Apple has unveiled a thinner iPad with a faster processor and better camera as it tries to drive excitement for tablets amid slowing demand.
The iPad Air 2, at 6.1mm "thin", also adds many of the features previously available on iPhones.
That includes the ability to take burst shots and slow-motion video and the inclusion of a fingerprint ID sensor for use instead of a passcode.
It also has an anti-reflective coating that makes it 56 per cent less reflective, senior vice president of marketing Philip Schiller said on Thursday at the event at Apple's headquarters in California.
The iPad Air 2 will start at $US499 ($A540).
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Apple also updated its iPad Mini device, with a starting price of $US399.
The new devices will begin shipping next week, with advance orders starting on Friday.
Meanwhile, Apple made its new Mac operating system, Yosemite, available as a free download starting on Thursday.
Apple Pay, the company's new system for using iPhones to make credit and debit card payments at retail stores, will launch on Monday.
CEO Tim Cook opened Thursday's launch event by touting strong reception to the new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, released last month.
"It's been an incredible year and tremendously busy already," he said, adding that the new iPhones have been the fastest-selling in Apple's history.
He reiterated that the iPhones will launch in China in just a few hours and said the launch is aligned with a rollout of 4G cellular networks there.
Through the first half of this year, Apple had shipped 29.6 million iPads, a 13 per cent drop from the same time last year.
The company also unveiled new iMacs with a sharper display, following what Apple has already done on its mobile devices and MacBook laptops.
