New iPads and Yosemite operating system revealed

Emily Berthiaume, Teen Interest Editor

When Apple revealed its new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus this fall, it was just a matter of time before they announced the new iPad Air and iPad Mini, which they did on October 16. At an event in California, they revealed the new iPad models, a new 27-inch iMac and accompanying OS X Yosemite operating system, and that their new Apple Pay system will launch on October 20.

The new tablets – the iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini 3, both will come with TouchID fingerprint sensors, which allow users to unlock their tablet or purchase music or apps with just their fingerprint. This feature was introduced with the iPhone 5s, and was previously only available on phones. The TouchID can now be used to purchase items online using Apple Pay, not just for Apple-run systems like iTunes and the App Store. It will not work to make purchases at cash registers in normal stores like the new iPhones do.

The iPad Air 2 is only 6.1 millimeters thick, 18 percent smaller than the previous iPad Air. It also has an improved processor, an improved Retina display and a camera that takes panoramic photos.

The new iPads were made available for preorder on October 17, and were shipped by the end of next week, around October 25. They are available in gold as well as silver and dark grey. The price for a 16 GB, Wi-Fi only Air 2 starts at $499 and the same model Mini 3 is $399. A 64-gig Air 2 is $599 and the 128-gig version is $699. A 64-gig Mini 3 is $499 and the 128-gig model is $599. For an additional $130 for each model, the iPad will come equipped with cellular data connectivity.

Apple also announced their new 27-inch iMac, which boasts a 5K screen. This means a 5120 x 2880 resolution, which is 218 pixels per inch or 14.7 million pixels for the whole screen. This is 67 percent more pixels than a 4K television screen and 4 times more than the previous iMac. This new iMac will cost $2,499 dollars.

Apple’s new software, OS X Yosemite, became available for free download from the App Store on October 23. The latest mobile software, iOS 8.1, became available on October 20. Yosemite makes the interface of Macs look “more iPhone and iPad-like,” according to CNN. It also has the new iCloud Drive, which is a cloud storage feature that syncs all Mac folders across every Mac, iPhone or Windows PC that a user owns. This allows a kind of “continuity” function, which will allow users to pick up on one device where they started on another. It will also allow user to make calls or send texts from their computer. The new iOS for mobile devices will support Apple Pay and will bring back the camera roll.

Apple Pay, which works with the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus at retail stores and the iPad Air 2 and Mini 3 for online purchases, was released on October 20. It allows customers to pay for items with their credit card using just their iPhone. More than 220,000 retail locations accept payment on iPhones, including McDonald’s, Macy’s, Chevron, Walgreens and Panera Bread. Visa, MasterCard, American Express and more than 500 banks are also on board. iPhone 6 and 6 Plus users could start using Apple Pay on October 20 with the release of iOS 8.1.