The verdict is out and most experts are singing the same tune - that the new iPad Air is the best iPad ever and it has the makings of a compelling buy for the holiday season or for the earlier gadget bonanza that will come with the 2013 Black Friday.

The tablet - powered by iOS 7 and an A7 chip with 64-bit computing capability - has become sexier form the previous builds but within its super-thin frame lies the abilities that only becomes believable when the device is powered to life, on reviewer said.

It is a sight to behold, a joy to hold and a delight to play with - utterly delivering most of the promises that Apple made when the iPad Ait was first made public on Oct 22.

There is no question this latest iOS device is a compelling buy and millions will positively respond to its allure. And here are the five reasons why you want to be among the multitude that will unwrap and tinker with the iPad Air on or before Christmas time.

A different Retina rendition

Retina on the fifth-gen iPad is not much different from the iPad. The resolution stays the same at 2048 x 1536 but for Jim Dalrymple of The Loop, it felt like a whole new take from Apple. At 9.7-inch, high-resolution rendering on the iPad Air is nothing short of brilliant engineering, Mr Dalrymple said.

"It's kind of like the first time you saw a Retina display for the first time-shock," he added.

Slimmed down build

As claimed earlier by Ming-chi Kuo of KGI Securities, Apple shaved off 28 per cent of weight and 20 per cent of thickness from the latest iPad and it proved to be true. But the most amazing thing is, the tablet is flexing is more muscles, showing off more speed and the display, at near full-sized, is ever more stunning.

There were hardware revisions but obviously the expected compromise is non-apparent or to be realistic, minimised to the hilt.

"It measures 7.5mm thick and weighs only one pound (1.03 pounds, to be exact), making it 1.9mm thinner and 0.43 pound lighter than the iPad 4. Apple's also trimmed the left and right bezel by roughly 8mm on each side," Engadget's Brad Molen wrote in his review.

"Simply put, the iPad Air is the most comfortable 10-inch tablet we've ever used," Mr Molen further declared.

Impressive battery life

The combo of better form and component upgrades is overwhelming enough but what is more remarkable is Apple's effort to keep the iPad Air battery life as the best in the field, according to Walt Mossberg of AllThingsD.

In his torture test, Mr Mossberg attested that he was able to squeeze some 12 hours of power juice from the iPad Air - watching movies with the brightness dialled up to 75 per cent and the Wi-Fi very much active.

The tablet even exceeded the 10-hour operating hours that Apple published during the debut time, proving that the device indeed reflects a major from all its four older siblings.

The vaunted iOS tablet ecosystem support

But what really knocks off the competition, according to the latest blog post by David Pogue, is the iOS ecosystem that backs the iPad Air. By default, Apple's big tablet and the Retina iPad Mini 2 are winners over their Android and Windows rivals.

For instance, "Android tablets offer nothing like the quantity or quality of those available for the iPad ... In phones, you could argue for either Android or iPhone. But in tablets, no; iPad still takes it," Mr Pogue argued.

More iPad freebies

The former New York Times tech journalist also noted that in releasing the iPad Air, Apple is bundling the following - iMovie, iPhoto, GarageBand, Pages, Numbers and KeyNote - for free. These tablet apps, Mr Pogue said are sweet and excellent bundle.

These giveaways, according to Matt Warman of The Telegraph, seem to suggest that Apple is also re-gearing its tablet business model with focus on productivity.

"The fact that Apple is now giving away even more software means that perhaps the rebranding is, therefore, more than simply a marketing exercise. Air may yet be the oxygen for a new wave of uses for the iPad," said Mr Warman.

The iPad Air formally rolls out on Nov 1 at starting price of $500 for the 16GB basic model. A 128GB variant is also offered for $800.