Apple's New iPad Air and iPad Mini 2 Pack iPhone 5s' A7 Chip
Apple's next generation of iPad is the iPad Air.
Aside from OS X Mavericks, new MacBooks Pros, a fresh look at the upcoming cylindrical Mac Pro, Apple also updated its line of iPads. This update has been rumored since before the launch of the iPhone 5S and 5C, so it was the number one rumor for today's event. As predicted, the new iPad packs Apple's A7 processor, as well as a new thinner design.
In fact, it's down to this design that Apple is renaming this iPad the iPad Air. The iPad Air is 20 percent thinner than the iPad 2 (7.5 mm vs. 8.6 mm) and has a bezel that is 43 percent thinner. It's also significantly lighter than the iPad 2, weighing in at just one pound (the iPad 2 weighs 1.4 pounds). Under the hood, you've got the same 64-bit A7 chip that powers the iPhone 5S, as well as a 9.7-inch Retina display (2048 x 1536 resolution), a 5-megapixel iSight camera, and a 10 hour battery life. Pricing for the iPad Air starts at $499 for the WiFi-only version while the LTE+WiFi version will start at $629. Apple is still selling the iPad 2 at $399.
Now, on to the iPad Mini, which finally has the Retina display we all longed for last year. It also runs on Apple's 64-bit A7 processor, quite a bump from the A5 chipset powering the original iPad Mini. It also boasts a 5-megapixel iSight camera, and 10 hours of battery. Pricing starts at $399 (16 GB model) while the last generation iPad Mini will be dropped down to $299.
As far as availability is concerned, the new iPad Air will hit November 1, while the iPad Mini 2 is scheduled later in November (Apple didn't give a release date on that one).
Check out the lands on with the iPad Air and iPad Mini from our sister site LAPTOP:
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Given how many more pixels it has to push in the iPads, it would actually perform far worse at native than the 5S if the performance is the same.
It's 7.9 inch so it's half way between the Kindle 7 and 8.9. Better internals. No "special offers" ie targeted ads being pushed to your tablet. It may be a little pricey but it's not that bad. I was surprised it got the retina and A7. At $330 it would have been a steal and that's not apples style.
Get a nexus tablet for 250$ and save your money!
Still doesn't hold a candle to the Nexus.
Way to go, Apple. When you can't litigate, imitate (forget about innovate, that one has sailed long time ago).
I have been using my Kindle Fire for quite some time now and yes, it's start-up page--instead of being some pretty picture of my own choice--is a full-page advertisement . . . Oh, the humanity . . . I don't even read it, I just swipe once and away I go.
Oh yeah, and when I am looking at my list of books or apps, at the very bottom of the page is a single row carousel of similar books, movies, apps, or songs to those I am choosing from.
The ads, for this user are pretty much unnoticeable.
This new iPad is a very nice piece of kit . . . pretty much the same as the Kindle Fire HDX with lower resolution . . .
Apps are where Apple has it all over it's competitors and then it's relevant only if you use those apps.
I have thought long and hard about the iPad, but I just can't justify paying more for it than a Kindle Fire. I can get equal productivity from either.
Nothing earthshaking but I think they're both good devices
Nothing earthshaking but I think they're both good devices
You got that right. They can't feel like they belong unless they enroll under Apple's flag. lol