iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3 reviews

We're still working away on our in-depth iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3 reviews, but in the meantime some early reviews have started going up already and they're worth checking out.

Joanna Stern, Wall Street Journal:

The iPad Air 2 pushes forward in all the ways you'd expect Apple's tablet to. The blend of screen, build and app quality make it the best full-size tablet you can buy.

But it doesn't move ahead in one area where some of us have been waiting (desperately) for evolution: true multi-tasking, going beyond the one-app-at-a-time functionality. Perhaps that's the big surprise that Apple will bring when it introduces a 12.9-inch iPad next year.

It would be nice to see the iPad get beyond the lean-back experience that's been the focus since Steve Jobs first sat down on the couch.

Nilay Patel, The Verge:

There's no question that the iPad Air 2 is the best iPad ever made. It's also the best tablet ever made — its incredible hardware and enormous ecosystem of apps offer a commanding advantage over the competition. But it's not Apple's best product; it's not the company's most advanced technology in a magical and revolutionary device at an unbelievable price.

It's mostly just thinner.

Dieter Bohn, The Verge:

So it's not so much that I'm disappointed in the iPad mini 3, it's more that I'm disappointed with the state of the small tablet in general — there's simply no top-tier device if you want the smaller size. This iPad mini might be the best option, but "best option" for 7-inch tablets turns out to be faint praise.

The iPad mini 3 is still great, even if it's not a great deal.The iPad mini 2, on the other hand, is both — it's nearly exactly the same device minus a huge chunk of the price tag. Really, right now is a stupendously good time to buy an iPad mini 2.

Brad Molen, Engadget

In the wake of dire sales, the Air 2 is exactly what Apple needed to keep the lineup fresh. It may not be a brand-new design, per se, but its thin frame helps keep the marquee tablet looking sleek and exciting, and the extra burst of performance ensures that it stays among the most powerful tablets on the market for the next year. It could use a little help with battery life compared to the Air, but it's still an improvement over the iPad fourth-gen and older. Most importantly, the Air 2 feels like Apple hasn't given up on the tablet form factor, even if it's experiencing a dip in sales.

That said, I'm not sure where the mini 3 fits into Apple's strategy. Since the only hardware improvement to the new slate is Touch ID, the mini lineup is no longer on par with the Airs; it's now a second-class tablet citizen. I love Touch ID, and I favor the screen size of the mini, but it's not worth paying an extra $100 for Apple's fingerprint sensor unless you use a ton of passwords or want to make a lot of online Apple Pay purchases. It's still a great performer, but I can't help but wonder if the mini lineup can remain relevant at its price point -- especially now that 5.5-inch iPhones are even more portable and still offer a large screen.

Samuel Gibbs, The Guardian:

The iPad Air 2 is undoubtedly Apple's best tablet to date. Its Touch ID fingerprint scanner works well, it's thin, light and powerful and lasts a long time on a single charge. But it no longer stands head and shoulders above the competition.

Anick Jesdanun, ABC

Last year's iPad Air was a huge improvement over the 2012 iPad, so this year's update seems small by comparison. The improvements might not be enough for existing iPad Air owners to upgrade, but there's enough there for those who have older models or are getting their first tablets.