Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) just announced the iPad Air tablet will be available on November 1st at 8:00 a.m. local time. That’s roughly an hour earlier than the usual opening time for Apple stores.
This is nothing new for Apple
This is nothing new for Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), who previously opened up the store early for specific product launches, like the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C, which launched last month.
Since Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) didn’t take advanced pre-orders online for the iPhone 5S, it’s highly unlikely they would do the same for the iPad Air. The company will probably take pre-orders online starting November 1st at 12:00 a.m. Pacific Standard Time. The new iPad Mini 2 with Retina display is reported to launch later in November.
The new iPad Air is just a few millimeters thinner and about half a pound lighter. The device also looks similar to the iPad Mini, thanks to squared-off edges and a smaller bezel. It runs with a 64-bit A7 chip and features a Retina display. The new tablet will start shipping on November 1st, starting at $499, which is about $100 more than the iPad 2.
The Cupertino-based tech giant also gave their budget tablet a makeover. The iPad Mini 2 measures 7.9 inches and features a 2048 x 1536 screen. It also runs on a 64-bit A7 chip. Not surprisingly, Apple is increasing the price of the Mini 2 to $399. Fortunately, the iPad Mini original will stay around and remain affordable at $299.
Apple will later launch a larger iPad
There is now speculation that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) will later launch a larger iPad. The company has a MacBook Air laptop, which is a lighter version of the MacBook Pro, as well as Mac Mini, a smaller desktop computer.
Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster explained, “This would seem to leave room for a ‘Pro’ model at some point if a market for a higher performance tablet exists.”
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has the tablet market cornered and over time it’s likely that the company will launch a larger tablet to ward off competitors.
