The iPad Air is back and it supports the Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard

After almost 5 years since the last iPad Air was released, Apple has just announced a new version for 2019. This appears to be their mid-range tablet offering that sits right below the new iPad Pro.

The front of the new iPad Air looks similar to the previous generation iPad Pro. It has a 10.5″ Retina Display that pushes a screen resolution of 2224×1668 and it runs on an Apple A12 Bionic chip which is also powering the latest iPhone XS, XS Max and XR.

The device also retains a home button with Touch ID and it also supports the first generation Apple Pencil. For a computer-like experience, it also supports the Smart Keyboard.

For imaging, it gets an 8MP f/2.4 rear camera similar to the base-model iPad that can shoot 1080p videos. Meanwhile, the front gets a higher 7MP FaceTime HD camera. Unlike the iPad Pro that has 4-speakers, the iPad Air gets a dual-speaker setup.

In terms of connectivity, it supports dual-band WiFi with 5GHz 802.11ac and the cellular version has support for both nano-SIm and eSIM. The iPad Air is available in 3 colours – Gold, Silver and Space Grey Grey. In terms of storage, it is double the capacity of the base iPad with a choice of either 64GB of 256GB.

Just like iPad Air 2, it retains the same thinness of 6.1mm and it still provides 10 hours of battery life. It still charges via a lightning port which is also required to charge the 1st gen Apple Pencil. It is worth pointing out that the latest iPad Pro for 2018 is still thinner at 5.9mm.

Overall, the new iPad Air provides an affordable mid-tier option for those who want more power without having to spend more for the iPad Pro. Of course, the new iPad Pro is still more powerful with the A12X Bionic chip and it comes with a better four-speaker setup.

In Malaysia, the new iPad Air for 2019 and its accessories are priced as follows:

iPad Air 2019

64GB WiFi – RM2,199

256GB WiFi – RM2,749

64GB WiFi + Cellular – RM2,849

256GB WiFI + Cellular – RM3,399

Accessories

Apple Pencil (1st Gen) – RM379

Smart Keyboard – RM649

Smart Cover – RM229

So far there’s no details of its local availability in Malaysia. The iPad Air is already listed on Apple Malaysia’s online store but you can’t order it at the moment.

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