Apple SIM allows you to switch between AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile

The newly introduced Apple iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3 come with the new Apple SIM cards that allow customers to switch between services of different carriers. In the US, the Apple SIM works with AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile and in the UK with EE. The carrier list will of course grow in time. A user can change the network any time, he just has to choose the cellular carrier through the screen settings on the iPad.

Surprisingly, information about the built-in Apple SIM in the new iPads has been tucked away in the wireless connectivity section of iPad Air 2 in the company’s website. The info says:

” The new Apple SIM is preinstalled on iPad Air 2 with Wi-Fi + Cellular models. The Apple SIM gives you the flexibility to choose from a variety of short-term plans from select carriers in the U.S. and UK right on your iPad. So whenever you need it, you can choose the plan that works best for you — with no long-term commitments. And when you travel, you may also be able to choose a data plan from a local carrier for the duration of your trip.“

You cannot buy an Apple SIM separately at present but comes with cellular-enabled versions of tablets iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini 3. It now appears that AT&T will lock the SIM to its own network and the user will have to buy a new SIM card if he wants to use another carrier. This might take some of the shine off the Apple SIM.

Apple SIM allows you to switch between AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile

Apple iPad mini 3 all the official specs and image gallery

Along with announcing its “world’s slimmest tablet” Apple iPad Air 2, the Cupertino tech giant also went out announcing its third iteration of the iPad mini series we mean the iPad mini 3. This is the second mini variant of iPad tablets that offers the razor sharp Retina Display and the first mini variant to offer a Touch ID feature. However, apart from the major change of Touch ID, most of the other features for the device have remained most of the same. Let’s look upon the built-in hardware and software features that the device has to offer us.

Scroll to the bottom for all the official images

Talking from the design point of view, everything remains almost the same with a classy chassis construction keeping up the same premium and elegant look. Unlike all the other tablets falling in the sub 10” tablet category the iPad mini 3 offers a metal construction where in most of them are seen to be having a plastic make. Moreover, it for the first time that the mini version of this famous iPad tablet series is getting a Touch ID scanner on its home screen button offering easy display unlocking, make purchases and even work on iTunes.

The display for the device is a high-resolution “Retina” display having 2048×1536 pixel resolution on a 7.9inch giving out 324ppi density. However, with the previous iPad mini version there were some issues regarding the RGB color saturation and reproduction on the screen giving out a white mark. We think that Apple must have overcome with this in the third mini version.

On the other hand, the device has got quite a powerful chipset baked under its hood as it was quite rumored that the iPad Mini 3 will have a souped-up version of the company’s latest A8 chipset. However, the iPad mini 3 has a 64-bit A7 processor and the RAM memory on-board still remains 1GB. Looking to the ROM storage, the iPad mini 3 would have a 16GB model as the basic version with the next two being the 64GB variant and the 128GB variant.

On the camera side, Apple has not given a much upgrade with 5MP iSight primary camera to its back and a 1.2MP front-facing FaceTime camera. Apple has promised a complete 10 hours of seamless usage with the iPad mini 3’s battery . you need not worry at all from the connectivity poit of view as the iPad mini 3 offers connectivity support for 14 LTE bands.

Apple iPad mini 3 all the official specs and image gallery

Apple is bringing Touch ID sensors to all 2014 iPhone and iPad models

According to noted KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple is planning to embed Touch ID sensors in every non-iPod iOS device launching this year, including both iPhone 6 versions, the second-generation iPad Air and refreshed iPad mini with Retina display.

Analysing Kuo’s note, he is glimpsing Touch ID shipments increasing by 233 percent this year to a cool 120 million sensors. That’s a heck of a lot of Touch IDs: by comparison, Apple shipped 36 million iPhone 5s with Touch Ids last year.

Apple’s Touch ID module should see shipments soar 233 percent in 2014. We believe every new iOS device launched this year will be equipped with Touch ID, including 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch new iPhone 6, iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 2 with Retina display.Considering shipments of new products and iPhone 5S sales last longer than in 2013, we forecast unit sales of the fingerprint sensor module to grow 233 percent to 120 million for 2014.

Kuo also notes that Apple will change its Touch ID module design to utilize tin over previously used chemicals in order to boost durability. Apple is also expected to stick with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) and its subsidary XinTec to produce the fingerprint sensors.

TSMC was recently reported to provide the first batch of Touch IDs for upcoming iPhone 6, iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini 3. However speculations are that TSMC would be using the same 8-inch fingerprint sensor processing method used for the iPhone 5s.

Apple is bringing Touch ID sensors to all 2014 iPhone and iPad models