Apple iPad mini and 4th gen iPad now available in India

Apple latest generation of tablets – the iPad mini and the 4^th generation iPad – are up for grabs online in India today. An advertisement is doing the rounds in major newspapers in the country, signifying the release of the iPad mini tablet in India.

The information of the launch of the tablet however was not communicated to us via Apple’s PR. The advertisement shows the availability of the product in iWorld stores, which is a premium reseller of Apple products.

Users who wish to purchase the tablet can also do so from online retailers such as saholic.com or flipkart.com, which have listed the device as available. Both sites claim the tablets will be delivered in 4 to 6 business days.

The pricing of the iPad mini is as follows:

• Apple iPad mini (16GB Wi-Fi): Rs. 21,900
• Apple iPad mini (16GB Wi-Fi + 3G): Rs. 29,900
• Apple iPad mini (32GB Wi-Fi): Rs. 27,900
• Apple iPad mini (32GB Wi-Fi + 3G): Rs. 35,900
• Apple iPad mini (64GB Wi-Fi): Rs. 33,900
• Apple iPad mini (64GB Wi-Fi + 3G): Rs. 41,900

The pricing for the iPad 4th gen is as follows:

• Apple iPad 4th gen (16GB - Wi-Fi): Rs. 31,900
• Apple iPad 4th gen (16GB – Wi-Fi + 3G): Rs. 39,900
• Apple iPad 4th gen (32GB – Wi-Fi): Rs. 37,900
• Apple iPad 4th gen (32GB Wi-Fi + 3G): Rs. 45,900
• Apple iPad 4th gen (64GB Wi-Fi): Rs. 43,900
• Apple iPad 4th gen (64GB Wi-Fi +3G): Rs. 51,900

If you are interested in picking up the iPad mini, you can read our review of the device here.

If the 4^th gen iPad is your weapon of choice, then take a look at our review of the device here.

One thing that must be noted that we have four models of the iPad available in India - the iPad 2, iPad third generation, fourth generation and the mini available in India.

The pricing of the third generation iPad in India is as follows.

• Apple iPad 3rd gen (16GB - Wi-Fi): Rs. 28,900
• Apple iPad 3rd gen (16GB – Wi-Fi + 3G): Rs. 36,900
• Apple iPad 3rd gen (32GB – Wi-Fi): Rs. 34,800
• Apple iPad 3rd gen (32GB Wi-Fi + 3G): Rs. 42,900
• Apple iPad 3rd gen (64GB Wi-Fi): Rs. 40,900
• Apple iPad 3rd gen (64GB Wi-Fi +3G): Rs. 48,900
  
  

You can read our review of the third generation iPad here

Source: http://www.thinkdigit.com/Tablets/Apple-iPad-mini-and-4th-gen-iPad_11672.html

Hands on with the Apple iPad (4th Generation)

Well, that was fast. After only six months, Apple has replaced the third-generation iPad with a new fourth-gen tablet, which is pretty much what the third-gen model should have been in the first place.

The new unit looks just like the old one. It's the same size and the same weight—I put two next to each other and they were difficult to tell apart except for the new Lightning port on the fourth-gen iPad's bottom edge.

The new iPad doesn't need a smaller docking port—in fact, you could argue for a larger plug that's better able to keep it in place in a dock —but Apple's switching all of its iOS devices over to Lightning right now.

The difference is inside, in performance. The third-gen iPad had the odd A5X chip, which boosted the device's GPU without accelerating its CPU at all over the iPad 2. The new iPad has an A6X, which appears to use the brand-new, Apple-designed processor found in Apple's iPhone 5.

That means faster performance. I ran the browser benchmark Browsermark on the new iPad and got a score of 200,333. Compare that to the 126,886 on the previous iPad, and the 191,158 on the iPhone 5, and you see that we may have a significantly faster Web browsing experience here.

Apple also boosted the Wi-Fi speeds (invisible) and is offering it on more LTE networks, including Sprint's (also invisible). The front camera has been upgraded to 1.2 megapixels. So you get the idea—what we have here is a completely familiar iPad with the same gorgeous high-res Retina screen and 275,000 apps, just faster and a bit better specced.

The new model rusticates the third-gen model, making it look like the formerly new iPad was a stopgap in Apple's cadence of annual releases; perhaps the company was waiting for the A6 to be ready, but needed an iPad for its traditional spring unveiling. Fortunately for third-gen iPad owners, "better performance" is much less visible than "gorgeous Retina screen," and with the iPad mini now in the running, developers will still be making sure their apps run well on A5 processors.

In other words, I didn't see a huge difference between the fourth-gen iPad experience and that of third-gen iPad here at Apple's event. That will change over time. The difference will be huge for people able to get the iPad on Sprint LTE, of course, and I suspect the faster Wi-Fi and faster processor will combine to create a notably faster Web-browsing experience. But we'll have to see that when we do our full review.

Another New Apple iPad: The latest Apple iPad looks a lot like the last Apple iPad (a.k.a. the New Apple iPad), which was released mere months ago, and is now discontinued. The changes are mostly internal: a much faster processor, more 4G carriers, and a better front camera.

Apple iPad (4th Generation): Side - Apple didn't mess with the design of its successful 9.7-inch iPad. It's still 0.37 inches thick and works with existing cases and covers.

Apple iPad (4th Generation): Lightning Connector - Apple replaced the older 30-pin dock connector with the new, smaller Lightning port. The iPad doesn't need to save the space, but Apple needs to nurture a world of Lightning accessories.

New (3rd-Gen) Apple iPad and Apple iPad (4th Generation): The third-generation iPad (at left) is no more. It's been replaced by the nearly identical, but more powerful fourth-generation unit (at right).

New (3rd-Gen) Apple iPad and Apple iPad (4th Generation): Edges - The New Apple iPad (now discontinued) and the Apple iPad (4th Generation) seem thin until you compare them to the iPad mini. They're still very handsome tablets.

New (3rd-Gen) Apple iPad and Apple iPad (4th Generation): Backs - Around back, the difference between these two iPads is just that our third-generation iPad is a cellular model, with the plastic antenna covers.

Apple iPad (4th Generation): Benchmark - This result probably isn't valid, as it comes from an iPad that was being manhandled during the benchmark. But even with all that going on, its Web browsing performance beat the third-generation iPad (which scored 126,886) and the iPhone 5 (which scores around 191,000).

 Source: http://www.thinkdigit.com/Tablets/Hands-on-with-the-Apple-iPad-4th_11139.html

Just kidding! Rumor now tips Oct. 23 iPad Mini launch

Oct. 10 came and went without an iPad mini invitation, but the latest rumor suggests that Apple will actually unveil the much-hyped device on Oct. 23.

Citing "people familiar with Apple's plans," All Things D this morning said Apple will hold a press event on Tuesday, Oct. 23 to unveil the iPad mini. The blog has not yet confirmed a location, but speculated that the event will be held at Apple's Cupertino campus since the company already held a big press event in San Francisco for the iPhone 5 unveiling.

Apple has not yet made any announcements.

Earlier this month, a report from Fortune said Apple would send out iPad mini invitations on Oct. 10, hold its event on Oct. 17, and start selling the new device by Nov. 2. But by the time Wednesday afternoon rolled around, invites were nowhere in site, and Fortune issued a mea culpa.

"My source was a major Apple investor who had heard it from three different sources. They were wrong about the timing," reporter Philip Elmer-Dewitt wrote. "I was wrong to pass the tip along. I don't know what I was doing in the rumor business in the first place. Mea culpa."

When it comes to Apple event rumors, All Things D has been a pretty reliable source. In August, the blog correctly reported that Apple would not unveil the iPad mini at the September iPhone 5 event. iMore.com later predicted that the iPhone 5 would be unveiled on Sept. 12. Last year, meanwhile, ATD tipped the Oct. 4 iPhone 4S launch date and the change of venue from San Francisco to Apple's campus.

Oct. 23, meanwhile, puts the iPad mini launch just three days ahead of the Windows 8 release. On that date, the Microsoft Surface tablet as well as a number of other Windows 8-based tablets are expected to hit store shelves. Can they compete against a smaller and more affordable iPad? Stay tuned.

If you can't wait, check out PCMag's roundup of the top iPad mini alternatives below, as well as some supposedly leaked images of the iPad mini.

UPDATE: Jim Dalrymple and John Gruber, both considered to be in-the-know about all things Apple, have chimed in to seemingly confirm the Oct. 23 date. Dalrymple quoted the All Things D story and issued a simple "Yep" in response, while Gruber titled his blog post "Oct. 23" and wrote: "Looks like that's when Apple is going to unveil the smaller iPad."


Source: http://www.thinkdigit.com/Tablets/Just-kidding-Rumor-now-tips-Oct-23_11048.html