Following rumours of new iPad Pros arriving this week, Apple surprised most by revealing just one new iPad model for 2017. The 9.7-inch iPad seems to be very similar to the existing iPad Air 2, so what exactly does the new tablet bring to the table? Is it really that big of an overhaul? We compare the new iPad vs the old iPad.

NEW IPAD 9.7-INCH 2017 VS IPAD AIR 2 – DESIGN

First of all, just to make it clear, the iPad line-up now looks like this: iPad Pro (12.9-inch and 9.7-inch), iPad Mini 4, and the new iPad. The latter retains the 9.7-inch form factor of the iPad Air 2, but it's a tad thicker, coming in at 7.5mm rather than the Air 2's 6.1mm.

It's also slightly heavier at 469g for the standard version and 478g for the Wi-Fi and cellular-equipped model. The Air 2, meanwhile, came in at 437g and 444g. It's not a huge difference, but then, this isn't a huge overhaul.

NEW IPAD 9.7-INCH 2017 VS IPAD AIR 2 – FEATURES AND HARDWARE

So if not much has changed design-wise, has there been some more significant changes in the hardware department? In short, not really. The main difference here is that Apple has upgraded the chip in the new model. The 2017 iPad comes packing the newer A9 or M9 chip, whereas the Air 2 features the older A8X or M8. Just how much that will impact performance isn't entirely clear. The newer chip is certainly an upgrade, but when it comes to daily use, you probably won't notice all that much of a difference.

The other difference comes with the battery. You'll find a 32.4Wh offering in the new iPad, while the Air 2 comes with just a 27.62Wh cell. Apple says both will offer 10 hours, battery life, though, so there shouldn't be any difference in terms of real-world performance. We'll have more once we've tested the new model, of course.

NEW IPAD 9.7-INCH 2017 VS IPAD AIR 2 – PRICE

Apple has introduced a slight price change, and it's a welcome one at that. Whereas the iPad Air 2 started at £379 for the 32GB with Wi-Fi model and £469 for the 32GB Wi-Fi and Cellular model, the new iPad starts at £339/$329 for the 32GB with Wi-Fi model and £469/$459 for the 32GB Wi-Fi and Cellular model.

Here's how the new 9.7-inch iPad pricing breaks down:

iPad (32GB, Wi-Fi) – £339/$329

iPad (32GB, LTE) – £469/$459

iPad (128GB, Wi-Fi) – £429/$429

iPad (128GB, LTE) – £559/$559

In other words, the new one is cheaper, so if you haven't already got the Air 2, it's probably worth checking out. The new iPad 9.7 will go up for pre-order at 8:00am(GMT) on 24 March.

Source: trustedreview