iPad Air reviews and update: The features of Apple’s newest 9.7-inch tablet bearing the fastest processor for the tablet, a chipset that has enhanced it’s battery life and a design that makes it easy to carry with one hand are all impressive. The steep $499.00 price tag is like in many Apple products, the greatest challenge.

But according to ZDNet, though Apple’s fifth-generation tablet is faster, nicer and lighter, it’s still a “premium-priced device.” One of the downsides the tech site noted about the gadget is that it is expensive, especially if you want to accessorized the product for maximum business activity. The base model starts at $499 in the U.S.

In terms of design, the new iPad Air lives up to its name. It’s much lighter and thinner than the previous-generation iPad 4. In a review by ZDNet, it noted that it’s 20 percent thinner (7.5mm versus 9.4mm) and 28 percent lighter (469g versus 652g for wi-fi only, 478g versus 662g for wi-fi-plus-LTE). The new tablet is also 8.9 percent slimmer, primarily brought by thinner bezels.

The 64-bit A7 processor and M7 motion coprocessor in the tablet makes it a very fast device. The A7 delivers twice the processing and graphics performance of the A6X chip in the former iPad 4. Just like the iPhone 5S, the A7 is supported with 1GB of RAM and a low-powered coprocessor that handles sensor data from the accelerometer, gyroscope and compass according to ZDNet.

But in what could be the best feature of the new iPad Air and one that effectively eliminates the usual complain of short battery life, the new iPad Air delivers up to 10-hours of battery life. Assuming no heavy duty use is applied, the iPad Air can be a workplace device that will last 9-5.