Just in time for holiday shopping, tech conglomerate Apple announced the unveiling of its newest version of the iPad - the iPad Air. This new version of the popular tablet is lighter and thinner than ever before, thus making it more portable and easier to store. It also features several upgrades from the iPad 4, including a significant increase in processing speed and power.
Specifications
While the most recent version of the iPad weighed 1.4 pounds, the iPad air weighs only one pound. The iPad Air is also eight times faster than the original iPad, which was first released in 2010, and its profile is 20 percent thinner. In fact, the new iPad Air is only 7.5 mm thick.
The iPad Air will ship to consumers with an A7 processor, an M7 motion chip, and 64-bit architecture. It also includes a 9.7-inch Retina Display with a notably smaller bezel. According to Apple representatives, the graphics on the iPad Air are 72 times faster than they were on its original iPad, and users can expect much faster Wi-Fi thanks to the addition of MIMO.
In addition to upgraded speed, owners of the iPad Air will enjoy 10 hours of battery life, dual mics and improved image quality. The tablet features a Facetime camera on the front and a 5-megapixel-iSight camera on the back.
Options and Pricing
Apple announced that the iPad Air will begin shipping on November 1st in Japan, China, the UK, and the US. The tablet will be available in black, grey, white and silver. The starting price for this tablet will be $499, and an LTE version will also be available at a higher price. Although Apple is proud of its newest tablet, it will continue selling the iPad 2 at a starting price of $399.
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