Apple launches iPad Air with A14 Bionic, Full-Screen Display; iPad Gets Updated to 8th Gen

    0
    819
    iPad OS WWDC 2020
    iPad OS Changes WWDC 2020

    We can safely say that Apple has been the sole ruler of the tablet segment, and this year marks 10 years of dominance. Many players like Samsung, Mi have entered this market, but have miserably failed to impress. Apple uses this ‘dominance’ quite extensively and doesn’t really want that to change anytime soon, hence they updated the iPad Air and the iPad. What’s new? Here’s everything you need to know.

    iPad Air debuts the A14 Bionic chipset!

    • Design: The iPad Air has got a makeover and it looks amazing! The design with its slab-like edges, sculpted rear camera housing and the full-screen display make it look like a baby iPad Pro. It’s now available in 5 colour options — Space Gray, Silver, Rose Gold, Green and Sky Blue. It features a magnetic cradle built onto the side for docking and charging the Apple Pencil.
    iPad Air new colours
    iPad Air will be available in 5 colour options
    • Display: The display has now grown in size even though the footprint of the iPad Air remains the same as the last-gen. The Liquid Retina Display now stands at 10.9-inch with resolution scaling in at 2360X1340 at 264ppi. The display is also fully laminated and comes with anti-reflective coating and has support for True Tone and P3 wide colour.
    iPad Air features a huge all-screen design
    • Security: TouchID is back! The fingerprint sensor now sits inside the top power button. There is a sapphire crystal lens that sits atop a custom sensor housed inside machined stainless steel enclosure. It also features a faster Secure Enclave for quicker authentication.
    TouchID 2nd Generation
    • Performance: It’s 2020, so we know things are going to get crazy. Apple has debuted its new processor, A14 Bionic, inside the new Air instead of the new iPhone! The A14 Bionic is a beautiful piece of hardware which has been fabricated by 5nm process instead of the previous gold standard of 7nm. The hexacore processor features 4-High efficiency cores and 2-high performance cores. Apple promises a 40% increase in CPU performance over the previous iPad Air. A14 Bionic also features a 4-core GPU and promises up to 30% boost over previous-gen iPad Air. It is packed with a 16-core neural engine that boosts the AI capabilities of the iPad Air.
    The Gem: A14 Bionic
    • Connectivity: The iPad Air now comes with a USB Type-C connector that increases data transfer speeds to 5GB/sec. It also ships with 20W Type C charger. The iPad Air supports WiFi 6 as well. The iPad Air also supports full-size magic keyboard and Apple Pencil (2nd Gen).
    Type C connector in the iPad Air
    • Cameras: The FaceTime duties are taken care by a 7MP (f/2.2) camera with Smart HDR and promises better low light performance. At the rear sits the same 12MP sensor from the iPad Pro with a large f/1.8 aperture lens with support for 4K 60fps and 240fps slo-mo.
    12MP shooter at the rear of iPad Air

    The iPad Air features stereo speakers for a better multimedia experience. With a claimed battery life of 10 hours, the Air also runs long especially with so much power under the hood. The iPad Air also boasts of an environmentally friendly manufacturing process as well as recycled aluminium build to strengthen its green credentials.

    Old School iPad has also been refreshed

    The 8th Generation iPad stays true to its iPad DNA, with a Home Button and upgraded internals. Let’s take at the new updates inside the iPad which still is uber popular.

    All new iPad 8th generation
    • Performance: The iPad now ups it game with the introduction of A12 Bionic chipset inside. The A12 chipset is highly capable SoC which debuted in the XS/XR siblings in 2018. It promises a 40% upgrade in CPU performance and upto 2x the GPU abilities of the 7th Gen iPad. It also includes a new Neural Engine to facilitate improved AI abilities.
    The A12 chipset inside the iPad
    • General overview: While retaining the beautiful but dated iPad design the iPad promises to fulfil most tablet requirements with its 10.2″ Retina Display with 264ppi, a 10-hour battery life, Apple Pencil (1st Gen) and full-size Smart Keyboard support and improved network connectivity.

    Both iPads will be available with iPad OS 14 out of the box.

    The iPad 8th Generation starts at Rs. 29,900 for the 32GB variant in India. It will be available in 32GB & 128GB in both WiFi-only & WiFI+Cellular variants.

    The iPad Air starts at 48,990 for the 64GB variant. The iPad Air will be available in 64GB & 256GB in both WiFi-only & WiFi+Cellular variants.

    Check out our coverage of all the new products here.

    Leave a Reply