Apple iPad Pro launched with 12.9 inch display, smart keyboard, stylus accessory
The world’s biggest tech brand Apple announced a new addition to the iPad family, iPad Pro, which the Apple CEO Tim Cook called the “the biggest news in iPad since the iPad.” To be available in November, the new iPad Pro features a 12.9-inch screen with 2732 x 2058 pixel display, which is more than 5.6 million pixels.
The iPad Pro is powered by the new “desktop class” 64-bit A9X chip from Apple, which promises 1.8 times faster performance than that of the existing second-generation 64-bit A8X chip that runs iPad Air 2. Phil Schiller, Senior Vice President Worldwide Marketing at Apple claimed that the iPad Pro is faster than 80% of portable PCs that shipped in the last year. The device is 6.9mm thin and weighs 1.57 pounds, only a little more than the original iPad.
Apple also says the new iPad Pro is powerful enough to edit three 4K streams at once. Further, the graphics performance on the iPad Pro is 360 times more than the original 2010 iPad. Apple is aiming this device specifically at enterprises and customers who need powerful, professional hardware for productivity.
Apple also introduced an optional Smart Keyboard that’s built right into the new device’s case. The optional accessory is covered in fabric, including the keys, and connects to the iPad Pro via a new “smart connector.” The connector attaches magnetically and carries power and data. The Smart Keyboard that is specifically designed for iPad Pro will be priced at $169 and ship in November.
Another new accessory created specifically for the iPad Pro is a stylus called Apple Pencil. The Apple Pencil is being sold as a super-accurate way of drawing and sketching on the screen. The iPad Pro comes with the standard 10 hour battery life, similar to what the standard iPad and iPad mini offer. The largest iPad ever has a four-speaker audio system and balances the sound automatically, depending on how it is being held.
Microsoft Office will work on the iPad, and Adobe has created a suite of software tools for the new iPad, including one called Comp for laying out pages and editing photos. It will also work with apps like AutoCAD and Autodesk. It supports multitasking with Split Screen app view, where two apps can be shown at the same time.
The iPad Pro will ship this November in Silver, Gold, Space Grey colours at a price of $799 for 32GB storage (Wi-Fi only), $949 for 128GB storage (Wi-Fi only), and $1079 for 128GB storage Wi-Fi+LTE variant. There is no 64GB variant of this tablet.
