With Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) and cloud computing becoming key technological influencers, tablets and smartphones are geared towards mobility. Being able to video conference, share data via the cloud, and work on the go are essential capabilities for today’s mobile devices. And Apple has yet again set the bar high. The newest generation of the Apple iPad continues the company’s tradition of excellence with its sleek, light-weight design.

The main concern of potential buyers will most likely be the glaring price tag. The iPad Air starts at $499 for the 16GB model, comparably more than the Sony Xperia ($449) and Nexus 10 ($399), however less than the 16GB Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition ($549). However if you’re looking to upgrade, the cost can be defrayed by selling the older tablet model on Gazelle.com or Ebay.

Weighing in at slim 469 grams (just over one pound), the remarkably lovely slab of metal and glass is 28% lighter than its previous generation. However, one consequence of the iPad’s ongoing weight loss is the reduced appeal of iPad covers. Having a cover adds about 22% to the iPad’s weight.

The improved Retina display adds crispness to the text and quality to the graphics. Certainly most of the industry has adopted higher resolution screens making vivid graphics the standard, but the technology is still worth appreciating. Also, the clarity and lightness has made the device better suited for ebook reading.

The iPad Air comes with an Apple-designed 64-bit A7 chip, which is about twice as fast as the fourth-generation iPad and about five times faster than the iPad 2. Despite the addition of a more powerful processor, the battery life is unchanged with about 10 hours of video playback or a month on standby.

The iPad Air includes a 5-MP rear-facing iSight camera and a 1.2-MP front-facing FaceTime camera, which are useful for video conferencing. It also has stereo speakers, one on each side of the Lightning connector. Unsurprisingly, the sound quality is better than the single speaker in the fourth-generation iPad, allowing songs to be played without a Bluetooth-enabled speaker. Duel microphones offer better sound for FaceTime calls, video conferencing, and other recording applications.

Two unfortunate set-backs of the iPad Air are its lack of support for SD storage cards and file sharing difficulties. Moving files on and off an iPad is still constrained and its AirDrop sharing service works best only among Apple devices. There are cloud services to simplify cross-platforms data transfers, but file sharing is a basic function that should come standard. However, despite the typical Apple-favoring characteristics, the iPad Air is an excellent tablet made better by the abundance of iOS software.

BYOD and cloud computing allow businesses to have access to data, resources, software, and applications via internet rather than on-site from an office. Information is accessible on any device whether you’re on the go, in a meeting, or at a hotel by simply using an internet connection. With a wealth of capabilities amongst a variety of devices, choosing a device that fits your unique needs can optimize your mobility.

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