In a brief video that was uploaded on its website on Tuesday, Apple revealed updates for the iPad Air and iPad Pro tablets.
Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, said, “This is the biggest day for iPad since its introduction.”
Since the iPad’s introduction in 2011, Apple has not updated its product range, and the new iPad models are the first it has released since October 2022.
There will be two sizes for Apple’s most costly and sophisticated tablet, the iPad Pro: an 11-inch device and a 13-inch variant, the company announced. At 5.1 mm thick, the product is the thinnest the firm has ever produced.
The pricing of the bigger 13-inch device with 256GB of storage starts at $1299, a modest premium over the smaller iPad Pro, which is available for $999.
The iPad Pro is designed to fit into a new aluminum shell called Magic Keyboard, which connects the tablet to a keyboard and trackpad. According to Apple, utilizing the cover will make using an iPad Pro “just like a MacBook,” or comparable to using a laptop.
According to its size, the Magic Keyboard will cost $249 or $299. Furthermore, Apple unveiled the $129 Apple Pencil Pro, an updated stylus.
The M4, an upgrade over the M3 CPUs that now power Apple computers, is the chip used in the upcoming iPad models. According to Apple, the M4 CPU is an “outrageously powerful chip for AI,” citing its capacity to support software that separates video subjects from their surroundings as one example.
John Ternus, an Apple hardware executive, stated, “This stunning design and breakthrough display required we make the leap to the next generation of Apple silicon.”
Apple said that the iPad Pro tablets will feature an OLED display, which is a new type of display that is similar to the technology used by Apple in its iPhones.
The company also claimed that the new tablets will have more vivid colors and be brighter than previous versions. The business added that in order to produce the panels, which go by the name Ultra Retina XDR, it invented a technique known as “tandem OLED.”
The firm also revealed that Final Cut Camera, a new software that allows users to operate multiple iPhone cameras, might be a helpful tool for professional film makers using the iPad Pro. According to Apple, the iPad Pro has a 12-megapixel back camera with 4K video recording capabilities.
Additionally, the camera’s flash has been upgraded, according to the company, making document scanning simpler.
Preorders for the new tablets and accessories are open today, and they will go on sale the following week.
According to Apple, there will be two sizes available for the iPad Air: an 11-inch variant that is compatible with existing versions and a bigger 13-inch one. Both have Apple’s M2 chip installed. The bigger iPad starts at $799, while the smaller iPad costs $599 for 128GB of storage.
In order to better facilitate video conferences, Apple has also shifted the front-facing camera to the longer side of the tablet, or landscape mode, in line with its more costly iPad Pro models.
The iPad Air is coming to shops next week and is available in blue, purple, and gold, among other hues.
Apple also reduced the cost of its entry-level iPad, which was previously $429, to $349.
