Apple announces the iPad Air 2
As part of its October press event, Apple today unveiled its sixth generation tablet -- the iPad Air 2. The Air 2 features an even thinner device, 6.1 mm, 18% thinner than the previous model. Phil Schiller noted that two new iPad Air 2s are still thinner than the original iPad.
The new iPad Air 2 uses 2nd generation 64 bit architecture, with the equivalent of 3 billion transistors, resulting in a 40% faster CPU and 2.5 times faster GPU.
Like the new iPhone 6 models, the new iPad Air 2 features new motion sensing and a barometer. The camera is also updated, with an 8MP iSight camera, ƒ2.4 aperture, and faster processing in the M8 chip. Features that are on the new iPhones also get added, like time-lapse and slow motion.
The iPad Air 2 also has a new front facing camera, with HDR, improved face detection, and HDR photos.
Wi-Fi has been pumped up as well, and faster LTE has been added to the cellular radios, as we saw in the iPhone 6.
Touch ID is on board too, letting this new iPad work with Apple Pay (but no NFC) and the iTunes and App Store.
How much for all these goodies? The iPad Air 2 starts at $499 for 16 GB, $599 for 64 GB,and the 128 GB model is $699. Cellular versions are 629/729 and 829.
