Apple was widely expected to launch a new iPad Pro during its live event today, and sure enough, we finally have details about the new model. It's a massive upgrade, bringing features from Apple's new Macs to a tablet form factor.
The new iPad Pro doesn't look too different from the existing model at a glance, but there are many changes on the inside. For starters, Apple is bringing its M1 chip (which is now shipping on several Mac computers) to the iPad Pro, giving the tablet yet another performance boost over its competition. The 8-core CPU gives the new model a 50% speed boost over the previous iPad Pro, according to Apple.
The new iPad Pro also has support for 5G (including millimeter-wave 5G), USB 4, and Thunderbolt. Complementing the upgraded internal hardware is a new 2TB storage configuration, so professional photo and video work won't involve quite as much cloud storage. Paired with up to 16GB of RAM, the new iPad should be capable of some serious on-the-go image and video editing work.
Speaking of video and photos, the new iPad Pro also has an ultra-wide 12MP front camera and LiDAR support. The former is used by the tablet's new "Center Stage" feature that uses AI to automatically keep your face in the frame during video calls.
Apple is bringing an upgraded mini-LED display to the larger 12.9-inch iPad Pro, nicknamed the 'Liquid Retina XDR.' Apple says the new LED array is 120X smaller in volume than the previous design. Over 10,000 mini-LEDs are used, and these are grouped to form over 2,500 local dimming zones. It also has a 120Hz touch-sensing rate, tap-to-wake support, a maximum brightness of 1,600 nits, Apple Pencil support, "Extreme Dynamic Range," a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio, and factory calibration. The 11-inch model, meanwhile, has a lesser 4M pixel LCD that reaches up to 600 nits of brightness.
The new iPad Pro starts at $799 for the 11-inch model or $1,099 for the 12.9-inch version. You can order it starting April 30th, and full availability starts in the second half of May.
Specification |
Apple iPad Pro 11-inch |
Apple iPad Pro 12.9-inch |
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Colors |
Silver, Space Gray |
Silver, Space Gray |
Size & Weight |
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Display |
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SoC |
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RAM & Storage |
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Battery & Charging |
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Security |
FaceID
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FaceID
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Rear Camera(s) |
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Front Camera |
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Port(s) |
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Audio |
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Connectivity |
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Sensors |
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Software |
iPadOS 14 |
iPadOS 14 |