Apple Inc. launched iPad Air featuring a stunning 9.7-inch Retina display in a new thinner and lighter design on Tuesday.
Weighing just 0.45 gram (one pound), iPad Air is 20 percent thinner and 28 percent lighter than the fourth generation iPad, and with a narrower bezel the borders of iPad Air are much thinner. It is powered by Apple-designed A7 chip with 64-bit.
"iPad created an entirely new mobile computing experience, and the new iPad Air is another big leap ahead. It is so thin, light and powerful, once you hold one in your hand you will understand what a tremendous advancement this is," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing.
"iPad Air with its 9.7-inch Retina display weighs just one pound and packs the incredible performance of iOS 7 running on a 64-bit desktop-class Apple A7 chip, and delivers all-day battery life in the lightest full-sized tablet in the world," he added.
Special Features of iPad Air:
1) It is 0.29 inch (7.5 mm) thin, 20 percent thinner than the fourth generation iPad.
2) The device weighs 0.45 gram (one pound). It is 28 percent lighter than the fourth generation iPad
3) It features 9.7-inch Retina display with 2048x1536 resolutions at 264 pixels per inch (ppi).
4) It is powered by Apple-designed A7 chip with 64-bit architecture.
5) The device runs on the newly-designed iOS 7.
Apple also announced iPad mini with 7.9-inch Retina display at 326 pixels per inch, delivering razor sharp text and detail in the same amazingly thin and light design. Like iPad Air, it also powered by Apple-designed A7 chip with 64-bit architecture and features ultrafast wireless with faster built-in Wi-Fi and expanded LTE cellular connectivity, and runs on the newly-designed iOS 7.
Both the new iPads feature the M7 motion co-processor that gathers data from the accelerometer, gyroscope and compass to offload work from the A7 for improved power efficiency. The iSight camera with 5MP sensor and advanced optics, combined with iOS 7 and the image signal processing of A7, further improves still image and video capture on iPad bringing faster auto-focus, up to three times video zoom, five times still zoom, better dynamic range and automatic image and video stabilization.
New custom-designed polyurethane Smart Covers for iPad Air and iPad mini with Retina display will be available for $39 (approximately ₹2403) in a range of vibrant colours, including blue, green, pink, yellow, black and red.
Pricing and Availability:
iPad Air with Wi-Fi models will be available in silver or space gray starting on Friday, 1 November, at $499 (approximately ₹30758) for 16GB model, $599 (₹36922) for 32GB model, $699 (₹43086) for 64GB model and $799 (₹49250) for 128GB model. iPad Air with Wi-Fi + Cellular will be available starting on Friday, 1 November at $629 (₹38771) for 16GB model, $729 (₹44935) for 32GB model, $829 (₹51099) for 64GB model and $929 (₹57263) for 128GB model.
iPad Air will be available at Apple retail stores at 8 a.m. local time on 1 November in 42 countries, including US, Australia, Austria, China, France, Germany, Japan, Hong Kong, UK, and Canada.
iPad mini with Retina display will be available in November in silver or space gray. Its Wi-Fi models will be available at $399 (₹24594) for 16GB model, $499 (₹30758) for 32GB model, $599 (₹36922) for 64GB model and $699 (₹43086) for 128GB model. The Wi-Fi + Cellular models will be available at $529 (₹32607) for 16GB model, $629 (₹38771) for 32GB model, $729 (₹44935) for 64GB model, and $829 (₹51099) for 128GB model.
Both the devices will be sold through the Apple Online Store, Apple's retail stores, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless and select Apple Authorized Resellers.
Apple has not revealed the availability of the new iPads in India but they are likely to hit Indian stores within a month.
