Kicking off a massive September 2021 Keynote, Apple has unveiled two new iPads, with the base iPad now upgraded with the A14 Bionic processor and Centre Stage, while the iPad mini gets more power with an A15 Bionic processor, 2nd gen Apple Pencil support and Centre Stage.
Apple iPad 2021
The new 9th generation 10.2-inch iPad comes packed with new features, though Apple has kept it affordable for school users. Featuring the A13 Bionic chip, the iPad now has, according to Apple, 3x the speed of the best-selling Chromebook, and 6x the speed of the best-selling Android tablet, plus all-day battery life, a new 10.2-inch Retina display with True Tone, and an upgraded front ‘notch’ that now features the same 12MP Ultra Wide front camera from the iPad Pro, so all your video calls will be enhanced by Centre Stage.
The new iPad supports the first-generation Apple Pencil as well as Smart Keyboard, while storage options have now doubled to either 64GB or 256GB, though wireless connectivity remains WiFi 5 and LTE, plus Bluetooth 4.2.
The new iPad is available to order beginning September 15, with a price starting from S$499, on apple.com/sg/store, and in the Apple Store app in 28 countries and regions, including the US, with availability beginning Friday, September 24.
Apple Pencil (1st generation), available for purchase separately, for S$138.
Smart Keyboard for iPad is available for purchase separately for S$239 with layouts for over 30 languages, including simplified Chinese, French, German, Japanese, and Spanish.
Smart Covers for iPad are available for S$75 in black, white, and English lavender.
Apple iPad mini
While the iPad remains Apple’s most affordable tablet, the new iPad mini has undergone a massive transformation. Now available in four new finishes – pink, starlight, purple, and space grey, the 2021 iPad mini features a larger 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display with 500 nits of brightness, a P3 wide colour gamut, anti-reflective screen coating, True Tone, and full lamination. With new landscape stereo speakers, the new iPad mini will deliver a stellar video streaming experience, and liven up your game, especially with the option for fast 5G connectivity.
Featuring the brand new A15 Bionic chip, the new iPad mini delivers massively better performance than the previous generation iPad mini, with a 6-core CPU providing a 40% jump in performance, while its5-core GPU delivers an 80 percent leap in graphics performance, and to boost data transfer Apple has moved the iPad Mini to USB-C.
New advanced cameras include the 12MP ultra-wide front camera with Centre Stage, while the rear camera now has a 12MP sensor with Focus Pixels and True Tone flash. Storage capacity is now either 64GB or 256GB, while connectivity options are WiFi or WiFi + 5G.
The new iPad mini is available to order beginning September 15, from S$749, and will be in stores beginning Friday, September 24.
Apple Pencil (2nd generation), available for purchase separately, is S$189.
New Smart Folios for iPad mini are now available for S$89 in black, white, dark cherry, English lavender, and electric orange.
