iPad Air 2 vs iPad Air 4th Gen
Swappasaurus says...
The second-generation iPad Air was released in October 2014, and the fourth-generation iPad Air was released in October 2020. Key differences between the second and fourth-generation iPad Air are a larger and higher-resolution display, a newer and more powerful processor, a better camera system, and better accessory support on the fourth-generation iPad Air.
Price Comparison
iPad Air 2 vs iPad Air 4th Gen Pricing
Specs Comparison
The iPad Air (2nd gen) specs include a 9.7” Retina display, an Apple A8X chip, up to 128GB of storage, a Lightning connector, Touch ID in the home button, stereo speakers, an 8MP wide-angle rear camera, and a 1.2MP FaceTime HD front camera. To compare, the iPad Air (4th gen) specs include a 10.9” Liquid Retina display with True Tone, an Apple A14 Bionic chip with Neural Engine, up to 256GB of storage, USB-C, Touch ID in the top power button, landscape stereo speakers, a 12MP wide-angle rear camera, and a 7MP FaceTime HD front camera. The 4th gen iPad Air also supports more accessories, including the 2nd-generation Apple Pencil, Apple Smart Keyboard Folio, and the Apple Magic Keyboard.
Size
The iPad Air (2nd gen) measurements are as follows: 9.4” (H) x 6.6” (W) x 0.24” (D), and the iPad Air (4th gen) measurements are as follows: 9.74” (H) x 7.02” (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 4th gen iPad Air weighs 1.0 pounds and the WiFi + Cellular model weighs 1.01 pounds. The 2nd gen iPad Air has a 9.7” display size and the 4th gen iPad Air has a 10.9” display size.
| Size | iPad Air 2 | iPad Air 4th Gen |
|---|---|---|
| Width | 179 mm 7.0 inches | |
| Height | 248 mm 9.8 inches | |
| Depth | 6 mm 0.2 inches | |
| Weight | 460 g 16.2 ounces |
Camera
The iPad Air (2nd gen) has a 1.2MP FaceTime HD camera on the front and an 8MP wide-angle camera on the back. In comparison, the iPad Air (4th gen) has a 7MP FaceTime HD camera on the front and a 12MP wide-angle camera on the back.
| Camera | iPad Air 2 | iPad Air 4th Gen |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | 12.0 MP | |
| Resolution | 4000x3000 |
Screen
The iPad Air (2nd gen) features a 9.7-inch Retina display with a resolution of 2048 x 1536 at 264 pixels per inch. This display supports an SDR max brightness of 400 nits, is fully laminated, and has an anti-reflective coating and a fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating. To compare, the iPad Air (4th gen) features a 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display with True Tone and a resolution of 2360 x 1640 at 264 pixels per inch. The 4th gen iPad Air display supports an SDR max brightness of 500 nits, is fully laminated, and has an anti-reflective coating and a fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating.
| Display | iPad Air 2 | iPad Air 4th Gen |
|---|---|---|
| Resolution | 1640x2360 | |
| Screen Size | 276 mm 10.9 in | |
| Pixels Per Inch | ppi | 264 ppi |
Battery
The 2nd gen iPad Air is powered by a 27.3-watt-hour battery and the 4th gen iPad Air is powered by a 28.6-watt-hour battery. The battery capacities of the 2nd gen and the 4th 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. The 2nd gen iPad Air charges via the Lightning connector paired with a Lightning to USB charging cable, and the 4th gen iPad Air charges via the USB-C connector paired with a USB-C charging cable.
| Battery | iPad Air 2 | iPad Air 4th Gen |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | mAh | 7526 mAh |
| Longevity | hours | 9 hours |
| USB | USB-C |
Processing
| Processor | iPad Air 2 | iPad Air 4th Gen |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Apple A14 Bionic APL1001 / APL1W01 |
Color Choices
iPad Air 2
Available in 3 colors:
-
Gold
-
Gray
-
Silver
iPad Air 4th Gen
Available in 5 colors:
-
Gray
-
Green
-
Rose Gold
-
Silver
-
Sky Blue
iPad Air 2 vs iPad Air 4th Gen Colors
The iPad Air (2nd gen) is available in Space Gray, Silver, and Gold. The Space Gray model has a black bezel on the front and the Silver and Gold models have a white bezel on the front. The iPad Air (4th gen) is available in a wide variety of colors, which include Space Gray, Silver, Rose Gold, Sky Blue, and Green.
Storage Options
iPad Air 2
Choose from 4 storage options:
-
16GB
-
32GB
-
64GB
-
128GB
iPad Air 4th Gen
Choose from 2 storage options:
-
64GB
-
256GB
iPad Air 2 vs iPad Air 4th Gen Storage
The iPad Air (2nd gen) and the iPad Air (4th gen) are available with 64GB of storage space. The iPad Air (2nd gen) is also available in 16GB and 128GB storage configurations and the iPad Air (4th gen) is also available in a 256GB storage configuration.
iPad Air 2 vs iPad Air 4th Gen Reviews
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