Apple has introduced two new iPads in 2013. The iPad Air and iPad Mini with Retina Display. The new iPads feature the 64-bit processors, newly-designed iOS 7, Wi-Fi and expanded LTE cellular connectivity. If you are confused about which one to buy this holiday season then have a look at our comparison below.
iPad Air
Apple has completely changed the naming of their fifth generation iPad, rather than calling it the iPad 5, Apple calls it the iPad Air. The naming tries to convey the fact that it is 20 percent thinner and 28 percent lighter than the fourth generation iPad. The weight reduction is definitely noticeable. The iPad Air design takes from the iPad Mini, meaning you’ll see more of chamfered edges, smaller bezels, and steeper slopes on the side. Apple also made improvements in the CPU with the A7 processor and M7 motion coprocessor, which is the same combination seen in the latest iPhone 5S. The iPad Air leaves out the touch-ID fingerprint sensor. The cameras stay the same on the iPad Air. Lastly, the battery on the iPad Air is smaller but it seems to provide the same performance as last year’s model with 10hrs of average battery life. Moderate or light users will probably get more than 10hrs. The iPad Air is one of the best 10-inch tablets on the market but its not the cheapest. The iPad Air starts at $499 for the lowest 16GB model with WiFi, the 16GB WiFi+LTE model starts at $629.
iPad mini with Retina Display
The iPad Mini looks exactly the same as the iPad Mini from last year. The big difference is the display as it is a Retina display on this second generation of iPad Mini. Just like the iPad Air, the iPad Mini with Retina Display gets the A7 processor, M7 motion coprocessor, and leaves out the touch-ID fingerprint sensor. The cameras remain the same with a 5MP rear facing and 1.2MP front facing shooter. The iPad Mini with Retina starts at $399 for the lowest 16GB model with WiFi, the 16GB WiFi+LTE model starts at $529.
Pricing & Availability
iPad Air with Wi-Fi models will be available in silver or space gray starting on Friday, November 1, for a suggested retail price of $499 (US) for the 16GB model.
iPad mini with Retina display will be available later in November in silver or space gray. iPad mini with Retina display Wi-Fi models will be available for a suggested retail price of $399 (US) for the 16GB model.
I am officially a tech addict and enjoy providing my views on matters related to this industry. I am always interested in trying out new tech gadgets and I have owned multiple smartphones including the legendary HTC One, SGS2, Nexus 4, iPhone 4, 5S, 6S, XR, Note 9. You can ask me any tech related questions in the comment section or on twitter @hookedNav