Apple launches new iPad Pro – More powerful than most Windows laptops

Apple has unveiled its next-generation iPad Pro tablet.

The new tablet boasts an ultra-wide camera, high-quality microphones, and a LiDAR scanner, which Apple said will allow for more workflows and support professional photo and video apps.

Apple claimed that with the A12Z Bionic chip, the new iPad Pro is faster and more powerful than most Windows PC laptops.

Display and design

The new iPad Pro is available in either silver or space grey in 11 or 12.9 inches.

Both iPad Pro variants sport an edge-to-edge Liquid Retina screen which Apple said is the “world’s most advanced mobile display”.

“Featuring P3 wide colour support, it lets customers see photos, videos, apps, and games in vivid, true-to-life detail,” Apple stated.

With ProMotion technology, the display’s refresh rate is automatically adjusted to 120Hz for a smooth scrolling experience.

The display’s True Tone feature combines 600 nits of brightness and an anti-reflective coating to improve viewing in harshly-lit environments.

Hardware and camera

The A12Z Bionic chip combines an eight-core CPU and GPU for performing demanding tasks, like 4K video editing and 3D model design, Apple said.

The company said the chip’s design means the new iPad Pro offers the best performance found in a thin and light form factor.

The rear dual-camera system comes with a 12MP wide lens and 10MP ultra-wide sensor, which zooms out to provide twice the field of view.

On the front, users will find a 7MP TrueDepth camera.

The built-in LiDAR scanner can be used to measure the distance to surrounding objects up to 5 metres away, allowing for improved Augmented Reality (AR) application support.

Other features include a maximum battery life of 10 hours, faster Wi-Fi connectivity, and gigabit-class LTE which is 60% faster than the previous-generation iPad.

Storage configurations available include 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB.

iPad Pro users have the option of adding Apple’s new Magic Keyboard, which features a trackpad, smooth angle adjustment, and backlighting to deliver what Apple said is the “best typing experience ever on iPad”.

It can be magnetically attached to the iPad Pro and comes with USB-C passthrough charging. Its functionality will be supported by iPad OS 13.4, which is set to be released on 24 March.

Availability and pricing

The iPad Pro is available to order from today on the Apple website and Apple Store app in 30 countries and regions.

It will be available in stores starting next week.

The 11-inch iPad Pro 128GB will be priced at $799 for the Wi-Fi only model and $949 for the Wi-Fi and Cellular unit.

The Wi-Fi version of the 128GB 12.9-inch variant will start at $999, while the Wi-Fi and Cellular model will have a price tag of $1,149.

Apple said that the Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro will be available for college students at $279 for the 11-inch iPad Pro and $329 for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro.

The table below shows the specifications of the new iPad Pro.

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