Apple recently unveiled revised models of its iPad Air and iPad Pro tablets.
Since the iPad’s 2011 launch, Apple has not released new models until October 2022, which is the longest period between updates.
In a brief video that was uploaded on the company’s website, Apple CEO Tim Cooksaid, “This is the biggest day for the iPad since its introduction.”
There will be two sizes for Apple’s most expensive and sophisticated tablet, the iPad Pro: an 11-inch model and a 13-inch model, the company announced. With a thickness of 5.1 mm, the product was dubbed by the company as its thinnest ever.
The iPad Pro is designed to fit into a new aluminium shell called Magic Keyboard, which connects the tablet to a keyboard and trackpad. According to Apple, utilising the case will make using an iPad Pro “just like a MacBook,” or comparable to using a laptop.
The M4, a new Apple chip that replaces the M3 chips that presently power Apple computers, is used in the updated iPad versions. According to Apple, the M4 Chip is a “outrageously powerful chip for AI,” citing, among other things, its capacity to run software that separates video subjects from their backgrounds.
According to Apple, the iPad Pro tablets will feature brighter, more vibrant colours than previous generations because they will employ an OLED display, which is a new type of display that the company also uses in its iPhones. The company added that in order to produce the panels, which go by the name Ultra Retina XDR, it invented a technique known as “tandem OLED.”
The business unveiled Final Cut Camera, a new programme that allows users to handle multiple iPhone cameras, and suggested that professional film makers would find the iPad Pro to be a helpful tool. According to Apple, the iPad Pro has a 12-megapixel back camera with 4K video recording capabilities. Additionally, the camera’s light has been updated, according to the business, making document scanning simpler.
According to Apple, the iPad Air will be available in two sizes: a larger 13-inch device and an 11-inch variant that is compatible with older models. Both have Apple’s M2 chip installed.
In order to better facilitate video conferences, Apple has also shifted the front-facing camera to the longer side of the device, or landscape mode, to match the more costly iPad Pro versions.
The iPad Air, which comes in blue, purple, and gold colours, will go on sale in stores next week.
Preorders for the new tablets and accessories are open now, and they will go on sale the following week.
Additionally, Apple reduced the cost of its entry-level iPad from $429 to $349.
The pricing of the larger 13-inch device with 256GB of storage starts at $1,299, a modest premium over the smaller iPad Pro, which starts at $999.
The larger iPad starts at $799, while the smaller iPad costs $599 for 128GB of storage.
Depending on size, the Magic Keyboard will cost $249 or $299.
Additionally, Apple launched the $129 Apple Pencil Pro, an upgraded stylus.
Read more on Tech Gist Africa:
Here is everything Apple unveiled at WWDC 2023
Google unveils the Pixel 8 and a smartphone with new AI features
Apple launches MacBooks with the latest M2 chips