Apple has always been known for releasing newer and newer versions of their gadgets, from the iPhone to the iPad. Even the iPad Mini is starting to roll with the trend.

The first iPad Air was a mirror of Apple's Macbook Air, which boasted of a thinner and lighter profile than the rest of its standard offerings. That has not stopped the tech giant from creating newer versions of its standard iPad. Now, the original iPad has reached its fourth version and is aiming to replace the iPad 2.

The iPad 4 is cheaper than the iPad Air, but when buying a new tablet, would it be better to go for the iPad 4 or stick with the higher performance iPad Air?

Obviously, the iPad Air is lighter than the standard iPad, around 100g less. It is also around a millimeter thinner than the standard iPad so people who prefer a more portable device might consider the iPad Air, rather than the standard size iPad.

The Air also sports a faster processor speed with its jump to the 64-bit A7 chips while the iPad 4 will have the 32-bit A6X chip. The Air's speed allows for faster gaming and better graphics. This might be more appealing to users who play games with the iPad, but in the big scheme of things, it doesn't really matter since the iPad 4 can handle most tasks quite easily.

With the other features and details, the two are fairly the same. The iPad Air and iPad 4 share the same 9.7-inch display with a 2048 x 1536 pixel resolution. Contrast and color reproduction are fairly the same with the two and both use IPS-type screens. Software and app support is also the same for the two.

The only other difference between the two is the price. The 16GB variant of the iPad 4 costs around $570 while the same variant for the iPad Air costs around $680. For an extra $110, users will get a thinner, lighter, and slightly faster iPad.

For all it's worth, maybe getting the iPad 4 is a cheaper alternative. However, for people who don't mind the $110 extra for thinner features and a lighter weight, then the iPad Air is the way to go.