Apple Rebrands iPad Air 2 To Simply ‘iPad’, Launches Red iPhone 7

Apple has refreshed is iPad line, replacing the A8X chip in the 9.7inch iPad Air 2 with a nipper A9 system-on-a-chip and re-branding it to have the simple ‘iPad’ moniker.

Other than the boosted processors, the ‘new iPad’ remains very similar to the iPad Air 2, sporting Apple Retina display and Touch ID fingerprint scanner.

However, the iPad price has taken a tumble with the 32GB model with Wi-Fi connectivity retailing starting at $329 in the US and an £339 in the UK, leaving Brits a tad shirt changed.

Sumptuous software

Apple has also boosted the scope of its software portfolio. Swift Playgrounds, the iPad app designed to tech children the basics of coding in Apple’s Swift language, is now available in five additional languages: Simplified Chinese, Japanese, French, German, and Latin American Spanish.

The Cupertino company also revealed Clips, a new iOS app designed to make video creation easier on iPads and iPhones. The Live Tiles feature gives Clips its USP by enabling the addition of animated titles and captions ot be added to videos via voice control, with support for up to 36 different languages.

Other features include the ability to share videos directly with social media such as Instagram and YouTube, and send then to contacts via the Messages app. Furthermore, multiple video clips without needing to use a fiddly timeline tool.  Clips will be available for free on the App Store in April and could usher in a new wave of video creation on iOS devices.

Finally, Apple revealed a (PRODUCT)RED Special Edition version of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, which as the name suggest provides a red version of Apple’s smartphones created raise awareness of AIDS and generate funds for the combating it.

Apple has hardly revealed anything ground-breaking, but the re-branding of the iPad and the tweak to its innards, suggests the company could be paving the way for a new range of iOS tablets, injecting some new tech blood into a range that has slowly been stagnating over the past year and a half.

How well do you know Apple? Take our quiz.

Roland Moore-Colyer

As News Editor of Silicon UK, Roland keeps a keen eye on the daily tech news coverage for the site, while also focusing on stories around cyber security, public sector IT, innovation, AI, and gadgets.

Recent Posts

FTC Seeks Delay To Amazon Trial, Citing Staff, Cash Shortfalls

Consequences. As Musk and DOGE continues slash-and burn at federal agencies, FTC asks for trial…

13 hours ago

Mobile Browser Market Not Working Well – CMA

Report from CMA's independent inquiry group concludes mobile browser markets not working well, but cloud…

14 hours ago

Trump Buys A Tesla, But Not Allowed To Drive It

Elon Musk turns White House driveway into Tesla showroom to allow Donald Trump to choose…

15 hours ago

TSMC Discusses Intel Foundry Joint Venture With Other Firms

TSMC reportedly pitches a joint venture with big name chip players for Intel's chip-making Foundry…

16 hours ago

Amazon, Google, Meta Pledge Support To Triple Nuclear Capacity

Big name tech firms have backed a pledge to support a goal of at least…

19 hours ago

Northvolt Files For Bankruptcy In Sweden

After filing for bankruptcy protection in the US last year, struggling EV battery maker Northvolt…

20 hours ago