Apple announces 4th generation iPad with Lightning connector and new A6X chip
Two generations in one year?
In addition to lifting the veil off of the iPad mini, Apple announced a revised 4th generation iPad during Tuesday's press event.
The new iPad replaces the tablet's traditional 30-pin dock connector with the smaller Lightning port that Apple unveiled with the iPhone 5.
Also new to the 4th generation device is a faster A6X processor, which apparently boasts double the graphic performance of the iPad 3's phased-out A5X. Tough luck, "the new iPad" owners.
Indeed, it was generally thought (if seldom quotable) that the 'new iPad' - the first to feature a Retina display - was technically underpowered in terms of its processing power.
Despite the more powerful processor, the 4th generation iPad retains that 'legendary' 10 hour battery life of all the earlier iPad models.
The latest generation iPad will retain the Retina display of its predecessor as well as the same 5-megapixel iSight camera and features an HD (720p) FaceTime camera.
Everything new is old againThe move to the smaller Lightning connector means that iPad owners will need to replace their current accessories if they're looking to upgrade.
Finally, Apple announced that it is expanding the iPad's LTE support network and has added several new carriers (Sprint in the US, and EE in the UK) to its list of supported networks.
For all of its upgrades, one feature that remains unchanged in the 4th generation iPad is the price. It will follow the identical pricing structure as the previous generation with the 16GB Wi-Fi model beginning at $499 / £399 while the 16GB LTE version will cost $629.
Similar to the iPad Mini, you can pre-order the 4th generation iPad from Apple’s online stores starting Friday 26 October.
Wi-Fi versions will ship globally on November 2nd, with LTE models shipping about two weeks after that, starting in the US.
