Apple launches a new 9.7-inch iPad with no fanfare; iPad Mini 4, iPhone SE get more storage

It’s not the 10.5-inch iPad , but Apple did release a brand new iPad yesterday. The words “brand new” are applicable in only a technical sense however. The new iPad is simply called iPad and replaces the iPad Air 2. All Apple has done with the new device is rename it and bump up the SoC to the A9 chip found in the iPhone 6s lineup. The more powerful iPad Pro lineup uses the A9X SoC. The new model is slightly thicker and fractionally heavier than the device it replaces. The iPad will be available in a 32GB and 128GB variant with Wi-Fi only or Wi-Fi + Cellular options. Prices start at $329 (around Rs 22,000) for the base Wi-Fi only model and can go up to $559 for the 128GB Wi-Fi + Cellular model (around Rs 37,000). Note that these are US prices. The device is yet to launch in India and prices will certainly be higher. The iPad Mini 3 was also discontinued and the iPad Mini 4 gets a price drop. There’s also a new 128GB model now available. The iPhone SE has been updated with new storage options of 32GB and 128GB, replacing the older 16GB and 64GB options. The pricing remains the same and starts at Rs 27,200 in India. As we mentioned earlier , Apple also released a red coloured iPhone 7 and 7 Plus at Rs 82,000.