Apple iPad Air Review Roundup: What the Critics Say

Apple's iPad Air doesn't come out until Nov. 1, but many lucky reviewers have already gotten their hands on the new tablet.

Mashable Editor-in-Chief Lance Ulanoff reviewed the iPad Air, and came away impressed, calling it "the best consumer tablet on the market." Read Ulanoff's full review, here.

See also: Top 25 Free iPhone Apps of All Time

So, what is everyone else saying? We've rounded up the overwhelmingly positive reviews from across the web, and included snippets from each article to give you a taste of the overall conversation. Take a look:

New York Times: "Those 6.4 ounces make all the difference when, as you recline while reading or watching a movie, you conk out and the iPad falls forward to bonk you on the nose. The Air won't hurt you the way the old iPad did."

The Telegraph: "Its light weight and thin form mean it gets out of the way – you don't notice it, but you notice what you're doing on it. That, potentially, unleashes a new generation of tablet-based productivity."

Engadget: "Despite its petite size and lightweight build, it doesn't feel at all flimsy. The unibody aluminum chassis is just as solid as on older iPads. "

CNET: "The Touch ID fingerprint scanner, introduced on the iPhone 5S, is sadly absent here, meaning you'll still have to type in a passcode with every unlock and a password with every purchase."

All Things Digital: "This new iPad isn't a radical rethinking of what a tablet can be, but it's a major improvement on a successful product. It is the best tablet I've ever reviewed."

Tech.pinions: "The iPad Air is easily the best designed iPad yet."

David Pogue: "There are useful changes inside, too. The iPad Air is powered by the same new chip (called the A7) that makes the iPhone 5s so fast. And it's a 64-bit chip, which, according to Apple, means smoother animation in 3-D games."

Fox News: "It's hard to believe Apple managed to shave nearly a half-pound off last year's fourth-generation iPad while still maintaining exceptional battery life, which in my all-day usage rarely dropped below 30 percent."

SlashGear: "The Air is great for video consumption, kids games, and browsing the web, but you can now do it all single-handed."

TechCrunch: "When using the new iLife and iWork suites, performance is considerably bolstered by the 64-bit retrofits they got with their recent redesigns – everything feels faster and more responsive."

The Loop: "It's very hard to describe how good the iPad Air feels in your hand without actually picking one up. It's kind of like the first time you saw a Retina display for the first time—shock."

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Image: Mashable