iPad Air hands-on

It's the iPad that's so freaking light, they needed a whole new name. At first glance, there's not a whole heck of a lot new about the new iPad (though the more discerning amongst you may well notice the new dual-mics at top). There's a brush metal backing (which is awfully shiny under these bright lights), a power switch and volume buttons on one side and that lighting port and speaker grilles on the bottom. And while the new tablet is, in fact, slimmer than its predecessor by around 20-percent or so, it's not really immediately apparently until you put the iPad up against its older sibling. Was is apparently, however, is the weight. As its name implies, this guy is light -- impressively so at one pound (down from 1.4), from the first second you pick it up -- a fact that'll come in handy when you're getting the most out of that 10 hour battery.

And while Apple's done an impressive job slimming the tablet down and taking off nearly half a pound, it doesn't feel cheap -- it's an Apple product, after all. Naturally, iOS 7 looks really great on that Retina display -- though you knew that already right? What's really notable here, however, is just how zippy things are, thanks to the inclusion of the A7 chip. You really notice that speed when launching apps like iMovie, which boots up in an an instant. That'll get you around the new free version of iLife pretty swiftly. iPad Air hands-on See all photos

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The iPad Air starts shipping the first of next month for $499. Is it worth the upgrade? It's still early to say at until we actually review the thing, of course, though Apple's done a nice job making a compelling followup to the last generation. It's slimmer, it's lighter and Apple managed the feat without sacrificing speed or power -- in fact, it improved both. If you're in the market for a new tablet and don't mind dropping $500, the iPad, once again, is going to make a pretty compelling proposition this holiday.