iPad Air 2 vs iPad Air 3rd Gen

The iPad Air (2nd gen) measures 9.4” (H) x 6.6” (W) x 0.24” (D) and the iPad Air (3rd gen) measures 9.8” (H) x 6.8” (W) x 0.24” (D). The WiFi-only 2nd gen iPad Air weighs 0.96 pounds and the WiFi + Cellular model weighs 0.98 pounds. In comparison, the WiFi-only 3rd gen iPad Air weighs 1.0 pounds and the WiFi + Cellular model weighs 1.02 pounds. The 2nd gen iPad Air has a 9.7” display size and the 3rd gen iPad Air has a 10.5” display size.

The iPad Air (2nd gen) and the iPad Air (3rd gen) both feature an 8MP wide-angle rear camera. The iPad Air (2nd gen) has a 1.2MP FaceTime HD camera on the front, and the iPad Air (3rd gen) has a 7MP FaceTime HD camera on the front.

The iPad Air (2nd gen) features a 9.7-inch Retina display with a native resolution of 2048 x 1536 at 264 pixels per inch. The iPad Air (3rd gen) features a 10.5-inch Liquid Retina display with a native resolution of 2224 x 1668 at 264 pixels per inch and True Tone. The 2nd gen iPad Air display has an SDR max brightness of 400 nits and the 3rd gen iPad Air display has an SDR max brightness of 500 nits. Both displays are fully laminated and have an anti-reflective coating and a fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating.

The 2nd gen iPad Air is equipped with a 27.3-watt-hour battery and the 3rd gen iPad Air is equipped with a 30.2-watt-hour battery. The battery capacities of the 2nd gen and the 3rd gen iPad Air allow for up to 10 hours of battery life when on WiFi or up to 9 hours of battery life when on cellular. Both models charge via the Lightning connector paired with a Lightning to USB charging cable.