There were several products announced during the event
including the new iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini 3, the iMac with Retina 5K display
and the revamped Mac Mini.
RELATED STORY: Apple Upgrades the iMac with a Retina 5K Display
First up is the new iPad Air 2. The device is surprisingly
thinner than last year’s model at 6.1mm and is said to be 18% thinner than the
first generation iPad, making it the world’s thinnest tablet.
The display of the new iPad Air 2 has removed the air gap
between the components of the display and added an anti-glare coating. It is powered
by a new chipset – the A8X which is specifically designed for the iPad Air 2.
The A8X chip has a 64-bit architecture and 3 billion transistors that allow the
tablet to deliver console-level graphics to consumers. There’s also a new M8
co-processor for all your activity-related apps.
Just like the new iPhones, the iPad Air 2 comes with an
improved iSight camera. The camera has an 8MP sensor, with 1.12micon pixels and
an f/2.4 aperture. It is also capable of capturing Full HD content, large
panorama photos up to 40MP, high-speed & time-lapse photos, and slow motion
videos.
Other notable improvements include better LTE connectivity,
a better Facetime camera that features burst selfies, faster Wi-Fi and Touch ID
that works with various apps and of course the company’s Apple Pay.
Those looking for the same performance at a smaller package
will also be served with the new iPad Mini 3. The new mini tablet will pack the
same specs as the iPad Air 2 but on a smaller form factor with a 7.9-inch
display.
The tablets will be available on pre-order starting tomorrow
with shipping to start before mid-November. The iPad Air 2 will retail starting
at $499 for the 16GB ($629 for the 16GB Wi-Fi + Cellular model), while the iPad
Mini 3 will start at $399 for the 16GB Wi-Fi only model.
