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Apple showed off some iPads! Let’s talk about them.
At its “Let Loose” event on Tuesday, Apple wasted no time getting into the next generation of its tablet line. Specifically, we got a couple new iPads Pro models and a couple new iPad Air models. On top of that, we even saw the debut of Apple’s latest in-house silicon.
Here’s everything Apple announced.
New iPad Pro with OLED and M4 chips: Specs, price, release date
Credit: Apple
Let’s start with the show-stopper. I know you’re not supposed to do that, but whatever.
Apple finally confirmed two new iPad Pro models, to follow up on the 2022 model. These new iPad Pros come in 11-inch and 13-inch models, and Apple wouldn’t stop gushing about how thin they are. The 11-inch model comes in at 5.3mm of thickness, while the 13-inch model is just 5.1mm thick. According to Apple, it’s “the thinnest Apple product ever.”
The 11-inch model launches at $999 and the 13-inch model will run you $1,299. They come in just two colors: Silver and Space Black.
Apple focused heavily on two big enhancements for this next round of iPad Pros. Specifically, they have all-new OLED displays, with 1,600 nits of peak HDR brightness. OLED offers deeper and truer levels of darkness and generally makes everything look snazzier and fancier than an LCD display.
Aside from that, the new iPad Pros also mark the debut of Apple’s latest in-house silicon, the M4 chip. This will enable things like hardware accelerated ray tracing, but generally speaking, it’ll just make the new iPad Pro run faster and more smoothly than before. Apple claims it’s four times faster than the 2022 iPad Pro, which used the M2 chip.
Other odds and ends include a repositioned front-facing camera so that it’s on the tablet’s landscape edge, and 256GB of starting storage, up to a total of 2TB. Truly, it is the most professional iPad you can get.
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New iPad Air: Specs, price, release date
Credit: Apple
However, if you’re not looking to edit feature films and/or Apple event livestreams on a tablet, the new iPad Air might be for you.
Apple confirmed what we basically knew going in, which was that there are two new iPad Air tablets, coming in at 11-inches and 13-inches in size. It’s the first time Apple has launched the iPad Air in two different sizes. The 11-inch variant launches at $599, while the bigger iPad Air is $799. The color options here are a bit better: Blue, purple, Starlight, and Space Grey.
While the iPad Pro got most of the attention, Apple didn’t spend as much time on the Air. It doesn’t feature a new Mini-LED display, as was previously rumored. However, the new M2 chip should provide a boost in performance, and a repositioned front-facing camera (like on the Pro) should make video calls better. Apple also doubled the starting storage, bumping it up to 128GB.
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Magic Keyboard announced
Credit: Apple
Of course, a new iPad Pro needs a new Magic Keyboard. As such, Apple is providing one.
Priced at $299 for the 11-inch iPad Pro and $349 for the 13-inch version, the new Magic Keyboard works the same as before, but with some new additions. Crucially, it has a full function row now, to go along with a bigger and more responsive trackpad. Apple also promised it’s generally bigger but also lighter than before.
Apple Pencil Pro announced
Credit: Apple
Lastly, aspiring artists or casual doodlers got some good news at the Apple event.
Yes, there’s a new Apple Pencil. It’s called the Apple Pencil Pro and it launches at $129. Apple actually went and did a bunch of stuff to this new Pencil, including adding haptic feedback and a gyroscope for more accurate motion detection. It’s also got a new squeeze gesture you can use to select shortcuts without touching the screen.
Oh, and Apple added Find My support to the Apple Pencil Pro, in case you lose it. You shouldn’t lose it, though, because it magnetically attaches to and charges from the side of the iPad Pro. That’s convenient! Oh, the Pencil Pro works with the iPad Air, too.
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Apple finally ended months of speculation by showing off four new iPads with some swanky new features.
