Apple certainly had a ‘lot to cover’ at its event yesterday and there were a few announcements that took us by surprise. The main attractions of yesterday were the new iPads, the fifth generation one which is called the Air and a second generation mini slate that now features a Retina display.
Apple’s sudden change in its naming policy for the new 9.7-inch slate was certainly not what we were expecting, but iPad Air does sound better than iPad 5. The new iteration in the series is 20% thinner as well as 28% lighter than its predecessor and the overall design has been refined for a much better experience. The bezel size has been greatly reduced by 43% making it as narrow as the one on the iPad mini.
The new iPad Air is capable of delivering up to 10 hours of battery life. The latest member in the 7.9-inch tablet family now features a Retina display that’s akin to the one found on its larger sibling. This panel proffers 2048 x 1536p resolution. Both tablets also have the same processor, the A7 chip which is found in the iPhone 5S as well, with 64-bit architecture, PowerVR 6 series graphics and improved ISP. Needless to say, the M7 motion coprocessor is onboard too for improved power consumption.
The duo are fitted with a next generation FaceTime HD snapper and while previous rumors suggested that an 8MP iSight camera would be included, Apple has chosen a 5MP sensor instead. Other features of the new devices include MIMO which delivers double Wi-Fi performance, and support for DC-HSDPA, HSPA+ as well as many more LTE networks worldwide.
The Air will go on sale starting November 1 through AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon in the US as well as the company’s online and authorized retail stores across the globe. The iPad mini Retina version will be available later that month.
Price details:
iPad Air Wi-Fi/Cellular:
16GB for $499/$629
32GB for $599/$729
64GB for $699/$829
128GB for $799/$929
iPad mini Retina Wi-Fi/Cellular:
16GB for $399/$529
32GB for $499/$629
64GB for $599/$729
128GB for $699/$829