Apple has released an all-new 10.5-inch iPad Air featuring a thinner design and an Apple A12 Bionic chip alongside a new 7.9-inch iPad mini with Apple Pencil support.
The two new devices launched quietly on Apple.com earlier today after Apple took down the online store hinting at the imminent launch of new hardware. Despite the rumors, Apple is yet to release any new AirPods or Mac updates, and it looks as if we’ll have to keep waiting for the arrival of AirPower.
Apple’s new iPad Air features the same overall design of previous models asides from introducing a larger 10.5-inch display, an upgrade from the 9.7-inch display that has been used on all previous generation iPad Air hardware. As expected, the new iPad includes Touch ID rather than Face ID, and uses Apple’s A12 Bionic chip.
The seventh-generation devices start from $499 for the 64 GB WiFi version, with a WiFi + Cellular model available for $629. – Apple has also launched a 256 GB version available in WiFi only and WiFi + Cellular configuration.
Asides from the improved internals and larger display, the new 10.5-inch iPad Air remains very similar to the previous generation model. The cameras remain unchanged, consisting of a rear 8-megapixel shooter capable of 1080p video capture, as well as a front-facing FaceTime HD camera. Battery life is claimed to last for around 10 hours of usage, in line with the usage time for the last two models.
7.9-Inch iPad mini | Apple
The quiet update to Apple.com also sees an update to the ageing iPad mini, with Apple upgrading the tablet with Apple Pencil support and the new A12 Bionic chip. Similar to the new iPad Air, Apple’s new iPad mini doesn’t feature any radical new enhancements, but does show life is still left in the once presumed soon to be obsolete iPad mini.
The device has the same A12 Bionic chip as the iPhone XS and iPhone XR, with Apple saying that it delivers “three times the performance and nine times faster graphics.” The Retina display on the model now has True Tone technology, and the highest pixel-density of any iPad.
The new iPad mini starts at $399 for the Wi-Fi model and $529 for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model. The Apple Pencil is a $99 add-on.
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