Apple has officially unveiled its next generation iPad Pro models during its Let Loose live stream earlier this evening. The series now comes with a new 13-inch option, on top of several upgrades and new features. But the biggest surprise yet was the announcement of the chip that’s powering both models, which so happens to be the brand’s all-new M4 processor.
The next-gen iPad Pro series is available in 11- and 13-inch sizes, both featuring Apple’s latest Ultra Retina XDR display that’s powered by its equally new Tandem OLED panel. According to the company, the line-up’s screen supports XDR precision and is capable of achieving 1600nit peak HDR brightness.
There’s also the option to have them equipped with the new nano-texture glass, which allows for reduced glare. However, this add-on is only available for the 1TB or 2TB configurations for the 11- or 13-inch iPad Pro, and will also cost you extra.
Additionally, Apple boasts that the new Pro tablets are its thinnest products yet, even more so than the iPod nano. More specifically, the 11-inch iPad Pro is said to measure at only 5.3mm thin, while the larger 13-inch variant comes in at only 5.1mm.
Under the hood of both Pro models is Apple’s new M4 chip, which is claimed to provide 50% faster performance than the older M2 models, while also being 50% more efficient in terms of power consumption. Meanwhile, the onboard 10-core GPU is said to offer four times the performance than its predecessor, offering powerful features like Dynamic Caching as well as hardware-accelerated mesh shading and ray tracing, which comes to iPad for the first time.
The M4’s built-in NPU, on the other hand, features a 16-core design, and is touted to be 60 times faster than the brand’s first neural engine. With this, users can perform AI-enabled tasks even faster, such as isolating a subject from its background in a 4K video via Scene Removal Mask in Final Cut Pro. Apple claims that the Neural Engine in M4 is more powerful than any neural processing unit in any AI PC today.
Improvements have also been made to the cameras on the new iPad Pro models, but only so slightly. For starters, there’s a new adaptive True Tone flash to complement its 12MP camera and LiDAR scanner, which enables better document scanning by eliminating unwanted shadows. In front, Apple has finally shifted the front-facing TrueDepth 12MP camera on the side bezel, allowing for an improved experience for video conferencing when in landscape mode. Of course, the ever useful Center Stage feature makes a return as well.
Connectivity-wise, the Pro models include a high-performance USB-C connector with support for Thunderbolt 3 and USB 4 (up to 40Gb/s). Both also feature Wi-Fi 6E, while the cellular variants support 5G.
Unveiled alongside the new iPad Pro series are two new accessories, namely the next-gen Magic Keyboard and the much-rumoured Apple Pencil Pro. The former retains the floating design but is thinner and lighter than its predecessor, and offers new features such as a function row, aluminium palm rest as well as a larger trackpad with haptic feedback and improved response rate. The new Pencil Pro, on the other hand, allows for new squeezing and barrel rolling interactions, supports Find My, and has haptic feedback as well as magnetic charging. Apple notes that the stylus is compatible with the newly launched iPad Air models as well.
The M4 iPad Pro series starts from RM5,299 for the 11-inch variant and RM6,799 for the larger 13-inch option. Memory configurations include 256GB, 512GB, 1TB and 2TB, while available colour options include Silver and Space Black. Apple has yet to confirm the availability for the new iPad Pro in Malaysia.
Meanwhile, the new Magic Keyboard will be available locally starting 15 May onwards, priced at RM1,479 for the 11-inch option and RM1,699 for the 13-inch. The Apple Pencil Pro, on the other hand, is set to retail for RM599 but is still listed as “coming soon” on the brand’s official website.
(Source: Apple Malaysia [official website])
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