Apple iPad Air and iPad Mini with Retina Display: what they will cost you

The next generation of iPad tablets are finally here. We take a look at what you can get and how they compare.

Apple is set to launch two new tablet computers.

The iPad Air is the fifth generation of the full-size tablet and replaces the iPad with Retina Display.

The iPad Mini with Retina Display is the second generation of the original iPad Mini.

Both are set to be released in November just in time for the run up to Christmas, so let’s take a look at what you get and how they compare.

iPad Air

The eagerly anticipated fifth generation full-size iPad is thinner, faster and lighter and goes by the name of iPad Air.

The 9.7-inch device has been engineered to weigh just 1lb (469g), is 20% thinner at just 7.5mm thick and comes with the A7 chip with 64-bit architecture found in the new iPhone 5s.

You’ll also get that all important Retina display with 2,048 x 1,536 resolution providing a 264 pixel per inch density.

iPad Air will be available in two colour combinations; silver and white or space grey and black. And you will be able to get the model in the standard four capacity sizes; 16GB, 32GB, 64GB or 128GB.

iPad Mini with Retina Display

Apple has also announced the second generation of the iPad Mini.

The iPad Mini with Retina Display is also faster but it’s not as thin or as light as the model it replaces.

Like the iPad Air it runs on the A7 chip but now weighs 331g and is slightly thicker at 7.5mm.

However, it’s the much needed update to the display that is the biggest change and Apple has branded the next generation ‘with Retina Display’ to make sure everyone knows about the increased resolution.

The new iPad Mini packs all the 3.1million (2,048 x 1,536) pixels found in the iPad Air into its 7.9inch screen, giving it a pixel density of 326 pixels per inch.

The original iPad Mini came with a pixel density of just 163 ppi, so the next generation is a significant improvement.

The iPad Mini mark two will also be available in the same two colour combinations.

And unlike the previous model you will be able to get it in the same four capacity sizes as the bigger version; 16GB, 32GB, 64GB and 128GB.

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Prices and release dates

The iPad Air will cost from £399 up to £639 for the Wi-Fi only devices, or from £499 up to £739 if you go for a Wi-Fi and 4G/3G enabled version.

It will completely replace the fourth generation iPad with Retina Display, though the iPad 2 will still be available to buy from Apple with prices starting from £329 for Wi-FI only.

The fifth generation iPad Air will be available from Friday 1st November.

Meanwhile the iPad Mini with Retina Display will cost from £319 up to £559 for a Wi-Fi only model or from £419 up to £659 for a Wi-Fi and 4G/3G device.

The original iPad Mini will still be available and will cost £20 less than usual, with prices now starting from £249.

Apple hasn’t given a set date for the release but has said it will be available later in November.

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How the new iPads compare

Apple may have created an 'entirely new mobile computing experience’ when it first launched the iPad in 2010, but competition is coming thick and fast from the likes of Google, Amazon, Microsoft and now even Tesco.

Here’s how the iPad Air compares to its competitors in the full-size tablet class.

There’s no doubt you get a premium product from Apple, but the premium price tag might put people off with prices reaching an eye-watering £739 for a 128GB model with 3G/4G connectivity capability.

The Google Nexus 10 is a heavier device with less storage options, but it can do the same if not more than the new iPad Air for significantly less.

And here’s how the iPad Mini with Retina Display compares to other popular seven-inch tablets

Yet again Apple demands a premium price tag for its device compared to other models in its class.

The Tesco Hudl doesn’t have the same brand appeal or as many storage options but you can get the device for £200 less than the new iPad Mini and still get pretty good specifications for the price.

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