iPad Air 2

iPad Air 2 review:

The iPad Air 2 delivers unparalleled value for the price

THE GOOD: The iPad Air 2 has a great balance of size and weight. Crisp, bright display. iOS 9 runs perfectly, including split-screen apps.

THE BAD: Priced relatively high for a tablet; single speaker isn't that loud compared to iPad Pro.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Apple's aging mid-range tablet is still the perfect mix of size and performance for nearly everyone.

When Apple introduced the 9.7-inch iPad Pro on March 21, 2016, it seized the mantle of best iPad ever. The spitting image of the celebrated iPad Air 2, this smaller sibling of the original iPad Pro brings to the table a marvelous combination of form factor perfection and cutting-edge specs. Noteworthy features include a blazing fast processor; killer cameras (front and rear); an enhanced, antireflective display; and support for Apple's Pencil and Smart Keyboard. With a near-perfect balance between tablet power and portability, the 9.7-inch iPad Pro is pricy, sure, starting at $599 -- but also the new gold standard in the tablet category.

That noted, the iPad Air 2, the progenitor of the 9.7-inch iPad Pro design, remains arguably the better value. It costs $100 less and has virtually everything a conventional user needs in a tablet. With a keyboard accessory, it's a great portable writing tool -- unlike the iPad Mini 2 and Mini 4, which are both just a tad too small for keyboards. Its screen is well-suited to watching movies. And it handles multitasking a bit better than the Mini 4.

As Scott Stein suggests in his review of the new iPad Pro, this may be why Apple put the "Pro" in the iPad Pro -- these high-performance models are not for everyone. Yes, they're fast -- and especially great for creative professionals who are going to use their Pencil add-ons. But the upgrades come with a hefty price tag, and many folks would be better off spending that amount of money on a nice laptop.

Given this, the iPad Air 2 is still the Goldilocks in Apple's tablet lineup. We awarded it a CNET Editors' Choice in October 2014, and we heartily re-endorse it now, more than two years later.

Editors' note: The original iPad Air 2 review, which follows, has been updated to reflect the existence of the iPad Pro and 9.7-inch iPad Pro.

Perfect size for reading, writing and viewing

The real reason I recommend the Air 2 over all other iPads is it strikes the perfect balance between a reading/playing/viewing tablet and something a bit more productive. It can be carried pretty easily in one hand and feels like reading a softcover book. Magazines and feature articles look good on its screen. Movies -- even letterboxed ones -- look sharp. But it's big enough to do some work on. Apps run side-by-side in splitscreen (Split View) mode work well, and with a keyboard attached it's a solid portable writing machine. My favorite case right now is Belkin's QODE Ultimate Pro -- it offers protection, a great backlit keyboard and two different tilt angles. With one of these on, the iPad Air 2 is nearly a tiny laptop without a trackpad, and a great emergency device to always have on me.

Even after weeks with the larger iPad Pro, the Air 2 seems fine to me. It even seems cozier and a lot more portable.

Split View apps offer split-screen, and it works really well.

iOS 9 runs perfectly, and adds new tricks

iOS 9 adds a few great new tricks to what the Air 2 can do; Split View is the best of them. Apps can be placed side-by-side for real multitasking, in one of several set orientations. Not all apps can use Split View (only ones that have been updated to allow for it), which can be frustrating. But more are being added all the time, and those that are optimized for split-screen are great. For email, Twitter, or even pulling up a calculator on the fly, it makes for a lot more efficiency.