Apple has just dropped two upcoming iPad releases for their Air second generation and iPad mini third generation.
Apple’s main points of selling have been that they have reasonably priced these devices in the past, unlike their flagship iPads. Although Apple has been very successful in the tablet market, the problem is that the market has been in a downfall lately, and consequences are felt by Apple. Since the increasing trend of phablets has taken of off, for their laptops they have made many improvements, in which tablets are more expensive and luxurious. In order to stay competitive in the market, they have dropped the two iPads to target the mid-range audience.
Display and Design
Apple’s iPad Air 2 comes with a 9.7 inch display that delivers 1536×2048 resolutions and 264ppi pixel density. Apple has made one significant improvement by adding the anti-reflective coating to the big display which provides images and colors to pop. The same resolution can be found on the iPad Mini 3, which delivers much more at the 7.9 inch display with 326ppi pixel density. A difference that is noticeable is the introduction to the gold version of the iPad Mini 3, in which many users would love to get their hands on.
The iPad Air 2 design mirrors their predecessor, but it is much slimmer at 6.1mm. The iPad Air 3 is a larger device weighing 437 grams for the Wi-Fi variants, and for the LTE variant weighing 444 grams. The iPad Mini 3, on the other hand, is light weighing only 311 grams for their Wi-Fi variant, and for their cellular model weighing 341 grams.
Operating System and Hardware
Technically speaking the iPad Mini 3 is not exactly a newer version. Based on the specs of the iPad Mini2, it provides the same. It runs on the old A7 chipset with 1GB of RAM, and the dual-core processor that has speeds of 1.3GHz. The iPad Mini 3 is available in 16GB, 64GB, and 128GB of internal memory space. The new A8x chip is found on the iPad Air 2, which uses the adjusted iPhone 6 versions for the tablet. It provides 1GBof RAM and clocks speeds of 1.4GHz, and also provides variants of 16GB, 64GB, and 128GB of internal memory space.
Both iPad versions run on the new iOS 8 and have the integrated TouchID fingerprint sensor in the home button.
Camera
iPad users might be disappointed in what they get from the iPad Mini 3, as it comes with a 5MP rear camera that records videos at 720p resolution. The 1.2MP front camera is also disappointing at it doesn’t offer the features of burst mode or slow-mo recording. On the other hand, the iPad Air 2 provides a better camera with an 8MP rear camera that is able to record 1080p and time-lapse videos. Users will get to use their HDR, panorama, burst mode, and other camera options. It also comes with an improved front camera with a f/2.2 aperture lens that make better quality photos.
Battery
Apple has yet to reveal any information on their battery capacity. However, the company does promise to deliver usage of up to 10 hours, a favorite number that Apple seems to base most of their tablets battery on.
Price
These two additions to the Apple family are priced particularly low. The iPad Air 2 is looking to be priced at $399, and the iPad Mini 3 is priced at $299, so it is the cheapest iPad on the market. You can’t go wrong.