New iPad Air Announced

Howdy neighbors, today was a rather big one in the Apple world and so for the next couple of days the Neighborhood Nerds will be taking a look at the big announcements and how they will affect all of us, nerds and neighbors alike. To start off, the focus will be on the new iPad Air since that is what we have been hearing about from all of you the most, so without further ado we’ll dive into what the new iPads bring to the table!

The iPad Air

The new full-sized iPad is being called the iPad Air by Apple and much like what has been rumored for several months now, the iPad is considerably thinner and lighter than the 4th-generation iPad (or Retina iPad, as Apple previously labeled it). The new iPad Air takes its design cues from the iPad Mini with thinner bezels and the slightly tapered, more ergonomic back panel, all which help Apple achieve the 1 pound overall weight of the device.

In reality, aside from the aesthetics of the iPad Air, there’s very little that has changed from the previous iPad. Apple did, however, manage to improve WiFi and LTE capabilities by including two antennas in the new iPad, and Apple claims that the new 64-bit A7 processor will improve graphics and processing speeds by 100% over the previous generation so those that have been holding out will see a very speedy device in the same vein as the recently released iPhone 5S; the camera is still a 5 megapixel lens with 1080p recording capability, much like the last iPad.

All in all, the iPad Air turned out to be just a fraction of the conference today and for good reason, there wasn’t a dramatic new feature or addition to the new iPads; those that have the Retina iPad need not feel obligated to upgrade, however owners of the first or second iPads (or new prospective owners altogether) may find a worthwhile improvement in capabilities that would justify the move to the new iPad Air. The iPad Air will be released on November 1st starting out at $499 for the 16 GB WiFi models and $629 for the 16 GB LTE models, with prices increasing with extra storage options.

Feel free to drop by the shop at Neighborhood Nerds if you have questions or want to be the first on Apple’s list to receive one!

Sincerely yours,

Gizmo Nerd