At its “California Streaming” launch event this week, Apple unveiled an updated entry-level iPad and a brand-new iPad Mini design. The new iPad is running on the A13 Bionic chip, which is about 20% faster than the one it replaces. That being said, it is still a couple of years old, with the new iPhones running on the A15 Bionic.
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It has been updated with a 12MP front-facing camera with Center Stage support. Center Stage is a smart feature that automatically adjusts the frame of the camera, following the subject around if they move. Apple said it works with apps like Facetime, Zoom, Bluejeans, WebEx, Explain Everything, and TikTok. It also includes True Tone this time around, which adjusts the tone of the display to match the room’s colour temperature.
More interestingly, though, Apple unveiled a fresh design for the iPad Mini. The biggest change in the design is the shrinking of the bezels, which means the screen can be larger without changing the physical footprint of the tablet. It now has an 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display, and the same straight edges found on its other iPad models and the iPhones.
According to Apple CEO Tim Cook, it has 40% better CPU performance and a massive 80% jump in GPU performance, which means they’re “giving our littlest iPad its biggest upgrade ever.” It gets the same upgraded 12MP front-facing camera, as well as a new USB-C port (something the iPad still lacks).
The new 10.1-inch iPad starts from $329 for the 64GB model with WiFi. The models that include cellular support start at $459 and will be available in silver and grey. The new iPad Mini starts at $499 for the 64GB model with WiFi support. Cellular models start at $649 and will come in a range of four colours, including purple, pink, and what Apple calls “starlight,” which is buff champagne colour.
