iPad

Yesterday, emails went out to all customers who ordered a 3G-enabled iPad on or before June 7, 2010:

If you purchased or ordered an iPad with WiFi + 3G on or before June 7, 2010, you could be entitled to $40 from Apple under a class action settlement.

Note the use of the word “could”.

You may be entitled to a $40 payment from Apple under a settlement that has been reached in class action lawsuits titled In re Apple and AT&T iPad Unlimited Data Plan Litigation. The United States District Court for the Northern District of California authorized this notice. The Court will have a hearing to consider whether to approve the settlement so that the benefits may be provided.

You may be entitled to a $40 payment. Here’s the claim:

The lawsuits claimed that iPad 3G purchasers were not provided with access to an “unlimited” data plan in the manner originally advertised. Apple and AT&T deny all allegations and are entering into this settlement to avoid burdensome and costly litigation. The settlement is not an admission of wrongdoing.

And here’s the kicker:

You must submit a valid Claim Form by February 3, 2014. The Claim Form will require you to affirm that the ability to switch in and out of the “unlimited” data plan was a factor in your decision to purchase an iPad 3G.

I’ve seen this sort of language before, but I always find it a bit odd. I need to affirm that the ability to switch in and out of the unlimited data plan influenced my decision to buy an iPad 3G. I can honestly say, I would have bought an iPad no matter what. I guess there’s no $40 for me. Ah, well. Wonder who gets my $40.

Pretty impressive results. John Poole, founder of Primate Labs, shared these thoughts:

The iPad Air’s A7 processor is running at 1.4 GHz, 100 MHz faster than the iPhone 5s’ A7 processor. It’s not clear if the iPad Air processor runs at a higher speed thanks to a larger battery (providing more power), a larger chassis (providing better cooling), or some combination of the two. I expect the new iPad mini’s A7 processor will run at 1.4 GHz as well.

The iPad Air is over 80% faster than the iPad (4th Generation), close to the 2x increase promised by Apple.

The iPad Air is over 5x faster than the iPad 2, yet is only $100 more expensive. I do not understand why Apple kept the iPad 2 around, especially at a $399 price point. What market are they targeting?

Three reviewers, three positive takes.

Walt Mossberg reviewed the iPad Air for the Wall Street Journal:

In my tests, the iPad Air far exceeded Apple’s claim of 10 hours of battery life. For over 12 hours, it played high-definition videos, nonstop, with the screen at 75% brightness, with Wi-Fi on and emails pouring in. That’s the best battery life I’ve ever recorded for any tablet.

I’ve been testing the iPad Air for about a week and found it a pleasure to use. This new iPad isn’t a radical rethinking of what a tablet can be, but it’s a major improvement on a successful product. It is the best tablet I’ve ever reviewed.

That isn’t just because of its slimmer, lighter design, but because Apple boasts 475,000 apps optimized for tablet use—far more than any other tablet platform. (The iPad also can run all of the million or so apps available for the iPhone.) By contrast, the vast majority of apps available for rival Android tablets are just stretched versions of phone apps.

Damon Darlin reviewed the iPad Air for the New York Times:

It easily runs for 10 hours on a charge, just as Apple promises — despite the battery’s smaller size and the increased demands put on it. In my test of pretty heavy use, it downloaded and played three hourlong episodes of “Game of Thrones” and a few hours of music. I scrolled through Twitter and Flipboard, played games and perused the web. That’s almost a typical day for me and my iPad. It will get you through a normal day and then some with no worries.

The iPad Air also sports two antennas to pull in Wi-Fi signals faster than the old one did. Called MIMO for multiple-input and multiple-output, these antennas make a noticeable difference when your fast Wi-Fi signal is weakest, like in a back bedroom or the basement. (You’ll have to have a recent MIMO compatible router to see the magic, though.)

Finally, David Pogue reviewed the iPad Air on his Tumblr, as he makes the transition from the New York Times to his new digs at Yahoo. Pogue points out much of the same things, but also made this point:

This time around, there’s no gotta-have new feature—nothing on the level of the Retina screen, Siri voice recognition, or even a fingerprint reader (like the one on the iPhone 5s).

That big public yawn must drive Apple’s engineers crazy. The thing is, making the iPad smaller, lighter, and faster without sacrificing battery life or beauty is a tremendous achievement.

Of course, if you haven’t already, be sure to read Jim Dalrymple’s personal take on the iPad Air, too.