Apple spruiks two new iPads — a 10.5-inch iPad Air & 7.9-inch iPad mini

Apple is resurrecting the iPad Air brand, today announcing two new devices.

The new 2019 Apple iPad & iPad mini

Apple has resurrected the iPad Air brand, today announcing two new devices. You now have five iPad choices. There’s already the 2018 9.7-inch iPad, and the 2018 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pros.

Today Apple has added a new iPad Air with a 10.5-inch display, and an iPad mini with a 7.9-inch screen.

Out the window goes any notion of a streamlined screen size with the five iPad models exhibiting five different screen sizes.

The iPad Air (2019) is the first iPad with the “Air” branding since the iPad Air 2 of 2014.

2019 Apple iPad Air

iPad Air (2019), like the MacBook Air, is about being sleek and thin — this new model has the same 6.1mm thickness as its 2014 ancestor although it’s a tad heavier at 456g.

It has an IPS LCD screen rather than the LED screen found on iPad Pros and sports a slightly bigger 10.5-inch display than earlier versions. It’s 1 centimetre longer and half a centimetre wider than the 2014 model.

It has much improved internals: an Apple A12” Bionic Chip”, neural engine for augmented reality applications, and an Apple “Retina” display with its true tone technology.

The new Air starts at $779 (with 64GB storage) and $999 (256GB) and it supports a smart keyboard and Apple Pencil.

2019 iPad mini

The iPad mini (2019) updates the 2014 iPad mini 4, adding the modern A12 Bionic chip to this smaller form factor. It too has a Retina screen and it also supports Apple Pencil.

Pencil on the smaller form factor has potential as a small tablet writing device, say, for taking orders at a cafe on a smaller screen.

iPad minis have found a home in work environments in hospitals, aviation and retail.

Minis with 64GB of storage start at $599 and those with 256GB of storage cost from $819.