Product Preview: Apple iPad and iMac

After unveiling the new, cheaper variant of the iMac in June, Apple flipped to the opposite end of the spectrum with the unveiling of 27-inch Retina 5K iMac, alongside the iPad Air 2, iPad mini 3 and Mac mini.

The new Retina 5K iMac will run consumers around $3,000, depending on which version is purchased. The base model includes a 3.5 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM, 1TB Fusion Drive and an AMD Radeon R9 M290X with 2GB of video memory. This is a significant upgrade in terms of processing power for the iMac, plus the addition of the stunning clarity of the retina display brings the iMac up to par with other Apple products.

Meanwhile, the iPad Air 2 features a three-core 1.5 GHz processor and 2GB of RAM, dual cameras (eight megapixel back-facing, and 1.2 megapixel forward). Battery life on the new iPad Air 2 is reported as being 10 hours when surfing the web via WiFi, watching video or listening to music. The iPad Air 2 continues the evolution of Apple’s tablet products, and offers increased power and clarity over the previous iPad Air models. The 16GB version of the iPad Air 2 retails for $550.

Apple’s new iPad mini 3 features a 7.9-inch display, with a dual core 1.3 GHz Apple A7 processor and 1GB of RAM. The iPad mini 3 also features the same cameras offered in the iPad Air 2, allowing for crisp video and pictures to be shot 1080p (back camera) or 720p (front camera). The 16GB version of the iPad mini 3 is available in stores for $440, and comes in 16GB, 64GB and 128GB versions just like most Apple products.

The new Mac mini comes with a choice of dual-core Intel i5 processors that are 1.4 GHz, 2.6 GHz or 2.8 GHz. The base 1.4 GHz version comes with a 500GB hard drive and 4GB of RAM, which retails for $550, with more features able to be added at the time of purchase.