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Does the iPad Air have a future at Apple?
During its "Hello Again" keynote in Cupertino today, Apple debuted its newest MacBook Pro as well as an overhaul of Final Cut Pro X and an all-in-one video entertainment app simply titled, TV. But surprisingly, there was not a word spoken about iPads.
Apple's messy iPad lineup keeps getting more complicated
Sales of iPads peaked following the holiday quarter of 2013 -- perhaps not coincidentally, that was when Apple's tablet lineup was at its most logical. Apple had just introduced the iPad Air, the first major redesign of its 9.7-inch tablet, and the iPad Mini 2, which added a sorely-needed Retina-class display. Beyond the size and price, these tablets were identical from a specs perspective, making it extremely easy to pick one. Yes, Apple still offered older iPads in both screen sizes, but trying to figure out the best iPad to buy was a simple affair. You just picked your screen size and preferred storage and could rest easy knowing you weren't missing out.
Apple drops the iPad Air 2 price to $399
Sure, the 9.7-inch iPad Pro might have been the star of the show at Apple's spring event, but that isn't stopping Cupertino from giving the budget-conscious crowd something nice. The company has dropped the price of the iPad Air 2 from $499 (£399) to $399 (£349) -- yes, that's the same price as the smaller, slower iPad mini 4. It still starts with a modest 16GB of storage, like it or not, but $499 (£429) now gets you a healthier 64GB capacity. If you can live without the Pro's performance upgrades and input options, this might be your iPad of choice. Get all the news from today's iPhone event right here.
Twitch made multitasking a lot easier on iOS 9
In case you hadn't heeded that red flag on the App Store icon and downloaded the latest update for Twitch, you might want to fix that. The latest version of the streaming app favored by gamers adds a pop-out option for the game feed window for multitasking (like Android got months ago) and a couple of features that're very specific to iOS 9's new bag of tricks. Specifically, you can have a player window popped out of the app, hit the web browser or app of your choosing and then pop Twitch chat into its own pane. As the official Twitch blog tells it, that's available on most newer iPad models. However, Split View (where you have two fill apps running at once, only works with the iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini 4.
Every UK House of Commons member is getting an iPad
When the UK's Members of Parliament get down to work following the election in May, they'll have more than just a new government on their hands -- they'll have a tablet, too. The Parliamentary tech team is handing out cellular-equipped iPad Air 2 units to all 650 House of Commons MPs so that they have a secure way to do business wherever they are. While 209 of them already had iPads, this move makes them standard issue.
Engadget UK giveaway: win an iPad Air 2 courtesy of Mobilefun.co.uk
It's the middle of January. Only a few weeks have passed since the revelries of Christmas and New Year, and yet they seem distant memories. You're already struggling to stick to your 2015 resolutions, and you've had enough of the cold, wet winter, though there's plenty left to endure. But don't worry chums -- things can only get better, starting with your chance to win a shiny, gold iPad Air 2. The 16GB, WiFi-only model comes courtesy of our friends at mobile accessory retailer Mobilefun.co.uk, where you'll find a grand selection of cases and folios to protect your new baby. For those who don't know the drill, you can enter the giveaway up to three times via the widget below, after checking you're eligible to participate by reading the rules just beneath it. Winning: Congrats to Stephanie B. from Hertfordshire.
Dear BlackBerry, Ryan Seacrest isn't done with the QWERTY keyboard
Maybe you remember the bizarre collision of worlds at last year's CES when Ryan Seacrest touched down in Las Vegas to introduce the Typo, a physical QWERTY keyboard case for the iPhone 5/5s. If you do, then you may also recall the controversy and legal tussling over the original Typo's striking resemblance to BlackBerry's Q10 keyboard. One court ordered a sales injunction and another Typo revision later, Seacrest and his partner Laurence Hallier are back at CES to debut another physical keyboard accessory, this time it's the Typo2 for the iPad Air and iPad mini lines. The pair carved out some time during the madness of CES to speak to me about Typo's bumpy start, the impact of customer feedback on product design and the boldfaced names that swear by their QWERTY case.
The year in reviews: a look back at the best gadgets of 2014
It's been quite a year in products here at the Engadget offices. Not only have we looked at the latest flagship phones and hottest laptops, but our reviews have run the gamut from VR headsets to WiFi Crock-Pots. We've worn lots of smartwatches and fitness wristbands on our arms, tried out an ultra-secure phone and looked at more Chromebooks than we can count. And while we reviewed plenty of average and mediocre devices (and even a few bad ones), there are a handful that emerge at the top of the heap. Some come out as clear winners, while others are good, but don't quite break away from the pack, leaving us with a rather perplexing six-way-tie for seventh place. Thus, we present to you not our top 10, but top 12 highest-scored products of 2014.
Nexus 9, riding a real-life hoverboard and other stories you might've missed
That's right, folks. Our own Sean Buckley took Hendo's real-life Hoverboard for a spin, and yes, it was pretty awesome. But if that's not enough for you, we also reviewed Apple's new tablets and went hands-on with the Nexus 9 -- click on through for the rest of our news highlights from the last seven days. Oh, and be sure to subscribe to our Flipboard magazine!
AT&T locks your new iPad's SIM so you can't switch carriers without a new one
Apple's iPad Air 2 and Mini 3 launched with a very, very pleasant surprise: If you splurged on an LTE model, you could choose whether you wanted to jump on Sprint's, T-Mobile's or AT&T's networks (along with EE's if you're in the UK), with nary a SIM card swap in sight. It seemed pretty brilliant, really: you get the ability to pick a data plan that works best for you even if it's not from the same carrier each time, and Apple no longer has to juggle different iPad models for different carrier partners. Alas, if only everyone played by the same rules. At first we thought the only caveat was that Verizon hasn't thrown its support behind Apple's split-personality SIM, but it turns out if you sign up for a spot of surfing with AT&T, you won't be able to switch to any other network without procuring another Apple SIM. Just lovely, no?
See what makes the iPad Air 2 so skinny
It's safe to say that you don't buy most Apple devices these days with the expectation that you can open them up, and it looks like the iPad Air 2 is no exception. Do-it-yourself repair shop iFixit has torn down the new tablet and found that it's even tougher (or at least, more expensive) to fix than its predecessor in a few respects. That bonded display may be great for cutting back on reflections, but it increases the risk of breaking the panel when you're prying things open -- and it'll cost more to replace if you do break it, since you can't separate the glass from the LCD. Problems from last year persist, too, such as the use of glue to hold seemingly everything together instead of clips or screws. Another change from its predecessor is the battery -- the 27.62 Wh unit is smaller than the original Air's 32.9 Wh capacity, although a more efficient design should keep battery life close between the two. Is any of this a deal breaker if you're set on getting an extra-slim iPad? Probably not, but it's something to consider if you normally prefer to fix gadgets at home instead of taking them back to the store.
Engadget Daily: New iPad and Retina iMac reviews, the do's and don'ts of social media, and more!
Want to upgrade to an iPad Air 2 or iPad mini 3? Maybe you're just drooling over the new Retina iMac. We reviewed them all, so you're covered either way. But that's not all we have on deck -- read on for Engadget's news highlights from the last 24 hours, including a discussion on video game violence, Google's new email app, and the do's and don'ts of social media.
iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3 now available in certain UK stores
Apple began accepting online orders for the iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3 shortly after the new tablets were announced last week, but if you'd rather not wait for a delivery, you can pick one up in-store as of today. Apple's own retail outlets now have the new generation of slates in stock, as do select John Lewis locations, including the flagship London Oxford Street, High Wycombe and Edinburgh stores. Be aware this is the very first batch to hit the UK, so shops might not be able to hook you up with the exact hardware configuration and colour scheme you so desperately want. The iPad Air 2 and mini 3 start at £399 and £319, respectively, with prices increasing based on storage capacity and/or the addition of LTE connectivity. If you'd prefer to spread the cost of new iPad across the term of a mobile data contract, O2 and EE are currently accepting preorders for both tablets, with Three and Vodafone saying they'll joining the fray soon.
The iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3 review
It's a conflicting time for Apple. On one hand, it's a joyous occasion for the company because its latest iPhones, which come in larger screen sizes than the last, set new sales records worldwide; but on the other hand, its lineup of iPads just experienced its third straight quarterly decline. Coincidentally, this comes just a week after Apple announced its annual tablet refresh, which includes a thinner and more powerful version of the iPad Air along with a Touch ID-enabled mini with Retina display. Just because it's down doesn't mean it's out. Giving up on a product category isn't really Apple's style, and last week, it offered up the Air 2 as exhibit A. The company made it clear that making a solid top-of-the-line tablet is on the top of its to-do list, so naturally the new 10-inch device got plenty of upgrades in nearly every aspect of its design. Curiously, it didn't give the mini lineup the same kind of treatment: The mini 3 got so little love this time around that the best news about it is the fact that last year's version is now $100 cheaper. Should the new iPads still get a place in the consumer's backpack? Read on to find out.
Apple's new iPads, the Nexus 6 and other stories you might've missed
Get ready, ya'll. It's been a doozie of a week. Not only did Apple unveil new iPads and a Retina iMac, Google took the wraps off the Nexus 6 and its own media streamer. That's not all we have on deck, though -- click on through for the rest of our news highlights from the last seven days. Oh, and be sure to subscribe to our Flipboard magazine!
Engadget Daily: Apple's new iPads, Will.i.am's Puls wristband and more!
Hold on to your hats, folks. It's been quite the day: Apple unveiled new iPads and a 5K iMac, Will.i.am took the wraps off his Puls wearable, OS X Yosemite is available to download and more. Read on for all our news highlights from the last 24 hours.
Apple's new iPads choose LTE at will from AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile or EE
After years of rumors that Apple would introduce its own type of SIM card, it appears to have snuck the tech into today's new iPad announcement (there's a history here, the original iPad introduced the Micro SIM). The Apple website says LTE-equipped models of its new tablets (sold in the US and UK) have a packed-in Apple SIM that lets owners switch between short term plans across a variety of participating carriers, right on the tablet itself (you can see a picture of the new option under settings after the break). That list includes AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint in the US, and EE in the UK, but notably not Verizon. Verizon is still an option, of course, you'll just need to switch out Apple's SIM for one of theirs, which eliminates the possibility of changing carriers via software.
A first look at the iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3
Unlike last month's Apple event, today's shindig was held in a tiny auditorium on the company's campus, nary a single gigantic white box in sight. Arguably, the size of the venue matched the importance of the products being announced -- minor iPad and iMac refreshes don't exactly command the same kind of attention as revamped iPhones and Apple's introduction into the wearables market. This doesn't mean the latest version of the iPad Air and iPad mini aren't worth a closer look, of course; they may be just another iteration of the series, but if you're in the market for a new tablet, there are a few new features to be aware of.
iPad Air 2 is Apple's thinnest tablet ever
Apple's got a new iPad, and it's a sequel to last year's ultra-svelte iPad Air: It's called the Apple iPad Air 2. CEO Tim Cook announced as much this morning from Apple's Cupertino, California, headquarters with a video of a pencil being shaved down, a nod to last year's unveiling of the first iPad Air. The iPad Air 2 is 6.1mm, "18 percent thinner than the first iPad Air," Apple's Phil Schiller told attendees. "It's the world's thinnest tablet." Beyond thinning it down even further, Apple's usual suspects of upgrades are on board: The iPad Air 2 has the newest A8 processor and M8 coprocessor, which Schiller said is 12 times more powerful than the original iPad. It's also got a brand-new camera out back: an 8MP iSight camera (f/2.4 aperture) that does 1080p video, burst mode, panorama shots and auto HDR (that takes up a bit less space). The display remains 9.7 inches, which Schiller called "a new Retina display." He also said the new iPad Air 2 has Touch ID, the Home button-based security system that enables logging in via fingerprint. With Touch ID, iPad Air 2 also has Apple Pay, albeit enabled for online purchases only. Head below for more specs and info as it comes out of Cupertino!
