Apple Event recap

This iPad event wasn’t quite as thrilling as last
month’s iPhone announcement, but Apple still came
with the new iPad Air 2, iPad mini 3 and a 27-inch
iMac with Retina 5K display. A good lineup by any
standards, though that iPad mini 3 kind of fell flat;
after enthusiastically going over the iPad Air 2 in all its
glory, Apple spent all of ten seconds talking about its
smaller slate. That and there were plenty of jokes
about leaks, and Stephen Colbert even made a surprise
appearance over the phone.
Here are the main takeaways: the iPad Air 2 now
comes with an A8x chip and Touch ID, Apple Pay will
be available next Monday, Yosemite is available today
for free, and there’s that aforementioned 27-inch iMac
with 5K screen. Apple also introduced an upgraded
Mac Mini, along with the addition of Touch ID to the
iPad mini 3. Aside from that, Apple also talked a bit
about Apple Pay, which is launching with the
introduction of iOS 8.1 next Monday. Finally you’ll be
able to use your iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus as a
digital wallet (but not your iPad Air 2 .We’re still not sure how we
feel about Apple’s new iPad mini 3, though at least the
iPad mini 2 is cheaper.
TABLETS
Apple iPad Air 2 Hands-On: Apple’s Most Impressive
Tablet Yet
Apple’s new iPad Air 2 is finally official and, despite it
not being much of a surprise, the device is still really
impressive. It’s thinner, sports an optically-bonded
display, and even comes with an improved A8X chip.
iPad Mini 3 Hands-On: The Same, But Now With Touch
ID
Just yesterday we saw Google announce a beastly
Nexus 9, and Apple responded accordingly. Not only
did the iPhone maker announce a new iPad Air 2, but
an update to its iPad mini.
DESKTOPS
27-inch iMac With Retina 5K First Thoughts:
Absolutely Stunning
Apple’s iMac has always been a showpiece. The all-
in-one is one of the most beautiful objects in
technology, and it’s even easier on the eyes with the
addition of a 5K display. That’s a resolution of 5120 x
2880.