Apple has just revealed the newest additions to its iPad lineup with the announcement of an updated, 10.5-inch iPad Air and a new iPad mini with support for Apple Pencil.
The iPad Air's screen size jumps up to 10.5 inches with this update. It also gains the A12 Bionic system-on-a-chip for a 70% boost in performance and twice the graphics capability of its predecessor. The display also supports Apple's True Tone technology for color accuracy in all ambient light settings. Like the previous-gen 10.5-inch iPad Pro, the new iPad Air makes use of the Smart Connector on the edge of the device to support the Smart Keyboard.
The updated iPad mini keeps the familiar 7.9-inch form factor. It also gains the A12 Bionic chip for a huge performance boost over the iPad mini 4 — three times the performance and nine times faster graphics, according to Apple. The display is 25% brighter, has True Tone and P3 wide color support, too. For the first time, the mini line has also gained support for Apple Pencil.
Phil Schiller, Apple's senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing
Today the iPad family takes two big leaps forward with an all-new 10.5-inch iPad Air that brings high-end size, features and performance at a breakthrough price, and a major upgrade to the 7.9-inch iPad mini, which also brings Apple Pencil, Retina display and the A12 Bionic chip to the many customers that love its compact size.
Interestingly, both models retain the Touch ID sensor leaving the bezel-less design and Face ID exclusive to the 2018 iPad Pro line. Both also use the first-generation Apple Pencil and not the updated 2018 model.
A couple of new accessories were also released, including new Smart Cover colors for the 10.5-inch iPad Air and the 5th-generation iPad mini.
The new iPad models are available in 64GB or 256GB sizes and come in silver, space gray, or gold. The 5th-generation iPad mini starts at $399 for the Wi-Fi model and $529 for the Wi-Fi + Cellular version, and the 10.5-inch iPad Air starts at $499 for Wi-Fi-only and $629 for the Wi-Fi + Cellular. You can pre-order now and they will land in stores next week.
