Apple Sunset

iPad Air (2nd generation)

Discontinued 21 Mar 2017

Released

22 Oct 2014

Announced

16 Oct 2014

Pre-orders opened

17 Oct 2014

Launch price from

$499

Discontinued

21 Mar 2017

Lifespan

2 years, 5 months

Category
iPad Air
Status
Discontinued
Apple support status
Obsolete (Apple no longer services it)
Release type
Refresh of an existing model
Previous model
iPad Air (1st generation)
Replaced by
iPad Air (3rd generation)
Official Apple page
No longer available on Apple’s website
Tech specs
Apple specs ↗
Press release
Apple Newsroom ↗
More information
iPad Air 2 on Wikipedia ↗

Notes

The iPad Air 2 was 6.1mm thick, down from 7.5mm, which Apple claimed made it the thinnest tablet in the world. Getting there meant bonding the glass, the touch layer and the display into a single piece rather than leaving air gaps between them, and that also cut reflections by 56%.

Touch ID was introduced on the iPad with this model, a year after it had reached the iPhone, so the screen could be unlocked with a fingerprint and purchases approved inside apps. Gold joined silver and space grey as a finish.

The switch on the side for muting sound or locking the screen rotation was removed to save depth, and both jobs moved into Control Centre. Apple also cut the 32GB option, so the range ran 16GB, 64GB and 128GB rather than four steps.

Apple kept the iPad Air 2 on sale until 21 March 2017, nearly two and a half years, and then did not replace it with another Air. The name went quiet for four and a half years until the iPad Air (3rd generation) arrived in March 2019, and in the meantime the plain iPad took over the bottom of the range.

It was announced on 16 October 2014 at the ‘It’s been way too long’ event. Orders opened online the next day, while it was released to shops on 22 October, priced from $499.

iPad Air release history

  1. 2024

  2. 7 May 2024

    iPad Air (5th generation) Discontinued

  3. ↑ 2 years, 2 months later
  4. 2022

  5. 18 Mar 2022

    iPad Air (5th generation) Released

  6. 8 Mar 2022

    iPad Air (4th generation) Discontinued

  7. ↑ 1 year, 4 months later
  8. 2020

  9. 23 Oct 2020

    iPad Air (4th generation) Released

  10. 15 Sept 2020

    iPad Air (3rd generation) Discontinued

  11. ↑ 1 year, 6 months later
  12. 2019

  13. 18 Mar 2019

    iPad Air (3rd generation) Released

  14. ↑ about 2 years later
  15. 2017

  16. 21 Mar 2017

    iPad Air (2nd generation) Discontinued

  17. ↑ about 1 year later
  18. 2016

  19. 21 Mar 2016

    iPad Air (1st generation) Discontinued

  20. ↑ 1 year, 5 months later
  21. 2014

  22. 22 Oct 2014

    iPad Air (2nd generation) Released

  23. ↑ about 1 year later
  24. 2013

  25. 1 Nov 2013

    iPad Air (1st generation) Launch

More in iPad Air

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