Design
The new iPad Pro features the same design as the existing model, with a slim and sleek body and near-perfect weight distribution for an effortless handling experience. It has the same matte metallic finish available in Silver and Space Gray colours, which is matched by the back cover as well as the optional folio attachment. The back cover already has an in-built stand that lets you set it up in a multitude of positions, while the folio delivers a solid docking experience thanks to a two-step support system.
On the front, the iPad Pro features the latest ProMotion Display that supports an adaptive refresh rate of up to 120Hz. You can get it in two different screen sizes, an 11-inch model and a 12.9-inch model, both of which support up to 1000nits of peak brightness. The only thing that disturbs this perfect slab design is the camera bump, which features an updated camera array while maintaining the same size and dimensions. You also get a quad-speaker stereo sound system, which is tuned to deliver a noticeable improvement in sound quality.
Performance
The true upgrade for this model comes with the addition of Apple's latest generation M2 processor, which is expected to deliver a 15% upgrade in CPU performance, along with a 35% upgrade in GPU performance. This is made possible by the inclusion of up to 8 cores for the CPU and 10 cores for the GPU. There is even an updated Neural Engine, which can carry up to 40% more operations per second for faster AI functionality.
The new chipset also gets a new media engine and image signal processor, which makes it the first iPad to be able to capture ProRes video of up to 4K resolution at 60fps. The new components add a physical transcoding system for the footage, which makes processing and transfers up to three times faster than before. This is helped with the addition of two new camera modules, which now feature a 12MP wide-angle sensor along with a 10MP ultra-wide. For the audio department, the flagship tablet features five studio-quality microphones spread across the body.
Last but not least, the iPad gets enhanced networking abilities, thanks to the inclusion of WIFI 6E as well as 5G cellular connectivity. The WIFI module delivers up to 2.4GBPS top speeds, while the 5G module comes with support for mmWave 5G connectivity. The only caveat is that the mmWave support is currently limited to only the US region.
Apple Pencil Upgrade
The tablet already comes with support for the Apple Pencil, which is their version of a stylus pen that attaches magnetically to the side of the iPad and can charge wirelessly. It is one of the fastest stylus on the market, with super low latency and rapid response time. Now, it gets another big update with the launch of Apple Pencil Hover. This new feature lets the iPad screen detect the electromagnetic signals emitted by the pencil, so it can recognize the position and distance between the screen and the Pencil.
Through this, the tablet can detect when you are hovering the pencil near any point on the screen and enables lots of new features and secondary interaction options without you actually touching the screen. This functionality gets activated when the pencil is closer than 12mm from the screen and, depending on the application, can enable various options. Such as expanding text fields before you write, auto-playing video previews, and displaying a precise pinpoint, so you know where you will colour while sketching. The company will introduce more features as various developers update their apps to take advantage of this new system.
Price & Availability
The new iPad Pro will be available in both screen sizes, as well as WIFI only and 5G variants, from the 26th of October. You can get five storage options, including 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB. You can pre-order any of these models right away, with a starting price of $799 for the base 11-inch WIFI-only version and $1,299 for the 12.9-inch version of the same.
