Apple's iPad mini event: everything you need to know
Apple's latest event saw the unveiling of the all new iPad mini alongside a very substantial revision for the Mac line up. The iPad mini's 7.9-inch display and $329 starting price should make it a serious contender this holiday season, and we have hands-on impressions and video with the tablet. The Macbook Pro 13-inch now has a Retina display option, while the iMac and Mac mini both saw notable updates as well. We have all the details rounded up right here.
Watch this: Apple's new iPad mini and Smart Cover videos
Apple's iPad mini made its long-awaited debut this morning in San Jose, California. Apple posted video of the event earlier today, and now some new shorter spots are available as well. The first is the type of promotional short we've come to expect from Apple, with Jonathan Ive describing the new device with his unwavering, earnest enthusiasm. The second is a playful spot focusing on the multi-hued Smart Covers that are available for the 7.9-inch tablet. Take a look below to see the spots for...
The iPad mini's price is high, low, and everything in between
Apple debuted the long-rumored iPad mini this morning, and per the norm for recent Apple product launches, the device was largely what we'd suspected. One question that had remained open, however, was the pricing: with competition from the likes of the Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire HD, would Apple feel compelled to match those devices on their budget-minded $199 price? We now know the answer is no — the iPad mini starts at $329 for the 16GB model, with pricing ramping up from there.
It's a 60...
3rd Generation iPad discontinued, refurbished models available starting at $379
The pace of technology is relentless, and with the introduction of the slightly-upgraded 4th Generation iPad (also known as the iPad with Retina display), the 3rd Generation iPad has been discontinued. The Retina display-equipped model is only a bit over seven months old, and the primary difference between the two models is a Lightning port instead of the old 30-pin connector, and a new A6X processor with twice the graphics performance of the outgoing iPad.
While those who recently purchased...
Watch this: relive Apple's iPad mini event
It's been only minutes since Apple's iPad mini event concluded, but you can relive it all right now by visiting the same events page that Apple used to broadcast the event live. You still need to use Safari 4 and OS X 10.6 or higher or an iOS device to watch the stream, but if you meet that criteria, you can see Tim Cook and company announce the 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro, new Mac mini, new iMac, 4th-generation iPad, and of course, the new iPad mini. Of course, once you are done watching the...
13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display hands-on
It's not quite as thin as the Air, but Apple's new 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display is still quite svelte — and the display is as gorgeous as you'd expect. The resolution settings for the display are just like the larger MacBook Pro — but the maximum allowed resolution is 1680 x 1050, unlike the 1920 x 1080 setting offered on the 15-inch model. Still, 1680 x 1050 is a tremendous option on a display of this size, though at the "best for Retina" setting the screen offers an effective...
Sprint to offer Apple's 4th-generation iPad, iPad mini with LTE
Apple's just-announced 4th generation iPad and new iPad mini with LTE will be headed to Sprint in addition to Verizon Wireless and AT&T. Apple has updated the chipset, camera, and Wi-Fi hardware in the 4th-generation iPad, but the company has also improved LTE support, which allows Sprint to carry the device.
This is the first time that Sprint has been able to offer Apple's iPad tablets with cellular connectivity on its network. There's no data pricing announced for either device, but Sprint...
Apple's new 4th generation iPad contains A6X processor
Apple's latest revision of the iPad is powered by a new and improved A6X processor. Describing the new chip as a "powerhouse," Phil Schiller revealed that the A6X offers double the performance of the A5X — used in the previous iPad with Retina display — in terms of both CPU processing and graphics. "The competition wasn't even close to us, and now we're just blowing past them some more," Schiller said. Indeed, the iPad received a notable boost in gaming prowess when the A5X debuted last...
Apple announces the 7.9-inch iPad mini for $329, shipping November 2nd
The iPad mini has just been revealed by Apple at a special event in San Jose. Up on stage, Phil Schiller explains that this "isn't just a shrunken-down iPad, it's an entirely new design." The 7.9-inch iPad mini has a 1024 x 768 resolution, like the earlier-generation 9.7-inch iPad models, but is encased in an all-new 7.2mm-thick aluminum shell, which makes it 53 percent lighter and 23 percent thinner than the 4th-gen iPad.
Comparing the iPad mini against the Nexus 7, Phil points out that...
Apple announces 4th-generation iPad with A6X processor, Lightning port
Apple has just announced a revised version of its 9.7-inch iPad tablet. The 4th-generation iPad retains the high-resolution Retina Display and 5-megapixel iSight camera that debuted back in March, but it has swapped out the 30-pin dock connector for Apple's new Lightning port that appeared on the iPhone 5 last month. It also features a new A6X processor with twice the graphics performance of the outgoing A5X. Despite the upgraded performance, the 4th-generation iPad is still rated for up to...
Apple adds new 'fusion drive' to iMac and Mac mini, combines SSD and standard hard drive
As part of its radically-redesigned new iMac, Apple announced a new hybrid "fusion drive" for both the iMac and Mac mini. This drive combines a 128GB flash storage drive with a 1TB or 3TB HDD, and Apple claims that performance is nearly equal that of a standard hard drive. It manages everything in the background — by default, all of your Mac's apps are stored on the SSD, but as you use the computer it learns what you use the most and moves those apps to the SSD to increase performance. Phil...
Apple has sold 100 million iPads
At its event in California, Apple has just announced that it has sold 100 million iPads — a milestone the company reached just two and a half years after launching the original iPad. The company may have been saving up to drop the big number, since it has stayed quiet on actual "record" sales numbers in the past, but there's still no indication of how the sales are distributed across the several iPad models. Tim Cook says that the company's tablet "has attracted a lot of attention," and...
Apple's new iMac has 5mm edge, no optical drive, measures 27 or 21.5 inches, and starts at $1,299
At Apple's event today in San Jose, California, the company refreshed most of its lineup of Mac computers, including the iMac, which Phil Schiller called the "flagship of the product line." The eighth model is insanely thin, though it's still unmistakably an iMac. "There's an entire computer in there," Phil Schiller said as he pointed to the iMac's tiny 5mm edge. Apple used a technique called friction stir welding to create the new machine, which it says has much less reflection than previous...
Apple announces updated Mac mini starting at $599
Apple has just announced an updated version of its oft-overlooked Mac mini with an Ivy Bridge processor, starting at $599. It's the first Mac mini update since mid-2011, when the optical drive was dropped, and it's a fairly incremental one. The cheapest model will include a 2.5Ghz dual-core i5 processor, with 4GB of RAM and a 500GB hard drive. Above that, there's also a $999 server version, which will incorporate a 2.3GHz quad-core i7 processor and two 1TB drives.
The new minis include the...
Apple introduces new 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display, ships today for $1,699
Apple has confirmed the rumors, and has announced a new 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display. The model shares many of the same features first introduced in the 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro, including a redesigned, slimmer chassis that omits the optical drive found in previous MacBook Pros. The chassis is 20 percent thinner than the previous 13-inch MacBook Pro that it replaces. The highlight feature is undoubtedly the 13.3-inch screen, and it should impress thanks to its 227 pixels per...
Apple announces new version of iBooks and iBooks Author, available today
At its event in California today, Apple announced a new version of iBooks, bringing a number of improvements to the app, including continuous scrolling. The new version also includes better integration with iCloud, and enhanced sharing functionality, including the ability to tap and share a book passage to Facebook or Twitter. The app now supports over 40 languages — Apple demonstrated Korean, Chinese, and Japanese options on stage. It's the first major update since Apple introduced iBooks...
Apple touts 200 million iOS 6 devices, 300 billion iMessages sent, 35 billion iOS apps downloaded
It's only been about a month since we last got together for an Apple product announcement, but the company has more numbers to share with us. The big news is that 200 million devices are now running iOS 6, just over a month after the launch of the new OS. Apple CEO Tim Cook also touted three million new iPods sold since they were released in the last few weeks. As we heard earlier, the iPhone 5 sold more than five million phones in the first weekend — Cook said this was the fastest-selling...
Our live blog of Apple's iPad mini event begins at 10AM PT, 1PM ET
Read the live blog here!
Apple is hosting an event this coming Tuesday to unveil its next big, or not so big, thing, the iPad mini. Will the iPad mini rock the tablet world once again? Will it look exactly like the dummy models we've seen leaked numerous times? What about the iPad 3? How will it feel to have a smaller upstart taking its spotlight away? We'll be on the ground in San Jose to answer all of these questions and more. Tune in to our live blog at 10AM PT on Tuesday, October 23rd...
