It’s been a hugely busy week for Apple with the US technology firm releasing a swathe of new devices.
Along with new AirPods and an update to the iMac there are two new tablets making their way into stores across the world.
The new iPad mini and iPad Air both arrive with updated features and some hefty performance boosts which make them infinitely faster than before.
So, if you want to know all about these gadgets here’s our guide to Apple’s new tablets.
APPLE iPAD MINI
When is the iPad Mini it out? The new iPad mini is available to pre-order from today.
Apple isn’t revealing when it can be picked up in store but they have confirmed that customers should be able to have one delivered by April 3.
How much does it cost? Prices for the mini start from £399 for the 64GB Wi-Fi only model.
This cost can rise quite significantly with the 256GB cellular version costing £669.
What is new? Although the new iPad mini looks very similar to the older model there’s some decent updates which bring it fully up to speed.
Firstly, you’ll find the latest A12 Bionic processor tucked under its aluminium body which offers faster speeds and improved graphics.
In fact, Apple is boasting that the new mini now offers three times the performance and nine times faster graphics versus the A8 chip in iPad mini 4.
Along with this power, there’s also a brighter and sharper screen with Apple now including its 7.9-inch Retina display on the iPad mini.
With True Tone technology included as well, the display now also adapts to your surroundings and dynamically adjusts the white balance based on the light around you.
There’s also another nice feature of this screen as it now supports the Apple Pencil (£89) which allows you to draw, write and scribble notes.
Other extras include a front and rear camera, Touch ID fingerprint scanner and there’s the option to add an eSIM for connectivity across the globe.
Express.co.uk has already taken delivery of the iPad mini ahead of its official launch and here’s our full iPad mini review.
APPLE iPAD AIR
When is it out? The new iPad Air is available to pre-order from today.
Once again, Apple isn’t revealing when it can be picked up in store but they have confirmed that customers should be able to have one delivered by April 3.
How much does it cost? Prices for the mini start from £479 for the 64GB Wi-Fi only model.
This cost can rise quite significantly with the 256GB cellular version costing £749.
What is new? The iPad gets many of the same upgrades as the iPad mini with the fast A12 Bionic processor and Retina display both included.
However, those buying the Air will be treated to a larger 10.5-inch screen which also supports the Apple Pencil.
Unlike the iPad mini, this larger tablet gets a keyboard cover (£159) which transforms it into a mini laptop.
Both the iPad Air and iPad mini run on Apple’s latest iOS 12 software which brings access to millions of apps with some specifically designed for iPad.
“The iPad continues to provide magical new experiences for a growing range of uses where it is the absolute best device, from playing games in augmented reality to note-taking and drawing with Apple Pencil, from streaming HD movies and editing 4K films to learning to develop apps with Swift Playgrounds,” said Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing.
“Today the iPad family takes two big leaps forward with an all-new 10.5-inch iPad Air that brings high-end size, features and performance at a breakthrough price, and a major upgrade to the 7.9-inch iPad mini, which also brings Apple Pencil, Retina display and the A12 Bionic chip to the many customers that love its compact size.”