Apple this week quietly made the new iPad Air 2 the first device in the U.S. with a multicarrier SIM card, making it the first device that you can switch between three wireless carriers with just a click in the settings.

Cupertino's website explains: "The new Apple SIM is preinstalled on iPad Air 2 with Wi-Fi + Cellular models. The Apple SIM gives you the flexibility to choose from a variety of short-term plans from select carriers in the U.S. and U.K. right on your iPad. So whenever you need it, you can choose the plan that works best for you—with no long-term commitments."

As PCMag's Sascha Segan explained in the video above, this has been in the works for several years at Apple and Google, but the carriers have been against it, lest they lose control over their customer base. Verizon is not among the carriers that have signed on, a list that includes AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and EE.

This could benefit T-Mobile the most, since customers wary of the carrier's reputation and network strength can take it for a temporary spin. But will it happen with phones? Segan discusses that in the video above.

Apple on Thursday unveiled the 6.1mm-thick iPad Air 2, which weighs less than one pound, and promises reduced internal and external reflection, making graphics and text appear more clear.

Inside the new slate is an A8X chip, a version of the iPhone's A8 chip build specifically for the iPad Air 2. A second-generation 64-bit architecture and 3 billion transistors deliver a 40 percent improvement in CPU performance, and 2.5 times the graphics performance of its predecessor.

It also comes with a built-in 8-megapixel iSight camera that supports panoramas, burst mode, and timelapse videos.

Pre-orders begin today for the iPad Air 2 and its iPad mini 3 companion, both available in silver, gray, and a new gold color. Pricing begins at $99 for the 16GB Wi-Fi version of the Air 2 and $399 for the mini 3.

Like the new iPhones, Apple is doing away with the 32GB version, so buyers can get a 64GB for $100 more, and a 128GB version for an additional $200.

For more, see PCMag's Hands On With the Apple iPad Air 2.

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