The 411: What You Need To Know About Apple's New Line of iPads

Apple's new edition of the iPad is probably its biggest change yet, and the company decided that an upgrade of this magnitude deserves a freshened up name. The new generation of the iPad is now known as the iPad Air. It's lightweight, and you should now be able to hold it comfortably with one hand—the device is 28 percent lighter than the previous model. In a video shown during the conference, Jony Ive said that the company began designing the iPad Air years ago.

Compared to the previous generation, the iPad Air has shaved off almost half a pound of weight, going from 1.4 lbs to one pound, and is now 7.5 mm thin (the previous generation's 9.4 mm.) The side bezels are 43 percent thinner and the device has 24 percent less volume, and Apple calls this the "lightest full size tablet in the world."

The gears inside the iPad Air have been upgraded dramatically, and Apple says the device is now 8 times faster performance and 72 times faster graphics performance than the original iPad. The CPU is two times faster, and files will also open up twice as fast. The heralded 64-bit A7 chip that appeared in the iPhone 5S is now in the iPad, so users can expect better graphics and renderings, along with the addition of the M7 motion coprocessor chip. The iSight camera is 5MP and FaceTime is now HD with the front-facing camera. Data transfers through Wi-Fi on the iPad Air will be twice as fast thanks to the new MIMO 802.11n support and two attennas. The Retina Display screen clocks in at the same size, 9.7-inches, with a 2048 x 1536 pixel resolution.

No gold! Near everyone thought this would be a given, considering the popularity of the gold iPhone 5S. But, alas, the iPad Air will only come in the other two options: the silver and white combination, and the space gray and black combo. Not a bad mix in the least bit, but a gold version would have been awesome. There is a slew of iPad Air Smart Covers and Smart Cases that will available for the iPad Air, but the keyboard/case combo (like the Microsoft Surface) many were expecting never made an appearance.

So, what's the price for this pumped up piece of technology? The 16GB Wi-Fi only version will start at $499, and it will cost you $629 for the LTE and Wi-Fi version. You'll be able to pump up storage all the way to 128GB. Yet, if you're not looking to spend that much, Apple announced that the iPad 2 will still be available starting at $399. Get ready: the iPad Air will ship starting November 1st.

The biggest announcement about the iPad Mini is that it now features the Retina display. As is Apple's mission, you still get the same stunning feel and look as the previous model, but now with enhanced viewing capabilities. It is equipped with 4-times the pixels and a full 2048 x 1536 resolution, which accentuates iOS 7's stunning design. "The one most requested feature to add to the iPad mini was a beautiful Retina display, and that's what we've done," said Phil Schiller, SVP of Worldwide Marketing at Apple.

With this set of announcements, Apple made one point strikingly clear: the company deeply values its customers. The lowered price points across the board for products was a huge indication of the direction the company is moving in. The 16GB iPad Mini with Retina display will sale for $399 and the version with with LTE will sale for $529. To quote soul singer Billy Paul: Let the dollars circulate.

We imagine that Apple wants every citizen across the globe to eventually own an iPad (dare to dream, right?). By lowering the price of the original iPad Mini to $299, the tech giant is one step closer to making that hope a reality. "iPad has gone on to become one of the most successful products in Apple's history," noted CEO Tim Cook. Reducing the original iPad Mini to $299, it seems Cook plans to keep the company's good fortune running.

"Bigger, faster, stronger" doesn't completely apply to the iPad Mini. Well, at least the "bigger" part anyway. The Retina Mini sports a 64-bit A7 processor, has 4-times the CPU power, and has enhanced graphic capability compared to the previous version. Everything about the new iteration is faster, smarter, and smoother. Who says size matters?

Apple is always good for a curveball-and today was no different. We expected the company to announce its new line of iPads (which they did; bad jokes to boot) but the biggest announcement, and a bit of a game-changer, was the news that Mavericks OS X, iLife, and iWork would now be available for free. Yes, FREE! Let's be real: Accessibility has always been difficult for Apple. While they may have a superior product when it comes to competitors, companies like Samsung have done a better job of reaching consumers on a mass-market level. By lowering prices on MacBook Pros and Airs, as well as on iPads, Apple ushers in a new era for consumers: one marked by stunning design and affordable gizmos. Once again, the future looks bright.