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We knew that Apple had big plans to launch new iPads overnight, and now we have them. At an event in Cupertino overnight, the tech giant unveiled its next iPad Pro and iPad Air models, as well as updates to the Logic Pro and Final Cut apps for iPad.
The new iPad Pro is the star of the show though. It’s powered by the new M4 chip – which has impressively launched just six months since Apple debuted the M3 – and comes in both 11-inch and 13-inch models.
There’s a whole bunch of features worth talking about, so let’s dive in deeper.
iPad Pro – the thinnest Apple product ever
Apple is loudly proclaiming that the new iPad Pro is the thinnest product it has ever produced. The 11-inch tablet is just 5.3 mm thin and weighs 500 grams, but it’s the 13-inch model that breaks records, coming in at 5.1mm thick.
It’s not just the product’s thickness that’s been boosted, (or shrunk, as the case may be). Apple has boosted the display in the new iPad Pros, with what it dubs Ultra Retina XDR.
That sounds like a bit of mumbo jumbo, but the tech behind it is pretty slick. Apple has combined two tandem OLED panels, combining the light from both to boost brightness.
From a numbers perspective, that means 1,000 nits of brightness for the screen in SDR content, with peak brightness of 1,600 nits for HDR.
The dual-panel display also means better contrast and colour reproduction, while improvements to the actual glass also helps reduce glare.
The whole tablet is powered by the new M4 chip, which allows for the thin, lightweight design. Built on second-generation 3 nanometer technology, the M4 chip offers four performance cores, six efficiency cores and includes features like dynamic caching and hardware-accelerated mesh shading and ray tracing.
Apple has moved the Ultrawide 12MP front camera to the landscape position to make videoconferencing better. The rear 12MP camera can also take improved scans to remove shadows from the image.
iPad Air – Redesigned with the M2 chip
Alongside the new iPad Pro models, Apple has updated its iPad Air models. Now powered by the M2 chip, the iPad Air comes in both 11-inch and 13-inch screen sizes.
Like the iPad Pro, the 12MP ultra-wide front-facing camera has been moved to the landscape position to make it better for video calls.
The screen is Apple’s Liquid Retina, which features an anti-reflective screen coating; True Tone technology; high brightness; and support for P3 wide colour.
Pricing and availability
The new products are now available to pre-order, with delivery from next Wednesday, May 15.
The new 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Pro will be available in silver and space black finishes in 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB configurations.
The 11-inch iPad Pro starts at RRP A$1,699 inc. GST for the Wi-Fi model, and RRP A$2,049 inc. GST for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model. The 13-inch iPad Pro starts at RRP A$2,199 inc. GST for the Wi-Fi model, and RRP A$2,549 inc. GST for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model.
Meanwhile, the new 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Air will be available in blue, purple, starlight, and space grey, with 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB configurations.
The 11-inch iPad Air starts at RRP A$999 inc. GST for the Wi-Fi model, and RRP A$1,249 inc. GST for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model. The 13-inch iPad Air starts at RRP A$1,299 inc. GST for the Wi-Fi model, and RRP A$1,549 inc. GST for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model.
