At its “Let Loose” virtual event this morning, Apple introduced its long-awaited iPad Pro updates.
The new 13-inch and 11-inch tablets have a fresh design, more powerful internals, and a thinner profile than ever before, and they come with a major display upgrade, The Verge reported.
As rumored, Apple has switched to OLED screens on both sizes, bringing perfect blacks, richer color saturation, and enhanced contrast to its flagship iPads. Oh, and the front-facing camera is now in the correct (landscape) position for video calls.
The iPad Pros use a tandem OLED structure that allows the display to reach 1,000 nits of peak full-screen brightness — just like the Mini LED model before it — and 1,600 nits for HDR content. The 13-inch model measures just 5.1 millimeters thick, which Apple says is its thinnest device ever. (The 11-inch is 5.3 millimeters thick.) For those who prefer a matte display finish, a nano-texture glass coating will be available for the first time with these iPad Pros.
The base storage for both models is now 256GB, with prices starting at $999 for the 11-inch and $1,299 for the 13 inch. Both are available for preorder today and will be available in stores on May 15th.
Apple posted: Apple today unveiled the groundbreaking new iPad Pro in a stunningly thin and light design, taking portability and performance to the next level. Available in silver or space black finishes, the new iPad Pro comes in two sizes: an expansive 13-inch model and a super-portable 11-inch model.
Both sizes feature the world’s most advanced display — a new breakthrough Ultra Retina XDR display with state-of-the-art tandem OLED technology – providing a remarkable visual experience.
The new iPad Pro is made possible with the new M4 chip, the next generation of Apple silicon, which delivers a huge leap in performance and capabilities. M4 features an entirely new display engine to enable the precision, color, and brightness of the Ultra Retina XDR display. With a new CPU, a next-generation GPU that builds upon the GPU architecture debuted on M3, the most powerful Neural Engine yet, the new iPad Pro is an outrageously powerful device for artificial intelligence.
The versatility and advanced capabilities of iPad Pro are also enhanced with all-new accessories. Apple Pencil Pro brings powerful new interactions that take the pencil experience even further, and a new thinner, lighter Magic Keyboard is packed with incredible features. The new iPad Pro, Apple Pencil Pro, and Magic Keyboard are available to order starting today, with availability in stores beginning Wednesday, May 15.
9to5Mac reported Apple’s M4 iPad Pro and new iPad Air are both on sale, and the company’s website has revealed some key additional info about the devices that were not mentioned during the announcement.
One such tidbit has to do with a change in how SIMs are handled on both iPads.
Both the M4 iPad Pro and the iPad Air 6 have removed the physical SIM slot entirely. Gone are the days of physical SIMs, as all cellular models now support eSIM only.
In my opinion, Apple stores are likely to see a long line of people who want to purchase the M4 iPad Pro or the new iPad Air on May 15th. I think the price of these new devices will be out of reach for most people.