A Child Uses A iPad Air Tablet At The Apple Store.
A child uses an iPad Air tablet at the Apple store in San Francisco, California November 1, 2013. Reuters

Apple has packed notable improvements with the iPad Air 2 but do the upgraded specs and features, which many view as trivial jumps from the last build, merit a buy or upgrade decision?

Below are eight things to think about Apple's latest tablet before making the big move:

Thinner

Incredibly, Apple engineers defied expectations and shaved off bits of millimeter depth from the first iPad Air to make the replacement razor-thin than ever. From 7.5mm, the second-gen iPad Air shrunk to near-unbelievable 6.1mm.

Lighter

The weight too was whittled down to 0.96lbs from last year's full one-pound of heft, which was already feather-like.

Same battery hours

Despite the leaner mass and profile, Apple is underscoring its claim that the Air 2, used in normal mode, will deliver up to 10 hours of battery or around the same amount of power juice that its predecessor holds.

In should be noted, however, that some reviewers have stated that in the original iPad Air as much as 11 hour of battery life can be squeeze out.

More power and faster

The reason that the Air 2 shares the same operating hours with that of its older sibling is the better power-efficient features made possible by the new iOS 8 and the dual-core A8X processing chip.

The latter, a 64-bit CPU, is also more powerful and faster, thanks in part to the upgraded RAM that now stands at 2GB.

Glare resistant

The iPad Air 2 display menu is pretty much the same with the 2013 version - sharp and immersive - save for the anti-glaring coating that Apple included for easier viewing even on outdoors.

Enhanced camera features

From the 5MP shooter that came with the iPad Air last year, Apple provided a step up of 8MP to the Air 2, which should please users who plan to treat the latter as a reliable alternative camera.

Touch ID

Touch ID is now on the iPad Air 2 and the benefits for users are the following: tougher and more convenient security features that make it easier to unlock the device and use it as online/wireless shopping tool with fewer worries.

Phablet or iPad

Now the question begs: Get the iPad Air 2 or the iPhone 6 Plus? The iOS 8 phablet has tons of features that overlap with that of the tablet though there is little doubt that the Air 2 is a better productivity device.

So the buy or upgrade decision, according to experts, boil down to preference and usability. If portability will decide then the 6 Plus is the easy pick. Also, Apple fans already on the first iPad Air would be wise to skip the Air 2 and go for the iOS phablet if a companion kit is indeed a necessity.

But for those still outside of the iPad Air realm, then the Air 2 is the better option and experience, specifically the 128GB variant, though tablet buyers must be prepared to a pay premium of $100 on models across the board.