Today Apple removed the wraps from its newer tablets. We have a new iPad Air, as well as a performance boost for the entry-level iPad.
Ipad air
Let’s start with the new iPad Air. It has a cool design, clearly inspired by the iPad Pro line. The screen bezels are smaller, the port is USB-C, and it’s not Lightning anymore (and you get a 20W charger in the box).
The new iPad Air
The tablet is the same size as its predecessor, but due to the smaller bezels, it now has a 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display with 2360×1640 resolution. TouchID is built into the new top-mounted power button.
The new iPad Air is powered by Apple’s new A14 Bionic chipset, which is also expected to appear in the upcoming iPhone 12 family when it launches later this year. The A14 is based on a 5nm process and is the first in the industry to reach that milestone.
It has a 6-core CPU design with two high-performance cores and four high-efficiency cores. Performance improves by 40% compared to the previous iPad Air. The GPU is 30% faster.
On the rear is the same camera as in the iPad Pro models, a 12MP shooter with f / 1.8 aperture, support for 4K video recording at 60fps, 240fps slow motion and improved video stabilization. For selfies, you get a 7MP camera with f / 2.0 aperture and 1080p video at 60 fps.
The tablet has onboard Wi-Fi 6, dual speakers, and support for the Apple Pencil, which magnetically attaches to the side for pairing, charging, and storage. Apple will also offer a floating keyboard cover for it.
The new iPad Air, with iPadOS 14, will be available next month in silver, space gray, rose gold, green and sky blue starting at $ 599 (Wi-Fi only) or $ 729 (Wi-Fi + Cellular) with 64 GB of storage. It will also be offered with 256GB storage at $ 749 / $ 879.
iPad (8th generation)
The eight-generation entry-level iPad (2020) now has the A12 Bionic chipset leading the way, with its 6-core CPU and 4-core GPU.
Otherwise, this tablet is exactly the same as its predecessor, it includes a 10.2-inch screen and large bezels. Pricing has also stayed the same, at $ 329 for the Wi-Fi-only model and $ 459 for Wi-Fi + Cellular.
At these prices, you only get 32GB of storage. There’s a 128GB configuration, for $ 429 / $ 559. Pre-orders start today and the 8th-gen iPad will be available this Friday in silver, space gray and gold.
