As the iPhones get bigger, Apple's latest line of iPad Airs and Minis are getting smaller. Soon you won't be able to tell the difference, but in the meantime, they're hoisting the new line of tablets - big and small - alongside some impressive 5K iMacs high up on their shoulders this fall. Herein you'll find the impressive upgrades to the iPad Air, the lacking tune-up for third generation Minis, and some futuristic iMac happenings that will soil the pants of the guy next to you by the time you're done reading this. That's bold, Apple.
iPad Air 2![ipad air 2]()
With the new iPad Air models, Apple takes one step closer to making tablets as efficient as the computers they sell. The first question after the iPad Air last year was how Apple could possibly top themselves, but as per usual, they're convinced this one blows last year's model out of the water, and they're damn right.
To begin, the body is 18 percent thinner - 6.1mm - which is about as thin as the iPhone 6. It's even rounded like it, too, with a fully laminated screen built as a single layer, as opposed to three layers from its original. This allows the body to be thinner and still offer a top notch design with same impressive 2048 x 1536 retina display. With the new A8X chip, the second Air is 12 times the speed of the original iPad, 40 percent faster than the original iPad Air. It explodes at 2.5 times the graphic speed of its predecessor, which bodes extra well for photographers and video editors, as well as the gaming crowd, the likes of which could only be found on computers until now.
But the biggest advancements in the new iPad Air is its photo and video capabilities, rocking the same M8 motion co-processor as the iPhone 6, an improvement that will get concert junkies and outdoorsy photographers alike excited. Now with 1080p video capability for slo-mo and time lapse videos, as well as high resolution panoramas, the iPad Air is now a bit of an artistic companion. Oh, and the iSight camera now uses 8 megapixels - also same as the new iPhone - instead of 5 MP from last year. Kudos, Apple.
And there are new features that'll make everyone happy. Now with Touch ID and Apple Pay, online shopping is quicker than ever, despite not being able to use the feature in-store like you can with the new iPhone. Glare reduction, thanks to a special coating on the screen, reduces reflection by about 60 percent, which makes for more vibrant colors with better contrast and deeper blacks so you can work (watch porn) in public more clearly. In addition, the touch tracking is improved so it's faster, more fluid and more accurately responsive to swipe the screen with any function from quick scrolling to finger painting. And did we mention it comes in gold?
iPad Mini 3
![ipad mini 3]()
The iPad Mini 3, however, hasn't much to say in comparison. With the iPad Mini 2, Apple prided itself on making the tiny tablet "every inch an iPad," going spec-for-spec with its big brother, but the new iPad Mini 3, although wonderfully packaged, isn't nearly matched with the full-size iPads. In fact, it's the exact same model as the iPad Mini 2, except it comes in gold and has the Touch ID option. The body is still stacked at 7.5 mm thick, still holding the A7 chip from last year's model. The height, weight and retina display are all the same. Essentially you'd be paying $399 instead of $299 to have your Mini be gold and offer Touch ID, which most people don't even use.
Clearly, a lot went into the new iPad Air model and not much at all into the new miniature version. Last year, the iPad Air and the iPad Mini went tit for tat, letting people choose if they'd rather have a big one or little one. This year, the iPad Air 2 took flight high above its little sister. The iPhone 6 Plus is actually the biggest competition for the Mini 3 now.
iMac 5K
And if the Apple Watch from last month's announcements didn't make your wallet - or your ass in general - tremble, Apple's new iMac might. Since Apple's computers are getting a run for their money from their own tablets, the geniuses are coming up with new, more exciting ways to jump higher into the retina stratosphere to bring unprecedented new displays to their iMac line. But they will make you pay for it. And thus, iPad Day with Apple quickly became something unexpected.
![new iMac]()
A unheard of 14.7-million-pixel 5K display with its unmatched screen resolution of 5,120 x 2,880 uses an advanced oxide TFT panel. That's twice the resolution of their iMac models from last year. In other words, it's super pretty now. In case that's hard to process, we'll give some points of relativity. The 5K resolution is more than seven times the resolution of high-def 1080p quality and 67 percent more detailed than the already-futuristic 4K set up that most electronic brands are working toward. It's not certain what Apple is putting in their engineers' corn flakes, but whatever it is, it's working.
The catch? The new 27-inch models are starting out at around $2499. That might seem high - being twice the price and all - but photography and video editing enthusiasts will think it sexier than the person they pay to sleep next to. This model, although still ultra-thin at 5mm and light in weight, is not for everyone, but luckily the iMac models built in 2012 are still more impressive than what everyone else brings to the table today. Could things BE any clearer?
iPad Air 2
With the new iPad Air models, Apple takes one step closer to making tablets as efficient as the computers they sell. The first question after the iPad Air last year was how Apple could possibly top themselves, but as per usual, they're convinced this one blows last year's model out of the water, and they're damn right.
To begin, the body is 18 percent thinner - 6.1mm - which is about as thin as the iPhone 6. It's even rounded like it, too, with a fully laminated screen built as a single layer, as opposed to three layers from its original. This allows the body to be thinner and still offer a top notch design with same impressive 2048 x 1536 retina display. With the new A8X chip, the second Air is 12 times the speed of the original iPad, 40 percent faster than the original iPad Air. It explodes at 2.5 times the graphic speed of its predecessor, which bodes extra well for photographers and video editors, as well as the gaming crowd, the likes of which could only be found on computers until now.
But the biggest advancements in the new iPad Air is its photo and video capabilities, rocking the same M8 motion co-processor as the iPhone 6, an improvement that will get concert junkies and outdoorsy photographers alike excited. Now with 1080p video capability for slo-mo and time lapse videos, as well as high resolution panoramas, the iPad Air is now a bit of an artistic companion. Oh, and the iSight camera now uses 8 megapixels - also same as the new iPhone - instead of 5 MP from last year. Kudos, Apple.
And there are new features that'll make everyone happy. Now with Touch ID and Apple Pay, online shopping is quicker than ever, despite not being able to use the feature in-store like you can with the new iPhone. Glare reduction, thanks to a special coating on the screen, reduces reflection by about 60 percent, which makes for more vibrant colors with better contrast and deeper blacks so you can work (watch porn) in public more clearly. In addition, the touch tracking is improved so it's faster, more fluid and more accurately responsive to swipe the screen with any function from quick scrolling to finger painting. And did we mention it comes in gold?
iPad Mini 3
The iPad Mini 3, however, hasn't much to say in comparison. With the iPad Mini 2, Apple prided itself on making the tiny tablet "every inch an iPad," going spec-for-spec with its big brother, but the new iPad Mini 3, although wonderfully packaged, isn't nearly matched with the full-size iPads. In fact, it's the exact same model as the iPad Mini 2, except it comes in gold and has the Touch ID option. The body is still stacked at 7.5 mm thick, still holding the A7 chip from last year's model. The height, weight and retina display are all the same. Essentially you'd be paying $399 instead of $299 to have your Mini be gold and offer Touch ID, which most people don't even use.
Clearly, a lot went into the new iPad Air model and not much at all into the new miniature version. Last year, the iPad Air and the iPad Mini went tit for tat, letting people choose if they'd rather have a big one or little one. This year, the iPad Air 2 took flight high above its little sister. The iPhone 6 Plus is actually the biggest competition for the Mini 3 now.
iMac 5K
And if the Apple Watch from last month's announcements didn't make your wallet - or your ass in general - tremble, Apple's new iMac might. Since Apple's computers are getting a run for their money from their own tablets, the geniuses are coming up with new, more exciting ways to jump higher into the retina stratosphere to bring unprecedented new displays to their iMac line. But they will make you pay for it. And thus, iPad Day with Apple quickly became something unexpected.
A unheard of 14.7-million-pixel 5K display with its unmatched screen resolution of 5,120 x 2,880 uses an advanced oxide TFT panel. That's twice the resolution of their iMac models from last year. In other words, it's super pretty now. In case that's hard to process, we'll give some points of relativity. The 5K resolution is more than seven times the resolution of high-def 1080p quality and 67 percent more detailed than the already-futuristic 4K set up that most electronic brands are working toward. It's not certain what Apple is putting in their engineers' corn flakes, but whatever it is, it's working.
The catch? The new 27-inch models are starting out at around $2499. That might seem high - being twice the price and all - but photography and video editing enthusiasts will think it sexier than the person they pay to sleep next to. This model, although still ultra-thin at 5mm and light in weight, is not for everyone, but luckily the iMac models built in 2012 are still more impressive than what everyone else brings to the table today. Could things BE any clearer?