Apple announces new iPad Pro with M4, iPad Air tablets

Apple
on
Tuesday
announced
new
versions
of
its
iPad
Air
and
iPad
Pro
tablets.

“This
is
the
biggest
day
for
iPad
since
its
introduction,”
Apple
CEO

Tim
Cook
said
in
a
short
video
posted
on
the
company’s
website.
 

The
new
iPad
models
are
the
first
Apple
has
released
since
October
2022,
marking
the
longest
stretch
between
updates
since
the
device
launched
in
2011.

The
iPad
Pro,
Apple’s
most
expensive
and
advanced
tablet,
will
come
in
two
sizes,
an
11-inch
model
and
a
13-inch
model,
Apple
said.
The
company
called
the
product
its
thinnest
ever,
coming
in
at
5.1
millimeters
thick.

The
smaller
iPad
Pro
starts
at
$999,
and
the
larger
13-inch
model
starts
at
$1,299
with
256GB
of
storage,
a
slight
price
increase
from
its
predecessor.

The
iPad
Pro
will
snap
into
a
new
case
that
Apple
calls
Magic
Keyboard,
which
is
made
out
of
aluminum
and
pairs
the
tablet
with
a
keyboard
and
trackpad.
Apple
said
that
using
the
case
will
make
using
an
iPad
Pro
feel
similar
to
a
laptop
experience,
i.e., “just
like
a
MacBook.”

The
Magic
Keyboard
will
cost
$249
or
$299,
depending
on
size.
Apple
also
announced
an
updated
stylus
called
the
Apple
Pencil
Pro
for
$129.

The
fresh
iPad
models
use
a
new
Apple
chip
called
the
M4,
an
update
from
the
M3
chips
that
currently
power
Apple’s
laptops.
Apple
said
that
the
M4
chip
was
an “outrageously
powerful
chip
for
AI,”
noting,
as
an
example,
its
ability
to
help
power
software
that
isolates
subjects
from
their
backgrounds
in
videos.

“This
stunning
design
and
breakthrough
display
required
we
make
the
leap
to
the
next
generation
of
Apple
silicon,”
John
Ternus,
an
Apple
hardware
executive,
said.

Apple
said
its
iPad
Pro
tablets
will
use
a
new
kind
of
display
called
the
OLED
—
the
same
technology
Apple
uses
on
its
iPhones
—
and
that
the
new
tablets
will
be
brighter
and
have
more
vibrant
colors
than
older
models.
The
company
also
said
it
developed
a
technology
called “tandem
OLED”
to
create
the
screens,
which
are
branded
as
Ultra
Retina
XDR.

The
company
said
the
iPad
Pro
could
be
a
useful
tool
for
professional
video
producers,
and
announced
a
new
app
called
Final
Cut
Camera
that
can
control
multiple
iPhone
cameras.
The
iPad
Pro
comes
with
a
12
megapixel
rear
camera
that
can
record
4K
video,
according
to
Apple.
The
company
also
announced
an
update
to
the
camera’s
flash,
which
should
make
scanning
documents
easier.

The
new
tablets
and
accessories
are
up
for
preorder
now
and
will
go
on
sale
next
week.

Apple
said
the
iPad
Air
will
come
in
two
sizes:
an
11-inch
option
that
matches
older
models
and
a
larger
13-inch
model.
Both
are
equipped
with
Apple’s
M2
chip.
The
smaller
iPad
costs
$599
for
128GB
of
storage,
and
the
larger
iPad
starts
at
$799.

Apple
has
also
moved
the
front-facing
camera
to
the
longer
side
of
the
device
—
landscape
mode
—
to
be
better
for
videoconferencing,
matching
the
more
expensive
iPad
Pro
models.

The
iPad
Air
will
be
available
in
stores
next
week
and
comes
in
a
variety
of
colors,
including
blue,
purple
and
gold.

Apple
also
dropped
the
price
of
its
entry-level
iPad
to
$349,
down
from
its
previous
$429
price.