You may have already seen the new 10th-generation iPad, a colorful redesign of Apple’s entry-level tablet with an impressive feature set but a hefty price increase. But a second device was announced alongside it, a new M2-powered iPad Pro that’s more powerful than ever.
Both are available to order online immediately, and in-store from October 26.
The new iPad Pro might not look any different than its predecessor, but there are some notable changes that make it an impressive upgrade for anyone with an aging tablet.
The power of M2
First is that M2 chip, up to 15% faster than M1 and bringing iPad Pro’s processing power in line with the latest MacBooks. Graphics performance is up 35% and the Neural Engine can handle machine learning tasks 40% faster than before.
The tech nerds among you may also be interested to know that M2 features more unified memory and memory bandwidth than M1, perfect for multitasking or handling large files. Overkill for the average user, perhaps, but a useful upgrade for true power users – especially anyone who handles ProRes video footage.
Hover, craft
Apple Pencil users will be interested in a new “hover experience” that’s arguably the most interesting feature of the new iPad Pro. The Pencil can now be detected up to 12mm above the display, allowing users to get visual feedback, previews, and other interactions without actually touching the screen.
Some of the behavior showcased is similar to how computers handle mouse-over events on a computer, like text boxes or buttons expanding when you get near them. For illustrators, it’s also a great way to preview a mark before committing to it in apps like Procreate. It’ll be interesting to see how developers expand on this functionality as it becomes more widespread.
Connectivity
Lastly, the new iPad Pro is a connectivity powerhouse. It’s the first Apple device to offer Wi-Fi 6E, which essentially allows for twice as fast downloads as the previous-gen technology. The cellular models also support more 5G networks than ever, which should make it easier to find and connect to the internet on the go.
Pricing
As before, iPad Pro is available in 11-inch and 12.9-inch models. Both come with 128GB as standard, for $799 and $1099 respectively. Add another $200 for cellular connectivity, and a small fortune on top of that to upgrade to the top-level 2TB storage configuration. As mentioned earlier, these will ship from October 26.