Apple announces iPad Air 2, Mac Mini, and others
By Jerrison Oracion, Senior Columnist
Last month, Apple announced the new versions of the iPhone—the 6 and the 6 Plus—which have become the fastest selling versions of the iPhone, with sensationalized reports that the 6 Plus could be bent. So, how could Apple possibly top that? They did so by announcing new versions of the iPad Air and the iPad Mini earlier than expected.
On October 16, Apple made yet another announcement at their headquarters in Cupertino, California. Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, started by outlining various updates on some of their products, including updates to the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus, Apple Pay, Apple Watch, Mac OS X Yosemite, and iOS 8. Cook also said that Apple Pay is available with all three major credit card companies in the United States right now, and will be available in Canada soon. He also said that the highly anticipated Apple Watch is getting a lot of praise.
Next, a phone call from future Late Show host Stephen Colbert brought some humour into the demonstration of iCloud Drive; he announced that he works in Apple as the Supreme Commander of Secrecy. Then, Apple announced that Mac OS X Yosemite and an update of iOS 8 that fixes the technical problems of the previous update of the operating system are available now and they are free. And finally, Cook announced the next version of the iPad Air, iPad Air 2.
Before this announcement, many people thought that the next version of the iPad Air would be announced in the spring, making this announcement a total surprise. The iPad Air 2 is thinner than the previous version of the iPad Air and it is thinner than a thinner pencil. According to Phillip Schiller (who could have been the next CEO of Apple), the iPad Air 2 is the thinnest tablet that is made in the world and it is the most powerful version of the iPad.
iPad Air 2 has most of the new features that are in the iPhone 6 including a faster processor, Touch ID, faster Wi-Fi, and a barometer. Also, it has improved cameras that add light to pictures and allow you to make time-lapse and slow-motion videos. The 32 GB version of the iPad Air has been replaced by a new 64 GB version, and a 128 GB version will also be available. The new version of the iPad Mini, iPad Mini 3, was also announced and will contain the Touch ID feature. It will look very similar to the original Mac Mini, but with many updated features such as a 4th generation Intel processor and the option for a 1-TB “Fusion Drive” that uses your data quickly and intelligently. Despite beefed-up features, the Mac Mini will remain a low-cost option for Apple users.
Finally, Schiller announced a new version of the iMac. This will be the first version of the iMac that has a Retina Display in it. This new version of Retina Display is called the Retina 5K Display, and it boasts more pixels than HD and even 4K to produce clearer and more colourful images. It also has a faster processor and graphics card.
Throughout the announcement, Cook and company showed off Apple Watch, using it to demonstrate that it can control various things. With no ship date in sight, now we just have to wait until this winter to find out more information on Apple’s exciting entry into the smart watch market.
