While these scores are slightly outclassed by more current tablets, the Apple iPad Air 2 showed it still has excellent specifications during our hands-on testing. The tablet smoothly switched between tasks like web browsing and games.

In "Epic Zen Garden," a high-end iOS gaming tech demo, we could navigate through the in-game world without any technical hiccups or performance slowdown. The Air 2 is also a strong performer in Laptop Mag's battery test, although the tablet isn't without its limitations.

Asus AC1900 Dual-Band Wi-Fi Gigabit Router. Dual-band connectivity for compatibility and performance Delivering 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz concurrent bands at up to 600 Mbps and 1300 Mbps, respectively, the RT-AC68U has a total speed of up to 1900 Mbps, and maintains complete stability.

You can perform basic tasks like Web browsing and file downloading on the 2.4 GHz band, while simultaneously allowing multiple devices to stream in Full HD or support online gaming and other bandwidth-demanding applications smoothly on the clearer 5 GHz band.

During our testing, ASUS ZenPad S 8.0 onscreen text and images were displayed with stellar fidelity and sharpness. For a non-premium-priced tablet, it also has a steady performance ceiling.

In performance test Geekbench 3 and graphics test 3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited, the tablet had respective scores of 2,855 and 13,041 points. While its graphic performance is a step below the best tablets – which generally hit the 20,000 point range – its processor was still fast enough to handle tasks like web browsing and multitasking in our hands-on testing.

Lenovo Miix 510 Pro 80U10006GE, My unit came with an Intel i5 6200U CPU. I was pleasantly surprised how fast and quick the system felt. Everyday tasks like web browsing, using Microsoft Office, doing emailing, videos.

I then moved onto other things, and started coding. I used Visual Studio Code for a simple HTML5 game, and the development experience was very nice, no hickups whatsoever. Then went on to install SQL Server and Visual Studio Enterprise to do some real work I would do with a computer everyday. And it still performed great.

Despite the lack of major upgrades, the Apple iPad Air 2 holds a spot as one of the best tablets on the market. During Laptop's testing, in which a tablet loops through webpages at a constant brightness, the Air 2 lasted for nine hours and 20 minutes before powering down.

While this mark is in line with Apple's advertised Wi-Fi browsing battery life of up to 10 hours, the iPad Air's battery is a step behind other multimedia tablets that tout battery lifespans of more than 10 hours.

Apple iPads have generally been shining examples of high-end tablet performance, and on the strength of its numbers, the Apple iPad Air 2 is still a worthy member of the iPad family. While the Air 2 shows its age compared to the best tablets, it has much to offer home users thanks to its solid battery life, compact dimensions and strong performance ceiling.

Even with the tablet computer's 9.7-inch screen, it sports a weight of only 0.96 pounds. While it's not the lightest in comparison to other 9-inch tablets, the Apple iPad Air 2 has a thickness of only 0.24 inches.

In hands-on testing, we found the Air 2 to be sturdily constructed and easy to handle thanks to its rounded edges.

Apple relies on the same 2048 x 1536 Retina display that past iPads were built around, but the Air 2's display remains an exceptional performer for a variety of tasks. In our testing, onscreen text cleanly displayed, and high-resolution photos had vibrant color reproduction.

The Apple iPad Air 2 display was also a reliable performer in Laptop's benchmarking testing. The Air 2's display had a brightness rating of 368 nits, which was comparable to other premium tablets. Nits are a measurement used to evaluate the screen's brightness level.

The Apple iPad Air 2 solid aluminum body is durable and excellently built. While the iPad Air 2 processor is still fast enough for most home users, it no longer provides best-in-class performance.

With its premium components and great build quality, the iPad Air 2 is capable of handling work and play without a misstep. At first glance, the Apple iPad Air 2 is closer to a refresh than a dramatic upgrade of its predecessor. The tablet computer has the same slim design and aluminum backing used on the first iPad Air.

10 Tablets with the Longest Battery Life Apple iPad Air 2 The industry standard for tablets is also one of the longest lasting, with 9 hours and 20 minutes of endurance. The Apple iPad Air 2 also boasts a gorgeous display in a super-thin design.

The A8X chip ensures zippy performance. A sharper camera will capture all your precious moments. And, while the competition is catching up, Apple still maintains the best tablet-friendly app selection on the market.