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Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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Apple has begun accepting online pre-orders for the iPad Air 2 and the iPad mini 3 in the United States and several other countries around the world. Rumors have suggested that initial supplies of the iPad Air 2 might be somewhat constrained, so prospective buyers should make their purchases as soon as possible. All models are currently showing shipping estimates of 2-4 business days in the U.S. store.

AT&T is also accepting pre-orders on cellular models of the iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3 with shipping estimates of 6-10 business days.

Announced on October 16, Apple's second-generation iPad Air offers several significant improvements over the original iPad Air, including a thinner design, an A8X chip, Touch ID, 802.11ac, support for LTE Advanced, an improved 8-megapixel camera with an f/2.4 aperture, and an anti-reflective screen coating that cuts down on glare.

The iPad mini 3 offers the same internals as the iPad mini 2 (aka the iPad mini with Retina display), but it does come with Touch ID and a new gold color option.

ipadair2ipadmini3.jpg

Available in white/silver, white/gold, and black/space gray, the iPad Air 2 is available in 16, 64, and 128GB configurations, with the Wi-Fi only models priced at $499, $599, and $699, respectively. Wi-Fi + Cellular models carry a $130 premium over Wi-Fi models and are priced at $629/$729/$829 for 16/64/128GB capacities.

The iPad mini 3 is also available in white/silver, white/gold, and black/space gray, and it also comes in 16, 64, and 128GB configurations. The corresponding Wi-Fi only models are priced at $399, $499, and $599, while the Wi-Fi + Cellular models are priced at $529, $629, and $729 for 16, 64, and 128GB configurations.

Both models can be pre-ordered immediately from Apple's online store. The company has not yet provided information on when the iPad mini 3 and the iPad Air 2 will be available in stores, giving an availability date of "later next week."

Article Link: iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini 3 Now Available for Pre-Order
 

cababah

macrumors 68000
Jun 11, 2009
1,891
504
SF Bay Area, CA
Man, look at that side-by-side picture. It's like even Apple wants you to know how much the iPad Mini 3's display sucks.


Edit: I realize they are different images, guys (Mini 3 still has a crappy display) :)
 
Last edited:

NachoGrande

macrumors 6502a
Mar 30, 2010
986
1,714
Did I read that right? the iPad mini 3 is the same as the 2 except for the touch id? I'll save the $100 and key in my own passcode... or just turn it off since my iPad never leaves the house :rolleyes:
 

nozebleed

macrumors 6502
Jul 30, 2008
328
46
The iPad mini 3 offers the same internals as the iPad mini 2 (aka the iPad mini with Retina display), but it does come with Touch ID and a new gold color option.

this is worth a $100 premium??????????
 

cybertek

macrumors regular
Aug 9, 2011
125
26
this is worth a $100 premium??????????


I ordered the iPad Mini 2 Refurbished in 64GB for $349. This seems like the best option/deal unless you really want the touch ID. I think all other spec's are the same.

Edit: I ordered two of the for my kids for Christmas presents.
 

Menopause

macrumors 6502a
Feb 26, 2011
663
1,807
this is worth a $100 premium??????????

Think of it this way: Apple is offering the last iPad mini with some minor updates (as you mentioned) for the same price this year. The last iPad mini has been therefore discounted to a lower price point favoring a customer group to whom $100 is a big difference.
 

Scott6666

macrumors 65816
Feb 2, 2008
1,487
936
128GB Air 2. Had one of EVERY model since the first. Why end the streak now?

Non-reflective screen is enough for me. (But might return if it turns out to only be 1GB RAM.)
 
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