iPad Air 2, Mini 3 display screens belittled by DisplayMate analyst

Apple's iPad Air 2[Photo credit: Apple]

Although a lot of consumers are impressed with the screen display of the iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini 3, there are some people who think lowly of them, including an analyst from a screen consulting firm.

DisplayMate analyst Raymond Soneira commented that the second generation of iPads packs a gorgeous screen and gives a "very good" rating in terms of sharpness, resolution, and pixels per inch.  According to the firm, one of the major innovations included in iPad Air 2 is the anti-reflection coating added in the glass, which reduces ambient light reflections.

However, aside from the said feature, the display is unchanged and offers similar performance to the iPad 4 screen that was released in 2012.

Surprisingly, the website revealed that the iPad Air 2 screen has lower performance compared to that of its predecessor. This is in terms of brightness and power efficiency. The report added that it is probably due to the device's thinner form factor.

Apple finally unveiled the new generation of iPad Air and iPad Mini. Pre-orders for new iPads opened last Oct. 17, a day after the press event that launched the tablet. Buyers who want to buy the new Apple tablets and other devices can turn to the Apple Store, with prices listed below:

iPad Air 2

WiFi variant

  • 16 GB - $500
  • 64 GB - $600
  • 128 GB - $700

WiFi with cellular variant

  • 16 GB - $630
  • 64 GB - $730
  • 128 GB - $830

iPad Mini 3

WiFi variant

  • 16 GB - $400
  • 64 GB - $500
  • 128 GB - $600

WiFi with cellular variant

  • 16 GB - $530
  • 64 GB - $630
  • 128 GB - $730

Meanwhile, retailers such as Target and WalMart offer the new tablets at discounted prices. Target sells the 16 GB iPad Air 2 for $499, while the 16 GB iPad Mini 3 costs $399. Walmart, on the other hand, offers both the iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini 3 for $10 less than the devices' original price. The iPad Air 2 with 16 GB of storage is available for $489 and the iPad Mini 3 with 16 GB of storage sells for $389.