At WWDC this year, Apple announced iPadOS 26, which will finally introduce proper windowing support to the iPad. If you're looking to get in on the new features, the 11-inch iPad Air with Apple's M3 chip is on sale for Prime Day.

• Check out all the deals in Amazon's Prime Day Sale

The 11-inch, M3 iPad Air is going for $479. This is the lowest price we've seen on the iPad Air with M3, which has a list price of $599.

For this sale, you can get 128GB of storage, Wi-Fi connectivity (cellular boosts the price to $629), and your choice of color. The 11-inch Air uses Touch ID for authentication, boasts 12-megapixel front and rear cameras, and is compatible with Apple Pencil Pro and the Magic Keyboard.

M3 also supports Apple Intelligence features. At the moment, those aren't terribly. useful in my opinion, though it does mean you should eventually get the new Siri and anything else that comes down the pipe.

iPadOS 26, which is expected to be released this fall, should greatly improve multitasking. Beyond a "liquid glass" redesign, the big feature for iPad is vastly improved windowing, letting you arrange them as you would on, well, most other computers. It should make that Magic Keyboard accessory far more useful if you opt for it. The new OS version will also add menu bars to apps.

Apple's M-series chips have long felt overpowered in iPads, but iPadOS 26 may greatly enhance multitasking, which means you can make better use of the M3 in the iPad Air. Then again, the 11-inch form factor is pretty portable, so it'll be just fine as your go-to ebook reader, too.

We are working hard to find the best computer hardware deals for you this Amazon Prime Day. We cover the hottest deals in real-time at our Best Amazon Prime Day Deals Live page. If you're looking for more savings, check out our Amazon Prime Day deals for a range of products, or dive deeper into our specialized SSD and Storage Deals, Hard Drive Deals, Gaming Monitor Deals, Graphics Card Deals, or CPU Deals pages.

Apple's newest iPad Pro 13 may be cutting consumers short, with 12GB onboard RAM being artificially limited to 8GB. MacRumors forum user layerstack posted their detective work, seeking to independently verify the listed RAM capacities of Apple's newest iPad Pro lineup.

Apple's newest M4 iPad Pro 13 releases with two models, a 256GB/512GB storage model with a 9-core CPU and 8GB of RAM or a 1TB/2TB storage variant with the flagship 10-core CPU and 16GB of RAM. With teardown videos and blogs finally releasing, revealing the iPad's shiny new M4 silicon, internet sleuths are investigating every revealed inch of these machines. 

The condensed FBGA codes for Micron's RAM modules are clearly seen on some teardowns, revealing the exact chips Apple used for their iPads. The 16GB iPad, sure enough, contains 16GB of Micron LPDDR5 RAM. But the 8GB model has two 48Gbit modules onboard. 48 gigabits converts to 6 gigabytes, meaning the lower-grade iPad Pro model has 12GB of RAM available from its RAM module. But in use, the iPad Pro has only its advertised 8GB RAM accessible. 

Why Apple would artificially limit its RAM modules is unknown. Theories floated on comment sections across the web suggest a few possible solutions — some more charitable than others. Perhaps no 4GB chips exist with enough dies to supply the bandwidth Apple demands, the chips are binned for performance, or none of the major RAM manufacturers offer 4GB chips as standard for LPDDR5 memory and Apple couldn't afford to commission custom chips for a poorer-selling product. Maybe the part number is wrong after all, and Apple is using new custom RAM that coincidentally has the exact same part number as Micron's 6GB chip.

The most flaunted reason from web users is that Apple is artificially limiting the performance of these modules for product segmenting, keeping a traditional 8GB or 16GB RAM dichotomy between its iPads. This seems like a likely answer, which would mean that Apple has four unused gigs of RAM just sitting on its logic boards doing nothing. Apple's goal may be to avoid the unfamiliar "12GB RAM" spec which may alienate some consumers; Cupertino is likely looking to avoid any possible drop in sales after a bad year for iPad in 2023. 

Our thorough summary of Apple's new M4 iPad Pros and their teardowns can be found here. The newest iPad Pros are mostly remarkable due to the brand-new M4 chip, Apple's fresh silicon being introduced on an iPad for the first time. In its current form, its only major improvement over the M3 is its NPU for AI workloads, but a bit of liquid nitrogen can take it far beyond its rated performance.

Apple hasn't always been the friendliest company in terms of third-party and self-repair options. However, the YouTube channel Phone Repair Guru recently did a teardown of the M4 iPad Pro, Cupertino's latest tablet. The disassembly process seemed a bit straightforward this time, with the creator commenting, "This is so much easier than how it used to be."

Suhaib El-Komy, who owns the Phone Repair Guru YouTube channel, is a Canada-based YouTube creator who focuses on creating videos that show him repairing smartphones, tablets, and other electronics. In the teardown video, we see El-Komy open the 13-inch iPad Pro M4 to reveal its internals and see how Apple managed to cram so much technology in such a thin package.

The 13-inch iPad Pro was launched on May 7, 2024, at Apple's 'Let Loose' event. During the launch, the company boasted that the new 13-inch iPad Pro with the M4 chip is its thinnest device ever. The iPad Pro is just 5.1 mm, or about three pennies thick, making it the thinnest Apple product.

It brings to mind the iPhone 6 Plus, launched in 2014, which suffered from the 'Bendgate' controversy — where the phone would unintentionally bend when placed in tight places like the back pocket of a pair of jeans. The issue blew to the point that Apple boycotted a German tech publication because it posted a video showing the host intentionally bending a 6 Plus with his bare hands.

Apple's new tablet included an internal shield that protected the central motherboard and added strength to the iPad, preventing a future 'Bendgate' problem. This addition made it pretty difficult to bend the 13-inch tablet when held in landscape. Even JerryRigEverything found it impressive, as he failed to fold the tablet vertically with his bare hands even after applying significant pressure (though he did damage the tablet's seal around the screen). However, the tablet quickly gave up when he folded it horizontally, as the USB-C port became the weak point that broke the device.

Aside from providing strength, the shield also helped dissipate heat from the powerful M4 chip and the tablet's other components. Another exciting feature of the new tablet is how it uses the Apple logo on the backside of the iPad as a heat sink. That's because the logo has copper, allowing it to efficiently extract heat from the SoC and radiate it into the air.

Apple has made self-repair much more accessible these past few years, and this new iPad seems to show its commitment to that. El-Komy says, "Thiteardownwn has been enjoyable so far, and the removable pull tabs on the battery are icing on the cake. Assuming everything on here isn't serialized to oblivion, this device is pretty repairable."

However, the tablet's advantage in terms of ease of repair could be negated if the company serializes everything, making it difficult to conduct repairs without using expensive Apple parts. While we understand that the company needs to do this for crucial elements like the motherboard, we hope that the process of moving parts from one device to another will become much easier.

The 13-inch iPad Pro M4 is a good change, especially for consumers fighting for their right to repair their devices. With this tablet, Apple seems to be taking a step in the right direction — let us hope that other companies follow suit, allowing for cheaper repairs and helping us reduce our e-waste output.

Apple fans tend to invest in the Apple ecosystem, and when you have a few Apple gadgets, you’ll find that they can work together in various ways. If you happen to have both an iPad and a Mac, you can extend your Mac desktop to the iPad and use it like an attached monitor.

This is useful to turn your Macbook into a mobile multitasking marvel, or to get around the external display limit on modern Apple Silicon Macs. Some iPads also have professional-grade color-accurate screens, making them useful for various creative jobs.

If you’re looking for a more traditional portable monitor solution, head over to our portable monitor review roundup.

What You’ll Need

In order to get your iPad and Mac to play well together, you’ll have to do a little prep work and gather a few items:

• Both devices must be signed in to the same Apple ID.
• Your Mac must run macOS Catalina or later.
• You’d need a fairly modern Mac: a 2016 or later MacBook or MacBook Pro, a 2018 or later MacBook Air, a 2017 or later iMac, an iMac Pro, a 2018 or later Mac Mini, a 2019 or later Mac Pro, or a Mac studio.
• On the iPad side, you’ll need iPadOS 13 or later running on any iPad Pro, 6th generation or later iPad, 5th generation or later iPad Mini, or 3rd Generation or later iPad Air.
• Both devices must be within 10m/33ft of each other, with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Handoff activated (these are on by default).
• Internet connection sharing must not be active on either device.
• If you want to use a USB connection instead of a wireless one, you’ll need an appropriate USB cable to connect both devices.

Tip: If you’re using a USB cable to connect your iPad and MacBook, you’ll experience faster battery drain on the MacBook, since it will start charging the iPad. So we recommend connecting the MacBook to a power source such as a wall adapter or a power bank. Otherwise, you should consider sticking to the wireless mode instead.

Universal Control vs. SideCar

Before we get into the specific steps to extend your Mac desktop to your iPad, it’s important that you know the difference between SideCar and Universal Control.

SideCar is the feature we’re specifically dealing with here, where your iPad acts as an extended display for your Mac. As far as we can tell, in the latest version of MacOS as of this writing, the feature isn’t referred to as SideCar anywhere during the process of activating it, but that’s what it was called when first introduced. It’s still referred to as “SideCar” in Apple’s documentation.

A more recent feature is known as Universal Control. Here, your iPad and Mac have a different relationship. You can freely move your mouse and keyboard control between the two devices, and easily copy files or copy and paste content as if they were one computer, but the iPad is running its own software, separate from the Mac. So you can’t, for example, drag an app window from your Mac to your iPad using Universal Control.

Universal Control is on by default, so if you have a Mac and an iPad logged into the same Apple ID close to each other, you might find that you accidentally move your mouse pointer through the edge of your Mac’s screen onto the iPad.

Now that you know the difference, let’s look at how to activate SideCar.

How To Extend Your Mac Display To Your iPad

With your iPad open and unlocked, follow these steps:

1. Open Apple Menu > System Settings > Displays. You can also search for “System Settings” using the Command + Space shortcut.

2. Click the “+’ button.

3. Select “iPad” under “Mirror or extend to.”

Your iPad screen should now change to an extended Mac desktop version. If the iPad isn’t on the right side of the monitor, do the following:

1. Click Arrange.

2. Drag the image of the iPad to the correct side of your screen. This can also be above or below it, depending on your preferences and how you physically arrange the devices.

You can also activate SideCar by using the quick menu:

1. Click the Quick Menu icon. It’s the small icon in the menu bar left of the Siri icon and clock.

2. Click on Screen Mirroring.

3. Under “iPad,” select under “use as separate display”

That’s all there is to it. To disable this mode, simply repeat the above steps and select iPad again to stop SideCar.

When Apple introduced its all-new iMac 24-inch all-in-one desktop and iPad Pro tablet based on its M1 system-on-chip earlier this month, it said that the new products would be available in the second half of May, but never revealed when exactly they were set to hit the shelves. On Thursday Apple finally unwrapped details about availability of its new devices. 

Apple and its partners will start to take pre-orders on the latest 24-inch iMac, iPad Pro, and Apple TV 4K starting April 30, 2021. Meanwhile, the new AIO desktop, professional tablet, and set-top-box will be available starting May 21, 2020, reports MacRumors citing UK retailer John Lewis. Since the date comes from an unofficial source, it should be taken with a grain of salt. Meanwhile, Jon Prosser, a tech analyst and a leaker, also states that the 21st of May as the launch date for Apple's latest products. 

Apple's new M1-based iMac comes in seven colors and is equipped with a 23.5-inch display featuring a 4480 × 2520 resolution and a 500 nits brightness, a major upgrade for entry-level AIOs that previously featured a 21-inch LCD panel. The system can be equipped with up to 16GB of LPDDR4 memory and up to 2TB of solid-state storage. Pricing starts at $1,299. 

Apple's upcoming iPad Pro also represent a huge advancement when compared to predecessors as they are powered by PC-class M1 SoC and can be equipped with up to 16GB of memory. Meanwhile, the new iPad Pro 12.9-inch is the world's first tablet to use a Mini LED display. The new iPad Pros start at $799 for 11-inch SKU and $1,099 for a 12.9-incher.

The iPad Pro now uses M1, Apple's homegrown processor that is also in the 21-inch iMac, 13-inch MacBook Pro, MacBook Air and Mac Mini. That's a lot of power, but don't expect the iPad to merge with the Mac line anytime soon.

In an interview with The Independent, Apple hardware lead John Ternus and marketing chief Greg ‘Joz’ Joswiak were steadfast that the two platforms are separate.

"There’s two conflicting stories people like to tell about the iPad and Mac," Joswiak told The Independent.  "On the one hand, people say that they are in conflict with each other. That somebody has to decide whether they want a Mac, or they want an iPad. Or people say that we’re merging them into one: that there’s really this grand conspiracy we have, to eliminate the two categories and make them one. And the reality is neither is true. We’re quite proud of the fact that we work really, really hard to create the best products in their respective category."

Indeed, the iPad Pro is far and away better than any other Android tablet. Between the M1 and, if you splurge on a keyboard cover, the iPad Pro can easily handle many workflows with aplomb.

“We don’t think about well, we’re going to limit what this device can do because we don’t want to step on the toes of this [other] one or anything like that,” Ternus said. “We’re pushing to make the best Mac we can make; we’re pushing to make the best iPad we can make. And people choose." He pointed out that some people have both, and that their workflow spans both devices.

But it also highlights what some consider the Mac's biggest weakness: its lack of a touchscreen. Apple has long suggested that the Mac and macOS weren't designed for touch, while critics have bragged about the flexibility some Windows PCs have gained from touch screen options. The iPad, however, is getting its most advanced touchscreen ever, with mini-LED technology with extreme dynamic range borrowed from the desktop Pro Display XDR.

The Mac, as of macOS Big Sur, can run some iOS and iPad OS apps. This doesn't yet go the opposite way, and Apple can't show the same pro apps running on both the iPad and the iMac in stage demos.

Yesterday, The Verge's Monica Chin wrote an op-ed entitled "Put macOS on the iPad, you cowards," suggesting perhaps the ultimate convergence. If you're not going to put touch on the Mac, let users run their Mac apps on the iPad. After all, they share the same processor.

But with rumors of iPadOS 15 getting a significant change, perhaps one differing it more from iOS on the iPhone, it doesn't seem like the Mac and the iPad will become one anytime soon. Or perhaps ever.

"[W]e’re just going to keep making them [the iMac and iPad Pro] better. And we’re not going to get all caught up in, you know, theories around merging or anything like that," Ternus said.

Apple has updated its iPad Pro line with its new iPad Pro, which comes with a host of new upgrades including the 8-core A12Z Bionic processor and trackpad support in iPadOS. 

The new iPad Pro is coming in 11-inch and 12.9-inch version, with the basic version packing 128 GB of flash storage. For those craving more, capacities will range all the way up to 1 TB, which is huge for a tablet. Naturally, the usual WiFi-only variants will exist alongside the WiFi + cellular data models.

Under the hood, the iPad Pro comes with the new A12Z Bionic chip, which Apple claims makes it faster than most Windows laptops. This new silicon comes with eight CPU cores, along with a Neural Engine. Apple claims to be powerful enough to handle 4K video editing and designing 3D models.

One of the biggest changes coming along with the new iPadOS 13.4 is the addition of trackpad support, which is what enables the new keyboard. The new Magic Keyboard has a trackpad built-in, and will 'float' the iPad Pro above it, presumably to keep it in balance, as a common problem with tablet keyboards is their tendency to fall backwards.

Other new features include a wide-angle camera, "studio-quality mics", along with a LiDAR scanner for improved photography. The new Pro Display comes with wide DCI-P3 color support and a 120 Hz refresh rate.

Apple is claiming that battery life is set to last up to 10 hours.

Pricing starts at $799 for the 11-inch 128 GB WiFi-Only iPad Pro, with the 12.9-inch version costing $999, with both available for order immediately. The Magic Keyboard accessory will set you back a further $299 for the 11-inch tablet and $349 for the 12.9-inch version and will be available in May.

The iPad lineup might expand once again. MySmartPrice today reported that it discovered new Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) filings related to a pair of new iPad models, the A2200 and A2232, that Apple could be preparing to announce later this year.

Rumors have already claimed that Apple plans to release a new iPad (no modifier) with a 10.2-inch display later this year. That upgrade would presumably offer a spec bump for the baseline iPad, too, since it currently features the A10 Fusion chip that debuted in 2016. It also wouldn't be surprising if the company updated the iPad Pro line, and MySmartPrice guessed that the models described in these filings are new iPad Pros.

That would effectively make 2019 the year of the iPad. Apple refreshed the iPad mini for the first time since 2015, and resuscitated the iPad Air following its 2017 discontinuation, in March. Then during the WWDC keynote address in June, it announced iPadOS to (surprise!) better differentiate its tablets from their iPhone counterparts. So far, the only things about the iPad ecosystem that haven't changed this year are the base iPad and the iPad Pro line.

Unfortunately, the EEC filings don't offer many hints about Apple's remaining plans for the iPad in 2019. The documents revealed the new model numbers, MySmartPrice said, and confirmed the new models would run iPadOS 13. That doesn't come as much of a surprise--Apple's making the operating system available on at least two generations of iPad, iPad mini, iPad Air, and iPad Pro. It's not going to ship a new iPad without iPadOS.

So would it make sense for Apple to update the iPad and iPad Pro later this year? Sure. Those upgrades would complete the iPad ecosystem's fresh start, and the company last refreshed the iPad Pro in October 2018, so it wouldn't be unreasonable to expect another update this October. The base iPad was also updated in 2018, but its three-year-old processor means its primary selling point is having the lowest starting price of Apple's tablet offerings.

None of this is guaranteed, and even if Apple does finish updating its tablet lineup, we don't know how the new models will differentiate themselves from their predecessors. But we do know one thing: rumors about the company's plans will persist until the moment its official announcements are made.

Apple quietly refreshed the iPad Air and iPad Mini lines today, significantly boosting their power with its A12 Bionic processors. Those are the same 7-nanometer processors in the company's iPhone XR, XS and XS Max, making both of the new tablets significantly more powerful than their predecessors.

The new iPad Air, which had disappeared from Apple's lineup for a bit, starts at $499 with a 10.5-inch, 2224 x 1668 display, Apple Pencil support, 8 MP camera, up to 256 GB of storage and a choice between Wi-Fi only or Wi-Fi and cellular connectivity.

The Mini, which begins at $399, has a 7.9-inch, 2048 x 1536 screen, brings Apple Pencil support and has the same storage and cellular options. 
 
Apple claims the A12 Bionic chip with a Neural Engine will allow for machine learning, better AR apps and more realistic 3D games.

With the addition of these two devices, Apple's entire iPad lineup now has support for its Apple Pencil stylus, which starts at $99 for the first-generation model. Both of these also have Touch ID. Both devices come in silver, space gray and gold.

Apple's most powerful processor, the A12X Bionic, is still only found in the iPad Pro, which comes in 11 and 12.9-inch sizes with up to 1 TB of storage, as well as Face ID. That model also uses a USB Type-C port, but the new Air and mini are sticking solely to Apple's proprietary lightning port. 

Apple announced the availability of two new devices; the iPhone SE and a 9.7-inch iPad Pro.

iPhone SE

The iPhone SE is essentially a 4-inch clone of the iPhone 6s, and it features the same A9 processor introduced in the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. The iPhone SE has the same graphics performance as the 6s and 6s Plus with an embedded M9 coprocessor. Basically, Apple decided to make its most powerful iPhone yet even smaller.

The 12 MP rear-facing camera can capture 4K videos, which can be edited right on the device (similar to the iPhone 6s). The front-facing 5 MP camera features a Retina Flash, which momentarily brightens the screen to improve picture quality in low light.

Starting at $399, Apple heralds the new iPhone SE as the lowest introductory price for an iPhone in the company’s history.

9.7-Inch iPad Pro

Apple also introduced a tinier version of its iPad Pro, now offering a 9.7-inch version of the productivity tablet. It features a new True Tone display, which uses four-channel sensors to dynamically adjust the white balance of the display to match the ambient light around you.

The 9.7-inch iPad Pro also features an A9X processor. Apple claims that the 12 GPU cores in the embedded M9 motion coprocessor makes the device more powerful than an Xbox 360. The new display is smaller, but with a resolution of 2048x1536, it keeps the same pixel-per-inch rating as the 12.3-inch iPad Pro (264 ppi). For the first time ever, the company is offering a 256 GB variant (the 12.3-inch iPad Pro also gains this storage option), and Apple also has LTE versions of the new 9.7-inch iPad Pro.

The cameras on the 9.7-inch iPad Pro are also better than its predecessor, offering a 12 MP iSight rear-facing camera and a 5 MP Facetime (front-facing) camera (compared to the 12.3-inch iPad Pro's 8 MP and 1.2 MP cameras, respectively). The new 9.7-inch iPad Pro also weighs less than a pound (0.96 lbs to be precise).

Both the 9.7-inch iPad Pro and the iPhone SE will be available for order on March 24 and will begin shipping on March 31. The iPad Pro and iPhone SE both come in space gray, silver, gold or rose gold.

Derek Forrest is an Associate Contributing Writer for Tom’s Hardware and Tom’s IT Pro. Follow Derek Forrest on Twitter. Follow us on Facebook, Google+, RSS, Twitter and YouTube.

Two months after its debut at Apple's press conference, the iPad Pro is making its way to customers on November 11.

The new tablet features a 12.9-inch display with a 2732 x 2048 resolution, and it's powered by a 64-bit A9X chip, a variant of the new A9 processor. Our own Lucian Armasu wrote that the company claimed that the A9X was faster than "80 percent of portable PCs," but Apple didn't provide details as to how it measured that data.

The presentation also showed some new peripherals to go with the device, specifically a stylus and keyboard called the Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard, respectively. However, you will have to purchase them separately; the Apple Pencil is $99, and the Smart Keyboard is $169.

As for the iPad Pro itself, the Wi-Fi-only model comes in 32 GB or 128 GB storage variants at $799 and $949, respectively. The Wi-Fi + Cellular version only comes with 128 GB of internal storage and will cost $1,079.

______________________________________________________________________

Rexly Peñaflorida II is a Contributor at Tom’s Hardware. He writes news on tech and hardware, but mostly focuses on gaming news. As a Chicagoan, he believes that deep dish pizza is real pizza and ketchup should never be on hot dogs. Ever. Also, Portillo’s is amazing.

Follow Rexly Peñaflorida II @Heirdeux. Follow us on Facebook, Google+, RSS, Twitter and YouTube.

During a special event on Thursday, Apple introduced a number of new products ranging from wearables to Apple Pay to a new iMac with a Retina display. We've broken down the press event into seven products:

Apple Pay
First up to bat was Apple Pay, the company's new payment system that launches on October 20 in the United States. This Touch ID service only applies to customers with the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini 3. Owners of these devices will see the service as a free software update to iOS 8.

To use Apple Pay, shoppers merely hold the device near a contactless reader and hold a finger on the Touch ID button. There are a huge number of retailers just waiting for Apple Pay customers including Babies’R’Us, Foot Locker, McDonald’s, Office Depot, RadioShack, Walgreens and loads more.

The company reports that this service supports debit and credit cards from American Express, MasterCard, and Visa. More than 500 banks are now on board, including American Express, Bank of America, Capital One Bank, Chase, Citi and Wells Fargo.

Apple Watch
Apple already introduced this wearable tech back in the beginning of September. This device doesn’t plan on going retail until early 2015; however, developers will be able to get their hands on WatchKit, a software development kit for the Apple Watch, in November.

OS X Yosemite
The new version of OS X is a free upgrade on the Mac App Store. Apple redesigned the platform to be more “modern” and added a number of new features such as Spotlight, iCloud Drive for storing files in the cloud, a Today view in the Notification Center, and an “enhanced” Messages app. There’s also an updated version of Mail, Family Sharing, iTunes 12 and more.

The new Mac platform has streamlined, translucent toolbars and sidebars. The platform also includes Continuity features such as Handoff, which allows the user to start an email on one Apple device and finish it on another. There’s also Instant Hotspot, AirDrop, and a new feature that allows SMS messages to automatically appear not only on the iPhone, but on all iOS devices, including the Mac.

iPad Air 2
The crazy-thin iPad Air 2 was probably the most impressive gadget during the show. This 6.11 mm tablet runs on Apple’s A8X second generation 64-bit chip, and it includes 3 billion transistors and the M8 motion coprocessor. The tablet is 180 times faster than the original iPad, and it includes a battery promising 10 hours of battery life.

According to Apple, the M8 motion coprocessor taps into the accelerometer, compass, gyroscope, and barometer and collects their data so that the main processor doesn’t have to deal with it. That means a faster tablet.

The iPad Air 2 also includes a new 8MP camera that allows users to take large panoramas, simultaneous pictures with burst mode, time-lapse shots and slow-motion videos. The front-facing FaceTime camera has also been updated, capable of capturing 80 percent more light than the previous generation.

Pricing will be $499 for the 32 GB model, $599 for the 64 GB version and $699 for the 128 GB version. For the cellular models, pricing will be $629 for the 16 GB version, $729 for the 64 GB version and $829 for the 128 GB version. This tablet will be offered in Silver, Gold or Space Gray colors.

iPad Mini 3
Like the iPad Air 2, this model will be offered in Silver, Gold and Space Gray. The device will also have Touch ID, allowing owners to make payments using Apple Pay. Not much was said about this version save for that it, along with the previous iPad Mini 2, has the A7 chip as well as a 5MP iSight camera, a FaceTime HD camera, speedy wireless connectivity and a Retina display.

Pricing for the new iPad Mini 3 will be $399 for the 16 GB model, $499 for the 64 GB model and $599 for the 128 GB model. The original iPad Mini will now cost $249 and the second-generation iPad Mini 2 will now cost $299 (both 16 GB).

iMac Retina 5K Display
Apple introduced a new 27-inch iMac with a Retina 5K display, meaning it has a resolution of 5120 x 2880 (14.7 million pixels). Also included is a 1 TB Fusion hard drive, a quad-core Intel Core i5 processor (up to 3.9 GHz), an AMD Radeon R9 M290X GPU, and 8 GB of RAM. There are also Thunderbolt 2 ports, capable of speeds of up to 20 Gbps each.

This new Mac can also be configured to sport AMD’s Radeon R9 M295X graphics, as well as an Intel Core i7 processor with speeds up to 4.4 GHz. Other upgrades include 32 GB of memory, a 3 TB Fusion Drive, and PCIe-based flash storage with a capacity of 1 TB.

Apple explains that the new iMac’s screen uses a “precisely manufactured” oxide TFT-based panel. The display also uses an Apple-designed timing controller (TCON), LEDs, and organic passivation to reduce power consumption and provide a clearer display. The display also uses a new photo alignment process and a compensation film for an improved contrast ratio. There is supposedly absolutely no air in between the display components.

The iMac with Retina 5K display is now shipping for $2,499. This model includes the Intel Core i5 processor, AMD Radeon R9 M290X graphics and a 1TB Fusion Drive.

Mac Mini
Apple has also updated the Mac Mini, offering three models to choose from. For $499, customers get a dual-core Intel Core i5 processor (1.4 GHz, 2.7 GHz), 4 GB of RAM, Intel HD Graphics 5000 and a 500 GB hard drive. For $699, customers will receive a version with a dual-core Intel Core i5 processor (2.6 GHz, 3.1 GHz), 8 GB of RAM, Intel Iris Graphics, and a 1 TB hard drive. And for $999, customers will see a dual-core Intel Core i5 processor (2.8 GHz, 3.3 GHz), 8 GB of RAM, Intel Iris Graphics, and a 1 TB Fusion drive.

In addition to those components, the Mac Mini will also have two Thunderbolt 2 ports, Wireless AC connectivity, Mac OS X Yosemite, and free apps such as iMovie, GarageBand and the suite of iWork apps.

You can check out additional coverage on our sister sites. Here's more on OS X Yosemite and hands-on with the iPad Air 2 and iMac Retina 5K.

Follow Kevin Parrish @exfileme. Follow us @tomshardware, on Facebook and on Google+

Lacie today unveiled its new Fuel wireless storage device for iPad. As we all know, choosing a storage capacity for a media device can be tricky, especially when that device doesn't have the option to expand storage via MicroSD. The iPad is one of the most popular tablets available today, and users are stuck with the storage capacity they selected at check out. However, Lacie is hoping to solve that problem with the Fuel.

The Fuel is a wireless drive for your iPad. The idea behind it is to wirelessly expand the storage of your iPad without the muss or fuss of cables. We went hands on with the Fuel last night at Pepcom's Digital Experience and were pretty impressed with the experience. The device connects via a dedicated application and can handle up to five connections at once (though you're limited to just three connections for HD video streaming). We were told that not all of these connected devices have to be iPads or iPhones and that Android devices were supported. The apps UI was clear and well laid out, making it easy to select pictures and video for viewing or streaming. We didn't get a chance to try streaming to multiple devices at once, so we can't say what that experience is like.

It's a USB 3.0 drive and it uses WiFi 802.11 b/g/n for interfacing with the connected devices. It has a range of about 150 feet. The Fuel measures 4.5 x 4.5 x 0.9 inches and is quite light at 9.7 ounces, though the plastic casing makes it feel a bit too much like a router for our liking. Light is good, but too light a device can start to feel cheap. The Fuel is just on the right side of that line, but only just.

If you're looking to connect your device to this, you'll need Windows Vista or higher, Android 2.3 or higher, a Kindle Fire, iOS 5.1.1 or higher or Mac OS X 10.6 or higher.

Availability for the Fuel is coming very soon; the device costs $199.99.

Check out all of our CES 2014 coverage!

Follow Jane McEntegart @JaneMcEntegart. Follow us @tomshardware, on Facebook and on Google+.

Over the last couple of years, we've seen some pretty amazing products come out of Kickstarter. The only downside to crowd funding is that we tend to get excited about products that won't be on the market for quite a while. Still, it doesn't have to take months or years for a product to go from funded to shipped. If your product is simple and easy to produce, you can get it into backers' hands within a week or so.

One company in Utah is hoping to claim the record for fastest delivered Kickstarter project. The folks at FINEGRAIN have designed a unique iPad stand made of two small pieces of beautiful, polished wood. The COBURNS iPad stand is small, compact, elegant, affordable, and FINEGRAIN's founders hope to ship it just five days after their Kickstarter campaign draws to a close.

FINEGRAIN's campaign launched just last week, on November 12, and has already met its goal of $5,000 twice over. The campaign will come to a close on December 5 and co-founder Eric Rea reckons they're in with a change for snagging the title for fastest delivered physical Kickstarter product.

"From our research, there have been a couple of physical product projects that have delivered within a month, but we will have all of our rewards shipped out within five days of the project ending."

The COBURNS iPad stand costs $19 and is available in Birdseye Maple or Pau Ferro. That price includes shipping within the U.S. The stand can be ordered to fit the first/second gen iPad Mini, the iPad 3, the iPad 4, and the iPad Air.

Follow Jane McEntegart @JaneMcEntegart. Follow us @tomshardware, on Facebook and on Google+.

Apple surprised us yesterday by releasing the Retina display iPad Mini. The company had announced the tablet in late October but didn't give a release date. Early Tuesday morning, the company updated its website to include both the WiFi and WiFi + Cellular models. Of course, the guys at iFixit were first in line to get one with the sole intention of tearing Apple's newest toy apart.

Despite the fact that the iPad Mini has a brand spanking new Retina display and Apple's A7 processor with M7 co-processor, iFixit found that not a whole lot has changed under the hood. The internal architecture hasn't really changed all that much as far as construction goes. As such, the Mini retains the same 2 out of 10 repairability score that the original version was awarded this time last year.

Full specs include that all important 7.9-inch 2048 x 1536 (326 ppi) display, Apple's 64-bit A7 SoC, up to 128 GB of flash storage, a 5-megapixel iSight camera, a 1.2-megapixel FaceTime HD camera, WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, LTE (optional) and 10 hours of battery life.

The iFixit team did find out that the display is an LG model powered by a Parade DP675 LCD driver and that the battery is significantly larger compared to the battery inside the first generation Mini. Powering the second generation iPad Mini is a 24.3 Whr battery as opposed to the 16.3 Whr battery from last year. WiFi-only models also have a hole in the logic board where the cellular chip isn't.

Chips inside include the same Apple A7 APL0698 SoC that's in the iPhone 5S (inside that is Elpida F8164A1PD 1 GB LPDDR3 DRAM), as well as Apple's M7 motion co-processor, otherwise known as NXP LPC19A1 and 16 GB of NAND flash provided by Toshiba.

Hop on over to iFixit for the full details!

Follow Jane McEntegart @JaneMcEntegart. Follow us @tomshardware, on Facebook and on Google+.

Apple's Retina display iPad Mini is officially on sale. Whispers started late last night after the company's online Apple store went down for updates. Sure enough, when the store came back, it brought with it the brand new iPad Mini.

Announced last month alongside the iPad Air, Apple talked less about the iPad Mini than it did the new iPad Air, though the iPad Mini's upgrades are not insignificant. The second generation iPad Mini received the Retina display everyone missed with the introduction of the first generation iPad Mini as well as the iPhone 5S's A7 SoC.

Full specs include that all important 7.9-inch 2048 x 1536 (326 ppi) display, Apple's 64-bit A7 SoC, up to 128 GB of flash storage, a 5-megapixel iSight camera, a 1.2-megapixel FaceTime HD camera, WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, LTE (optional), and a 23.8-watt-hour battery. 

Available in 'Space Gray' and plain old silver, the iPad Mini starts at $399 for the 16 GB model and goes right up to $699 for the 128 GB model. It’s also available in 32 GB ($499) and 64 GB ($599) capacities. The 16 GB and 32 GB models are currently shipping in 1-3 business days while the 64 GB and 128 GB models are shipping out in 5 - 10 business days. The LTE models (priced at $529, $629, $729, and $829 for the 16 GB, 32 GB, 64 GB, and 128 GB models, respectively) are also shipping out in 5 - 10 days.

Follow Jane McEntegart @JaneMcEntegart. Follow us @tomshardware, on Facebook and on Google+.

Apple just launched two new iPads, but the rumor mill is already whispering about what the next update will bring. Word on the street is Apple partner Foxconn is testing a much bigger version of the iPad for next year. The current iPad is a 9-inch device, and Apple has a second, smaller iPad, the iPad Mini, rounding out the line. Could the company be adding an iPad XL to its portfolio next year?

AppleInsider cites Chinese tablet's new website, PadNews, in reporting that Apple is in the 'advanced stage of testing' a tablet that measures either 11.4- or 12.9-inches diagonally. The report mentions a March 2014 unveiling, which seems unlikely given that Apple's iPad refresh schedule follows a fall launch schedule. Then again, this would be a brand new device, so it's possible Apple could unveil it in the middle of the iPad's cycle.

This isn't the first time we've heard talk of a larger iPad, but Apple has offered no indication that it plans to add a third iPad to its line. Rumors of a larger iPad form factor first arrived earlier this year and then surfaced again in July with news that Apple was testing prototypes with 13-inch screens. What's unknown at this point is whether the larger device will sport the same resolution as the 9.7-inch model but will be stretched out across the physical space, or provide a higher ppi. Given that CEO Tim Cook said that 2014 would be a big year for Apple on the devices front, it wouldn't exactly be a shock to see a larger iPad next year.

The most recent iteration of the iPad was announced last month and is called the iPad Air. It's 20 percent thinner than the iPad 2 (7.5 mm vs. 8.6 mm), has a bezel that is 43 percent thinner, and is 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.

Apple also refreshed 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 boasts a 5-megapixel iSight camera, and 10 hours of battery.

Follow Jane McEntegart @JaneMcEntegart. Follow us @tomshardware, on Facebook and on Google+.

With this new generation of iPad, Apple has ushered in new branding for its full-size tablet. The 2013 iPad was announced last year along with the name iPad Air. This iPad features a thinner profile, a smaller bezel and the same aesthetic as the iPad mini. It's also significantly lighter, hence the new name. But what's going on underneath that shiny new exterior?

The iPad Air went on sale this morning and (of course) the iFixit team has already acquired one and taken it apart. Like many of Apple's products, the iPad Air is not easy to repair should you feel confident enough to attempt an in-home repair job. 

The iPad Air maintains the same 2/10 repairability score we saw with the last generation of Apple tablet, though iFixit seriously considered dropping it down to a measly 1/10. Ouch.

So what's new? The battery is a two-cell unit (compared to the old three-cell affair in the last iPad), and iFixit says there are copious amounts of glue holding that thing in place.

Once they did manage to break through the sticky mess, the teardown team found a slightly different A7 chip than the one that's in the iPhone 5S, the company's M7 motion controller, Elpida F8164A1MD 1 GB LPDDR3 SDRAM, 16 GB of Toshiba THGBX2G7B2JLA01 NAND flash, two Broadcom BCM5976C1KUB6G touch screen controllers, a Qualcomm M9616M LTE Processor with 1 Gb (128 MB) of DRAM, and a host of other ICs.

For the full gallery, you can click on through to iFixit's step-by-step teardown.

Follow Jane McEntegart @JaneMcEntegart. Follow us @tomshardware, on Facebook and on Google+.

Announced less than two weeks- ago, Apple's iPad Air is now on sale. Of course, you can pick it up at the Apple Store, but if you don't happen to live near one of Apple's retail stores, you can also pop into AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless and select Apple Authorized Resellers such as Best Buy, Staples and Walmart.

Perhaps the most interesting thing is that the discount Walmart announced last week ahead of the Air's launch is now being matched by other retailers, including Apple stores. Yep. 9to5Mac reports that Best Buy, Staples and Apple will price match Walmart's $479 price for the entry-level model of iPad Air if you go in person to purchase your new tablet. RadioShack has also said that it will offer the iPad Air starting tomorrow.

Apple's iPad Air, which was announced on October 22, is 20 percent thinner than the iPad 2 (7.5 mm vs. 8.6 mm). It has a bezel that is 43 percent thinner than its predecessor and is 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 (from Apple) for the WiFi-only version, while the LTE+WiFi version will start at $629. Apple is still selling the iPad 2 at $399.

Follow Jane McEntegart @JaneMcEntegart. Follow us @tomshardware, on Facebook and on Google+.

Amid rumors of Apple developing its own keyboard cover a la Microsoft Surface and Belkin releasing its own iPad Air keyboards, peripheral king Logitech has entered the fray with four premium keyboard covers.

The first is their $149 Fabricskin Keyboard Folio which protects both the front and rear of the iPad and has two different kickstand angles. The cover is also water-resistant and coated with fabric in red, black or yellow. The keyboard can run for up to three months and connects to the iPad via Bluetooth.

Logitech's second product, the Ultrathin Keyboard Folio, comes in four colors and a keyboard, but drops the water-resistance. The Ultrathin Keyboard aluminum retails for the same as the folio model at $99, but only protects the front side of the iPad. The last cover runs for about half that, but drops the keyboard.

The balance between sleek, elegant design and productivity will always be one of the biggest acts that portable electronics need to tackle, but these covers don't look too bad and give Apple a solid, third-party option that gives its product much of the same functionality as Microsoft's Surface line.

Follow us @tomshardware, on Facebook and on Google+.

Apple just announced the iPad Air earlier this week. In fact, it hasn't even been released yet. However, that hasn't stopped Walmart from discounting the newest iPad ahead of its launch. According to ZDNet, Walmart is offering the iPad Air for $20 less than the price Apple announced on Tuesday.

It's not a lot, but the difference between $499 and $479 might be enough to make some shoppers take their business to Walmart as opposed to the Apple Store. The Apple Store is also usually the first to sell out of new devices, given the number of people who will queue up outside to get their hands on new technology before anyone else.

Apple's iPad Air, which was announced on Tuesday, is 20 percent thinner than the iPad 2 (7.5 mm vs. 8.6 mm). It has a bezel that is 43 percent thinner. It is 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 (from Apple) for the WiFi-only version, while the LTE+WiFi version will start at $629. Apple is still selling the iPad 2 at $399.

Follow Jane McEntegart @JaneMcEntegart. Follow us @tomshardware, on Facebook and on Google+.

Price Drop! Apple iPad Mini (1st generation) for $299 with free shipping (was $329.99 | via Apple).

Dell PowerEdge T110 II 2.6GHz Intel Dual-core Server (Customizable) starting at $249 with free shipping (normally $615 - use coupon code DJTV0D9TJR$H4S | via Dell).

Logitech G700s Wireless Gaming Mouse for $69.99 with free shipping (normally $99.99).

3M SPR1000 Streaming Projector by Roku for $169.99 with free shipping (normally $199.99).

240GB PNY Prevail Ultimate Endurance 2.5" SATA III Internal SSD w/5-year warranty for $159.99 with free shipping (normally $229.99 - use $25 mail-in rebate form).

New release! HP ENVY 17t-j100 Leap Motion 4th-gen Core i7 Quad Edition 17.3" Laptop w/2-year warranty, Backlit Keyboard for $929.99 with $9.99 shipping (normally $1,049.99 - use coupon code NB1627 | optional upgrade to 4GB GeForce GT 750M | via HP).

Dell Optiplex 3010 Core i5 Desktop w/4GB RAM, 500GB HDD, 3-year warranty, Windows 7 Professional & 24" LED-backlit LCD Monitor for $670 with free shipping (normally $799).

God of War: Ascension (PS3) for $34.99 with free shipping (normally $39.99).

60” LG 60PN5300 1080p, 600Hz Plasma TV + $150 eGift card for $749.99 with free shipping (normally $$999.99).

Logitech UE 9000 Wireless Bluetooth Headphones for $199.99 with free shipping (normally $399.99 - use coupon code logi_ue9000_102313 ).

Thomasville Style@Work Vanarro Executive Chair for $149.99 with free shipping or free in-store pickup (normally $279.99 - use coupon code:36912747).

Family Fiesta (20oz Flank Steaks, 2 Carnitas, 12 Chicken Breasts, Cod, Spanish Rice, Green Beans for $79.99 with shipping (normally $197 | via Omaha Steak).

Coupons:

up to 40% off + extra 15% off Ralph Lauren Apparel & Shoes for with free shipping (normally expensive).

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:

Follow Jane McEntegart @JaneMcEntegart. Follow us @tomshardware, on Facebook and on Google+.

At the end of last week, word got out that Apple was planning an event for October 22. Though Apple didn't provide any comment on those reports when they first appeared online, the company today sent out invitations to an event in San Francisco.

This event is at Apple's usual Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater and will kick off at 10 a.m. Pacific. For those on the East Coast that will be watching the live blogs, that's 1 p.m.

Rumors for next week's event include new iPads and a good look at OS X Mavericks, which hit Gold Master earlier this month but has yet to receive a release date. Both the fifth iteration of the full-size iPad as well as a second-generation iPad mini are expected to be unveiled next Tuesday. The iPad mini was released last year but (rather surprisingly) did not come with Apple's retina display. Rumor has it that's going to change this year, as Apple will up the resolution of its 7.9-inch tablet from 1024x768. The iPad mini is also said to be getting an upgrade to the A7 chip (the current version runs on Apple's second gen A5 SoC). The new full-size iPad is rumored to feature Apple's newest A7 SoC and a lighter design.

Is that it, though? Apple's invitation carries the cryptic tagline, "We still have a lot to cover," so it's possible there's a couple of surprises, too. We'll find out in a week!

Follow Jane McEntegart @JaneMcEntegart. Follow us @tomshardware, on Facebook and on Google+.

Mobile games for are all well and good, but you likely didn't spend hundreds of dollars on an iPhone just so you could play the games. The truth is, as we spend more and more time away from our computers, developers come up with more apps that allow us to run our lives from devices like the iPad. Check out our round-up of 40 of the best iPad apps over on Tom's Guide.

Apple once promoted the iPad as a device that created an industry. As competitors scramble to make a dent in Apple's overwhelming dominance of the tablet industry, it's clear the gadget that Steve Jobs personally pushed still reigns supreme.One of the reasons behind the iPad's success is the variety of software available through the App Store. Even if you limit your budget to zero, you can still find great apps that exemplify the iPad's touch-driven functionality. Here are 40 free iPad apps we think you should try out.40 Free and Useful iPad Apps

^{Follow Tom's Guide on Twitter!}

The typical supply chain sources told DigiTimes that Apple's next-generation iPad will go into mass production in the July-August timeframe, with shipments to reach five million in 3Q13. Meanwhile, the second-generation iPad mini may not hit mass production until the September-November window to give the larger tablet more breathing room on the market.

According to the sources, the next-generation iPad 5 will adopt a thin-film-type touch panel solution to reduce its weight by 20 to 30 percent. And unlike the generations before it, Apple will go with a slim bezel design to increase the actual display area. Its industrial design will also be modified, sources said.

The total number of iPad shipments is expected to reach 8 million units in 3Q13, consisting of the iPad 5 and the previous generations still in production. This quarterly number is expected to rise in 4Q13 obviously due to the holiday season, and is one of the reasons why Apple has reportedly delayed the iPad mini 2: because the original unit seriously impacted that sales of its larger brother in 2012.

That said, Apple is supposedly focusing on its iPad 5 tablet in 2013 to prevent another cannibalism from an updated smaller unit during the early days on the market. Sources also believe that the iPad mini 2 will be delayed simply because component suppliers cannot meet Apple's mass-production schedule.

Due to this reported delay, analysts have reduced their prediction on total Apple tablet shipments in 2013. Previously they expected 80 to 100 million units in 2013, with the iPad mini accounting for 35 percent of the volume and the 9.7 inch iPad accounting for 65 percent. That number will likely be lower if Apple delays the production of its second-generation iPad mini, sources said.

Apple did not become one of the richest company in the world by selling their products for rock bottom prices, but even Apple draws the line at just under $1000 for the most expensive iPad model they ship (for those interested, it's a 4th generation iPad with WiFi & Cellular antennas and 128 GB of flash storage). However, for those of us who know Dubai and its iconic seven star Burj Al Arab hotel with private helicopter pad and personal beaches, it won't come as a surprise that each one of the 202 lap-of-luxury suites come with a 24 karat gold iPad that functions as a remote control for almost anything around. The price? ... $10,200 in the hotel gift shop.

It is to be expected that each iPad is engraved with the company's logo and slightly oxymoronic slogan: "Stay Different." The tablets are produced by the British company Gold & Co., which has its offices in London, England. For those interested in their other gold products, have a look at their website. The company also produces golden Blackberries and iPhones, which are priced similarly to the golden iPad. They are even kind enough to provide the phones SIM unlocked!

Apple launched the iPad mini in November 2012 to address a portion of the tablet market dominated by Google's Nexus 7 and Amazon's Kindle Fire HD. The latter two Android models typically sold for around $199 (starting price), packing a lot of power, productivity and pleasure into a tight 7-inch form factor. But Apple was determined to be bigger, offering a larger screen size (7.9-inches) and a larger starting price of $329.

Because of this, it should not be surprising that shipments of Apple's iPad mini are expected to decline 20-percent to 30-percent in 2Q13. Unnamed "upstream sources" in the iPad mini supply chain are the source of the current rumor, reporting that the drop in shipments is due to a sheer lack of demand for the iOS tablet.

According to the sources, customers may be holding off on sinking their $329 into the iPad mini in anticipation for the next-generation version. They also said that Apple recently adjusted its reserves for the current model, dropping them down to 10 to 12 million units in 2Q13 compared to the 15 million units in 1Q13.

Naturally this drop in reserves will affect everyone in the supply chain, including South Korea-based LG Display which is the main supplier of panels for the iPad and iPad mini. LG reportedly expects to see combined shipments for the two devices to reach a mere 3.5 million units in April 2013, down from 5 million units in March 2013. Even more, the combined shipments are expected to drop even more to 3 million units in May and June of this year.

Still, Apple remains hopeful for 2013 on a whole, sources said, in that it may actually ship 55 million units of the iPad mini tablet by the end of the year.

Fox Business adds that Apple shares dropped fell 5.61-percent to $402.35 after reports of the iPad mini shipment decline began to surface. The report also points out that Apple generated an 84-percent year-over-year surge in shipments of overall iPads in the second quarter of 2012, to 17 million.

Apple launched the iPad mini almost six months ago. The device is old news now, and the rumor mill is already talking about the next iteration of the 7-inch tablet. However, despite the name 'iPad mini' is well and truly imprinted on our brains, Apple has been dealt a bit of a blow regarding the name of its miniature tablet.

Patently Apple reports that Apple has been denied the iPad Mini trademark. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's reason for denying Apple the right to the iPad Mini name is simple enough: The USPTO believes the 'mini' in 'iPad mini' is more of a descriptor than anything else. In a letter mailed to Apple back in January, the USPTO said, "The term 'MINI' in the applied for mark is also descriptive of a feature of applicant's product. Specifically, the attached evidence shows this wording means 'something that is distinctively smaller than other members of its type or class.'"

Ultimately, the Patent and Trademark Office refused registration because the applied-for mark merely describes a feature or characteristic of the product in question. As Patently Apple points out, this isn't the only iPad trademark drama Apple has had. The company had to buy the rights to the iPad name from Fujitsu. Even then, it took a while for Apple to win the iPad trademark in China. No word on whether or not Apple plans to respond to the judgement. We'll keep you posted. In the meantime, you can read the full ruling on Patently Apple.

Contact Us for News Tips, Corrections and Feedback

The sometimes spotty DigiTimes reports that Apple is reducing its orders for the 9.7-inch iPad due to a cannibalization of the iPad Mini. The fruity company now expects to ship 33 million iPads in 2013 and a meatier 55 million iPad Mini 7.9-inch tablets in the same timeframe. Whoops.

According to the report, Apple originally predicted that the larger iPad would reach around 60 million units sold during 2013 while the iPad Mini would only see 40 million units sold. But given the smaller tablet's popularity (thanks to a smaller price tag, no doubt), Apple is now adjusting its 2013 orders. As noted, the iPad will see a decrease while orders for the smaller tablet will increase.

Unfortunately, the adjustments will likely affect the supply chains, sources claim. iPad panel suppliers including LG Display and backlighting unit (BLU) providers including Radiant Opto-Electronics will take a hit in both shipments and revenue. However LG is expected to make up for the loss by bumping up its overall tablet panel shipments in 2013.

Meanwhile, iPad Mini suppliers like AU Optronics and Coretronic – another BLU provider -- will see the opposite in 2013. Sources said that AU Optronics is already experiencing an increase in tablet shipments from less than one million to 1.7 million per month by simply entering Apple's supply chain. The added revenue for Coretronic will also allow the BLU supplier to increase its overall shipments in the tablet sector.

Apple introduced the iPad Mini back in October, a 7.9-inch tablet that's 23-percent thinner and 53-percent lighter than the third-generation iPad. Powered by Apple's new ARM-based A6X chip, it features the same number of pixels as the original iPad and iPad 2, 5MP iSight cameras, dual-band Wireless N connectivity, and more. Pricing ranges from $329 to $659 USD.

_{Contact Us for News Tips, Corrections and Feedback}           

An analyst has said that the iPad will face greater challenges for market share from both 7-inch tablets and new touch-screen ultrabooks.

After the launch of the iPad Mini in October, fourth-quarter sales of 10-inch iPad models decreased by 9 percent in the U.S. and by 26 percent in Japan year-over-year, Citi analyst Glen Yeung said.

Market share for 7-inch tablets increased to 41.2 percent in the fourth quarter from 12.6 percent in the second quarter of 2012. The same period saw the share for 10-inch tablets dropping to 40.6 percent from 67.3 percent.

"But beyond simply the overall share loss, the data reveals a particular slowdown in 10-inch iPad sales in mature markets and a clear downward trend in tablet ASPs (average selling prices)," Yeung said. "After analyzing the data, we have new concerns about the health of the 10-inch tablet market and, absent any material innovations (we do not count a Retina Mini or lighter/thinner iPad 5 among these), we remain concerned about Apple's ability to maintain market share."

Yeung believes increased innovation from tablets won't come to fruition this year, but he does see exactly that deriving from ultrabooks. Intel said that all ultrabooks based on their Haswell processor are required to have touch capabilities; such systems will cost as low as $599. Yeung said that these types of touch-based, ultra-thin notebooks with an adequate price tag could create competition for the iPad and other 10-inch tablets.

While Apple's iPad remained the market leader for tablet shipments in 2012's Q4, its share has been continuously decreasing due to the emergence of cheaper Android slates throughout 2012.

_{Contact Us for News Tips, Corrections and Feedback}

Smartphones make gaming on the go pretty easy, but there's something to be said for the screen real estate and hardware offered by today's tablets, and there are some stunning games being developed for tablets these days. The Tom's Guide team has put together a list of some of the best games for the iPad Be sure to check out '20 Great Games for Your iPad' to check you're not missing any!

We wrap up this month's series of game roundups with a look at some excellent games for the iPad. Featuring a large touchscreen capable of rendering jaw-dropping visuals (especially on the later Retina display iPads) as well as more computational power than can be crammed into the smaller iPod or iPhone, Apple's iPad makes for an interesting multimedia and gaming device. More powerful than a smartphone without being tied down like a games console, iPad games can deliver gorgeous graphics as well as unique touch interface trickery, making for unique possibilities as a gaming device.25 Great Games for Your iPad

_{Follow Tom’s Guide on Twitter!}

Apple has launched its recently announced 128 GB iPad 4 variant, with the WiFi model available for $799.

The WiFi model is available to ship within one to three business days. The cellular variant, priced at $929, is also shipping within one to three days for AT&T's network.

The Sprint and Verizon versions, though, require consumers to wait three to five business days. The 128 GB fourth generation iPad 4 houses the same features offered by the 16 GB, 32 GB and 64 GB models – features such as a 9.7-inch Retina display and an A6X processor.

An analyst recently stressed that consumers are considerably overpaying for the 128 GB model of the iPad 4, with customers paying $100 more, while it costs Apple only an extra $35.20.

_{Contact Us for News Tips, Corrections and Feedback}

Although the iPad remains the worldwide tablet market leader, its share decreased for the second consecutive quarter due to Android's continued dominance through a number of tablets and manufacturers.

Apple shipped 22.9 million iPad units worldwide during the fourth quarter of 2012, which was predominately spearheaded by the iPad Mini and the iPad 4. According to IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Tablet Tracker, the shipments figure represents a 48.1 percent increase in shipments when compared to Q4 2011.

However, Apple's share of the global tablet market decreased once again during Q4 2012. It settled for a share of 43.6 percent, a decrease from 46.4 percent in the third quarter and 51.7 percent in 2011.

Following the iPhone maker, its chief competitor Samsung shipped nearly 8 million Android and Windows 8 tablets combined. From 7.3 percent, the firm's tablet market share increased to 15.1 percent, a 263 percent jump.

Amazon shipped more than 6 million Kindle tablets last quarter, an increase of 26.8 percent from the same quarter in 2011. Its market share, however, decreased to 11.5 percent from 15.9 percent. The online retailer's Kindle Fire accounts for 37 percent of the U.S. Android tablet market.

Asus settled for fourth place due to the strong demand for Google's Nexus 7 tablet. Following the PC manufacturer is Barnes & Noble, which shipped almost a million Nook tablets, although both its shipments and market share dropped. Microsoft, meanwhile, failed to make it to the top five after shipping just under 900,000 Surface RT tablets.

"Reaction to the company's Surface with Windows RT tablet was muted at best," said IDC program manager Ryan Reith. "We believe that Microsoft and its partners need to quickly adjust to the market realities of smaller screens and lower prices. In the long run, consumers may grow to believe that high-end computing tablets with desktop operating systems are worth a higher premium than other tablets, but until then ASPs (average selling prices) on Windows 8 and Windows RT devices need to come down to drive higher volumes."

Fourth-quarter tablet shipments reached 52.5 million, a 74.3 percent increase from the third quarter and a 75.3 percent jump when compared to 2011's fourth quarter. IDC said lower selling prices, a variety of new tablets and record holiday spending contributed to the increases in sales. During 2013, tablet shipments are expected to exceed 240 million.

_{Contact Us for News Tips, Corrections and Feedback}

An analyst has said that consumers are paying considerably more than what it costs Apple for the added 64 GB of memory on 128 GB iPad 4 over the 64 GB model.

The new models are priced at $799 for the 128 GB WiFi only model, while the version with 4G LTE connectivity will cost consumers $929. For both the WiFi only model and the 4G LTE enabled model the added price for doubling the storage capacity is $100 for each step.

Apple is spending around $35.20 more for the additional 64GB of flash memory on the 128 GB model. "Apple's cost per GB in NAND flash is currently around $0.55/GB. Last year it was closer to $0.90/GB," said Andrew Rassweiler of IHS. "So it's clear that pricing has eroded to the point that Apple can afford to offer 2X memory configurations while maintaining the kind of incremental profit margins they were making on the memory upgrades a year ago."

Apple, which has been criticized for its premium prices (Defended using the iPad Mini's price point, which is priced at $329 but costs Apple $188 to build), recently lost its place as the world's most valuable company.

_{Contact Us for News Tips, Corrections and Feedback}

Apple has confirmed the recently rumored 128 GB model of the fourth-generation iPad with prices starting at $799.

The 128 gigabyte WiFi iPad will cost $799, while a cellular version will retail for $929. Both variants of the fourth-generation iPad are scheduled for a launch on February 5 in black and white. It'll be available through Apple's online store, its retail stores and selected resellers.

The 128 GB iPad sports all of the same features offered by the 16, 32 and 64 GB models including a 9.7-inch Retina display, a FaceTime HD camera and an A6X processor.

"With more than 120 million iPads sold, it’s clear that customers around the world love their iPads, and everyday they are finding more great reasons to work, learn and play on their iPads rather than their old PCs," said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing.

"With twice the storage capacity and an unparalleled selection of over 300,000 native iPad apps, enterprises, educators and artists have even more reasons to use iPad for all their business and personal needs."

Contact Us for News Tips, Corrections and Feedback

Though it may have recently lost its place as the world's most valuable company, it's business as usual for Apple as the firm is reportedly preparing to launch the iPad 5 in October.

iLounge claims that the fifth generation iPad will be announced in October, with the site stating that it "had the opportunity to inspect a supposedly accurate — and seriously intriguing — physical model of the completely redesigned fifth-generation iPad."

The site added that the design of the unannounced but inevitable tablet bears a striking resemblance to the iPad Mini. The iPad 5 will apparently include "virtually no left or right bezels."

The device will also purportedly sport "the same chamfered edges and curves" as the iPad mini, but it'll be stretched. That'll be joined by Sharp’s IGZO display technology and smaller chip components.

Apple is rumored to be working on the iPad Mini successor with a Retina display, while another report suggests that the iPad 5 will arrive in March of 2013 instead of October.

Contact Us for News Tips, Corrections and Feedback

Barely anyone was surprised when Apple announced the iPad Mini at the end of October. However, many were surprised when Apple announced that it was also updating the regular iPad line with the addition of the brand new iPad 4. The iPad 3 had only been released six months previously. As you can imagine, some consumers who had purchased the iPad 3 were none too pleased to realize their tablet was already out of date. Now it seems those that bought the iPad 4 when it was released last month might soon feel the same way.

Rumor has it Apple is currently working on the newest iPad and it could be released in the first quarter of next year. Japanese news blog Macotakara cites Chinese website ZOL in reporting that the iPad 5 will have a thinner, lighter design as well as a small form factor. Apparently, the new design will be similar to that of the iPad mini and could shave 4mm off the height of the iPad as well as 17mm from the width and 2mm from the depth. There's also talk of a second gen iPad mini complete with Retina display.

Macotakara cites its own source that says the fifth generation iPad will go on sale in March 2013. If this proved to be true, the current generation iPad, the iPad 4, will spend just four months with the label of 'latest iPad' before being pushed out of the spotlight by a newer model.

_{Contact Us for News Tips, Corrections and Feedback}           

Apple's iPad mini hasn't been on the market that long. However, the rumor mill is already kicking into gear and churning out reports regarding the next iteration of the 7-inch tablet. According to a recent Digitimes report, Apple is already hard at work on the new iPad mini. The publication cites Taiwan-based backlighting industry sources that say Apple's focus with the iPad mini is improving the display. 

These sources didn't specifically say that the iPad mini would have a Retina display, however, Digitimes quotes market observers that say a  Retina display iPad mini is likely based on Apple's product development history. Apple's first Retina display product was the iPhone 4, which boasted 326ppi. Then came the iPhone 4S, the fourth gen iPod touch, the iPhone 5 and fifth gen iPod touch, and Apple's third and fourth generation iPad. The company now also has a Retina display MacBook Pro.

A Retina display iPad mini wouldn't come as a surprise to anyone, and Apple has been known to omit certain 'no-brainer' features only to include them in the following year's model. Apple's Retina display products do not all share the same ppi. While the original Retina display product boats 326ppi, the other products have lower pixel-per-inch figures. The iPad packs 264ppi, while the 15-inch MacBook Pro boasts 220ppi and the 13-inch has 227ppi. Digitimes reports that f the 7.9-inch iPad mini were to get the Retina display treatment, it would have a 2058-by-1536 resolution with a 326ppi.

_{Contact Us for News Tips, Corrections and Feedback}