Design and Build

The new iPad Air 2 (2014) is a lightweight masterpiece with an aluminum body of 6.1mm and a weight of 437g (Wi-Fi). It comes in Space Gray, Silver, and Gold, and sports a 9.7-inches Retina display. One of the features is a Touch ID sensor with no water resistance. At 2025 with its slim profile, it is one of the most portable iPads; however, it does not have the high-quality look of the iPad Pro models.

• Aluminum body, 6.1mm thick
• 437g (Wi-Fi)
• Touch ID fingerprint sensor
• Colors: Space Gray, Silver, Gold

Display

TThe iPad Air 2 comes with a 9.7-inch Retina display featuring 2048 x 1536 resolution at 264 PPI and 450 nits brightness. The coating that prevents reflection of light makes the screen more visible too bad it does not come with the True Tone or ProMotion features. This device is perfect for browsing and watching videos, is cost-effective, and it is a good option for those who are in the market for the iPad Air model in 2025.

• Retina display, 2048 x 1536, 264 PPI
• 450 nits brightness
• Anti-reflective coating
• No Apple Pencil support

Performance and Software

Powered by the A8X chip (tri-core, 1.5GHz), the iPad Air 2 has 2GB RAM and storage options of 16GB, 32GB, 64GB, or 128GB (non-expandable). Launched with iOS 8, it’s upgradable to iPadOS 15, supporting basic multitasking. It’s suitable for casual use but lags behind the iPad Pro for intensive tasks. Geekbench 4 scores are ~1800 (Single-Core) and ~4500 (Multi-Core).

• A8X chip, tri-core
• 2GB RAM
• iOS 8 (up to iPadOS 15)
• No Apple Pencil support

Battery and Charging

The iPad Air 2 is powered by a 7340mAh battery that can give you a stunning 10 hours of video playback and 1-2 days of mixed use. The charging option of 10W Lightning is 4 hours for a full charge, which is slower than the newer models. Wireless charging is still not supported.

• 7340mAh battery
• Up to 10h video playback
• 10W charging, 0–100% in ~4h
• No wireless charging

Pricing Details

First released in October 2014 at the entry cost of $499 (16GB, Wi-Fi), the iPad Air 2 remains a budget buy six years later. Refurbished models in the 64GB and 128GB version can be found at $100-200 for the lower end and $300-400 for the higher end. Adding a cellular option will cost you another $30-$70. Amazon, Gazelle, and more are the ones that have the most appealing deals on refurbished iPad Air to average users.