CUPERTINO, Calif. - In reaction to declining sales of tablet computing devices, Apple 's chief executive, Timothy D. Cook, recently remarked that tablets had hit a 'speed bump' that was nothing to be concerned about.
Now Apple is trying to accelerate past the bump.
The company on Thursday introduced new models of iPads, including a major revision for its iPad Air, the larger and more expensive model, and some improvements for its smaller sibling, the iPad Mini 3.
Apple said the iPad Air 2 was 18 percent thinner and 40 percent faster than the last one, a surprising change - and a bit of an engineering feat - because Apple made the previous version thinner and faster just last year. Essentially, the new iPad Air is thinner than a pencil. The new iPads will be available Oct. 24.
'It's unbelievably gorgeous and look how thin it is. Can you even see it?' said Mr. Cook, holding the new iPad in front of an audience of members of the news media and Apple employees at the company's Silicon Valley headquarters.
The camera in the iPad Air 2 has been improved and it has a display designed to reduce reflections. The tablet has 10 hours of battery life, same as the previous version. It has a starting price of $500. The iPad Mini 3 starts at $400 - but it's not thinner than the last version.
Apple added its fingerprint sensor, called Touch ID, to each of the new iPads. The technology is used to log into the iPad in place of a typed passcode. It can also be used to make in-app purchases with Apple's new mobile payments system, Apple Pay, which will be available Monday.
Apple said iOS 8.1, the next update for the software that runs Apple's mobile devices, would also be available Monday.
Apple also added gold as a color option for the new iPads.
Apple has made big changes to its iPads more quickly than it has with other Apple products, like the iPhone, which in the past has been redesigned every two years.
Why the difference? For one, an iPad gives Apple's engineers more physical space to tinker around. And from a business standpoint, Apple has to do more with the iPad to maintain healthy sales.
In the second quarter, Apple's iPad sales declined 9.3 percent compared with the same period a year ago, according to the industry analysis firm IDC. And the worldwide market for tablet sales is starting to cool. While shipments of tablets exploded from 18 million in 2010 to 207 million last year, they are expected to increase just 11 percent this year, according to another research firm, Gartner. Last year, shipments had increased 55 percent.
But the iPad is still Apple's second-biggest moneymaker, accounting for about 10 percent of its profit. That is a long way from the iPhone, which accounts for about 70 percent of its profit, but still important.
Also at the event on the company's campus, Apple released its new Macintosh operating system, OS X Yosemite, which it introduced this year. The software system, which is a free download, has a new design with new icons and more vibrant colors.
A key feature is called Continuity, which makes it easier to juggle content across different Apple devices. For example, a user can be making a presentation on a Mac, and then swipe up from the corner of an iPad to resume working on the same presentation.
In addition, the company said WatchKit, a tool kit for software makers to use in developing apps for its coming smart watch, would be released next month. The Apple Watch, which Apple demonstrated last month, is still on track for a release early next year, according to Mr. Cook.
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