Apple announces iPad Air 2, iPad mini 3


Both new iPads got Touch ID. Also storage got switched up similar to the iPhone 6/6+ with a 16/64/128 lineup.

The mini 3 form is basically unchanged from the original mini. The only significant improvement over last year's model is TouchID and the change in the storage options. Even the CPU is unchanged as it sticks with the A7 chip. That seems weird.

The iPad Air 2 takes on a lot features from the iPhone 6. The camera has been updated to what appears to match the iPhone 6 camera, along with improved WiFi. Most remarkably is the new thin design. Interestingly the iPad Air 2 is about 1/2 the thickness of the original iPad.

Pricing for the mini 3 starts out at $399/$499/$599 and the iPad Air 2 is $100 more at each storage level, which again seems weird. The value here seems clearly with the iPad Air 2 in both size and specs. For those even more price sensitive, Apple's is keeping around the iPad mini 2 for $299/$349 for 16GB/32GB versions and the original mini for $249 for 16GB. The iPad Air is also hanging around for $399/$449 for 16GB and 32GB models.