iPad Air 2, iPad Mini 3 release date soon as current models get educational discounts

iPad Air

iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini 3 release date as current models of the iPad line get another round of discounts.

Apple now offers the iPad Air and iPad Mini with Retina with starting prices of $469 and $379 as the company offers the tablet with $30 educational discount on iPad Air and $20 price off on the iPad Mini Retina. The 4th generation of iPad as well as the first iPad Mini also receives the discounts. The discount is for employees of K-12 schools as well as faculty, staff, students, and parents of students at higher education institutions.

This is not the first time that the current iPad models received a price cut. Apple Store is also selling refurbished units of its tablet line. In the store, the 16GB iPad Air WiFi only variant costs $420 and the 32GB costs $510. Refurbished units were as good as brand new as these are units that are brought back by users due to defect and Apple replaces the back case and battery.

Meanwhile, some retailers also offer discounts on the aforementioned tablets. H.H. Gregg is offering the 16GB iPad Air for only $459.99 instead of its original price of $499.99. The 32GB and 64GB variants also received respective discounts. The retailer also gives discount to the entry level model of the tablet's little brother, iPad Mini Retina. The 8-inch device is being sold at $279.99 shaving off $20 from its usual price of $299.99.

Best Buy, on the other hand, cut off $100 from the price tag of the WiFi-only model of iPad Mini Retina and the iPad Air. The devices were available at $429.99 and $529.99, respectively. The tablets come with a two-year contract with either Sprint, AT&T or Verizon.

Latest reports claimed that iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini 3 will be launched in October, which is the tablets usual release date window. The next generation of Apple tablets will pack a TouchID fingerprint sensor, A8 processor, iOS 8 and waterproof feature.