With the release of the 12.9-inch iPad Pro set for later this week, CNNMoney and The Independent have published interviews with Apple executives Eddy Cue and Tim Cook respectively about the largest tablet ever made by the Cupertino firm.
In the video above, Cue – who says it’s his daily machine, (he’s had one for months) – describes the iPad Pro as a great device for consuming content, and discusses how Apple pushes itself to “create tools that let people solve incredible problems.”
Cue is also a fan of the new device’s four-speaker setup that offer stereo sound:
“One of the things with the iPad Pro that’s amazing is the sound – it’s got four speakers on it,” said Cue. “And so the first time – even myself as we were developing it – I got my hands on it and I heard it, it changed the way I thought of the product even. I didn’t realize how much of a difference it was going to make that you’ve got the stereo sound coming out of a device like this.”
For Cook’s part, he calls the Pro a capable laptop replacement when used with the new Smart Keyboard accessory, and also took time to emphasize that the new Apple Pencil is not a stylus, instead it is a sketching tool.
“Well, we didn’t really do a stylus, we did a Pencil. The traditional stylus is fat, it has really bad latency so you’re sketching here and it’s filling the line in somewhere behind. You can’t sketch with something like that, you need something that mimics the look and feel of the pencil itself or you’re not going to replace it. We’re not trying to replace finger touch, we’re complementing it with the Pencil.”
Cook sees the iPad’s target market as PC users, those don’t currently own Apple products, and even existing iPad users who are looking to upgrade to a different device.
Apple’s largest tablet yet boasts a 12.9-inch Retina display, an enhanced A9X processor, four speakers, 4GB of RAM, and an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera. Pricing begins at $799 for a 32GB Wi-Fi-only model, with a 128GB Wi-Fi-only model going for $949, and a 128GB Wi-Fi+Cellular model carrying a $1,079 price tag. The pro is available in Space Gray, Silver, and Gold.
The iPad Pro will be available in Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Cayman Islands, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, El Salvador, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greenland, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Hungary, Ireland, Isle of Man, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Russia, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, UAE, US, UK, Uruguay and US Virgin Islands.
Customers will also be able to order the device’s two main accessories, the Apple Pencil and the Smart Keyboard, alongside the Pro. The pressure-sensitive Pencil stylus will set buyers back an additional $99, while the Smart Keyboard will go for $169.
Apple will also make new, Apple-designed polyurethane iPad Pro Smart Covers available for $59 in charcoal gray and white. New iPad Pro Silicone Cases will be available for $79 in charcoal gray and white.
