Apple iPad Air 2 is thinner, but not much else is new

The most obvious feature of Apple's new iPad Air 2, which the company introduced today, is exactly what you'd expect: It's thinner than its predecessor, at 0.24 inches. But the latest member of Apple's tablet lineup doesn't break a whole lot of new ground technologically.

The original iPad Air measured just 0.29 inches thick. Apple's engineers managed to shave a touch more off by eliminating the layer of air in between each of the three layers of the display—the LCD, the touch layer, and the glass. Weight remains under one pound.

There's also a new antireflective coating added to the display that Apple says makes it 56 percent less reflective than other iPads. What hasn't changed about the screen is its resolution. The iPad Air 2's Retina display is still 2048 x 1536—the same number of pixels as its predecessor.

The iPad is finally getting the Touch ID technology that has been on iPhones since the 5s. Built into the home button, Touch ID lets you unlock your device with your fingerprint. You can also use it to authorize online purchases with the company's new Apple Pay system.

For more details on the variety of tablets you can choose from, take a look at our Buying Guide.

The iPad Air 2 has a new 8 megapixel camera (the previous iPad Air had 5 megapixels) plus added functionality through iOS 8—including panoramic photos, plus time-lapse and slow-motion videos.The new tablets will have iOS 8.1 pre-installed, a brand-new update to iOS 8 that includes Apple Pay, brings back the popular Camera Roll, and has a beta of iCloud Photo Library.

Apple says the new processor on the iPad Air 2, the A8X, is 40 percent faster than the one used on the prior Air, and graphics performance is 180 times faster. There's also 802.11ac Wi-Fi, which our testing confirms can be much faster than conventional Wi-Fi.

The iPad Air 2 will be available for preorder Oct. 17 and will begin shipping the end of next week. It comes in three colors: white, gray, and gold. Storage options have changed a bit from prior iPads, with 16-, 64-, and 128GB options available. (There's no longer a 32GB version.) Prices start at $500 for the 16GB Wi-Fi model, and $650 for the 16GB broadband version.

The 7.9-inch iPad mini also got an update: The iPad mini 3, which has the same Retina display as the iPad mini 2, also gets Touch ID and will come in the same three colors as the iPad Air 2. Starting price is $400 for the 16GB Wi-Fi model, and $530 for the 16GB broadband model. The original iPad mini (without the Retina display) will stick around, with a low (for Apple) price of $250. Some other older iPad models will also remain available.

—Donna Tapellini