The new iPad Air 2 has arrived, and it delivers a more powerful A8X processor and a new anti-reflective display in a design that's 18 percent thinner than its predecessor. There's also a Touch ID sensor on board.
The iPad Air 2 will start at $499 for 16GB, $599 for 64GB and $699 for 128GB. There will be cellular versions for $130 more.
The iPad Air is now .24 inches thick, down from .29 inches on the prior model. The new anti-reflective coating is a first for multi-touch tablets. It reduces reflections by 56 percent. This should come in handy for reading or shooting and viewing photos and videos outdoors.
MORE: iPhone 6 Plus Review
As was rumored, the iPad Air 2 packs an A8X processor with 3 billion transistors The chip promises performance that is 40 percent faster and 2.5X faster graphics. The slate also includes a motion co-processor with a built-in barometer.
Although we're not fans of shooting with tablets, the Air 2 sports an improved camera. There's an 8-MP iSight camera that does burst mode photos and 43-MP panorama shots. A new FaceTime HD camera offers improved face detection and burst selfies.
The iPad Air 2 comes with 802.11ac Wi-Fi and faster LTE with more bands (20 of them). You'll be able to get up to 150 Mbps.
The Touch ID sensor will let you not only take advantage of Apple Pay in stores but also when you're shopping online.
Apple also announced the iPad mini 3, the latest version of its compact tablet. Starting at $399, the mini 3 features a 7.9-inch Retina display, a new FaceTime HD front camera, a 5-MP rear shooter and 802.11n Wi-Fi with MIMO.
Despite the fact that tablets sales haven been sluggish in the wake of phablets, Apple has sold a whopping 225 million iPads to date. In addition, Apple now offers 675,000 iPad apps, which is far more than the competition. Stay tuned for a full review.
Mark Spoonauer is editor in chief of Tom's Guide. Follow him at @mspoonauer. Follow Tom's Guide at @tomsguide, on Facebook and onGoogle+.
