Apple kicked off its hardware event today by revealing two updated iPads that improve upon existing models. The base, 10.2-inch iPad may look the same as the previous version, but it packs better performance and a more advanced camera. The new iPad mini, on the other hand, has been completely redesigned to look like a smaller iPad Pro. Here's how you can pre-order both the new 10.2-inch iPad and the new iPad mini.

10.2-inch iPad

Apple

The updated 10.2-inch iPad is available to pre-order today from Apple starting at $329 and will be widely available on September 24.

Similarly to last year, Apple focused on updating the internals of this iPad rather than its design. Inside is a A13 Bionic chipset with neural engine, which the company claims will provide 20 percent better performance than the previous tablet. The other major update is the new 12MP ultra wide, front-facing camera that supports Apple's Center Stage feature. This allows the camera to automatically pan and zoom to keep you in focus during video calls even as you move around. Apple debuted this feature on the latest iPad Pros and now even those opting for the most budget-friendly iPad can get that advanced feature.

The base iPad still has 10.2-inch Retina display but it now supports TrueTone, which will make it easier on the eyes. It still has a physical Home button on its bottom edge and it still supports the first-generation Apple Pencil for those that want to doodle and take notes with the tablet. Notably, the base configuration comes with double the storage than the previous model — 64GB instead of 32GB — which was a much-needed update.

iPad mini

Apple

The updated iPad mini is available to pre-order today from Apple starting at $499 and will be widely available on September 24.

Apple needed to give the iPad mini some love. The company's smallest tablet received a minor update two years ago, and hadn't received a big update for three years before that. So the 2021 iPad mini represents the biggest change for the compact tablet in roughly five years, and Apple essentially made it look like a tiny version of its iPad Pros. It has an 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display that extends almost edge-to-edge, and that means the physical Home button is gone. Apple move its TouchID technology to the top button on this tablet, which makes it similar to the iPad Air. It also supports the second-generation Apple Pencil and the accessory can magnetically attach to the mini's side, just as it does with the iPad Pros.

The new iPad mini also has the 12MP ultra wide, front-facing camera found on the base iPad, which means Center Stage calls will be available on this device, too. The rear camera is a new 12MP shooter with Focus Pixels, True Tone flash and the ability to take Smart HDR photos.

Inside the iPad mini is the A15 Bionic chip, which has a six-core CPU and a five-core GPU, and Apple promises 40 percent better performance out of this slab than the previous version. It also has the neural engine which makes for more efficient machine-learning experiences. It'll come in WiFi and WiFi + Cellular versions and it now supports WiFi 6 and 5G connectivity. Another small yet important change is in the iPad mini's charging method — gone is the old Lightning port, as it's been replaced with a USB-C port for faster, more efficient charging.

After two and a half years without a refresh, Apple is at long last revamping the iPad mini. The 8.3-inch all-screen device has slimmer bezels and rounded corners, and it leaves no space for a physical Home button. As with last year's iPad Air, you'll now find the Touch ID sensor in the power button. The Lightning port is gone too, with a USB-C port taking its place.

The screen is a liquid retina display with 500 nits of brightness, a P3 wide color gamut, anti-reflective screen coating, True Tone, and full lamination. The iPad Mini now has stereo speakers, so watching video on it could be much better this time around.

Apple has moved the volume buttons to the top of the device, and there's an intriguing reason for that. The latest tablet can accommodate a second-gen Apple Pencil.

Apple

Developing...

Follow all of the news from Apple’s iPhone event right here.

Amazon is known for making affordable tablets that get the basics right. As of now, the retailer is offering discounts on a range of its own-brand slates that cut up to 33 percent off its biggest and best devices. You can grab last year's 8-inch Fire HD 8 with 32GB expandable storage for just $60, down from $90. If you want something larger and more powerful, the latest 10-inch Fire HD 10 (also with 32GB storage) is available for $100, $50 off its typical price. You should note that barring the Kids tablets (see below) these are all ad-supported versions of the devices and opting-out of lockscreen adverts comes at a cost.

Buy Fire HD 8 at Amazon - $60Buy Fire HD 10 at Amazon - $100

Buy Fire HD 10 Productivity Bundle at Amazon - $170

If you're looking for an affordable tablet for work, you should check out Amazon's Productivity Bundle, which is currently discounted by $100. With it, you get the Fire HD 10 along with a Bluetooth keyboard and a 12-month subscription to Microsoft 365 for $170. The latter gives you access to Office apps and 1 terabyte of OneDrive cloud storage for up to five devices. Though it's far from a true laptop replacement, Amazon's biggest tablet should be fine for creating and editing Work or Excel documents.

Overall, both the Fire HD 8 and HD 10 are suitable for browsing the web and social media, watching Netflix in HD and accessing Amazon's ecosystem of shopping, music, reading and video streaming services. On the downside, they come with a paltry selection of apps compared to iOS or Android tablets, including a lack of Google services like YouTube. 

Buy Fire 7 Kids Pro at Amazon - $60Buy Fire HD 8 Kids Pro at Amazon - $90

Alongside the regular Fire tablets, Amazon is also offering all-time low deals on some of its Kids range. The cheapest of the lot is the Fire 7 Kids Pro, down to $60 from $100, which makes up for its non-HD screen and lack of USB-C (micro-USB instead) with a bevy of parental controls and age-appropriate web and app content for kids. You get all of those pros, plus HD resolution and USB-C, for $30 more on the Fire HD 8 Kids Pro, which is on sale for $50 off. The last time we saw Amazon's children's tablets drop this low was in July.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

You might not have to wait much longer for an (arguably overdue) iPad mini redesign. As 9to5Maclearned, Bloomberg's historically accurate Mark Gurman claimed in his latest "Power On" newsletter that the revamped small tablet "should be a go" for a fall launch. While Gurman didn't share more details of the design, he previously claimed Apple would drop the home button and offer slimmed bezels — it could effectively be a shrunken iPad Air.

This will be the "biggest redesign" for the iPad mini since the first model arrived in 2012, Gurman added.

The reporter maintained that Apple is still developing a "larger, redesigned" replacement for the 27-inch iMac that would include a future generation of Apple Silicon, although there weren't more details.

The iPad mini has seen few outward changes since its launch. Even the base iPad has gone through more changes over the same period. In that light, Apple might not have much choice — this is as much about catching up with modern design as it is revitalizing sales.

Companies will never stop trying new things when it comes to our tablets and laptops. While Apple might be going bigger on iPad sizes — see below — Lenovo added a hanger to its new Yoga Tab. It might also be a kickstand, but the idea of hanging your tablet is what’s new. We’ve seen kickstands in other tablets, the Nintendo Switch or, lest we forget, the terribly designed HTC Thunderbolt, where the charging port was placed so you couldn’t charge the thing when using the kickstand.

Lenovo’s 13-inch tablet shouldn’t have such issues, but the idea of suspending it has some cool use cases if you use your imagination. (Hard on a Monday, I know.) I could see people using it for cooking guidance, with the tablet hanging off utensil hooks. It also means your electronics won’t take up counter space and tomato sauce and the like will be less likely to be hit it.

You could also, possibly, hook it to the coat hooks or tray table latches on trains or planes — depending on dimensions. Further still, the tablet can double as a secondary display: You could hang it from the wall in your tiny work-from-home setup. The use cases are there, but the device is expensive for an Android tablet at $680. I’m intrigued by the prospect, though — and that’s something I’ve never uttered about Lenovo before.

— Mat Smith

Apple may be exploring even bigger iPad designs

Bigger!

Engadget

Bigger than 12.9 inches? Your next iPad might be. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman claimed Apple was exploring iPads with even larger displays. Any potential products might take at least a "couple of years" to ship if they go ahead, but still — Apple hasn’t gone bigger since 2015’s iPad Pro. Continue reading.

YouTube took down videos documenting Xinjiang human rights abuses

Its explanations weren't always clear.

YouTube is facing criticism for cracking down on videos documenting China's alleged abuses against Uyghur Muslims in the country's Xinjiang province. Reuters reported that YouTube took down a dozen videos from Atajurt Kazakh Human Rights, and at one point removed the channel itself, for supposedly violating the site's anti-harassment policy. The takedowns followed reports from unnamed parties.

YouTube told Engadget that videos documenting human rights abuses were allowed on the site, and it was aware that Atajurt didn't have sinister intent when showing the ID cards. However, it argued the rights group didn't have enough "educational, documentary, scientific and artistic content" to allow an exception to its policies, primarily showing ID cards, which broke a rule against showing sensitive personal information. Continue reading.

China shares video and audio from its Mars rover

Zhurong has the footage to back up its accomplishments.

CNSA/PEC

China has released early clips of video and audio from the Zhurong rover's first forays on the Red Planet. They cover the landing as well as the deployment and initial movement. There's also a panorama revealing just how far Zhurong has traveled from its landing platform. Continue reading.

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