Ahead of Its ‘Showtime’ Event, Apple Launches New iPad Air & Mini

Both the new iPads are powered by Apple A12 bionic chip and support Apple pencil (first generation).

Both the new iPads will be offered in silver, space grey and gold colours, in 64GB and 256GB storage configurations.  

(Photo: AP/The Quint)

Apple, in a surprise and rather quiet move, has unveiled the new 7.9-inch iPad Mini and a new 10.5-inch iPad Air on Monday, 18 March, to enhance its entry-level iPad lineup.

The new iPad Air will sport a 10.5-inch screen and will be powered by Apple's A12 bionic chip. The new iPad Air will also have support for the first-generation Apple pencil as well.

The new iPad Air will cost Rs 44,900 for the WiFi-only version and Rs 55,900 for the WiFi and cellular model, and will sit between the larger iPad and the iPad Pro models.  

The iPad Air will sport a 10.5-inch display and can support Apple Pencil and its smart keyboard.(Photo: AP)

The already-in-place 9.7-inch iPad starts at Rs 25,999, while the iPad Pro starts at around Rs 72,000 for the 64 GB, WiFi-only variant.

With the A12 Bionic chip with Apple's Neural Engine, the new iPad Air is claimed to deliver a 70 percent boost in performance and twice the graphics capability, while the Retina display with ‘True Tone’ technology is nearly 20 percent larger.

The new iPad Air will also support Apple's smart keyboard and will see a design language similar to the smaller 9.7-inch iPad, rather than like the new iPad pro models.

The new iPad Mini, sporting a rather small, 7.9-inch retina display will also be powered by the A12 bionic chip. The iPad Mini will also support Apple Pencil.

The iPad Mini will be launched at a price of Rs 34,900 for the WiFi-only variant and Rs 45,900 for the WiFi + Cellular model.

The new iPad Mini supports Apple Pencil now and will be powered by the A12 bionic processor.(Photo: AP)

Both the new iPads will be offered in silver, space grey, and gold colours, in 64GB and 256GB storage configurations.

Monday’s launch came just one week ahead of Apple’s 25 March event, where the company is said to launch its TV streaming service and Apple news.

(With inputs from AP)