In a slew of announcements on Tuesday, Apple announced a new 9.7-inch iPad that will start at Rs 28,900, replacing the iPad Air 2. The new tablet joins the iPad Mini 4 and the two iPad Pro models. The new iPad - or simply called "iPad" - is the most affordable iPad the company has ever created. In contrast, the iPad Mini 4 which has a smaller 7.9-inch Retina Display will cost users Rs 31,299. The new 9.7-inch iPad seems to look too similar to the iPad Air 2, so what exactly does the new tablet bring to the table? For most people, it's hard to even differentiate between the two tablets based on external appearance. While we are still waiting to get our hands on the new iPad, we have put the specifications of the new iPad against the iPad Air 2 for a fair comparison. New iPad vs iPad Air 2: Design and display The new 9.7-inch iPad has an uncanny resemblance to the iPad Air 2. You have the same aluminium build and the TouchID scanner in the home button. Like the iPad Air 2, the new tablet features stereo speakers and a 3.5mm headphone jack. However, the new iPad is a bit heavy at 469 grams and measures at 7.5mm in terms of thickness for the Wi-Fi model. In terms of size, the 9.7-inch iPad is not only bulky, but also a tad heavier than the iPad Air 2 - which measures 240 x 169.5 x 6.1mm and weighs 437 grams. Well, the weight difference won't make much of a difference, but it is something worth pointing out. The iPad Air 2 came with a 9.7-inch Retina Display and a resolution of 2048 x 1536 pixels, meaning it offers a pixel density of 264 ppi. While the 9.7-inch iPad has the same display size and resolution, it's not fully laminated and does not feature an anti-reflective coating. The latter feature is critical, as it helps in reducing reflections and increase picture clarity. New iPad vs iPad Air 2 : Hardware and software While the iPad Air 2 featured an A8X processor and the M8 motion co-processor, the new iPad boasts a faster A9 processor, the same processor used in the iPhone 6s. The processor boost should provide a noticeable difference in the performance over the iPad Air 2. Both the iPad and the iPad Air 2 run on iOS 10, meaning you will get the same software experience across these models. New iPad vs iPad Air 2 : Camera The cameras on the new iPad are essentially same as on the iPad Air 2. The new iPad features a features an 8-megapixel f aperture rear-facing shooter that can capture 1080p video at 30 frames per second. The front-facing FaceTime HD camera captures 1.3-megapixel images with f aperture and 720p video. New iPad vs iPad Air 2 : Storage and connectivity The new iPad gets the same 32GB and 128GB storage options as the iPad Air 2. And, of course, you won't get a microSD slot, as it is common with any Apple device. Users can choose the iPad between Wi-Fi only or Wi-Fi plus cellular connectivity options. As far as colour goes, the new iPad will be available in Silver, Space Grey and Gold. New iPad vs iPad Air 2: Conclusion The big difference between the iPad and the iPad Air 2 is the price. Apple seems to be going really aggressive with the iPad. The 32GB version of the iPad will cost Rs 28,900, a price difference of Rs 3,000 than the entry-level iPad Air 2. Sure, the usual fanfare of a launch was missing. But the strategy works in favour of Apple. The company historically has discontinued its old-generation iPad models to make room for new models. However, in this case, Apple has come with a product that's completely new. Not only does the new iPad have the familiar 9.7-inch form factor, it also has a significantly reduced price.
