iPad Air, iPad Mini Unveiled, Apple Criticized for Lack of Surprises in New Products
Tech Giant Apple unveiled on Tuesday at their October Special Event their new sets of products bound for November release: the improved version of iPad Mini and the new iPad Air.
The new generation of iPad Mini is a 7.9 inch tablet powered by the same A7 microchip, which is also used in the iPhone 5 and iPad Air. Of course, it will also feature 2048 x 1536 Retina Display, MIMO Wi-Fi, Expanded LTE Support, 5MP iSight Camera and 10 hour battery life.
Meanwhile, Apple finally introduced to the tech world its fifth generation of its market-leading tablet: the iPad Air. The new iPad will weigh just a pound while it's also 20 percent thinner and 28 percent lighter than its predecessor.
Again, the Apple iPad Air is powered by A7 chip with 64 bit desktop class architecture, making it the most powerful and fastest iPad ever manufactured. Other features of the new iPad are: Retina Display, 5MP iSight Camera, 1080HD Video, New HD FaceTime HD Camera with larger pixels, Improved backside illumination, Dual Microphones, 10 Hour Battery Life, MIMO Wi-Fi, Expanded LTE Support.
In an interview with CNN, Apple Senior Vice President Phil Schiller called it "the biggest leap forward ever with a full-size iPad."
The iPad Air will be available on the market on the first day of November. Starting price of this next generation iPad is set at $499 for a 16GB Wi-Fi-only model while iPad Air 16GB with 4G LTE connectivity is valued at $629.
The revamped iPad Mini will also go on sale late November at a starting price of $399 and it will come in four different skins: silver, white, space grey and black.
According to the Telegraph tech writer Sophie Curtis, Apple's Special Event this October featured a solid haul of their new products, but failed to come up with surprises.
"So, let's recap. We've got the new ultra-slim iPad Air, the iPad Mini 2 with Retina display, OS X Mavericks for free, improved iLife and iWork for free, and the new MacBook Pro with a super Intel processor. Not a bad haul, but Apple will undoubtedly get slated for failing to come up with any surprises," stated by Curtis in his Live Blog.
Below are some of the comments from several tech insiders at the conclusion of Apple's Special Event via the Telegraph Live Blog:
Ed Connolly, Buying Director, Electricals and Home Technology, John Lewis, comments:
The new thinner, lighter and faster iPad Air and new iPad Mini ranges, now complete with Retina displays, look set to be the best iPads yet, and the new prices on the existing iPad Mini means they'll be more affordable than ever. They will undoubtedly be a huge hit in the run up to Christmas. Last year, tablets were the must-have technology product for the festive season, and we predict this year will be even bigger with tablets flying off the shelves at a rate of one every fifteen seconds this Christmas. The competition is more intense than it's ever been, with sales of the latest Samsung, Google and Microsoft tablets up 80% year on year at John Lewis,"
"There's been so much development in the market over the past few years, with new screen sizes, new brands and keener prices than ever before, so we see this Christmas as the time when many tablet users will decide to upgrade their current tablet to the newest models."
Jason Kingsley, CEO of games developer Rebellion and chairman of TIGA, comments:
"Apple rolled out the expected interesting launch of retina display, faster, lighter, more powerful and connected. The new iPad mini is interesting and feels like a move into 'big mobile phone' territory. This was more evolution than revolution from a company that manages to produce stylish new products annually."
Jason Jenkins, Editor of CNET
"What's wrong with the iPad? Absolutely nothing, so why change it? That's Apple's philosophy behind today's launch of its new iPads. There are some improvements, like making them thinner and lighter, adding better cameras and faster chips, and the smaller iPad now gets a much better 'retina' display."
"But there's nothing dramatically new here. And you know what? That's fine. If you haven't bought an iPad, now is a good time to do so, although if you already own one, there's no need at all to upgrade."
"There's also a great (if expensive) computing line up, with upgraded laptops and a new version of the Mac operating system that's free for existing owners. All this is happening at a time when Apple's old nemesis, Microsoft, is faltering on the computing front."
"You can see all this as Apple resting on its laurels, but the truth is their products are easy to use and a lot of people like them. There are cheaper options out there, but Apple has proven time and time again that it doesn't need to play the price game. It's following its own path and, for now at least, it's working."