The big iPad just got a little smaller. Apple has announced the fifth-generation version of its 9.7-inch flagship tablet, and as expected, the tablet has gotten its first major design overhaul since the iPad 2 came out in early 2011. It's now the "iPad Air."
The device will be available on November 1, and the entry-level 16GB price will start at $499 for Wi-Fi only and $629 with cellular data capabilities.
The large iPad will be getting a tidy performance boost from Apple's new 64-bit A7 SoC, which made its debut in the iPhone 5S. Apple is promising a 2x improvement in CPU performance and a 2x improvement in GPU performance over last year's fourth-generation model. The device also gets its Wi-Fi upgraded to MIMO technology, gaining multiple antennas that provide data transfer at up to 300Mbps over 802.11n.
The new iPad takes many of its cues from the iPad mini and the more recent iPhones, starting with the chamfered edges and the new silver and "space gray" rear shells. The tablet retains the same 2048×1536 display and 264 PPI density as the older Retina iPads, but shrinking the bezels around the display has made it smaller and lighter than previous models at 1 pound (compared to 1.44 pounds for the iPad 4). The tablet is also thinner than it was before, at 0.29 inches (down from 0.37 inches). In spite of its smaller size, the device also has a longer battery life: up to ten hours. Sadly, one thing it doesn't appear to have—at least, not yet—is a gold casing.
The iPad Air will be available in silver and white and space grey and black color options starting at $499 in dozens of countries on November 1st. An LTE version will be available starting at $629. Apple is also keeping the geriatric iPad 2 in the lineup for $399. All of the new iPads will be shipping with iOS 7.
Apple's event is still ongoing, and we'll continue to update this post as more details are announced.
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