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iPad Air 2 Launched as 'Thinnest Tablet'; iPad mini 3 Unveiled

iPad Air 2 Launched as 'Thinnest Tablet'; iPad mini 3 Unveiled

By NDTV Correspondent | Updated: 17 October 2014 19:46 IST

Apple on Thursday introduced iPad Air 2 which is just 6.1 mm thin, while also unveiling the iPad mini 3. The price in India for the new tablets has been announced, but there's no word on their exact availability date, though a launch within this month this likely. The iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3 will be available in select countries next week.

Available in silver, space grey, and a new gold colour variant, the new iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3 offer Touch ID so users can unlock their iPad with their fingerprint. iPad Air 2, which weighs just 437 grams, is powered by the new Apple-designed A8X chip, which delivers a 40 percent improvement in CPU performance and 2.5 times the graphics performance of iPad Air, and still delivers the up to 10-hour battery life.

iPad Air 2 also comes with an improved 8-megapixel camera. iPad Air 2 delivers faster connectivity with 802.11ac Wi-Fi with Multiple-In-Multiple-Out (MIMO) technology.

(Also see: iPad Air 2 vs. iPad Air)

"iPad is a magical piece of glass that runs more than 675,000 apps specifically designed for it, and is thin and light enough that you can comfortably hold it all day; the new iPad Air 2 is packed with amazing new innovations, weighs less than a pound, and at just 6.1 mm is the thinnest tablet in the world," said Philip Schiller, Apple's Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing.

The only significant change in the iPad mini 3 compared to its predecessor is the addition of Touch ID fingerprint scanner.

(Also see: iPad mini 3 vs. iPad mini 2 aka iPad mini with Retina display)

iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3 come with iOS 8.1 including Continuity features across iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite that enable Apple products to work together seamlessly. Handoff lets you start an activity on one device and pass it to another, and when your iPhone is on the same Wi-Fi network, you can make and receive phone calls right from your iPad.

As with the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, Apple has done away with the 32GB storage capacity, while reducing the price of the 64GB variant and adding a 128GB model at the top end.

iPad Air 2 with Wi-Fi models will be available at Rs. 35,900 for the 16GB model, Rs. 42,900 for the 64GB model and Rs. 49,900 for the 128GB model. iPad Air 2 with Wi-Fi + Cellular models will be available at Rs. 45,900 for the 16GB model, Rs. 52,900 for the 64GB model and Rs. 59,900 for the 128GB model.

iPad mini 3 with Wi-Fi models will be available at Rs. 28,900 for the 16GB model, Rs. 35,900 for the 64GB model and Rs. 42,900 for the 128GB model. iPad mini 3 with Wi-Fi + Cellular models will be available at Rs. 38,900 for the 16GB model, Rs. 45,900 for the 64GB model and Rs. 52,900 for the 128GB model.

iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3 will be up for pre-orders in 29 countries and territories beginning Friday, October 17. Both iPad models will be available starting later next week in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, China (Wi-Fi models only), Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macau (Wi-Fi models only), Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK and the US.

Availability in Croatia, Greece, Puerto Rico, Russia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and "elsewhere around the world", will continue through the end of October with additional global availability in the coming months, Apple said.

While Apple has not officially announced the availability details in India yet, the fact that the price has already been announced hints that India will be one of the markets 'elsewhere around the world' to get it within this month.

Apple has also slashed the prices of some older iPad models. The iPad mini with Retina display, also called the iPad mini 2, will now start at Rs. 21,900, while the original iPad mini will now start at Rs. 17,900. The iPad Air will start at Rs. 28,900. All prices are for the 16GB Wi-Fi only model.

Apple iPad Air 2 Wi-Fi

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Brilliant new design
Great for gaming
Best camera on a tablet
Continuity on iOS

Bad
No multi-window
No split-screen
Maximum volume causes reverberation

Read detailed Apple iPad Air 2 Wi-Fi review

Display 9.70-inch

Processor Apple A8X

Front Camera 1.2-megapixel

Resolution 1536x2048 pixels

RAM 2GB

OS iOS 8.1

Storage 16GB

Rear Camera 8-megapixel

More Apple Tablets

Apple iPad Air 2 Wi-Fi + Cellular

KEY SPECS
NEWS

Display 9.70-inch

Processor Apple A8X

Front Camera 1.2-megapixel

Resolution 1536x2048 pixels

OS iOS 8.1

Storage 16GB

Rear Camera 8-megapixel

More Apple Tablets

Apple iPad mini 3 Wi-Fi

KEY SPECS
NEWS

Display 7.90-inch

Processor Apple A7

Front Camera 1.2-megapixel

Resolution 2048x1536 pixels

OS iOS 8.1

Storage 16GB

Rear Camera 5-megapixel

More Apple Tablets

Apple iPad mini 3 Wi-Fi + Cellular

KEY SPECS
NEWS

Display 7.90-inch

Processor Apple A7

Front Camera 1.2-megapixel

Resolution 1536x2048 pixels

OS iOS 8.1

Storage 16GB

Rear Camera 5-megapixel

More Apple Tablets

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Further reading: iPad mini 3, iPad Air 2 specifications, iPad Air 2 price in India, iPad Air 2 price, iPad mini 3 price, iPad mini 3 price in India, iPad mini 3 specifications, Tablets, iPad, iPad Air 2, Apple