The leadup to iPad preorders isn’t exactly the insanity we see when new iPhones are about to go on sale, but it’s still an exciting time for Apple fans. Now, however, the wait is over and Apple’s brand new iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3 are both available for purchase ahead of their respective launches next week.
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Apple unveiled both new iPad models during its big press conference on Thursday, and the larger new iPad was clearly the star of the show. The iPad mini 3, after all, is exactly the same as the previous-generation model with the exception of a Touch ID fingerprint scanner and a new gold and white color option.
The iPad Air 2, on the other hand, is a completely new device.
Apple’s new flagship tablet features an overhauled design that is somehow even thinner than the first iPad Air, but the battery lasts just as long. It also sports Touch ID, a new faster A8X processor, and the graphics are a shocking 180 times faster than the original iPad.
Both new iPad models are available for preorder beginning right now. The iPad mini 3 starts at $399 for the 16GB model and tops out at $729 for the 128GB model with Wi-Fi and cellular radios. The iPad Air 2 is just $100 more expensive, starting at $499 for the 16GB Wi-Fi version and running up to $829 for a 128GB model with Wi-Fi and cellular connectivity.
The new iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3 will begin shipping “late next week,” likely on Friday, which is when new iPhones and iPads almost always go on sale.
A link to the iPad page on Apple’s online store can be found below in our source section, and the iPad Air 2 can also be preordered here from AT&T and here from T-Mobile (pre-registration only).
UPDATE, 12:05 p.m. EDT: iPad Air 2 preorders have been live on Apple’s site for about an hour now, and shipping times for several different space gray models have already slipped from 2-4 business days to 4-6 days.
