Compare tablets
Apple iPad 3
32 GB AT&TApple iPad Air
Wi-Fi Only 16 GB| Global Score | |
| 69.5 | 72.6 |
| Basic Information | |
| Apple | Apple |
| iOS 6.1, 6, 5.1 | iOS 8.x, 7.x |
| 2012-03-07 | 2013-10-22 |
| 9.50 x 7.31 x 0.37 inches | 9.45 x 6.67 x 0.30 inches |
| 23.35 ounces | 16.86 ounces |
| Black and White | Black, Gray and White |
| -- | Aluminium |
| Scratch-Resistant Glass | -- |
| $ 675.00 | $ 211.00 |
| Display / Screen | |
| 9.7 inches | 9.7 inches |
| 2048 x 1536 pixels | 2048 x 1536 pixels |
| IPS LCD | IPS LCD |
| 264 pixels per inch | 264 pixels per inch |
| Capacitive, Multi-touch | Capacitive, Multi-touch |
| 8 | 8.2 |
| Performance | |
| Apple A5X chipset | Apple A7 chipset |
| ARM Cortex-A9 (Dual-Core 1000 MHz) processor | 64-bit Cyclone (Dual-Core 1400 MHz) processor |
| 1 GB RAM | 1 GB RAM |
| Quad core PowerVR SGX543MP4 GPU | PowerVR G6430 (600 MHz) GPU |
| 7.83 | 9.27 |
| Storage | |
| 32 GB internal memory | 16 GB internal memory |
| No SD card slot | No SD card slot |
| 5.8 | 4.4 |
| Camera | |
| 5.00 MP + 0.30 MP | 5.00 MP + 1.20 MP |
| f/2.40 aperture | f/2.40 aperture |
| 35.00mm focal length | 33.00mm focal length |
| 1920 x 1080 (30 fps) (Full HD) video resolution | 1920 x 1080 (30 fps) (Full HD) video resolution |
| 7.81 | 7.92 |
| Networks | |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi |
| Mobile Hotspot | Mobile Hotspot |
| LTE (4G), HSPA+ (4G), HSDPA, UMTS, EDGE, GPRS and GSM | LTE (4G), HSPA, EV-DO A, EV-DO B, EDGE and GPRS |
| Micro SIM | Nano SIM |
| 6.9 | 6.5 |
| Battery Life | |
| 11560mAh Li-Polymer Battery | 8820mAh Li-Polymer Battery |
| Non-Removable Battery | Non-Removable Battery |
| 11.2 | 9.52 |
| Other Features | |
| Bluetooth 4.0 | Bluetooth 4.0 |
| GPS | GPS |
| Accelerometer, Compass, Gyroscope and Light Sensor | Accelerometer, Compass, Gyroscope and Light Sensor |
Comparison review
The iPad Air is slightly better than the Apple iPad 3, getting a overall score of 72.6 against 69.5. Both tablets we compare here use iOS OS, but iPad Air has a more recent 8.x version and Apple iPad 3 has iOS 6.1 version, counting with lots of additional features and improved performance. The iPad Air is a newer tablet, and it is also a lot lighter and thinner than Apple iPad 3.
IPad Air counts with a greater performance than Apple iPad 3, and although they both have the same number of cores and the same RAM amount, the iPad Air also has a GPU and a 64-bits processing unit. The iPad Air features a slightly better looking screen than iPad 3. Both of them have the same pixels density, a same size display and the same exact resolution of 1536 x 2048.
The iPad 3 has a way bigger storage capacity to store more apps and games than Apple iPad Air, because it has more internal memory. IPad Air shoots a little bit better pictures and videos than iPad 3. They have the same 1920x1080 video resolution, the same camera aperture, the same video frame rates and a same resolution back-facing camera.
The iPad 3 has better battery lifetime than Apple iPad Air, because it has a 11560mAh battery capacity.
The iPad Air is not only the best tablets in this comparison, but it's also a bargain compared to others.
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