The third generation of iPad mini is here and gets Touch ID! However, aside from the Touch ID, it’s not changing a whole lot. The major visual difference is the addition of a Touch ID sensor like the new iPad Air has. The new mini is still using the A7 processor, and the rear camera is only 5 megapixels compared to the Air 2’s 8MP sensor. Like the iPad Air, the iPad mini 3 is available in silver, space gray, and is now also available in gold. The base 16GB model will sell for $399 and inventory is available now! For anyone who does not care about having the very latest tablet, Apple is also keeping both the original iPad mini and the iPad mini 2 (formerly the iPad mini with Retina display) and giving them a substantial price cut. That means you can buy an iPad mini 2 for $299 and up, and the original mini is only $249.
iPad Air 2 is the thinnest iPad to date at 6.1 millimeters, or 18 percent thinner than the original iPad Air. The new A8X chip is 40 percent faster than its predecessor and Apple says the device’s graphics are processed 2.5 times faster. The rear camera is 8 megapixels, significantly improved over its predecessor, and is able to shoot slow-motion video and time lapses for the first time. The front camera has improved face detection and a “burst selfies” mode. iPad Air is also getting customers’ most-requested feature: Touch ID for fingerprint access to your device and the increasing number of apps that take advantage of it. But, while you can use Touch ID to make Apple Pay purchases online, you can’t use it IRL (in real life) which indicates that the iPad Air does not have an NFC chip. The device starts at $499 for the 16GB wifi-only version, $599 gets you 64GB, and $699 gets you 128GB. As usual, add $130 for cellular LTE-enabled versions. The cellular enabled iPad Air 2s, they are ready out of the box for AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint. Verizon users will need to contact Verizon or visit your location Verizon store.