New iPad Air: Now in two sizes
Apple introduced its latest iterations of the iPad Air series, showcasing the redesigned 11-inch model and debuting the all-new 13-inch variant. With the groundbreaking M2 chip at its core, these devices promise to redefine the user experience with enhanced performance and innovative features.
For the first time, Apple offers the iPad Air in two distinct sizes, catering to varying preferences and needs. The 11-inch version emphasizes portability, while the larger 13-inch model boasts an expansive display, ideal for immersive work, learning, and entertainment experiences.
Powered by the M2 chip, the new iPad Air delivers unprecedented speed and efficiency, thanks to its upgraded CPU, GPU, and Neural Engine. This boost in performance not only ensures seamless multitasking but also positions the device as a formidable tool for artificial intelligence applications.
One of the standout features of the redesigned iPad Air is its front-facing Ultra Wide 12MP camera with Center Stage technology. Strategically positioned along the landscape edge, this feature ensures optimal framing during video calls.
Moreover, Apple has prioritized connectivity with faster Wi-Fi capabilities, while cellular models now incorporate lightning-fast 5G technology, ensuring users stay connected regardless of their location.
Combining sleek design with practicality, the new iPad Air boasts a lightweight build, extended battery life, and a vibrant Liquid Retina display. Furthermore, it seamlessly integrates with Apple's ecosystem, offering support for accessories like the Apple Pencil Pro, Apple Pencil (USB-C), and Magic Keyboard.
Adding a splash of color to the lineup, Apple introduces new finishes for the iPad Air, including blue and purple, in addition to starlight and space gray options.New iPad Pro: Thinnest Apple device ever
Apple also introduced the latest iPad Pro today, showcasing a sleek design and enhanced performance. Available in 13-inch and 11-inch sizes, the device boasts an innovative Ultra Retina XDR display powered by the new M4 chip. This next-generation Apple silicon promises significant improvements in speed and functionality. Additionally, the iPad Pro is complemented by new accessories like the Apple Pencil Pro and a lighter Magic Keyboard to elevate user experience and productivity.
So thin
The new iPad Pro sets a new standard in portability with its stunningly slim and lightweight design. Apple calls it “the thinnest product” they’ve ever created. Measuring just 5.3 mm thin for the 11-inch model and an even more striking 5.1 mm for the 13-inch version, both iPad Pro models retain the strength of their predecessors, the company claims.
Oh, OLED
The new iPad Pro introduces the Ultra Retina XDR display, acclaimed as the world's most advanced, delivering an unparalleled visual experience. Utilizing tandem OLED technology with dual panels, it combines light for extraordinary full-screen brightness, supporting 1000 nits for SDR and HDR content and peaking at 1600 nits for HDR. This technology offers sub-millisecond control over pixel color and luminance, enhancing details in both highlights and shadows, with heightened responsiveness to motion content. A new nano-texture glass option reduces glare while maintaining image quality and contrast in challenging lighting conditions.
New camera system
The new iPad Pro's updated camera system offers enhanced versatility, enabling users to seamlessly shoot, edit, and share content. With four studio-quality microphones, it ensures rich audio capture alongside impressive visuals. The 12MP back camera delivers vibrant Smart HDR images and videos with improved color, texture, and detail, even in low-light environments. An adaptive True Tone flash enhances document scanning by automatically identifying documents and adjusting flash intensity to eliminate shadows for clearer scans.
Moreover, the TrueDepth camera system relocates to the landscape position on the new iPad Pro, featuring an Ultra Wide 12MP camera with Center Stage. This setup enhances video conferencing, especially when the iPad is connected to accessories like the Magic Keyboard or Smart Folio in landscape orientation.
Connectivity
The iPad Pro now comes with a high-performance USB-C connector that supports Thunderbolt 3 and USB 4, offering lightning-fast wired connectivity of up to 40Gb/s. This compatibility opens doors to a wide array of high-performance accessories, including external displays such as the Pro Display XDR, all connected via high-speed cables and docks.
In terms of wireless connectivity, the iPad Pro supports Wi-Fi 6E for blazing-fast Wi-Fi connections, perfect for on-the-go professional workflows. For users who require constant connectivity, Wi-Fi + Cellular models equipped with 5G ensure seamless access to files, communication, and data backup while on the move. These cellular models utilize eSIM technology for activation, providing a secure and convenient digital alternative to physical SIM cards. With support for wireless data plans in over 190 countries and regions, users can easily stay connected globally without the hassle of obtaining physical SIM cards from local carriers.
New Apple Pencil Pro
The Apple Pencil Pro introduces a host of new features and interactions, enhancing the creative experience for users. A new sensor in the barrel detects a user's squeeze, enabling quick access to a tool palette for seamless tool switching, line adjustments, and color selection, all without disrupting the creative flow.
A custom haptic engine provides subtle feedback, confirming actions like squeezing, double-tapping, or snapping to a Smart Shape for intuitive use. With a built-in gyroscope, users can roll the Apple Pencil Pro for precise tool control, while rotating the barrel adjusts the orientation of shaped pen and brush tools, mimicking the experience of traditional pen and paper.
The Apple Pencil Pro supports Find My integration for the first time, allowing users to locate their device if misplaced. It conveniently pairs, charges, and attaches magnetically to the side of the iPad Pro.
New Magic Keyboard and Smart Folio
The new iPad Pro is accompanied by an all-new, thinner, and lighter Magic Keyboard, designed for enhanced portability and versatility. Retaining the beloved floating design, the new Magic Keyboard now features a function row for quick access to features like screen brightness and volume controls.
It boasts an aluminum palm rest and an enlarged trackpad with improved responsiveness and haptic feedback, delivering a MacBook-like experience. With magnetic attachment and the Smart Connector for instant power and data connection without Bluetooth, it offers seamless functionality. The machined aluminum hinge also incorporates a USB-C connector for charging.
Available in black with a space black aluminum palm rest and white with a silver aluminum palm rest, the new Magic Keyboard perfectly complements the new iPad Pro. The new Smart Folio for iPad Pro attaches magnetically and supports multiple viewing angles for increased flexibility. Offered in black, white, and denim, it aligns with the colors of the new iPad Pro for a cohesive aesthetic.
Logic Pro and Final Cut Pro for iPad
Logic Pro and Final Cut Pro for iPad 2 are set to revolutionize creative workflows. Logic Pro, launching on Monday, May 13, introduces studio assistant features like Session Players, expanding on Drummer capabilities with Bass and Keyboard Players, ChromaGlow for instant warmth, and Stem Splitter for precise audio editing. Meanwhile, Final Cut Pro, available later this spring, introduces Live Multicam, turning the iPad into a mobile production studio by controlling up to four connected iOS devices wirelessly. The new Final Cut Camera app enables control over settings like white balance and shutter speed, with compatibility for standalone use or in tandem with Live Multicam.
New Apple M4 chip
Apple introduced the M4 chip, which powers the remarkable design and stunning display of the new iPad Pro while delivering exceptional performance. Built with second-generation 3-nanometer technology, the M4 chip enhances the power efficiency of Apple silicon, enabling the thin design of the iPad Pro. It features a new display engine to drive the precision, color, and brightness of the Ultra Retina XDR display. The M4 chip boasts a new CPU with up to 10 cores and a 10-core GPU with Dynamic Caching, hardware-accelerated ray tracing, and mesh shading. With Apple's fastest Neural Engine ever, capable of 38 trillion operations per second, along with faster memory bandwidth and ML accelerators, the M4 chip empowers the new iPad Pro with unparalleled artificial intelligence capabilities.
Watch the keynote here:
The screenshots and images used in this coverage, including those within the thumbnail, were sourced from Apple's website.