Another October, another Apple event. What do you really need to know? (If you missed today’s event, you can watch a .)
iPad Air 2: Thinnest tablet ever
Apple introduced the new iPad Air 2 by shaving a fraction off the top of a horizontal pencil — and then it pulled the iPad out from behind it. At 6.1 mm it’s thinner, yes. Bendable? Hopefully not too much. Other new features:
* Faster Wi-Fi with 802.11ac and MIMO
* A8X chip, which is about 40% faster than last year’s model
* 10-hour battery life
* 8 MP iSight camera adds features like burst mode, timelapse and slo-mo video
* added
* Prices: $499 16 GB, $599 for 64 GB, $699 for 128 GB. Cell versions about $130 more.
* Preorders start Oct. 17. Shipping starts next week.
iPad Mini 3
* The 7.9 inch mini gets many of the same features as the new iPad Air 2.
* Touch ID
* Prices start at $399 (16 GB), $499 (64 GB) $599 (128 GB)
* Preorders start Oct. 17. Shipping starts next week.
New iMacs get more defined
They look the same, but the buzzy new iMac is thinner (5 mm) and has the highest definition yet.
* New Retina 5k display has a resolution of 5120 x 2880 pixels or 7x more resolution than typical HDTVs
* Price: 27-inch $2,499, includes 1 TB Fusion Drive, 8 GB memory and it ships today
* Other new iMacs (no Retina 5k display) start at $1,099 for the 21.5 inch
Mac Mini get an update
* Less than 1-inch thick, under 3 pounds, the new Mac Mini targets the starter-computer market
* 4th generation Intel chips
* Faster Wi-Fi (802.11ac
* 2 Thunderbolt ports
* Starts at $499 and
Apple Pay: Begins Monday. Apple’s of a mobile-based payment system will let people pay for stuff with their iPhone at places like Panera Bread, Target and Uber.
OS X Yosemite: The new Mac operating system should be . It touts features like a revamped Safari (allegedly 6.6-times faster than other browsers), connects better with the mobile iOS and now lets you make regular phone calls on a Mac.
