Amid a backdrop of spring birds chirping away the morning, Apple announced a bevy of updates to its iPad lineup in a streamed presentation. The company has launched a new family of iPad Airs with an updated processor and double the storage, plus two new iPad Pros with MacBook-level specifications, including the debut of the Apple M4 processor. Apple also revealed the Apple Pencil Pro, which promises more malleability over your projects than the regular Apple Pencil for only $30 more, along with updates to the suite of apps that use the stylus. A new Magic Keyboard case will seal the deal on the tablet-as-a-laptop experience.
All the iPads, chips and more that Apple announced at its 'Let Loose' event
New iPad Airs, new iPad Pros with MacBook-level specifications, and a new Apple Pencil Pro to seal the deal for novices and experts alike
Meet the new iPad Air
The iPad Air is now available in two sizes: 11-inch and 13-inch. Both form factors feature a Liquid retina display. Apple says the iPad Air offers 30% more screen real estate, which is made even more enjoyable by its improved stereo speakers with spatial audio effects.
Inside the iPad Air is an M2 chip. It’s not the latest and greatest, but it is a massive upgrade over the iPhone-level Bionic chip powering up the last batch of iPad Airs. Apple promises 50% faster performance between this new iPad Air and the iPad Pro generation with M1 bundled in.
The iPad Air is available with more storage this time around. You can get the device with up to 1TB. The 11-inch iPad Air starts at $600, and the 13-inch iPad Air starts at $800.
The powerful iPad Pro with the debut of M4 chips
The beefiest news from today’s Apple event is the debut of the MacBook-caliber M4 processor on the refreshed 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Pro.
The iPad Pro now offers an OLED display, akin to its competition from other platforms. The Ultra Retina XDR features a broader viewing angle over its predecessors and nano-textured glass that can scatter ambient light to produce less glare.
The 11-inch iPad Pro starts at $1,000 for the Wi-Fi model and $1,200 for the cellular model. The 13-inch iPad Pro costs $1,300 for the Wi-Fi-only model and $1,500 for the cellular offering.
It’s very thin
Not only are the iPad Pros 50% faster than their predecessors, said Apple, but they’re also thinner—Apple compared it to the thinness of the iPod Nano. That was not a comparison I was expecting to hear, but alas. The idea is that you can get a ton of performance in a slim chassis.
What does the M4 do?
As mentioned, the new iPad Pro is powered by the all-new M4 processor, which officially debuted today. The chip builds upon Apple’s GPU architecture, which debuted on the M3 chip. It has six efficiency cores and four power cores. There’s also a dedicated neural processing unit (NPU), enabling the iPad Pro to do things like offer Lens Blur as an edit in the Photos app.
Finally, Landscape cameras
Apple finally realized people don’t want to video chat in portrait mode. It moved the camera on iPad Air and iPad Pro to Landscape mode to better accommodate how we’re all naturally inclined to use tablets.
A gyroscope in the new Apple Pencil Pro
This is the most significant update Apple’s stylus has had in years. The Apple Pencil Pro features a new gyroscope sensor in the pencil’s barrel, so you can turn it and squeeze it for interaction. Apple calls it a “barrel roll,” which brings the Star Fox meme to mind. There’s haptic feedback when you move and place things on the iPad screen, and you can hover to interact with windows in the new Procreate for iPad. The Apple Pencil Pro will also have Find My, in case the stylus rolls behind the couch cushions and you can’t find it. It costs $130.
MacBook-like Magic Keyboards
Apple has always wanted you to use its tablets as a makeshift MacBook, which is why it updated the Magic Keyboard for its iPad Pro lineup. The new keyboards now offer a Function row to emulate the laptop keyboard, along with shortcuts for adjusting the keyboard’s backlight and the iPad’s screen brightness.
The Magic Keyboard now has an aluminum palm rest and a larger trackpad. The 11-inch version costs $300, and the 13-inch version costs $350.
Smart Folios for all
Apple hasn’t forgotten about the faithful Smart Folio, which has existed since the dawn of the iPad. Two new versions are available for the iPad Pro and iPad Air. The iPad Pro version is available in black, white, and denim at $80 for the 11-inch iPad Pro and $100 for the 13-inch.
The iPad Air’s Smart Folio comes in more color options, including charcoal gray, light violet, denim, and sage. It starts at $80 for the 11-inch iPad Air and $100 for the 13-inch version.
Updates to Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro
Lastly, but certainly not least for the creatives and creative professionals, Apple has updated Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro for the iPad 2. Final Cut Pro’s new features include Live Multicam, so you can sit in the director’s chair and check in on different camera angles. Plus, you can edit footage directly from external storage.
This next update of Logic Pro for iPad 2 (and for Mac) offers more AI sprinkles. New abilities include Session Players, which add new backup players to your virtual band, including bass and keyboard.