Both the 10.5-inch iPad Air and updated iPad Mini support Apple Pencil. (Image credit: Apple)In a surprise announcement, Apple made the all-new iPad Mini with Apple Pencil support as well as a new 10.5-inch iPad Air official. Both the new iPads have been launched ahead of Apple’s March 25 launch event, where the Cupertino tech giant is expected to introduce its new streaming TV and subscription news services.
The new iPad Air is heavily inspired by the iPad Pro. The iPad Air has a thin and light design, and sports a 10.5-inch display with True Tone technology. The tablet also boasts Apple’s A12 Bionic chipset with a 70 per cent boost in performance. As was rumoured before, the new iPad Air still uses Touch ID rather than Face ID. Plus, the 10.5-inch iPad Air also support Apple Pencil as well as the smart keyboard for fast typing.
Highlights of new iPad Air
*Apple A12 Bionic chip with Neural Engine
*10.5-inch LCD Retina Display with True Tone
*Support for Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard
*6.1mm body, 1-pound weight
*10-hour battery life
*iOS 12
*Space gray, silver and gold color options
Next up is a successor to the iPad Mini 4 with the all-new iPad Mini. Featuring a 7.9-inch display, Apple says the screen is 25 per cent brighter than the old iPad Mini. Like the 10.5-inch iPad Air, the 7.9-inch iPad Mini does not feature Face ID. But yes, the all-new iPad Mini is a step up from the iPad Mini 4 in terms of performance, thanks to Apple’s A12 Bionic chipset. Surprisingly, the 7.9-inch tablet also has a Pencil support, Remember: the new iPad models work with the first-gen Apple Pencil, not the latest Apple Pencil that supports magnetic charging.
The new iPad Mini may look identical to the iPad Mini 4, but from inside it has been completely refreshed.Highlights of new iPad Mini
*Apple A12 Bionic chip with Neural Engine
*7.9-inch with 326 ppi, Apple’s True Tone technology support
*8MP rear camera, 7MP FaceTime HD camera
*Apple Pencil support
*iOS 12
*Headphone jack
* Gold, Silver and Space Gray color options
Both the new 10.5-inch iPad Air and 7.9-inch iPad Mini will be made available in 64GB and 256GB storage options, with three colours to choose from: silver, space gray and gold options, with 64GB and 256GB storage choices. The 10.5-inch iPad Air starts at Rs 44,900 with WiFi, or Rs 55,900 for the WiFi + Cellular model.
Meanwhile, the new iPad mini starts at Rs 34,900 for the WiFi model, or Rs 45,900 for the WiFi + Cellular model. Apple Pencil is available as a separate Rs 8500 purchase, in case you are interested. Apple is yet to announce the exact date of availability of the iPads in India, but one should expect to reach Apple Authorised Resellers in the coming weeks.
