Apple today announced iPad Air, the latest generation of its category defining device, featuring a stunning 9.7-inch Retina® display in a new thinner and lighter design. Precision-engineered to weigh just one pound, iPad Air is 20 percent thinner and 28 percent lighter than the fourth generation iPad, and with a narrower bezel the borders of iPad Air are dramatically thinner—making content even more immersive. Apple today also announced iPad mini with Retina display, bringing all the pixels from the 9.7-inch iPad to its 7.9-inch screen, delivering razor sharp text and detail in the same amazingly thin and light design. The new iPads feature the powerful and power-efficient Apple-designed A7 chip with 64-bit desktop-class architecture, ultrafast wireless with faster built-in Wi-Fi and expanded LTE cellular connectivity, and the newly-designed iOS 7 featuring hundreds of great new features.
“iPad created an entirely new mobile computing experience, and the new iPad Air is another big leap ahead. It is so thin, light and powerful, once you hold one in your hand you will understand what a tremendous advancement this is,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing in a statement. “iPad Air with its 9.7-inch Retina display weighs just one pound and packs the incredible performance of iOS 7 running on a 64-bit desktop-class Apple A7 chip, and delivers all-day battery life in the lightest full-sized tablet in the world.”
Precision-engineered to weigh just one pound, iPad Air is 20 percent thinner and 28 percent lighter than the fourth generation iPad, and with a 43 percent narrower bezel the borders of iPad Air are dramatically thinner. iPad Air’s Retina display makes web pages, text, images and video look incredibly sharp and realistic, and the new power-efficient A7 chip allows the battery to be even smaller, helping reduce the overall volume by 24 percent from the previous generation while doubling its performance and maintaining its up to 10-hour battery life.1
The new iPad mini with Retina display packs all the 3.1 million pixels (2048-by-1536 resolution) of iPad Air into its 7.9-inch Multi-Touch™ display, for a pixel density of 326 pixels per inch. The 7.9-inch Retina display of iPad mini is 35 percent larger than screens on 7-inch tablets, and is the only small tablet to deliver the full iPad experience, now with razor sharp Retina quality. Images are crisp, text is crystal clear, movies play at full 1080p HD-resolution and the 475,000 apps designed specifically for iPad work automatically.
The A7 chip in iPad Air and iPad mini with Retina display offers 64-bit desktop-class architecture, advanced graphics and improved image signal processing from previous generations. With up to twice the CPU and graphics performance on iPad Air, and up to four times the CPU and eight times the graphics performance on iPad mini with Retina display, almost everything you do is faster and better than ever, from launching apps and editing photos to playing graphic-intensive games—all while delivering all-day battery life. The A7 chip’s 64-bit architecture and support for OpenGL ES version 3.0 unlocks game console-like visual effects. The new iPads also feature the M7 motion coprocessor that gathers data from the accelerometer, gyroscope and compass to offload work from the A7 for improved power efficiency.
Both new iPads feature two antennas to support Multiple-In-Multiple-Out (MIMO) technology, bringing twice the Wi-Fi performance to iPad Air and iPad mini with Retina display at a blazingly fast data rate up to 300 Mbps.2 Cellular models also come with expanded LTE coverage to accommodate even more LTE networks worldwide, while continuing to deliver comprehensive support for other fast cellular technology around the world (DC-HSDPA, HSPA+), all in a single model.3
iPad Air and iPad mini with Retina display now have a next generation FaceTime HD camera with improved backside illumination sensors featuring larger pixels for better low-light performance. The iSight® camera with 5MP sensor and advanced optics, combined with iOS 7 and the image signal processing of A7, further improves still image and video capture on iPad bringing faster auto-focus, up to three times video zoom, five times still zoom, better dynamic range and automatic image and video stabilization.
The new iPads come with iOS 7, featuring a stunning new user interface, completely redesigned with an elegant color palette, distinct, functional layers and subtle motion that make it feel more alive. iOS 7 has hundreds of great new features, including Control Center, Notification Center, improved Multitasking, AirDrop®, enhanced Photos, Safari, Siri and introduces iTunes Radio, a free Internet radio service based on the music you listen to on iTunes.4
iPad customers have access to the revolutionary App Store, which now offers more than one million apps to iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users in 155 countries around the world, and more than 475,000 apps are designed specifically for iPad. More than 60 billion apps have been downloaded from the App Store, which offers customers an incredible range of apps in 24 categories, including newspapers and magazines in Newsstand, games and entertainment, kids, education, business, news, sports, health and fitness and travel.
The iLife suite of creative apps, including iPhoto, iMovie and GarageBand, and the iWork suite of productivity apps, including Pages, Numbers and Keynote are essential to the Apple experience and are now free with every new iOS device running iOS 7, and are also available as free updates for existing users, so more iPad users now have access to these great apps. All apps have been redesigned to match the look and feel of iOS 7, have been optimized to support 64-bit technology and include hundreds of new features.
Pricing & Availability
iPad Air with Wi-Fi models will be available in silver or space gray starting on Friday, November 1, for a suggested retail price of $499 (US) for the 16GB model, $599 (US) for the 32GB model, $699 (US) for the 64GB model and $799 (US) for the 128GB model. iPad Air with Wi-Fi + Cellular will be available starting on Friday, November 1 for a suggested retail price of $629 (US) for the 16GB model, $729 (US) for the 32GB model, $829 (US) for the 64GB model and $929 (US) for the 128GB model. iPad 2 is available at $399 (US) for the 16GB Wi-Fi model and $529 (US) for the 16GB Wi-Fi + 3G model for either AT&T or Verizon.
iPad mini with Retina display will be available later in November in silver or space gray. iPad mini with Retina display Wi-Fi models will be available for a suggested retail price of $399 (US) for the 16GB model, $499 (US) for the 32GB model, $599 (US) for the 64GB model and $699 (US) for the 128GB model. iPad mini with Retina display Wi-Fi + Cellular models will be available for a suggested retail price of $529 (US) for the 16GB model, $629 (US) for the 32GB model, $729 (US) for the 64GB model and $829 (US) for the 128GB model. Additionally, the original iPad mini is now offered at a more affordable price of $299 (US) for the 16GB Wi-Fi model and $429 (US) for the 16GB Wi-Fi + Cellular model for either AT&T, Sprint or Verizon.
New custom-designed polyurethane Smart Covers for iPad Air and iPad mini with Retina display will be available for $39 (US) in a range of vibrant colors, including blue, green, pink, yellow, black and (RED). iPad Air Smart Cases and iPad mini Smart Cases are completely redesigned in a beautiful aniline-dyed leather available in six rich colors, including yellow, beige, blue, brown, black and (RED) for a suggested retail price of $79 (US) for iPad Air and $69 (US) for iPad mini. Smart Covers and Smart Cases are available through the Apple Online Store (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and select Authorized Apple Resellers.
iPad Air and iPad mini with Retina display will be sold through the Apple Online Store, Apple’s retail stores and through AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless and select Apple Authorized Resellers. Starting on November 1, iPad Air will be available in the US, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, China (Wi-Fi models only), Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macao (Wi-Fi models only), Macedonia, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Romania, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK. At Apple retail stores in these countries, iPad Air will be available beginning at 8 a.m. local time on Friday, November 1.
1 Battery life depends on device settings, usage and other factors. Actual results vary.
2 Based on theoretical speeds, actual speeds may vary.
3 LTE is available through select carriers. Network speeds are dependent on carrier networks. Check with your carrier for details.
4 iTunes Radio is available with iOS 7 in the US.
Source: Apple Inc.
More info about Apple’s all-new iPad Air here.
More info about Apple’s all-new iPad mini with Retina display here.
No Touch ID?
I agree–very disappointed with no fingerprint sensor or availability in gold color–this company continues to disappoint–FYI currently hold a large position of stock I just feel that Apple is too slow with change lately 🙁
Also instead of the insanely large buyback–spend a portion of that money on innovation and quicker new features to cyclical products, color and Touch ID should not have been that difficult to incorporate.
Maybe the Touch ID is the part that is in short supply for the iPhone 5s?
Throw in 2 new iPads with that and you then have a potential huge shortage across 3 products.
Just a thought.
Naturally, that’s the problem. Even though Apple might have enough enough touch sensors to supply a few million iPads, that’s not going to cut it. That’s the problem with critics, they don’t understand manufacturing or yield rates on components. If a product is a hot seller, demand can rise overnight. Getting proper yields takes far longer. Apple wouldn’t risk starting and stopping an entire lineup because of a possibility of a component being unavailable. In any case, the iPhone comes first and foremost. Apple absolutely must be able have enough touch sensors for the iPhone no matter what the yield rate is.
It’s unlikely that the buybacks have negatively impacted innovation or development times. Some things simply cannot be done faster for more money. The decision not to include TouchID, which is kind of a bummer, was, similarly, certainly not based on any lack of funds at Apple HQ, or more pertinently, abroad.
One must think there is some demand for gold iPads that Apple leadership either didn’t anticipate or that would negatively affect margins. It seems they were caught a little by the shorthairs by the demand for Gold iPhones. If they are going to offer iPad Air in gold, I imagine the time required to set up the manufacturing capacity for this type of anodization is not measured in weeks – at least not when dealing with the quantities Apple does.
The iPhone is your personal device which is always with you. The iPad is often shared and often at home thus doesn’t have as compelling a case for including TouchID. Better to wait until it’s cheaper and completely free of any problems.
No Touch ID is ok with me and here is why? In my house the iPad is shared by the whole family. Touch ID would just make it more difficult to share. We each have our own iPhones so Touch ID makes more sense on the phone for us.
Correction:
No Touch ID is ok with me and here is why. In our house the iPad is shared by the whole family. Touch ID would just make it more difficult to share. We each have our own iPhones so Touch ID makes more sense on the iPhone for us.
Soon, Touch ID could be used to offer certain features to certain users.
No chance dude would cut into profit margins.
Apple just moved its entire mobile line to 64 bit OS, cpu, gnu, M7 and 64-bit native apps, along with full line of hi-res screens.
Nothing else comes close.
In case you missed it folks: the new iPad mini, with no TouchID, no 8MP camera, no gold color option is still $70 more!
Keep deleting my comments, MDN fascists! But you cannot deny the truth.
I can do without Touch ID on an iPad, but after all the buzz about how great the updated camera is in the iPhone 5s, I was shocked it didn’t make it into either version of the iPad.
Does the iPad have a flash?
I didn’t really expect the fingerprint sensor, which works very well on my 5S, to be included in this generation of the iPad or iPad mini. It sure would have been nice as I see that as a real game changer going forward. A huge revenue stream for Apple and the credit card companies. And of course all of the retail establishments that would use these transactions. But I guess they just couldn’t get enough sensors ready in time? Production issues seem to always be there. Or perhaps they had no intention of including the sensor? That way it can be a big deal next time. But I doubt it. I think Apple understands the value of installing the sensor in the iPhone and the iPads. I too am surprised that the camera wasn’t improved. Apparently a lot of people do use their iPad cameras. I don’t I generally use my iPhone. Or a real camera. I have had the iPad one, two and three. All have worked perfectly. I love my iPad. I currently have the iPad 3 and I see a new iPad in my future. Like immediately. There wasn’t anything at today’s presentation that wasn’t expected. For the most part. Looks like an upgraded Apple TV is a ways off yet. As for the iTV? I guess next year? And I still believe it is coming. We could still be happily surprised when the Apple TV does arrive. Apps. Apps for the Apple TV could be big. It will need to be in place before the iTV happens. I guess the only sure thing to move the stock going forward will be China Mobile. That should be a nice bump up. I expect a good earnings call next week. But as always, product release events and Apple earnings are very dangerous. Be very careful. Having said that, I’m holding AAPL options and expect to hold them through earnings. Do as I say not as I do. Besides, sometimes you just have to say what the fuck!
Truth is down the hall in Philosophy.
We like facts.
ALSO, it has a more expensive (thin) “brand new” display, and yes it also has a new 64-bit CPU.
Stuff is not free. (maybe it is in your fantasy land…)
OH! And you can’t have one. 😎
$70 more for a retina display? I’d take that deal any day of the week.
-jcr
Sigh… another excellent case for requiring registration prior to posting.
In many cases, an I.Q. test would suffice to shoo them away
If they were pricing by the pixel it’d be $1199.
absolutely ass kickin’.
So glad I waited now. Been after my first iPad since September. 64GB with Wireless and Mobile (I take it that means 4G, not read the spec yet) will suit me very nicely 🙂
Of course now the hard part, getting hold of one…
The PC will be dead in 5 years. 64 bit performance iPad will kill the PC.
Bye bye crappy windows
Sadly, I’ve way exceeded my allotted number of iOS devices in iTunes…
The WiFi is not 802.11ac. It is the older 802.11a/b/g/n. This is curios because the laptops and the new Airport are 802.11ac. Guess I will wait for the next one!
I don’t get $70 more then what?
The NEW retina display iPad mini is priced $70 more than the original iPad minis. The original iPad mini was $329 for 16Gb. the retina display 16Gb iPad mini is $399.
Seriously?
64 bit, less weight, more functionality doesn’t do it for you?!
Guess what, you don’t have to buy it. BTW, I’ve got a Yugo to sell you. I’m sure it will get you from point A to B just the same.
Retina mini actually weighs more than the perilous version. It is also thicker. Not by much in either measurement but those are the facts. Now if only the original mini was discounted to $249 or even better $199 it would stop android tablets from selling at all.
*Previous not perilous.
Actually the retina mini is 7.5% heavier than the old mini. Every generation iPad has a faster chip and improved features over previous and at the same price point as previous. When retina came to iPads it didn’t come with a cost increase.
This sucks, specially in Canada where base retina mini will be $419 + CAD tax = almost $500 ! Too much for a mini and I’m disappointed because I was holding out for one.
Weighs more. And don’t be so fucking persnickety. Everyone has an opinion. He expressed his. You expressed yours ( even if it was incorrect). Stop acting like a fucking fanboy. Idiot.
Retina display costs more… A7, M7
I’m completely underwhelmed.
64 Bit iPad Air
The beginning of the end of the average home desktop computer.
more shill trolls today than Saturday.
I sold both 32Gb iPad minis over the weekend ($300 each). Looking to replace them with 32Gb iPad AIRs. I was a little disappointed that once again (like the iPhone 5s) there is no pre-order option. Not sure I want to make the trek up to the nearest Apple Store to wait in line for new iPads on release day, or just get up at 3am, order them, and go back to bed!
The new mini is more. I have the existing mini and can’t wait to get the new one.
The original mini is SLOW. It also has very little RAM.
The new one is 4x faster. Don’t know about the RAM yet, but hopefully there is more. Retina screen, even better.
Its worth $70.00 more.
Dropping the price on the original was also a good move.
The bitchers and moaners are in full swings. Never satisfied, just go back to Microslut and Sandroid already, losers.
I love it and I will get both iPads with 128 GB storage. One to watch videos, the other to surf the web or write emails in the same time. My wife then says, that I am not really watching. That might be true, but I have seen Al Bundy a lot of times, so the sound does it. With 2 times 128 GB I can carry a lot of my favorite TV series with me. I already love it. Can’t wait.
I was going to get the new mini. My biggest turn-off with the full size iPad was the weight. I now, will definitely be getting the iPad Air. Amazing they were able to squeeze so much into a one pound package. Can’t wait to toss the Kindle I got for free when I signed up for cable. Very impressive tablet. Plus with all the free software, it’s a bargain.
A7 64 bit processor in ipad air and ipad mini retina is HUGE.
NOW, MSFT is screwed with the free upgrades and new programs provided by Apple in the new 64 bit world
I imagine that 326 ppi iPad Mini screen looks incredible. Didn’t think I’d bite — but can’t resist!
Apple’s 64-bit A7 caught the rest of the mobile tech industry with their pants down. If the tech industry jackasses are still claiming Apple is far behind in hardware then I’m sure they won’t admit to anything pro-Apple.
I can understand the critics being angry at Apple for charging more for the new iPad Mini but I certainly don’t have a problem with it. However, I know all Wall Street is concerned with is someone selling $200 tablets that have everything and more people will buy them. I’m sure the analysts are already saying that Apple has priced itself out of the tablet market. They’re probably saying why buy one expensive iPad Mini Retina when you can buy two Kindle Fire HDXs that are just as good. That’s just the way it always goes for Apple.
The upgrade to the iPad mini is massive though. They’ve taken it from having feature parity with the low-end iPad 2 to really being a smaller version of the current high-end iPad. It’s jumped two generations at once.
As for Wall St. they’ve proven time and again that money is the only thing they understand. They don’t grasp the concept of quality and certainly have no idea about customer satisfaction. They’ll moan and bitch, then when the record sales come in claim they predicted it all along.
Awesome news….Now I can pre-order my brand new iPad Air Pro with 11inch display, A7x chip, 256GB storage running OSXi and just maybe include Touch ID…. Happy… Very happy! 😉
Coming this Spring……!!!
You folks are missing the bigger picture here. Apple are aligning the iPad mini/Air more into the consumer rank and file. The name change alone was the key today. It opens up the higher end for a ‘Pro’ model soon. The iPad Pro will have those features you’re all lusting after; TouchID, camera, and perhaps even a A7x chip with even more power. Perhaps it’ll even be a tad larger and be able to replace laptops for corporate folks who don’t want to drag a keyboard around everywhere they go; powerful enough to replace the laptop, functionally equivalent to a touch enabled mobile device.
That’s the direction Apple is taking, just as Tim said. Thus you can also see why all of their main apps now work across the board. Look for the iPad Pro aka: MaxiPad to hit in late Q1 or early Q1
All that and they still bitch.
Look at the competition tablet crap and then tell me what’s missing.
I see they’re still selling the iPad 2. What happened to the iPad 3?