Apple Silently Announces New 7.9-Inch iPad Mini & 10.5-Inch iPad Air

Apple has just silently launched two new iPad devices which are the 5th-gen 7.9-inch iPad Mini and the 3rd-gen 10.5-inch iPad Air. Priced from $499 (around Rs. 34,200), the new model of the iPad Air sports a 10.5-inch Retina panel and also the same Apple’s A12 Bionic SoC that is on the last year’s iPhone XS. Meanwhile, the new iPad Mini with a price of $399 (around Rs. 27,400) will be the successor to the old iPad Mini 4 which was launched way back in 2015. The two new devices are up for pre-ordering, and they will hit the deck in the following week.

The 2019 iPad Mini

There is virtually no difference between the design of the old iPad Mini 4 and the new iPad Mini model in 2019. Both of them sports the same 7.9-inch screen and the same bezels. Sadly, it doesn’t support the Facial Recognition feature or a USB Type-C port. However, it is still powered by the powerful Apple’s A12 Bionic SoC which will undoubtedly give the 2019 model a massive boost in the performance over the old device in the same series which only packs an Apple’s A8 which was seen on the iPhone 6 launched 4-5 years ago. The new iPad Mini model still comes with an audio jack as well as the Lightning port, which were both eliminated on the last year’s iPad Pro devices.

Here are the specifications of the 2019 iPad Mini model:

• 7.9-inch Retina panel (a resolution of 1,536 x 2,048p )
• 64GB / 256GB of internal storage
• Apple's A12 Bionic SoC
• 8MP rear sensor & 7MP selfie sensor
• Only support the old Apple Pencil (not support the latest one launched in October last year)
• Lightning port
• Touch ID
• An audio jack
• eSIM supported
• Weight: 300g; Model with Cellular & Wi-Fi weighs 308g
• Come in Gold, Silver, and Space gray colour variants
• Price starts from $399 (around Rs. 27,400)

The 2019 iPad Air

The new model of the iPad Air is positioned between the 9.7-inch iPad ($329, roughly Rs. 22,600) and the 11-inch iPad Pro ($799, roughly Rs. 54,900), both of which launched in 2018. Apple has decided to discontinue the old 10.5-inch iPad Pro that was launched in 2017. Since Apple switched over to the old “iPad” back in 2017, it had not launched a single new model of the iPad Air series.

Here are the specifications of the new 2019 iPad Air model:

• 10.5-inch Retina panel (a resolution of 2,224 x 1,668p), 500 nits brightness
• 64GB / 256GB of storage
• 8MP rear sensor & 7MP selfie sensor
• Only support the old Apple Pencil (not support the latest one launched in October last year)
• Apple's A12 Bionic SoC
• An audio jack
• eSIM supported
• Touch ID
• Lightning port
• Weighs 456g; Model with Cellular & Wi-Fi weighs 464g
• Come in Gold, Silver, and Space gray colour variants
• Price starts from $499 (around Rs. 34,200)

Alongside the two new iPad models, Apple also introduces some new accessories for both of those models. They include a Leather Smart Cover in Saddle Brown, Red, Midnight Blue, and Black for $69 (around Rs. 4,700) for the iPad Air and a Polyurethane Smart Cover in new papaya, Pink Sand, White, and Charcoal gray for $39 (around Rs. 2,700) for the iPad Mini and $49 (around Rs. 3,400) for the iPad Air. Apple also offers a Smart Keyboard for the iPad Air for $159 (around Rs. 10,900). As these two new models only support the old Apple Pencil, you can grab one for $99 (around Rs. 6,800).

Apple hasn't mentioned the launch dates for these devices in the Indian market. We will update as soon as we have more information about it. However, it is worth noting that the price of these iPad models might be higher compared to other markets.