clocks in at 2.24GHz, and its performance is in line
with other high-end tablets. The 10.1-inch screen delivers a very impressive 2,560 by 1,600 pixels -
that's 299ppi. Colours are sharp and bright, and both text and video look
great.
The button
configuration is unconventional. As already noted, the power button and an
on/off button for the projector sit at opposite ends of the tube that supports
the stand. The projector button is marked as such, but there's no tactile
difference between the buttons and we constantly got them confused. The
Micro-USB charging slot and volume rocker are on one short edge, with the
headset jack on the other.
A covered slot under the hinge accommodates the MicroSD
and Micro-SIM slots (the latter only if you have chosen the LTE model, of
course).
The CPU’s paired with 2GB of DDR3
RAM, which puts it behind similarly priced Android competitors. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 comes with a more robust 3GB of RAM.
The Yoga Tab 3 Pro performed
reasonably well when benchmarked, despite its lower memory. The tablet scored
48,867 on Antutu and ran in with a 3,269 multi-core Geekbench score. On the
gaming-focused 3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited test the Yoga Tab 3 Pro scored
25,774.
This puts it roughly on a par with
most flagship tablets. By comparison the Galaxy Tab S2 (8-inch) scored 51,815 on
Antutu, 4,206 on Geekbench 3 and 19,306 on Ice Storm Unlimited.
The Tab 3 Pro performs admirably with
real-world use. Videos and music stream seamlessly and games like Riptide GP2,
Baldur’s Gate Enhanced Edition and Shadowrun Returns run chug free.
The only minor performance issue I noticed was that, on occasion,
the tablet would stutter slightly when navigating between windows – though this
happened very rarely and never severely slowed down the device.
Battery life
Lenovo has packed the Yoga Tab 3 Pro out with a huge 10,200mAh
battery, which is evidently another area in which that chunky hinge comes in
handy.
To place that in context,
the iPad Air
2 comes with a 7,340mAh battery, and theSony
Xperia Z4 Tablet has a 6,000mAh battery.
It's arguable that such a sizeable battery is essential to the
Yoga Tab 3 Pro. With power-hungry components like a 10-inch QHD display and a
pico projector, this is a tablet that's going to be used for watching a lot of
high-definition TV shows and films. Lenovo claims its tablet is good for 18 hours of battery life. Naturally,
this depends on what you're using it for, but in general usage I wouldn't
dispute that claim.
When it comes to more
intensive usage, though, things are perhaps a little less impressive. I ran the Yoga Tab 3 Pro’s usual battery test, which involves
running a 90 minute 720p video with the screen brightness cranked right up. The
result was that the battery level dropped to 85%. That's better than
rivals such as the Sony Xperia Z4 Tablet (79%) and theSamsung
Galaxy Tab S2 (84%),
but not by a massive amount.
As for the Yoga Tab 3 Pro's projector, I found that streaming a
50-minute 1080p Netflix show sapped 14% of its battery. That suggests you could
get through half a dozen films in between charges, which is pretty good going.
But, It's a bit heavy and its cylindrical spine makes it awkward
to hold in landscape orientation.
THE
BOTTOM LINE The Lenovo Yoga Tab 3 Pro is
the best Android tablet for watching video. Either alone or, thanks to its
built-in projector, with a large group of friends.
Key Features:
In-built projector; Intel Atom processor; Adjustable stand; 10.1-inch QHD
display; 10,200mAh non-removable battery
Manufacturer: Lenovo
Price:$499:99 VS
But, The Touch ID
fingerprint scanner, introduced on the iPhone 5S, is sadly absent here, meaning
you’ll still have to type in a passcode with every unlock and a password with
every purchase. Starting at $499 for 16GB, it’s still expensive compared with
the competition.
Performance:
The
iPad Air shares the same processor with Apple’s flagship phone, albeit with a
slight bump in clock speed. While the 5S runs at 1.3GHz the Air runs at
1.39GHz. It can achieve this because of the increased space and improved heat
dissipation of the Air compared to the much smaller iPhone 5S.
Indeed, before we go
into the detail about performance it’s worth noting that the iPad Air manages
to keep its cool with consummate ease. Even when running intensive 3D games and
apps for hours it barely breaks a sweat and, therefore, neither do your hands.
In practice, the iPad
Air is blisteringly fast. Apps open instantly and games like Infinity Blade 3
look sumptuous and run smoothly. The benefits of having a SoC means that the
GPU can be used to tackle compute tasks, which makes video editing and compute
intensive apps, like AutoCAD, show no hint of slowdown.
The iPad Air performs
59% faster than the iPad 4 in the 3D Mark Ice Storm Unlimited CPU and GPU test
and 91% faster in Geekbench 3 tests. The Peacekeeper browser test, which
assesses web browsing performance, shows that the Air trounces its predecessor
by being more than twice as fast. It's also faster than the stonking Snapdragon
800 processor on the likes of the Sony Xperia Z Ultra and Google Nexus 5. We're
talking matter of degrees here, but the difference is there all the same.
Battery life: Battery
life on the iPad Air is quoted at "Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on
Wi-Fi, watching video, or listening to music". We would say that's
actually not a bad estimate, although the drain was closer to 2% every 10
minutes in general use, which equates to around nine hours' use.
Standby time is much,
much better though. We found that we could stick the iPad Air in a bag, taking
it out for the commute and messing about with on the sofa at home, for at least
three days before it began to get low on battery.
In fact, the only real
task that killed it was connecting to our amplifier via Wi-Fi while
simultaneously streaming music to the same device through Bluetooth. It's doing
things like this that make you realise that this is the kind of thing that we
envisaged at the turn of the century, a tablet that has the brains and
connectivity to do all the tasks we could want.In terms of connectivity, we've
already mentioned the excellent Wi-Fi performance (in terms of distance from
router, rather than improved speed) through the Multiple In, Multiple Out
(MIMO) technology.
4G bands are now covered
throughout the globe, and low power Bluetooth is also on board as well, making
it an incredibly well-connected device.
The bottom line:
Functionally, the iPad Air is nearly identical to last year’s model, offering
only faster performance and better video chatting. But factor in design and
aesthetics, and the iPad Air is on another planet. It’s the best full-size
consumer tablet on the market. Specifications
Release date11/1/13
Display type9.7 in
OSApple iOS
ProcessorApple
Wireless
connectivityWi-Fi
Dimensions (WxDxH)6.6 in
x 0.29 in x 9.4 in
Weight1 lbs Price:$479.00
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