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iPad Air

398 'iPad Air' stories October 2013 - April 2014
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iPad Air 5

The iPad Air was first introduced in 2013 along the iPad mini 2 and the cylindrical “Trash Can” Mac Pro. With a 9.7-inch display, it was really thin and light, weighing only 469 grams – over 25% lighter than its respective predecessor, the iPad 4. But that’s history. Today, iPad Air is even larger, slighty lighter, and more powerful with Apple’s M-Series chips.

The current (6th generation) iPad Air with M3 was unveiled on March 4, 2025 via a press release and became available a week later on March 12, 2025. Along with the new M3 chip, Apple also gave us a new Magic Keyboard to go along with it and an updated version of the base iPad.

Pricing was unchanged for the new iPad Air, with the 11-inch model starting at $599 and the 13-inch model starting at $799. The device is available in blue, purple, starlight, and space gray with 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB storage options.

6th gen iPad Air with M3 and its new Magic Keyboard.

Here are some iPad Air with M3 performance stats from Apple:

  • 8-core CPU and 9-core GPU
  • Support for dynamic caching, along with hardware-accelerated mesh shading and ray tracing
  • 2x faster than iPad Air with M1
  • 3.5x faster than iPad Air with A14 Bionic chip
  • 40% faster graphic performance than iPad Air with M1
  • 60% faster for AI-based workflows than the M1 iPad Air

You can now purchase the new iPad Air on Amazon.

Be sure to check 9to5Toys first for iPad, and other Apple deals happening across the web.

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Facebook open-sources ‘Pop’, the animation framework that drives the visual effects in Paper

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Apr 28 2014 - 11:08 am PT
4 Comments

Facebook has open-sourced a lot of stuff recently, but this is what most developers have been waiting for. Developed originally at Push Pop Press, and refined by Facebook, the company has today released its Pop animation framework publicly. Developers can check out the code from the GitHub repository.

The library enables rapid development of rich animations for iOS (and Mac) apps. Although Core Animation, (Apple’s built-in framework) is well suited to fire-and-forget animations, Pop was created to work seamlessly with modern interactive physics-centric user interfaces.


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Opinion: Will PC-like upgrade cycles keep iPad sales flat?

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Apr 25 2014 - 7:57 am PT
63 Comments
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Tim Cook may well be right that iPad sales didn’t really fall 16 percent year-on-year, and that the number was artificially deflated by reduced retail inventories. It’s also true that it’s been the fastest-growing product line in Apple’s history, and his argument that its success in education will drive future demand also has merit.

But this chart from Business Insider tells a story that can’t be denied: the overall trend is for flat iPad sales.


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Review: Otterbox Defender protective case for iPad Air

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Apr 25 2014 - 5:57 am PT
0 Comments
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I don’t generally like to hide away my iDevices inside cases, but there are some environments where this is at least strongly advisable – and the basket of a hot-air balloon is definitely one of those. In anything but still air, a landing tends to involve the basket being dragged across the ground – and much as you try to secure things, there’s always the risk of loose items taking a fall. Which can get expensive when one of those loose items is an iPad Air.

iPads are the perfect navigation device in a hot-air balloon as you need to simultaneously reference three different types of maps. An airspace map, showing the areas you can’t fly into without risking an A380 bearing down on you (followed shortly afterwards by the aviation licensing authority). A land map to show the ground detail you need for navigation and landing purposes. And finally, a map showing Sensitive Areas (SAs) where landowners request that you either don’t land or overfly above a specified altitude (generally 500 or 1000 feet) to avoid disturbing cattle, dogs and so on.

An iPad provides a moving map combining all three types of data in a single view. But with bumpy landings a fact of life, it would be a braver man than I to risk using a naked iPad. I thus decided to look around at the protective cases available, and having been impressed by the Otterbox Defender iPhone case, tried out the version for the iPad Air …


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9to5Toys Last Call: FitBit Aria smart scale $100, Godfather Trilogy iTunes download $10, IM+ Pro 7 for iOS $0.99, more

Avatar for Apr 22 2014 - 10:07 am PT
0 Comments

Be sure to follow 9to5Toys to keep up with the best gear and deals on the web: Twitter, RSS Feed,Facebook, Google+ and subscribe to the new Safari push notifications feature.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Last Call updates:

iPads:

Seagate Expansion 3TB USB 3.0 Desktop external drive: $90 shipped (Reg. $125)

Games/Apps: Titanfall (all platforms) $37 shipped, Watch Dogs preorder w/ $25 GC, 50% off InstaFisheye, iOS freebies, more

Netflix price increase is coming, but it’s not too late for new members to lock in the current rate

$100 iTunes gift card for $85: Save 15% on future apps, music, movies, more

Other deals from today:

More deals still alive:

New products/useful info:

Microsoft/Google/Android:

Apple enticing games publishers with promotion deals in return for exclusivity

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Apr 21 2014 - 1:23 am PT
3 Comments
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The Wall Street Journal has published a report saying that both Apple and Google are actively pursuing exclusivity deals with game developers. Whispers of these type of arrangements surfaced last year, with reports highlighting a partnership between Apple and EA for Plants vs Zombies 2.

The Journal confirms that Apple’s exclusivity deals do not include monetary payments. In return, the companies offer “premium placement” (such as featured spots on the home page) for launching first on their platform.

In regard to the Plants vs Zombies’ deal, the report says EA gave Apple agreed about two months of exclusivity.


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9to5Toys Last Call: iPad Air/mini $50 off, Denon AV receiver w/ AirPlay $200, Dyson/Fellowes home deals, more

Avatar for Apr 18 2014 - 10:16 am PT
0 Comments

Be sure to follow 9to5Toys to keep up with the best gear and deals on the web: Twitter, RSS Feed,Facebook, Google+ and subscribe to the new Safari push notifications feature. Today’s can’t miss deals: Last Call updates:

Apple Deals:

Denon AVR-E300 5.1-Ch. A/V Network Receiver $200 shipped (Reg. $400) Home Deals: Fellowes Air Purifiers up to 52% off, Dyson Tower Fan $280 (Reg. $450), kitchen items, more

One year magazine subs: Men’s Health & Maxim Bundle $9 shipped (Reg. $93), Rolling Stone $5 shipped (Reg. $102), Macworld, Car & Driver, more  Western Digital Hard Drives:

Other deals from today:

More deals still alive:

https://twitter.com/9to5toys/status/456869873273274368 https://twitter.com/9to5toys/status/456789199606120448 New products/useful info:

Microsoft/Google/Android:

Next-gen iPad Air front panel with integrated display reportedly shown in leaked photos

Avatar for Dom Esposito Apr 18 2014 - 7:48 am PT
13 Comments

New photos that reportedly show the front panel of a next-generation iPad Air have surfaced. Originally shared by One More Thing, the front panel appears to have an integrated display. This notable change could result in an even thinner iPad Air, or leave room for Apple to rework the hardware and add additional components.


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Analyst forecasts suggest iPad sales have peaked, expect YOY decline this quarter despite 13% holiday growth

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Apr 18 2014 - 5:25 am PT
11 Comments
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As highlighted by Fortune, analysts’ consensus on iPad sales for last quarter suggest that iPad sales will actually decline year-over-year by about 0.7%. Although the expected decline is small, this would represent a big shift in iPad momentum, especially since Apple saw a strong increase in sales for the holiday quarter, going from 22.9M units in the previous year to 26M this year.

If iPad sales have fallen, it wouldn’t be because of different market conditions to last year. Apple introduced the iPad Air at the end of 2014 around a year from the introduction of the iPad 4 at the end of 2012. Last year, Apple dropped the price of the iPad Mini a modest $30 while also introducing the highly anticipated retina iPad Mini. In 2012, it introduced the iPad mini. The product cycles are similar, so the decline isn’t due to any artificial inflation of sales last year.


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Strange bug has stopped some streaming video apps from playing content

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Apr 17 2014 - 5:14 am PT
2 Comments

As noted by the BBC, some video apps on iOS have inexplicably stopped working today. Videos simply fail to stream, resulting in error messages like the one shown above. The cause of the issue is still unclear, but the bug is affecting multiple high-profile apps in the UK such as BBC iPlayer and Sky Go. Whether the issue is more widespread is not yet known.

It is unknown whether the bug is an issue with Apple’s software or with the third-party app developers. However, as both independent services have failed on the same day it seems like the problem lies with iOS itself. Setting the date on your iPhone or iPad to the past will make videos play again, which suggests the error may be related to expired digital certificates.


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9to5Toys Last Call: SanDisk wireless iOS flash drives up to 20% off, iPad discounts, MFi game controller, more

Avatar for Apr 14 2014 - 10:22 am PT
0 Comments

Be sure to follow 9to5Toys to keep up with the best gear and deals on the web: Twitter, RSS Feed,Facebook, Google+ and subscribe to the new Safari push notifications feature.

This weekend’s can’t miss deals:

Last Call updates:

 

SanDisk Connect Wireless iOS/Android Flash Drive: 64GB $80 (Reg. $100)/32GB $50 (Reg. $60)

Target Apple Deals: Free $50 gift card and 5% discount on iPad Air/Retina mini, iTunes cards 10% off, more

MOGA Ace Power MFi Lightning iPhone game controller w/ built-in battery $67 shipped (Reg. $100)

Heartbleed Sale: 1Password for Mac/iOS/PC/Android is 50% off


Other deals from today:


More deals still alive:

New products/useful info:

Microsoft/Google/Android:

Play Nintendo DS games on non-jailbroken devices with the nds4ios emulator

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Apr 14 2014 - 6:27 am PT
14 Comments
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nds4ios has released a special version of the app that runs on non-jailbroken devices using a sneaky workaround. As the app is not available in the App Store, previously the app could only be installed on jailbroken devices, such as through the Cydia jailbreak app store. The app gets around Apple’s restrictions by using an enterprise provisioning profile reports TourchArcade. This is normally meant for businesses to distribute apps to company employees, but nds4ios is exploiting it as a way to enable widespread app distribution. Find install instructions after the break.


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Latest ‘Your Verse’ story shares how a Bollywood choreographer captures inspiration with the iPad

Avatar for Zac Hall Apr 7 2014 - 12:40 pm PT
5 Comments
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After showcasing how athletes and coaches have been able to utilize the iPad by determining concussions sooner as a part of its ‘Your Verse’ campaign last month, Apple has updated its home page and iPad microsite to tell the story of how the iPad is helping one choreographer find inspiration for his passion…


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iPhoto for iOS update adds white border printing option alongside various bug fixes

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Apr 3 2014 - 2:59 pm PT
2 Comments

Following a slew of updates to iWork, Apple has released a minor update to iPhoto for iOS, part of its iLife suite. The update adds a new border printing option. When ordering prints, you can now frame your photos with a white border. As usual, the update also includes miscellaneous bug fixes and “other improvements”.

What’s New in Version 2.0.1

• Add a white border to photos when ordering prints
• Includes bug fixes and other improvements

iPhoto costs $5 on the App Store, but new iOS device purchases automatically unlocks the app for the registered account for free.

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iOS 7.1 glitch allows stock apps to be hidden on the Home Screen

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Mar 26 2014 - 5:11 am PT
11 Comments

In what feels like an annual affair, somebody has once again found a glitch with the iOS Home Screen. The bug allows users to place folders inside folders on the iOS 7 Springboard, which is normally not possible. With a certain configuration of steps, the bug can also make apps disappear from the Home Screen entirely. For instance, you could hide some of the stock Apple apps (like Compass or Voice Memos) that normally can’t be removed.


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9to5Toys Last Call: iPad Air $430, WD portable HDDs 1TB $59/2TB $99, Spotify Premium 50% off for students, more

Avatar for Mar 25 2014 - 10:08 am PT
0 Comments

Be sure to follow 9to5Toys to keep up with the best gear and deals on the web: Twitter, RSS Feed,Facebook, Google+ and subscribe to the new Safari push notifications feature.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Last Call updates:

  • Save an additional 20% on already reduced Incase iPhone, iPad, and Mac accessories
  • Home Deals: Dyson DC35 Multi Floor Stick Vacuum $210 (Reg. $300), Alera Complete Wire Shelving Unit $60, more

Apple iPad Air 16GB WiFi (space gray or silver) $430 shipped (Reg. $499)

Western Digital My Passport USB 3.0 Portable Hard Drives: 1TB $59 (Reg. $85), 2TB $99 (Reg. $150)

Spotify cuts 50% off Premium subscriptions for US students, now just $5 per month

Other great deals from today:

More great deals still alive:

Study examines replacement and upgrade cycles of Apple products, iPads treated more like Macs than iPhones

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Mar 21 2014 - 6:18 am PT
4 Comments

A new report from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners, via Fortune, sheds some light on customer behaviour of how quickly people get their iPad, iPhone or Macs upgraded or replaced. For instance, iPhones have approximate lifespans of two years, tied closely to when people’s contracts end. If the phone is in good condition, rather unsurprisingly, most people replace their phones alongside their new contract. Macs stay around for up to four years before being swapped out for newer equipment. The report argues that iPad life cycles more closely resemble Macs than iPhones.

However, in the case of loss or damage, people are much more compelled to replace their iPhones than Macs or iPads. Eighty percent of people replace iPhones within just two days. For Macs and iPads, this stretches out a week or even more. Over a quarter of buyers surveyed said they would replace an iPad immediately compared to approximately 37% for iPhones.


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Google drops its Drive storage pricing significantly, puts pressure on Apple to improve iCloud prices

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Mar 13 2014 - 12:19 pm PT
21 Comments

Google has just announced some new price plans for its Google Drive service. The new plans start at $1.99 for 100 GB (down from $4.99), $10 for 1 TB (down from $50) and 10 TB for $99.99. This storage is shared across Drive, Gmail and Google+ Photos.

It should be noted that Google bills customers monthly. Even so, these new price points make Apple’s iCloud storage offerings look awful in terms of value for money.

For iCloud storage, Apple currently charges $20 yearly for 15 GB, $50 yearly for 25 GB and $100 yearly for 55 GB (lumping in the free 5 gigabytes Apple gives to every user). Rather amusingly, Apple’s options do not even allow users to perform a 1:1 backup of their 64 GB and 128 GB devices — the top iCloud tier totals 55 GB of storage.

Whatever way you cut it, Apple’s prices are exorbitant in comparison to Google’s. Doing some basic arithmetic, for one gigabyte of cloud storage over a year, Google charges you 24 cents. Meanwhile, Apple charges you 1.8 dollars. This means Apple’s current rates are 7.5x more expensive than Google’s.


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Rovio’s next Angry Birds game is a turn-based RPG, called Angry Birds Epic

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Mar 12 2014 - 11:00 am PT
2 Comments

Rovio has announced details of its latest game in the Angry Birds series(Via Kotaku). The game is a turn-based role player, a significant departure from the mobile mini-game physics puzzler Angry Birds is known for. The game will feature turn-based combat and a crafting system — players can craft armor, potions and weapons. This item system will apparently be funded through a game currency, or via in-app purchases.

The game is launching in Australia and Canada this week (likely tomorrow), with more countries to follow. Rovio is touting it as the most ‘epic’ soft launch ever.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6Nh92eGP8I]

Will Apple extend sapphire screens to iPads, even at a cost to its margins? [Poll]

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Mar 11 2014 - 7:46 am PT
27 Comments
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While it’s not yet certain that the iPhone 6 screen will get a sapphire layer, that’s certainly the way things look at present – providing a screen that is pretty much impervious to scratches (though no more resistant to breakage).

The problem with sapphire is it’s about ten times as expensive as Gorilla Glass. There have been vague suggestions that new manufacturing techniques might narrow the gap, but it still seems likely that Apple will have to sacrifice a bit of margin to introduce the material.

That’s likely a cost the company can afford, given the marketing benefit of an effectively scratchproof screen. But will we also see sapphire screens on iPads … ? 
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Opinion: Does CarPlay go far enough, or should car manufacturers let Apple do more?

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Mar 5 2014 - 6:44 am PT
63 Comments
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CarPlay is undoubtedly a big step in the right direction. Instead of car manufacturers using their own clunky user-interfaces to give you access to things like phone calls and music, there is now a standard, Apple-designed interface.

This makes perfect sense. Apple is the king of user-interface design, and most car manufacturers, well, aren’t. There was a time when I was driving a lot of rental cars and got to experience a whole bunch of different in-car screen systems, and they ranged in usability from halfway ok to downright dreadful. None offered anything close to the simplicity and clarity of CarPlay.

The question I have about CarPlay is: does it go far enough … ?

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Apple adding hundreds of new engineers and operations staff in China to speed development of larger iPhones

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Mar 3 2014 - 4:30 am PT
3 Comments

Apple is on a mass hiring spree for Asian staff, beginning in the middle of last year, as noted by the Wall Street Journal. The Journal says that Apple is trying to speed up product development in China and Taiwan to help launch a larger lineup of devices. Apparently, the company is aggressively hiring away from HTC and other firms to form strong product teams in Asia.


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How-to: Use AirDrop to share files between iOS devices [Poll]

Avatar for Mar 1 2014 - 12:00 pm PT
27 Comments
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AirDrop can be a be a quick, simple way to transfer files between iOS devices. It can be especially handy because it is truly a device-to-device transfer that works even when neither device has internet access, although Wi-Fi  and Bluetooth have to be turned on for it to function. In this article I will discuss how to turn on AirDrop and use it to share files between devices.

In Apple apps, any files that can be transferred using the share icon can be sent via AirDrop. This includes photos, videos, iWork documents, notes, contacts, links, directions, and location data. Some third-party apps can also share data using AirDrop. AirDrop for mobile devices is a feature of iOS 7, and can only be used to share files between mobile devices, not between computers and mobile devices.


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