Apple has announced its latest iPad models without any sort of fanfare. The fifth generation iPad Mini and iPad Air were both announced via a press release by the US company. The surprise package is the iPad Mini which is coming four years after the last model was launched in 2015. The iPad Air, on its part, borrows many of the outstanding features from the iPad Pro, including a similar, 10.5-inch screen with True Tone, a thin and lightweight design, and top-tier performance with the latest Apple A12 chip at a much more affordable, $500 price.
iPad Mini 5th Generation
Despite the gap between the last model and this version, the iPad Mini 5th gen isn’t very much different from the 2015 iteration. The device features a 7.9-inch IPS display with a resolution of 2048×1536 pixels and 326 ppi. The display has gained wider color (DCI-P3 gamut) support and now features Apple’s True Tone technology for keeping the white balance of the display the same in appearance to the user, regardless of the ambient light around the screen.
The iPad Mini 5 is powered by Apple’s newest A12 processor that has proven to return some industry-topping benchmarks that can only be beaten by its more powerful A12X version in the iPad Pro models. The iPad mini 5 starts with 64GB of storage and has another model that offers 256GB out of the box. There’s Touch ID on board and a dual speaker system. On the camera end, the new iPad Mini is equipped with an 8MP rear camera, like its predecessor but for selfies, there is an upgraded 7MP FaceTime HD camera. The new Mini comes with Pencil stylus support meaning the first-generation Apple Pencil can now be used on the new iPad mini’s wide-color screen for doodling, highlighting and other stylus tasks. You’ll have to purchase the pencil separately, though, for $99.
iPad Air
The iPad Air features a 10.5-inch LCD Retina Display with True Tone and wide colors. It weighs 1 pound and has a slim build just 6.1mm thick. The device is powered by Apple’s A12 Bionic chip with Neural Engine. The iPad Air equally supports the first-gen Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard. Under the hood is a battery that delivers up to 10-hour battery life. It comes in Space gray, silver and gold color options. On the camera end, the iPad Air features an 8-megapixel f/2.4 main shooter, compared to a 12MP f/1.8 camera on the iPad Pros.
Prices and Availability
The new iPad Air is available in two storage options: 64GB and 256GB, and as always with Apple products, the storages are unexpandable. The device is also available in two models, one with cellular connectivity and a WiFi variant As for their prices, the 64GB WiFi version cost $499 while the 256GB WiFi version goes for $649. On the other hand, the 64GB Wi-Fi + Cellular model costs $629 while the 256GB Wi-Fi + Cellular model costs $779.
The iPad Mini equally comes in WiFi only and WIFi + Cellular models. The iPad Mini 2019 costs $399 for the 64GB Wi-Fi-only version while the Wi-Fi + Cellular model costs $529. The WiFi version with 256GB storage will cost $549 and if you prefer the version with cellular connectivity, it costs a whopping $579.
Comments