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We’ve all made it to the other side of Apple’s latest announcement event. Now it’s time to huddle, think about what we’ve heard and decide if any of us are ready to plunk down somewhere between $399 and $829 to own a new iPad.
The biggest changes are coming to the iPad Air 2 , which gets thinner, improves on its predecessor’s camera, adds TouchID and gets a graphics performance boost. The iPad Mini 3 was almost an afterthought following the time it took to reveal all the features of the new iPad Air. Owners of the Mini Retina won’t see many changes over their current devices. What’s different is a TouchID sensor and the availability of a gold color. There’s no camera upgrade and no thickness shaved off the device. Pretty much all the glory went to the new Air and there wasn’t much left over for the Mini.
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It’s hard for this new crop of iPads to compete with the sense of excitement that accompanied earlier iPad announcements, such as for the original device and the initial introductions of the Mini and the Air. First-time iPad buyers and people with really ancient tablets may find the new Air intriguing enough to buy, but many Apple fans are complaining about a perceived lack of innovation in this year’s offerings.
“Very disappointing. No real reason to upgrade. What happen to Apple innovation? I will hold on to my current iPad. I will never buy another iPad until I get an expansion card slot. Come on Apple,” writes CNET reader Covert_Rain.
I still use an iPad 2 as my around-the-house tablet and an iPad Mini Retina cellular model as my on-the-go machine. Both are still going strong, so this will be a year when I sit out from any iPad upgrades. I suspect I’m not alone, though the ennui about tablets isn’t necessarily Apple-specific. CNET reader Beardinals comments, “Unless you have a 4 year old tablet (any tablet) is there really a reason to upgrade these days?”
You followed the announcement and stared down the fresh specs. You’ve probably already made up your mind as to whether or not an iPad Air 2 or iPad Mini 3 is for you. Will you buy a new iPad? Vote in our poll and share your thoughts in the comments.
