Compare tablets
Apple iPad 3
64 GB VerizonApple iPad Air
Wi-Fi Only 128 GB| Global Score | |
| 71.1 | 77.7 |
| Basic Information | |
| Apple | Apple |
| iOS 7.x, 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 |
| $ 475.00 | $ 280.00 |
| 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 | |
| 64 GB internal memory | 128 GB internal memory |
| No SD card slot | No SD card slot |
| 7.7 | 10.1 |
| 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
IPad Air is slightly better than the iPad 3, having a general score of 77.7 against 71.1. IPad Air's body is newer, somewhat thinner and incredibly lighter than the iPad 3. Both of these devices come with iOS OS (operating system), but iPad Air has a newer 8.x version and iPad 3 has iOS 7.x. The iPad Air has a faster CPU than iPad 3, and although they both have 2 CPU cores and a 1 GB RAM, the iPad Air also has a GPU and a 64-bits CPU.
The Apple iPad Air has a little bit better screen than iPad 3. Both of them have exactly the same resolution of 1536 x 2048 pixels, a same size display and the same display density. The Apple iPad Air counts with a way bigger memory capacity to install games and applications than iPad 3, because it has more internal storage capacity.
IPad 3 has better battery life than iPad Air, because it has a 11560mAh battery size. IPad Air takes a bit better photographs and videos than Apple iPad 3. Both of them have a same size camera aperture, a back facing camera with a 5 megapixels resolution, the same video frame rate and the same 1920x1080 video definition.
In addition to being the best tablet between the ones we are comparing, iPad Air is also a bargain compared to the other devices.
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