Usually Apple renew devices that are part of the iPad range twice a year. First in March, where the basic iPad is renewed, to call it in some way and later in October, a month reserved for the presentation of the iPad Pro range. However, it seems that this year there will only be one presentation.
The guys from Cupertino have renewed the website by expanding the iPad range, renewing some of the models that already existed and eliminating others. The main novelty is found in a new model, the iPad Air, an iPad that sits halfway between the 11-inch iPad Pro and the 2018 iPad.
But the iPad Air is not the only device that has been renewed after the last update of the Apple website, since the iPad mini has also received a chance, which could be the last, updating all its internal components and adding compatibility with the Apple Pencil.
With the arrival of the iPad Air, Apple has removed the 10,5-inch iPad Pro from its catalog, the first small iPad to hit the market in October 2017 and has continued to be sold as a budget iPad in the Pro range. Keeping the 10,5-inch iPad Pro didn't make any sense, as the new iPad Air it is much more powerful, as well as being cheaper.
The other iPad that has also passed to the Apple warehouse is the iPad mini 4, the oldest iPad that Apple kept selling and that it had not been updated for almost 4 years, this model being the least recommended option for its purchase both for benefits and price.
iPad Air
The new iPad Air is managed by the A12 Bionic, the same processor that we can find in the iPhone 2018 range, that is, the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and the iPhone XR, so we will have an iPad for many years. In addition, in terms of RAM, we find how it reaches 3 GB, the same amount that we find in the iPhone XR, one GB less than that of the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max models.
The A12 Bionic processor, allows us to edit videos in 4k quality without messing up, enjoy augmented reality, design 3D models as well as make use of different applications together thanks to the Split View function, without the battery consumption of our device suffering at any time.
Conservative design
The screen reaches 10,5 inches and is compatible with the Apple Pencil, accessory that we have to buy independently. The screen is compatible with True Tone technology, which allows us to enjoy the content displayed on the screen in any situation, be it on the beach or by candlelight.
The design of the new iPad Air is the same as that found in the 10,5-inch iPad Pro, a model with reduced frames, both sides and bottom and top compared to the 9,7-inch model. It is 61 mm thick and weighs less than 500 grams.
To protect the iPad, Apple has not integrated Face ID technology, which would have meant an increase in price, and for now it continues to rely on the fingerprint sensor on the home button
Photographic section
Despite the fact that it is increasingly common to see how many use the iPad when they are traveling to preserve a memory, the boys of Apple seems that they have not paid enough attention to this section on the iPad Air. The rear camera offers us a resolution of 8 mpx while the front, for selfies or video calls, reaches 7 mpx.
Prices of the new iPad Air
As I mentioned above, this new iPad is somewhere between the 11-inch iPad Pro and the iPad 2018, both in terms of performance and price. The price of the cheapest version of the iPad Air is 549 euros for the 64 GB version with Wi-Fi connection.
- iPad Air 64GB Wi-Fi: 549 euros
- iPad Air 256GB Wi-Fi: 719 euros
- iPad Air 64GB Wi-Fi + LTE: 689 euros
- iPad Air 256GB Wi-Fi + LTE: 859 euros
iPad mini
Many have been the rumors that have surrounded the renewal of the iPad mini or the complete elimination of the Apple catalog. The iPad mini se had become an old device With a price too high for the benefits that it offered us.
The Cupertino boys seem to they have given this device one last chance adding the most powerful processor that the company currently has, without having the version for the iPad Pro in addition to adding compatibility with the Apple Pencil.
Maximum performance
When renewing the iPad mini, if Apple wanted to continue keeping this screen size in the iPad range, it had to update the processor by adding the A12 Bionic, the same processor that we can find in the iPhone 2018 range, that is, the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and the iPhone XR.
To make the processor management as smooth as possible, device memory is 3GB, the same amount of memory that we can find both in the iPad Air and in the iPhone XR, being one GB less than what we can find in both the iPad Pro and the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max.
Compatibility with Apple Pencil accompanied by its size, makes your device the ideal notepad To always carry with us, since with one hand we can hold it while with the other we use the Apple Pencil, either to draw, write, doodle ...
Design that should have improved
In the previous section, I mentioned that the renewal of the iPad mini seems to be the last opportunity that Apple gives this model, since as we can see in the images of this new generation, the design is the same as all previous generations of iPad mini, with too generous side, top and bottom edges.
If we consider that the iPhone XS Max has a 6,5-inch screen size and the 7,9-inch iPad Mini, the latter is practically twice the size of the iPhone XS Max. Of course, the price difference between the two is abysmal, in addition to iPhone is not compatible with Apple Pencil.
IPad mini prices
Add the latest technology to the interior of the iPad mini in addition to offering compatibility with the Apple Pencil, carries an increase in price.
- iPad mini 64GB Wi-Fi: 449 euros
- iPad mini 256GB Wi-Fi: 619 euros
- iPad mini 64 GB Wi-Fi + LTE: 549 euros
- iPad mini 256 GB Wi-Fi + LTE: 759 euros
Now all iPad compatible with Apple Pencil
Apple's strategy to follow seems to be geared towards add compatibility with Apple Pencil, Since after the last update, all iPads available in Apple's official distribution channels are compatible with the Apple Pencil, although some models cannot take full advantage of it.
It seems that Apple has realized that including stylus support on the iPad, as Samsung has been doing in the last three years, is ideal for users, since it broadens the range of possibilities that it offers us.