Apple Starts Accepting Pre-Orders for iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini 3

[[Coi] Mr.CLuBBeR]

New tablets all around

Market research firms like Gartner report that tablet growth is slowing as consumers are reluctant to upgrade, but be that as it may, it hasn't stopped Google and Apple from releasing new models. Google earlier this week unveiled it's HTC-built Nexus 9 tablet with a 64-bit Tegra K1 SoC inside, and following yesterday's press event, Apple is now taking pre-orders for its iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3 slates.
The iPad Air 2 is thinner than its predecessor at 6.1mm and faster courtesy of its custom A8X processor. It also features a Touch ID sensor, improved FaceTime HD camera that's better equipped to take those all-important selfies, and a superior 8MP rear camera that can take burst photos, timelapse videos, and record in slo-mode.
Apple also upgraded the Wi-Fi to 802.11ac MIMO supporting data rates up to 866Mbps, along with faster LTE connectivity (up to 150Mbps).
As for the iPad mini 3, not much is different, other than it too has a Touch ID sensor and comes with a gold color option.
The iPad Air 2 runs $499 for the 16GB Wi-Fi model, $599 for 64GB, and $699 for 128GB. LTE versions of each one carry a $130 premium. Meanwhile, the iPad mini 3 costs $399 and up.
You can place your pre-order on Apple's website. Incidentally, Google's Nexus 9 will also be up for pre-order sometime today (scroll down) through Google Play, Best Buy, Amazon, and GameStop.
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