Compared with the A7 chip in the previous iPad Air, the new A8X chip delivers 40 percent faster CPU performance. From launching apps to playing games, everything is more fluid and responsive. And all your actions — swiping, pinching, zooming, scrolling, and rotating — happen quickly and smoothly.
More than double the graphics performance.
The A8X chip has an astonishing 2.5 times the graphics performance of the A7 chip. So iPad Air 2 delivers graphics once possible only on desktop computers and gaming consoles. Graphics-intensive games and video editing apps run superbly, and they look gorgeous on the big Retina display.
Metal. A real game changer.
To get the greatest graphics performance out of the A8X chip and iOS 8, we created Metal — a new technology that lets developers design highly immersive console-style games. Metal is optimized to allow the CPU and GPU to work together to deliver detailed graphics and complex visual effects. So every imaginary world feels more realistic.
Work faster. Play harder
Everything runs better on iPad Air 2. But thanks to the A8X chip, graphics-intensive apps are, well, intense. Video editing, modeling and design apps, and games — especially games — come to life, with incredible responsiveness, fluid motion, and near-cinematic performance.
Graphics-intensive apps
Draw, sketch, rotate, resize — all in real time. The A8X chip is powerful enough to make it as easy as swiping, tapping, and pinching.
3D modeling and CAD
Live 3D CAD modeling on a tablet? Believe it. With iPad Air 2, you can do things you wouldn't have dreamed of doing on anything but a desktop computer.
Games
Metal is 10 times more efficient than OpenGL. And combined with the A8X chip, it unlocks a level of advanced visual effects previously unimaginable on mobile platforms.
Usually, increased performance comes at the expense of battery life. Notice we said “usually.”
Thanks to hardware and software that work together seamlessly, iPad Air 2 isn’t just extremely powerful. It’s also extremely power efficient, with up to 10 hours of battery life.* And that’s an impressive feat of engineering, considering it’s just 6.1 mm thin and weighs less than a pound.
M8 coprocessor. A more advanced way to use less power.
When you’re in motion, the new M8 motion coprocessor continuously measures data from the accelerometer, compass, gyroscope, and a new barometer. This offloads work from the A8X chip for improved power efficiency. The motion coprocessor also continuously calibrates all five sensors, so when you want to play a game or use the Maps app, iPad Air 2 is ready and able.
- Barometer
- Gyroscope
- Accelerometer
- Compass
- GPS
The power behind the new iSight camera.
The iSight camera in iPad Air 2 uses the Apple-designed image signal processor built into the A8X chip. It supports advanced camera and video features, like better face detection and enhanced noise reduction, so it’s easier to shoot higher-quality photos and videos.
Touch ID
Security based on a one‑of-a-kind design: your fingerprint. Your fingerprint is the perfect password. You always have it with you. And no one can ever guess what it is. Our breakthrough Touch ID technology uses a unique fingerprint identity sensor to make unlocking your iPad Air 2 easy and secure. And with new developments in iOS 8, your fingerprint will grant you faster access to so much more. |
One touch unlocks your iPad Air 2
With Touch ID, you put your finger on the Home button, and just like that, your iPad unlocks. And Touch ID is capable of 360-degree readability. No matter how you’re holding it — portrait, landscape, or anything in between — your iPad knows who you are.
The technology behind Touch ID
The Home button on iPad Air 2 is made from a sapphire crystal surrounded by a stainless steel ring. When you touch the button, the steel ring detects your finger and the crystal sends an image of your fingerprint to a sensor. Software then reads the ridges of your print and confirms a match. And it all happens in the blink of an eye.
Your iPad keeps your personal information to itself
Your safety and security are a major priority. So we created an advanced security architecture within the A8X that keeps your personal information private. Your passcode and fingerprint data never leave your iPad — they’re not backed up to iCloud, nor are they shared with Apple or anyone else.
Touch ID unlocks more than just your iPad. Instantly sign in to secure apps.
Lots of apps are already integrating Touch ID. You’ll be able to use your fingerprint to sign in and authorize new actions, without having to enter yet another password. As always, your fingerprint data is protected and never accessed by the operating system or any other apps.
One-touch purchasing in iTunes, iBooks, and the App Store.
Your fingerprint can also approve purchases from iTunes, iBooks, and the App Store, so you don’t have to enter your password or billing information over and over.
Fast, easy, secure payments with Apple Pay. Everyone loves to shop on iPad, and now it’s simpler and safer than ever. You can easily add your credit or debit card from your iTunes account, or capture card information with the iSight camera on your iPad. When you’re ready to check out, select Apple Pay, touch your finger lightly on the Home button, and you’re done — no need to type in shipping and billing information. And when you pay with Apple Pay, your card details are never shared by Apple or transmitted with payment to the online merchant. |
Cameras
Two amazing cameras. Cleverly disguised as an iPad. You won’t believe how good a photographer you are. With an improved sensor, advanced optics, and a more powerful image signal processor, the new iSight camera in iPad Air 2 captures incredibly detailed photos and professional-looking 1080p HD videos. The FaceTime HD camera has been redesigned, too, with a new sensor that makes your video calls look better, even in low light. And the large, high-resolution Retina display makes a spectacular viewfinder. New iSight camera The new iSight camera was designed to help you capture all of life’s moments at a moment’s notice. And with every shot, the image signal processor works in sync with the camera to deliver a great picture or video — automatically. All-new sensor The iSight camera’s new 8MP sensor captures images in 3264-by-2448 native resolution and 1080p HD video. So your photos and videos stay sharp and clear, even when viewed on larger screens. Advanced image signal processor Behind the precision optics and the new sensor lies the brains of the iSight camera: the powerful image signal processor in the A8X chip. Its improved face-detection technology keeps more — and smaller — faces in focus. And better noise reduction gives you cleaner, sharper images.
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For stunning photos and videos, start with a stunning viewfinder.
What makes taking photos and videos on iPad Air 2 unique is its viewfinder: a brilliant Retina display that’s so large and sharp you see every nuance as you shoot. With its eye-filling 9.7-inch screen, shooting with iPad Air 2 is like looking through the viewfinder of a high-end SLR camera.
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