Dearest Apple fans, this is the latest game-changer in Apple‘s already formidable tablet line, the iPad Air 2. Claimed to be world’s thinnest tablet, it measures at 6.1mm thick, powered by a second generation 64-bit A8X processor. The Cupertino folks made a point that two iPad Air 2 units stacked on top of each other are still thinner than one original iPad.
With a 10-hour battery life, the device boasts a 9.7 inch display with zero air gaps between the LCD, touch sensor and glass. It supports up to 2048 X 1536 resolution translating into 264PPI.
Anti-reflective coating reduces glare by 56% and this is also the first appearance of Touch ID on an Apple tablet. With standard security options via the fingerprint sensor, Touch ID also supports Apple Pay which allows in-app purchases and payment in stores. The new iPad also adds support for 802.11ac, a relatively new format that is much faster than its predecessors. iOS 8.1 powers the ultra slim tablet with a few additional minor details. Surprisingly, this model omits the mute button which has been standard on past iPad models.
For optics, the Apple iPad Air 2 has a new 8MP f/2.4 iSight camera that supports 1080p and slow motion video recording, panoramas, burst mode and time lapse mode. The front FacewTime camera has been updated with a f/2.2 sensor.
Apple offers three colours – Silver, Gray and Gold and available for pre-order starting on 17 October 2014. Two models are available for now – the Wi-Fi only and Wi-Fi + Cellular. Pricing is USD499 for 16GB Wi-Fi, USD599 for 64GB Wi-Fi and USD699 for 128GB Wi-Fi model variants. Whereas for WI-Fi + Cellular models, the pricing listed is at USD629, USD729 and USD829 respectively.
Besides this, Apple announced the iPad mini 3, a smaller sibling of the iPad Air 2. Specs and size wise, it’s not much different from the older iPad mini 2 with the exception of Touch ID and the gold colour option. Surprisingly, Apple didn’t even bother to upgrade its underpinnings like the iPhone 6, disappointingly, still running a A7 chipset with M7 co-processor. It comes with a 5MP iSight camera only, a huge difference compared to iPad Air 2. Like its bigger brother, there are two variants – Wi-Fi only and Wi-Fi + Cellular.
Pricing is set at USD399 for 16GB, USD499 for 64GB and USD599 for 128 GB for Wi-Fi only, whereas Wi-Fi + Cellular commands at USD529, USD629 and USD729 respectively.
Apple has not announced any plans for the international market but it is expected to come soon.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCqJGoCMlVc
