Apple unveils thinner, lighter and faster iPad

USPA News - Apple on Tuesday unveiled a new iPad that it says is thinner, lighter and faster than the original, making the iPad Air the fifth-generation of the market-leading tablet device that will go on sale next month at a suggested U.S. retail price of $499 for the 16GB model. The California-based company said the new device is precision-engineered to weigh just 1 pound (453 grams), down from 1.4 pounds (635 grams), and is both thinner and faster while maintaining its 10-hour battery life under optimal conditions.

It will have the same 9.7-inch (24.6 centimeters) Retina display as its predecessor. "iPad created an entirely new mobile computing experience, and the new iPad Air is another big leap ahead," said Philip Schiller, Apple`s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. "It is so thin, light and powerful, once you hold one in your hand you will understand what a tremendous advancement this is." Schiller said iPad Air will deliver "incredible performance" of iOS 7, running up to 72 times faster than the original iPad on a 64-bit desktop-class Apple A7 chip. The device is 20 percent thinner and 28 percent lighter than the fourth generation iPad, partly the result of the power-efficient chip that allowed the battery to be reduced by 24 percent in overall volume. Apple said the new A7 chip in iPad Air offers 64-bit desktop-class architecture, advanced graphics and improved image signal processing from previous generations. With up to twice the CPU and graphics performance, the company promises that users will be able to do "almost everything" faster while maintaining battery life. Both iPad Air and the new iPad mini will feature two antennas to support Multiple-In-Multiple-Out (MIMO) technology, allowing increased Wi-Fi performance with data speeds up to 300 Mbps possible. It will also feature a new FaceTime HD camera that provides improved backside illumination sensors to increase low-light performance. iPad Air with Wi-Fi models will be available in silver or space gray starting on November 1 with a suggested U.S. retail prices of $499 for the 16GB model, $599 for the 32GB model, $699 for the 64GB model and $799 for the 128GB model. iPad mini with Retina display Wi-Fi models will be available at suggested U.S. retail prices of $399 for the 16GB model, $499 for the 32GB model and $599 for the 64GB model.