In Apple’s 37-minute long “Let Loose” keynote today, they unveiled two new iPad Pro models with screen sizes of 11-inch and 13-inch with a groundbreaking new OLED Display and with the power of M4. (surprise!)
What’s new with the iPad Pro?
- Powered by the M4 Chip: The all-new iPad Pro is powered by the M4 chip featuring up to a 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, and up to 120GB/s of memory bandwidth for all your demanding tasks. Surprisingly, the iPad Pro is the first device to feature the new M4 chip before the MacBook Pro. According to Apple’s claims, “The new CPU offers up to four performance cores and now six efficiency cores, with next-generation machine learning (ML) accelerators, to deliver up to 1.5x faster CPU performance over M2 in the previous-generation iPad Pro. M4 builds on the GPU architecture of M3 — the 10-core GPU includes powerful features like Dynamic Caching, and hardware-accelerated mesh shading and ray tracing, which come to iPad for the first time. Coupled with higher unified memory bandwidth, pro rendering apps like Octane will see up to 4x faster performance than M2. M4 also delivers tremendous gains and industry-leading performance per watt. Compared to M2, M4 can deliver the same performance using just half the power, and compared to the latest PC chip in a thin and light laptop, M4 can deliver the same performance using just a quarter of the power.” Moreover, the Neural Engine on the M4 chip is capable of up to 38 trillion operations per second!
Image: Apple - Groundbreaking New Display: Both the 11-inch and 13-inch models come with a new Ultra Retina XDR Display based on tandem OLED technology, which combines the light emitted from two OLED panels in the Display to provide up to 1000 Nits of Full screen SDR Brightness and HDR Brightness, and up to 1600 nits of Peak Brightness for HDR Content. This is a huge upgrade from the previous generation of iPad Pro, where only the larger 12.9-inch model featured mini-LED and provided up to 600 nits of SDR Brightness. Moreover, Apple will also be offering a Nano-texture glass option for the new iPad Pro for reduced glare. However, this option will be limited to models with 1TB or 2TB of Storage.
Image: Apple Newsroom According to Apple, “Tandem OLED technology enables sub-millisecond control over the color and luminance of each pixel, taking XDR precision further than ever. Specular highlights in photos and video appear even brighter, and there’s more detail in shadows and low light than ever before on iPad — all while delivering even more responsiveness to content in motion.” “With its breakthrough tandem OLED technology, extreme brightness, incredibly precise contrast, brilliant colors, and nano-texture glass option, the new Ultra Retina XDR display is the world’s most advanced display, giving iPad Pro customers an unparalleled viewing experience.”
- Landscape Front-Facing Camera: The position of the Front-Facing Ultra Wide camera on the iPad has finally shifted from portrait to landscape.
- No Physical SIM in the Cellular models: The cellular variant of the new iPad Air no longer features a Physical SIM Card slot. Instead, customers have to use an e-SIM to connect a carrier to the iPad Pro. This change appears to be worldwide with this iPad, and not just in the U.S. like the iPhone 14 and iPhone 15.
- Thinnest Apple Product: The new iPad Pro is the thinnest Apple product ever (yes, it’s even thinner than the iPod nano). The 11-inch model is now 5.3mm in depth, compared to 5.9mm in the previous generation, while the 13-inch model is now 5.1mm in depth compared to 6.4mm in the previous 12.9-inch model. The weight of the iPad Pro 11-inch has been reduced to 0.98 pounds from 1.03 pounds, while the 13-inch model has been reduced to weigh 1.28 pounds, down from 1.5 pounds on the previous 12.9-inch model.
Image: Apple Newsroom - Adaptive True Tone Flash: The iPad Pro now comes with Adaptive True Tone Flash, meaning that document scanning will perform significantly better on this new model. Additionally, Apple says that the new Pro will use AI to detect a shadow while scanning a document and click to stitch multiple photos with the new adaptive flash for better results.
Image: Apple Newsroom - Support for the Apple Pencil Pro: Apple today also introduced a new Apple Pencil Pro which comes in at $129 with a ton of new features. Here’s a brief summary of what’s new with this pencil according to Apple:“A new sensor in the barrel can sense a user’s squeeze, bringing up a tool palette to quickly switch tools, line weights, and colors, all without interrupting the creative process. A custom haptic engine delivers a light tap that provides confirmation when users squeeze, use double-tap, or snap to a Smart Shape for a remarkably intuitive experience. A gyroscope allows users to roll Apple Pencil Pro for precise control of the tool they’re using. Rotating the barrel changes the orientation of shaped pen and brush tools, just like pen and paper. And with Apple Pencil hover, users can visualize the exact orientation of a tool before making a mark.”
Another minor change with the new iPad Pro is the fact that it now features four studio-quality microphones instead of five which was previously being offered.
Colors, Pricing, and Availability: The new 11-inch iPad Pro has an increased starting price of $999 for the 256GB WiFi model and $1,199 for the WiFi+Cellular model. The 13-inch iPad Pro has a starting price of $1,299 for WiFi and $1,499 for the WiFi + Cellular model. Apple is providing a $100 discount for education customers, with the 11-inch model starting at $899 and the 13-inch model starting at $1,199. Here are the two color options being offered with the iPad Pro: Space Black and Silver.
The new Pro can be ordered starting today itself, with availability beginning on May 15. Will you be getting a new iPad Air? Let us know down in the comments or tweet to us on @appleosophy! Be sure to download the Appleosophy App from the App Store or visit our website to stay updated with the latest Apple news!
Author: Pururaj Dutta
Pururaj is the Vice President of Appleosophy and Silicon Report, in addition to being the Manager of popular Redfruit Media platforms such as TechPod Social and Apple Summit. His seasoned experience plays a pivotal role in the success of Redfruit Media, contributing significantly to shaping the ever-evolving tech landscape. As a tech aficionado, he enjoys exploring & reviewing new products, and sharing his insights with the community. With an unwavering passion for technology, Pururaj is committed to delivering accurate and insightful information to his readers.
