Apple unveils new iPad Air 2, Mini & more!

New Apple iPad Air tablet announced. Image via Apple.com

Apple’s recent event in Cupertino, California was jammed with new product announcements, new information about Apple Watch and a hilarious phone call with Stephen Colbert. The event was kicked off by Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook at the company’s campus in Cupertino. Cook was there to let the entire world know that Apple was not yet done with 2014.

The new products Apple released before it closed out the year included the new Apple iPad Air, new iPad mini, new iMac computer and iOS 8. According to Apple, the new gadgets are better than the earlier ones in terms of performance and the features that have been either introduced or improved.

There’s also another few new innovations to get excited about as we head into the new year, namely Apple’s first smartwatches and the new Apple Pay system. First up, the new iMac computer.

The New iMac Computer and OS
The new 27-inch iMac computer has a spectacular display with great viewing angles. The desktop boasts a 5k Retina display and is filled with a whooping 14.7 million pixels that make the photos vibrant, text sharper and its videos feel even more natural. The screen is noted to be a “massive step up” from the one on the Retina MacBook Pro. The new computer is also described as “the most insanely grand Mac ever made by Apple”.

This new 27-inch new iMac computer starts shipping on the 16th of October. Its base model costs a cool $2,499 and is accompanied by 8GB memory, a 3.5 GHz Intel i5 processor, a 1TB Fusion force and AMD R9 M290X graphics CPU. Build-to-order configurations may also be equipped with AMD R9 M295X graphics CPU and a 4.0 GHz Intel Core i7 processor.

Following the media event, Apple also introduced OS X Yosemite for Macs as a free download. The newest operating system is not only more powerful than ever, but it is also expected to improve the relationship between iOS devices and a user’s Mac. Besides the good look it gives to the Mac, the new OS also includes great features like Handoff and SMS relay features. With Handoff, users can start a task on one machine and then finish it on another using seamless translation. The SMS relay feature lets Mac users respond to calls from their iOS devices. The new OS will be available on Monday, October 20th.

The New Apple iPad Air
The latest iPad Air 2 was among the new products introduced at the event. Though its resolution is similar to its predecessor, the new Apple iPad Air has a better display. It is considered the best and thinnest tablet display ever seen by its customers. Besides this, the iPad Air 2 operates on an A8X chip filled with a whooping three billion transistors that make it faster than ever.

Apple has further added a Touch ID fingerprint sensor, a feature said to be one of the most requested attributes from customers. With this feature, users are able to use their device to make Apple Pay procures within applications that maintain the Apple Pay API. There is no doubt the iPad will be an exciting gadget that many iPad enthusiasts will fall in love with.

Coming in space gray, gold and silver, the iPad Air 2 begins at $499 for 16 GB, $599 for 64 GB and $699 for 128 GB, all with Wi-Fi. The new device will start shipping next week, with pre-orders starting on 17th October. We have seen iPad Air cases already selling on Amazon for the new tablets as well.

The New iPad Mini
Apple’s iPad Mini device has been a popular entry in the smaller-sized tablet space. The new iPad mini 3 merges portability with and a wide range of helpful features. Just like the iPad mini 2, the new device weighs 331g and measures 200×134.7×7.5mm. One addition the new device has is the Touch ID. It is a biometric feature meant for unlocking your iDevice. It requires only your fingerprint to unlock when there is need to use it. The new iPad also features an advanced camera with the rear camera capturing images of up to five megapixels. It is also improtant to know that new shooting modes like burst selfies and slo-mo videos that make it easier to capture the moments, are also included.

iPad Mini 3 is powered by A7 and M7 motion coprocessor just like the iPhone 5S and iPad Mini 2. It ships with iOS 8, which is the newest edition of Apple’s mobile OS. In addition, the new device allows its users to browse the web or listen to tracks for up to 10 hours. The iPad Mini 3 will have a starting price of $399 and will start shipping next week, with pre-orders beginning on Friday, October 17th.

Apple Pay and Apple Watch
Besides the introduction of Apple’s new devices in the market, Tim Cook also announced the introduction of the new payment system, Apple Pay. He announced that the mobile payment mode will be launched on Monday, October 20th along with iOS 8.1 that will facilitate the service. As said by Apple’s CEO, more than five hundred extra banks have supported the payment mode, as well as other retailers. Apple Pay will protect your personal information by avoiding any store from checking your credit card number, user name and many more. It does not pick transaction data also. It is kept between the merchant, user and the user’s bank.

According to Apple, there’s still no official release date for Apple Watch. It is said that the watch will be launched early next year. Everyone will obviously be looking forward to this. The only piece of information that Cook delivered was that, Apple will be rolling out its Watch kit coming month to manufacturers, who will then be able to operate wild dreaming up brand new experiences for the gadget. Tools to make the Apple Watch a wearable device will also be launched at the same time.

Apple Event Wrapup
Apple has always been considered to be the best company for electronic gadgets. This fact has never been disputed and with the recent upgrades, it is now clearer why. You may have already used their present gadgets and found them incredible, but the new ones are even better. Much of the emphasis at the event also centered on how their devices operate, because Apple makes both its software and hardware. Tim Cook explained that it is Apple’s vision of personal technology and that they are just getting started. More is yet to come as we roll into 2015 and beyond.

Watch the entire Apple presentation below: