Apple unveils the iPad mini 3, priced from $399, iPad Air 2

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It's been a year, almost to the day, since Apple announced the iPad mini 2, bringing a high-resolution 'Retina Display' to the small tablet for the first time. We've known for a while that a new version of the device would be announced today, but Apple inadvertently confirmed as much ahead of schedule, when it prematurely posted user guides on its site yesterday.

So it was to the surprise of no-one that, alongside the new thinner iPad Air 2, Apple today announced its next-generation small tablet, the iPad mini 3.

Like its larger sibling, the iPad mini 3 gets Touch ID for the first time, and retains its familiar 7.9-inch Retina Display. It will be available in silver, space grey and gold, and will be priced as follows:


Wi-Fi only
16GB : $399
64GB : $499
128GB : $599
Wi-Fi + cellular
16GB : $529
64GB : $629
128GB : $729

The iPad mini 2 will continue to be sold from $299, and the original iPad mini will also live on, starting at $249.

Apple took the stage today at its headquarters in Cupertino where it has announced the next iteration of its iPad Air, the Air 2. The updated tablet brings with it improved specs that will make it faster than the previous generation and also introduces TouchID.

Apple has made the tablet even thinner than the iPad Air; the tablet is 6.1 mm thick which means it is 18% thinner. As expected, the tablet now comes in gold too.

Powering the device is the A8X that is 64-bit which is said to be 40x faster and have 2.5x the GPU performance. Battery life will be 10 hours and the usual senors are included too.

The camera has been updated with an 8Mp sensor at F/2.4 aperture and 1080P video recording. It allows you to do all of the same capture functions as the iPhone like slow-motion capture, time-lapse and panoramic images.

802.11AC with MIMO for Wi-Fi which will allow for faster connection speeds and LTE bands have been updated too.

For those not familiar, TouchID is the fingerprint sensor that Apple has been incorporating in to all of its product. The sensor replaces the 'Home' button that was on the previous iPad AIr and by placing your finger on the button, it scans your fingerprint to unlock the device.

The tablet will start at $499 for a 16GB, $599 for 64GB and 699 for the 128GB; if you want LTE it's an additional $130.

Pre-orders start tomorrow and will start shipping next week.

Posted:
Related Forum: Mobile Devices

Source: http://www.neowin.net/news/apple-has-announced-the-ipad-air-2-makes-it-even-thinner

Comments

"Apple unveils the iPad mini 3, priced from $399, iPad Air 2" :: Login/Create an Account :: 36 comments

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Chevy-Posted:

If it wasn't so dang expensive

DPMPosted:

Bebe_Rexha Looks like an even bigger iPhone 6+.

Guess most iPads are all the same


I doubt this will bend though lol.

Bebe_RexhaPosted:

Looks like an even bigger iPhone 6+.

Guess most iPads are all the same

-CorgiPosted:

Inq
gotwarnick
Inq
Smurfs It feels like the iPad Air just came out recently. The prices for these are pretty expensive though, I don't think I will be getting the iPad Air 2 or iPad Mini 3.


In america your lucky to have these prices, in the uk we pay much more.


Is it because of euros and USD or is because its harder to get out there?


No its something to do with tax.


Isn't it like, import tax or something? I remember the PS4 was like a couple thousand dollars in some country because of import tax, I think it was.

DeluxeHazardPosted:

I'm still completely content with my original iPad Mini. Most of the iPad Minis are the same in my opinion, just the newer ones are more expensive.

1989Posted:

gotwarnick
Inq
Smurfs It feels like the iPad Air just came out recently. The prices for these are pretty expensive though, I don't think I will be getting the iPad Air 2 or iPad Mini 3.


In america your lucky to have these prices, in the uk we pay much more.


Is it because of euros and USD or is because its harder to get out there?


No its something to do with tax.

TywinPosted:

The amount of people complaining is hilarious.

1. They aren't forcing you to buy any of it.
2. You'll probably end up buying it anyway, despite complaining for days on the internet.

GossipPosted:

They need to stop making the same products with just a few minor upgrades for hundreds of dollars.

21Posted:

It's pretty annoying that companies release new tablets/phones every year so that you have to buy more and more items. It's obviously wise from a business point of view but for a consumer, it sucks.

gotwarnickPosted:

Inq
Smurfs It feels like the iPad Air just came out recently. The prices for these are pretty expensive though, I don't think I will be getting the iPad Air 2 or iPad Mini 3.


In america your lucky to have these prices, in the uk we pay much more.


Is it because of euros and USD or is because its harder to get out there?