Apple's new 9.7-inch iPad
Apple's new 9.7-inch iPadApple Website

Apple has announced a 9.7-inch iPad to replace the older iPad Air 2. The new device is superior to the iPad Air 2, especially the chipset.

"iPad is the world's most popular tablet. Customers love the large, 9.7-inch display for everything from watching TV and movies, to surfing the web, making FaceTime calls, and enjoying photos, and now it is even more affordable," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing.

"New customers and anyone looking to upgrade will love this new iPad for use at home, in school, and for work, with its gorgeous Retina display, our powerful A9 chip, and access to the more than 1.3 million apps designed specifically for it," he added.

iPad specifications:

The new 9.7-inch device weighs 1lb, measures 7.5 mm and features Touch ID fingerprint sensor. It sports a Retina display with 2,048×1,536 screen resolution, powered by a 64‑bit A9 chip, and runs iOS 10 operating system. It also features an 8MP camera, a 1.2MP FaceTime HD cameras, and battery that can last for 10 hours.

Pricing and availability:

The iPad is priced at $329 for the 32GB with Wi-Fi model and $459 for the 32GB Wi-Fi + Cellular variant. It comes in silver, gold and space gray colours and are available on Apple website and Apple Stores starting Friday, March 24. 

Shipping of the device for online orders will begin next week. It will also be made available in Apple Stores, through select carriers and Apple Authorized Resellers (prices may vary) at around the same time. It will be initially released in the US, Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK. It will come to India along with Denmark, Mexico, Norway, Russia, and Turkey in April, while Brazil, Taiwan and other countries will get it in May.