iPad Air A7 2013

The original iPad Air models feature the same 9.7" Retina display as the earlier iPad 3rd and 4th Gen lines but are "20 percent thinner and 28% lighter." They also have a much narrower bezel, making the iPad Air feel significantly smaller than its predecessors.

All iPad Air devices, including this Wi-Fi and cellular A1475 model, are housed in thin white and silver or black and "Space Gray" cases. They feature a 9.7" 2048x1536 (264 ppi) LED-backlit IPS touch-sensitive display, a dual-core 1.4 GHz Apple A7 processor, 1 GB of RAM, and were available with 16 GB, 32 GB, 64 GB, or 128 GB of flash storage (with the 64 GB and 128 GB options discontinued on October 16, 2014).

Other key features include dual cameras: a rear 5-megapixel "iSight" camera for stills and 1080p video, and a front 1.2-megapixel "FaceTime HD" camera for stills and 720p video. It also supports dual-band 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi with MIMO, Bluetooth 4.0, dual microphones, and speakers. A Lightning port provides power and computer connectivity.

Battery life is rated at 10 hours of "surfing the web on Wi-Fi, watching video, or listening to music," or nine hours on cellular data.

This Wi-Fi/Cellular iPad Air (A1475) supports A-GPS, GSM/EDGE, UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA, CDMA EV-DO, and most importantly, LTE bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, and 26. In the US, a single device is designed to work on AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon networks.

The first-generation iPad Air with cellular connectivity was highly praised for its remarkable redesign, which made it significantly thinner and lighter than any full-sized iPad before it. This enhanced portability, combined with broad LTE support for all major US carriers in a single model, made it an exceptionally versatile tool for users on the go. The A7 processor delivered a major performance boost, ensuring a fast and fluid experience on its sharp Retina display. While the cameras and screen technology were not huge leaps forward, the dramatic improvements in design, weight, and processing power, along with reliable cellular data, made it a top-tier tablet. It was seen as the perfect combination of power and portability, solidifying its place as the best large-format tablet on the market.