Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) unveiled iPad Air during its much awaited launch event, and the new version surpassed the analysts' expectations in every way. Apple stated that to date a total of 170 million iPads have been sold, and the new launch will create a "major upgrade cycle," according to analyst Brian J White from Cantor Fitxgerald. Earlier, the analyst said that this iPad could be the most important upgrade since its first launch in April 2010, and "we were not disappointed. In fact, Apple surprised us on the upside."