Apple on Tuesday unveiled the new iPad Pro, which features an all-screen front facing design with no Home button, instead using Face ID for biometric authentication.
Face ID comes to iPad for the first time, and works while holding iPad Pro in any position or while seated using the new Smart Keyboard Folio
The new tablets are powered by an A12X Bionic chip, with a next-generation Neural Engine that Apple says outperforms most PC laptops. The new iPad Pro replaces the Lightning connector with a new USB-C connector, and offers Gigabit-class LTE, and up to 1TB of storage.
“The new iPad Pro is a huge step forward for powerful, creative, mobile computing; it has an all-new thinner design, speeds through projects with the super-fast A12X Bionic chip and unlocks with a glance using Face ID in any orientation — while you’re sitting or standing, with iPad Pro on your desk or lap, with the new Smart Keyboard Folio and new Apple Pencil,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “There has never been a mobile device anything like the new iPad Pro; it has a gorgeous edge-to-edge Liquid Retina display that curves into the corners, breakthrough performance that outperforms most laptops, Face ID, support for the new Smart Keyboard Folio and new Apple Pencil, advanced new cameras and sensors for the best AR experiences ever in any device, a high-speed USB-C connector, louder speakers, faster wireless and more, all packed into a thinner device that has all-day battery life and is 25 percent smaller in volume.”
The new devices offer a large multi-touch Liquid Retina display, the same display used for the new iPhone XR handset.
iPad Pro features the world’s most advanced display — a stunning, edge-to-edge Liquid Retina display with rounded corners that follow the curves of iPad Pro’s unibody enclosure. With precision-milled glass, advanced pixel masking, sub-pixel antialiasing and a new backlight design, the new Liquid Retina display in iPad Pro is Apple’s brightest and most color accurate iPad display, featuring wide color support, True Tone and anti-reflective coating for a natural, accurate viewing experience indoors and out. ProMotion technology automatically adjusts the display refresh rate up to 120Hz for ultra-smooth scrolling and incredible responsiveness on iPad Pro.
The 11-inch iPad Pro offers a larger display with more pixels in the same footprint as the 10.5-inch model, and weighs in at one pound. The new 12.9-inch iPad Pro offers the largest display of any iPad, now in a more portable package — offering a 25 percent reduction in volume. Both models are just 5.9 mm thin — the thinnest iPad design ever.
The new USB-C connector offers power for charging, supports USB 3.1 Gen 2 for high-bandwidth data transfers up to twice the speed to and from cameras and musical instruments, and drives external displays up to 5K. With USB-C, iPad Pro can even be used to charge an iPhone.
A second-generation Apple Pencil was also unveiled, which magnetically attaches to the iPad Pro, allowing it to wirelessly charge at the same time. The new Pencil boasts a new built-in touch sensor, which detects taps, introducing an entirely new way to interact within apps.
A new Smart Keyboard Folio also made the scene, and features a streamlined, adjustable design.
The new 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro will be available in silver and space gray finishes in 64GB, 256GB and 512GB configurations as well as a new 1TB option. The 11-inch model starts at $799 (US) for the Wi-Fi model and $949 for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model and the 12.9-inch model starts at $999 (US) for the Wi-Fi model and $1,149 (US) for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model from apple.com and Apple Store locations, and is also available through Apple Authorized Resellers and select carriers (prices may vary).
The second generation Apple Pencil will be available for $129 (US). The new Smart Keyboard Folio is available in space gray for $179 (US) for the 11-inch model and $199 (US) for the 12.9-inch model with layouts for over 30 languages, including simplified Chinese, French, German, Japanese and Spanish.
A new Smart Folio for iPad Pro, in a protective, polyurethane folio design, will be available in a variety of colors for $79 (US) for the 11-inch size and $99 (US) for the 12.9-inch size at apple.com and Apple Store locations.
The new iPad Pro, Apple Pencil, Smart Folio, and Smart Keyboard Folio are available to order starting today and will be available in stores starting Wednesday, November 7.
