iPad Air S and iPad mini S names would have probably been more appropriate, with “s” standing for “same”.
After spoiling us with perhaps the most extensive iPhone upgrades in history, and tackling a new product category for the first time in ages, we couldn’t help but expect a similar level of dedication from Apple invested in making iPads better.
And yes, it’s true that last year’s iPad Air and iPad mini with Retina display swept everything in their sight to become the best-selling tablets ever, but that was 12 months ago, and surely, Cupertino could have used the time to raise the bar even further.
Alas, iPad mini 3’s improvements are almost nonexistent, while the Air 2 does tweak a few things, but certainly not enough of them to fall under groundbreaking Apple developments.
Starting with the iPad mini 3, the entirety of its upgrades compared to the second-gen 7.9 incher can be comprised in three words. Touch ID and gold. Yes, you’re looking at the same exact mini-pad, with fingerprint recognition and Apple Pay support, plus a swanky new color offered as an alternative for the classic space gray/black and silver/white combos.
Also tweaked, the iPad mini’s storage configurations, although we’d hardly call nixing the 32 GB model an upgrade. Fortunately, pricing isn’t overly extravagant (by Apple standards), starting at $399 in a Wi-Fi-only 16 GB flavor.
Then again, iPad mini 3’s debut means its predecessor can be had for a promotional price, namely $299, which begs the obvious question: is Touch ID really worth 100 bucks… by itself?
As far as the iPad Air 2 is concerned, again, this is a slightly different slate than the 2013 original, but man, it’d have been nice to get 2 GB RAM or a higher-res screen. There’s always next year, I guess, and in the meantime, you can rejoice at owning the world’s thinnest tablet.
Impressively enough, the new Air still vows to deliver around 10 hours of battery life on a single charge, despite shaving 1.4 mm off the profile for a record-breaking 6.1 mm waist. And dropping the weight from 469 to 437 grams.
Touch ID integration is one of the paramount enhancements here too, but perhaps more important, the A7 processor is swapped for a cutting-edge, custom-made A8X. And then you have a long overdue rear camera boost to 8 megapixels, anti-reflective screen coating and no gaps whatsoever between the panel and body.
All in all, it’s not a bad changelog… for an iterative update, and so you should be happy to hear the cheapest iPad Air 2 is $499. Of course, that means the first-gen Air now starts at $399, so it’s decision time. To upgrade or not to upgrade? Keep in mind iPad Air 2 and Mini 3 pre-orders kick off later today for deliveries “by the end of next week”.
Read More: http://ift.tt/1tz5uU3
After spoiling us with perhaps the most extensive iPhone upgrades in history, and tackling a new product category for the first time in ages, we couldn’t help but expect a similar level of dedication from Apple invested in making iPads better.
And yes, it’s true that last year’s iPad Air and iPad mini with Retina display swept everything in their sight to become the best-selling tablets ever, but that was 12 months ago, and surely, Cupertino could have used the time to raise the bar even further.
Alas, iPad mini 3’s improvements are almost nonexistent, while the Air 2 does tweak a few things, but certainly not enough of them to fall under groundbreaking Apple developments.
Starting with the iPad mini 3, the entirety of its upgrades compared to the second-gen 7.9 incher can be comprised in three words. Touch ID and gold. Yes, you’re looking at the same exact mini-pad, with fingerprint recognition and Apple Pay support, plus a swanky new color offered as an alternative for the classic space gray/black and silver/white combos.
Also tweaked, the iPad mini’s storage configurations, although we’d hardly call nixing the 32 GB model an upgrade. Fortunately, pricing isn’t overly extravagant (by Apple standards), starting at $399 in a Wi-Fi-only 16 GB flavor.
Then again, iPad mini 3’s debut means its predecessor can be had for a promotional price, namely $299, which begs the obvious question: is Touch ID really worth 100 bucks… by itself?
As far as the iPad Air 2 is concerned, again, this is a slightly different slate than the 2013 original, but man, it’d have been nice to get 2 GB RAM or a higher-res screen. There’s always next year, I guess, and in the meantime, you can rejoice at owning the world’s thinnest tablet.
Impressively enough, the new Air still vows to deliver around 10 hours of battery life on a single charge, despite shaving 1.4 mm off the profile for a record-breaking 6.1 mm waist. And dropping the weight from 469 to 437 grams.
Touch ID integration is one of the paramount enhancements here too, but perhaps more important, the A7 processor is swapped for a cutting-edge, custom-made A8X. And then you have a long overdue rear camera boost to 8 megapixels, anti-reflective screen coating and no gaps whatsoever between the panel and body.
All in all, it’s not a bad changelog… for an iterative update, and so you should be happy to hear the cheapest iPad Air 2 is $499. Of course, that means the first-gen Air now starts at $399, so it’s decision time. To upgrade or not to upgrade? Keep in mind iPad Air 2 and Mini 3 pre-orders kick off later today for deliveries “by the end of next week”.
Read More: http://ift.tt/1tz5uU3
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