Apple has redesigned the iPad Air to include a new 5-nanometer chip, the A14 Bionic, and a USB-C port. It arrives next month starting at $599.
Apple introduced the updated tablet alongside the 8th generation iPad, which goes on sale this Friday starting at $329.
New iPad Air. (Credit: Apple)
The upgraded iPad Air is the first Apple device to benefit from a 5nm chip manufacturing process, which can pack more transistors on the silicon. The resulting A14 chip contains a 6-core CPU that promises to increase processing speeds by 40 percent over last year’s iPad Air.
(Credit: Apple)
The A14 chip includes a 4-core GPU, which can deliver a 30 percent increase in graphics performance. Expect the A14 chip to also be featured in the upcoming iPhone 12, which will likely be announced next month.
According to Apple, the 5nm process improves power efficiency on the tablet for what the company says will amount to a 10-hour battery life, a 4-hour increase over last year’s model.
(Credit: Apple)
The iPad Air takes some design cues from the iPad Pro. For instance, it drops the Lightning connector for USB-C, making it much easier to connect your peripherals to the tablet.
In addition, the new iPad Air ditches the home button. The change reduces the bezels on the device, but it also means you’ll have to swipe up from the bottom to return to the home screen. However, the company is keeping the fingerprint scanning Touch ID, which is being moved to a button on the top of the tablet.
(Credit: Apple)
On the display front, the iPad Air is increasing the screen size from 10.5 inches to 10.9 inches for a 2,360-by-1,640-pixel resolution. The tablet has also been upgraded with a 12-megapixel rear-facing camera, the same used in the iPad Pro.
The new model will come in five colors: silver, space gray, rose gold, green, and sky blue.
8th-Generation iPad
As for the 8th-generation iPad, not much is changing in terms of design: You’re still getting the same home button, and some wide bezels on the top and bottom of the device.
The 8th generation iPad. (Credit: Apple)
The main difference is the A12 Bionic chip, an improvement from the A10 Fusion chip. Apple says the upgrade will increase CPU speeds by 40 percent, and double the graphics performance over last year’s 7th-gen model.
Pre-orders for the 8th-gen iPad start today. Students can get it starting at $299.
