Apple quietly unveiled new additions to its hardware and software lineup this morning in a series of press releases. Highlights include an updated 9.7-inch iPad, a limited edition red version of the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, and a new mobile video creation app called Clips.
The new iPad
The new iPad (above) replaces the aging iPad Air 2 in Apple's tablet lineup, but it receives neither a new moniker or an "Air 3" designation – it's called simply iPad (like the 2010 original). It has older-but-still-capable internals like Apple's A9 processor, which still represents a boost over the Air 2's A8X chip. The new iPad's most fetching characteristic? Its price – starting at US$329 for a 32 GB model, it's Apple's most affordable tablet yet.
The iPad retains Apple's characteristic aluminum unibody build and is available in silver, gold and space gray. Its retina display has the same 2,048 x 1,536 resolution as its predecessor, though the new display is said to be brighter. Like other iPads, it is available in both Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + LTE variants. It is available to order starting March 24 and will start shipping and arriving in stores next week.
In another tweak to its tablet lineup, Apple has increased the storage capacity for the iPad Mini 4. The Mini is now only available in one 128 GB size; it's $399 for the Wi-Fi version or $529 for the Wi-Fi +LTE version.
Product(RED) iPhone 7 and 7 Plus
Apple also announced a red variant of the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, a special edition color representing a partnership between Apple and (RED), an organization dedicated to the global fight against AIDS.
Apple has said its ten-year collaboration with (RED) has raised over $130 million for the Global Fund for HIV/AIDS treatment, though the company has not mentioned specifics about how sales of the red iPhones will generate proceeds for (RED). Nor has Apple confirmed how many of these special edition phones will be made.
The (Product) RED phones will also be available for order starting on March 24, with shipping to start at the end of the month. The Product (RED) iPhone 7 starts at $749; the Product (RED) iPhone 7 Plus starts at $869. The entry-level amount of storage is 128 GB, but there's also a 256 GB version.
Apple has also announced a small upgrade to the iPhone SE – it's now only available in 32 GB and 128 GB sizes, instead of the 16 GB and 64 GB models available previously. The iPhone SE retains the same starting price of $399.
Clips, a mobile video editing app
In terms of its software lineup, Apple has announced a new mobile video creation app called Clips. This app lets users combines video clips and photos with music and captions, which can be shared directly to social media networks or sent via Messages. The free app comes to the App Store in April, and will work with both iPhones and iPads running iOS 10.3 and up.
In one more software-related announcement, Apple also announced that its learn-to-code app Swift Playgrounds will be available in five new languages: Simplified Chinese, Japanese, French, German and Latin American Spanish. The iPad-only app is free on the App Store.
