Apple Unveils Slim 'iPad Air'

New device will be thinner, more powerful, and pricier
By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 22, 2013 2:10 PM CDT
Apple Unveils Slim 'iPad Air'
The iPad Air is seen in this screenshot from the live stream of today's Apple's event.   (Apple.com)

Apple today unveiled its latest take on the iPad concept: The iPad Air. This new edition clocks in at just 7.5mm thick and weighs a single pound, the Verge reports. It's got the same screen as the previous iPad—a 9.7-inch Retina Display—and the same 64-bit A7 processor and M7 motion coprocessor as the iPhone 5S. The design has been subtly tweaked, with the side bezel reduced, but even that modest change represents the first tweak on the device's look since 2011.

The Air will be available on Nov. 1, with prices starting at $499 for Wi-Fi-only versions and $629 for cellular ones. Rounding out the iPad line will be a new iPad Mini featuring Retina Display and the A7 processor, starting at $399; the original iPad Mini, now down to $299; and what the Verge refers to as the "geriatric" iPad 2 for $399. Other news from the event:

  • The MacBook lines got an upgrade, effective immediately: The 13-inch model is slimming down to just .71 inches thick; it weighs less than 3 pounds and boasts both a longer battery life and an improved Intel Iris graphics chip, according to Gizmodo and TechCrunch. The 15-inch model is getting a boost in the processor and memory department as well, and both are having $200 shaved off their price tags, putting them at $1,300 and $2,000 respectively.
  • Apple also announced that the new OS X Mavericks will be available for download for free later today. It doesn't represent a major visual overhaul the way iOS 7 did, 9to5Mac reports, but it does have more than 200 new features, including Maps, iBooks, improved multiple display support, and more.
  • For those not into portable computers, Apple unveiled its new superpowered desktop computer, the Mac Pro. This small, black cylinder boasts eye-popping specs—like a 3.7GHz quad-core Zeon processor, 12GB of DRAM, and Dual FirePro D300 graphics with 2GB VRAM each—for an equally eye-popping $2,999 price tag.
(More Apple stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X