After tons of leaks and speculations, Apple finally announced the new iPad and iPad Mini 2 with Retina display on Tuesday. The 9.7-inch iPad is aesthetically similar to iPad Mini with a new brand name “iPad Air.”
The iPad Air will be available from November 1 on both Apple online store and its retail outlets while the iPad Mini with Retina display will have to wait until the end of next month; and there are no pre-orders yet.
The new 9.7 tablet has completely revolutionized the design — the thinnest tablet in the world. The appearance is identical to that of the iPad Mini, so much so that it looks like the iPad Air is a grown version of iPad Mini. However, it impresses with its incredible thickness of 7.5 mm for only 469 grams in weight.
The engine of the tablet is powered by an A7 chip with M7 motion sensor — the same 64bit processor introduced with iPhone 5S – that allows the device to be 2 times more powerful than the predecessor in terms of both computing capabilities and graphics while maintaining the 10 hours of battery life.
iPad Air is 8 times faster than the very first Apple tablet.
The Wi-Fi connectivity is also renewed with support for Multiple-In-Multiple-Out (MIMO) protocols and the majority of LTE 4G networks worldwide. In addition to basic features, it boasts 5-megapixel iSignt sensor, two microphones and aids support for Siri.
The iPad Air will go on sale at the lowest prices of the previous model, starting from $499 in silver and space gray – declining the gold version, as well as the most-talked fingerprint reader, Touch ID.
Additionally, the smaller one in iPad family has also renewed hardware wise, maintaining the aesthetics that made him so famous. Finally, the 7-inch iPad has got the promotion to the Retina display; and also boasts an A7 chip with 64-bit technology now. In newness, it inherits the new Wi-Fi compatibility with MIMO standards and greater openness at all LTE frequencies from its big brother.
The iPad Mini 2 with Retina display will be available for $399 in silver and space gray, and similar to iPad Air there’s no gold variant and support for Touch ID thus far.
Available Models and Pricing
| Wi-Fi Only | Wi-Fi + Cellular | |
|---|---|---|
| iPad Air 16GB | $499 | $629 |
| iPad Air 32GB | $599 | $729 |
| iPad Air 64GB | $699 | $829 |
| iPad Air 128GB | $799 | $929 |
| iPad Mini w/ Retina 16GB | $399 | $529 |
| iPad Mini w/ Retina 32GB | $499 | $629 |
| iPad Mini w/ Retina 64GB | $599 | $729 |
| iPad Mini w/ Retina 128GB | $699 | $829 |
Apple also revealed the figures that 170 million iPads sold thus far and the tablet is the most used mobile-device in the world. Besides, those who are looking for an entry-level solution at an affordable price, Apple hasn’t retired the super-durable iPad 2 models and the first version of iPad Mini models, which are available starting $399 and $299, respectively.