On October 16, 2014, Apple fans all around the world braced themselves for the latest news and upgrades to be launched from Apple HQ in Cupertino. The reasons for this media event, which would include a keynote speech by CEO Tim Cook, were kept under wraps till the very last minute. But everyone, and his neighbour, knew that new generation iPads were just around the corner.
The rumours were finally confirmed when Cook unveiled the newer versions of the iPad Air and iPad Mini. These sleek and powerful tablets have particularly caught the eyes of Apple gamers, who are among the first users to upgrade to the latest models available and benefit from the best tablet gaming experience possible.
Changing the way you play
The changes in gaming experience on the new generation iPads is more of an incremental nature than a radical break from the previous models. The iPad Air 2 and Mini 3 boast a number of cosmetic, hardware and software differences from their predecessors, which in combination provide a more seamless and satisfying way to play your favourite game apps on the move.
The iPad Air 2 is as light as they get, with 18% less heft than the original: tipping the scales at just under one pound. It’s 9.7-inch display, with improved Retina technology, packs 3.1 million pixels which render images and video in brilliant and stunning detail. It’s smaller sibling, the Mini 3 retains many of the physical features of the Mini 2, but adds a Touch ID sensor to provide extra security.
Underneath the hood, the Air 2 is a raging monster of a device in terms of performance, powered by the brand new A8X chip which makes it go faster and deliver higher quality graphic and CPU performance. Perfect for the hardcore gamer who wants to push his device to the limits. Despite its smaller size, the Mini 3 holds up its own compared to similar tablets thanks to the A7 chip which provides extended battery life.
Finally, one of the changes that the new generation iPads introduced that would impact the way their users interact with them was iOS8. The latest release of the world’s second-largest mobile operating system brought about several long-awaited features that would simplify saving data on the cloud and instantly share it with other Apple devices.
The gaming industry has evolved significantly in recent years and is proving extremely lucrative and competitive within the mobile markets. Developers of all genres are taking advantage of the new hardware – one emerging market is that of online casino and gambling sites, with more and more options opening up for the Apple fanatic.
Let’s have a look at two of the key new Apple products:
iPad Air 2
The iPad Air 2 is great news for all gamers who want to level up their tablet gaming experience. It has been praised by commentators as the best iPad Air ever, and a look at the ways the various upgrades the Air 2 introduces to enhance gamer experience tends to prove them right.
Let’s start with the simplest act of them all: holding your tablet whilst playing. The Air 2 feels comfortable and light in your hands, whether you hold it in portrait or landscape mode. A brilliant tweak is the fact that heat generated while the tablet is in use is distributed to the top-right corner of the device, which means that it remains cool to touch when playing for long hours regardless of the position you hold it in.
Gamers are always demanding the best graphics possible to enjoy their apps in all their glory. The Air 2 thrashes the competition in this respect, boasting one of the most advanced graphic processing capabilities on the market for a tablet. This is also helped by the fact that game developers intentionally tweak their games to take full advantage of the iOS ecosystem and iPad hardware, making most game apps out there really and truly iPad apps.
iPad Mini 3
Heavy gamers may scoff at the idea of using anything but the very best device on the market to play games, however the iPad Mini 3 appeals to a fast growing segment in the gamer population: casual gamers.
These gamers do not necessarily spend hours upon hours playing games, but when they do find a break in their schedule to check on their friends’ position in the scoreboard and have a shot at reclaiming the top spot and attending bragging rights, they want to do it in style.
The Mini 3 opens the doors wide to this type of gamers. Not only is it a good all-round tablet to boost productivity in general, Apple has also ramped up the specs to make it a realistic contender in the tablet gaming arena.
With the wide selection of gaming apps on the App Store and the solid performance the Mini 3 offers, casual players will find waiting in line or the bus trip for their daily commute noticeably more enjoyable while playing the latest trending games.
Conclusion
Apple has promoted aggressively its brand of tablets to the loyal and forward-looking gamer demographic and increased competition by Android tablets is only spurring the company on to release better tablets that offer an improved gaming experience at each cycle.
The iPad Air 2 and Mini 3 are both great choices for gamers who want to take the fun on the go. Each tablet is aimed at a different portion of the large and diverse gamer population and knowing your needs and gaming habits is a good starting point to finding out which Apple tablet would deliver the greatest value for you.
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