- Kyle Chua
Apple Launches M4 iPad Pro, M2 iPad Air
Another Apple launch event has just wrapped, and it centered primarily on the iPad.
At its Let Loose event, Apple expanded its tablet lineup, announcing the all-new iPad Pro with the debuting M4 chipset and upgrades to the iPad Air. The tech giant also unveiled some accessory updates to go alongside the new iPad reveals.
Here are all the iPad announcements from the event:
iPad Pro
The iPad Pro is Apple's most advanced computing device yet, combining a thin and light design with next-level performance. The all-new iPad is powered by the new M4 chipset, which also made its debut at the event. The chipset is reportedly built on second-generation three-nanometre technology and delivers up to 1.5x faster CPU performance than the M2 of the previous-generation iPad Pro. It also has better rendering performance, supporting dynamic caching as well as hardware-accelerated ray tracing and mesh shading, all of which are new on iPad.
What's more, the M4 features a new display engine, allowing the new iPad to accommodate the Ultra Retina XDR display. Speaking of which, the new iPad Pro boasts a new display tech that Apple calls Tandem OLED. This new tech layers two OLED panels on top of each other to bring more vibrant colours and deeper blacks. In addition, brightness levels can reach up to 1,000 nits for standard and up to 1,600 nits for HDR.
Even with the new display tech, Apple was able to keep the ultraportable form factor of the iPad Pro. In fact, this new model is the thinnest Apple product yet – thinner than the iPod nano. The 11-inch model is just 5.3 mm thin, while the 13-inch model is even thinner at 5.1 mm.
For cameras, it has a 12MP back camera that captures Smart HDR images and video. The 12MP ultra-wide front camera, meanwhile, has been moved to the landscape location, making it better suited for video conferencing.
The new 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Pro come in silver and space black finishes in 256GB, 512GB, 1TB and 2TB configurations. The 11-inch iPad Pro starts at S$1,499 for the Wi-Fi model, while the 13-inch iPad Pro starts at S$1,999. You can order them starting today at any Apple's offline and online retail outlets.
iPad Air
Alongside the new iPad Pro, Apple also refreshed the iPad Air with some worthwhile upgrades. Chief of which is a new chip, with the new Air replacing the now-aging M1 for an M2. While the M2 is of course not as powerful as the new M4, it can still keep the Air's performance up to date for those who prefer it over the higher-end Pro. Apple touts that the M2 iPad Air is nearly 50% faster than the M1 for a wide range of productivity and creative tasks.
What's more, for the first time, the iPad Air now comes in two sizes: 11 and 13 inches. The 13-inch model offers 30% more screen real estate than the 11-inch model. Both, however, feature the same display technology, highlighted by the Liquid Retina design, an anti-reflective screen coating and support for True Tone and P3 wide colour.
Similar to the iPad Pro, the front-facing camera here has also been moved to the landscape edge.
The new 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Air is available in blue, purple, starlight, and space gray, with 128GB, 256GB, 512GB and 1TB configurations. The 11-inch model starts at S$899, while the 13-inch model starts at S$1,199. You can order them starting today at any Apple's offline and online retail outlets.
Apple Pencil Pro
The Apple Pencil Pro features new advanced capabilities to enhance your tablet experience. A new sensor has been placed in the barrel to sense squeezes, which bring up a tool palette where you can switch tools, line weights and colour. It additionally has a custom haptic engine that provides you with feedback for actions like a squeeze. On top of these, if you rotate the barrel, it changes the orientation of shaped pen and brush tools, which is like using pen and paper. Also, for the first time, the Apple Pencil Pro includes Find My support, in case you misplace your device. It is available S$119
Magic Keyboard
There's also a new Magic Keyboard that only works with the iPad Pro. It's made from aluminum, providing it with a more premium feel, and features a larger trackpad that has haptic feedback. The keyboard add-on is available in black and white finishes. The 11-inch Magic Keyboard is available for S$449, while the 13-inch Magic Keyboard is available for S$529, with layouts for over 30 languages.
Apple expanded its tablet lineup, announcing the all-new iPad Pro with the debuting M4 chipset and upgrades to the iPad Air.
The new iPad Pro starts at S$1,499 for the 11-inch, Wi-Fi-only model.
Meanwhile, the new M2 iPad Air starts at S$899 for the 11-inch, Wi-Fi-only model.