apple On Tuesday, the company announced new versions of its iPad Air and iPad Pro tablets in a short video posted to its website.
“Today is the biggest day for iPad since its launch,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook.
The new iPad models will be Apple’s first release since October 2022, marking the longest period since its launch in 2011 that Apple hasn’t updated its iPad product line.
Apple stock was flat during trading on Tuesday.
Apple says its most expensive and advanced tablet, the iPad Pro, comes in two sizes: an 11-inch model and a 13-inch model. The company calls this its thinnest product ever, measuring 5.1mm thick.
The smaller iPad Pro starts at $999, and the larger 13-inch model with 256 GB of storage starts at $1,299, a slight increase in price over its predecessor.
The iPad Pro will fit into a new case that Apple calls the Magic Keyboard. This case is made of aluminum and combines the tablet with a keyboard and trackpad. Apple said the case makes the iPad Pro feel like a laptop, or “like a MacBook.”
The Magic Keyboard costs $249 or $299 depending on size. Apple also announced its latest stylus, called the Apple Pencil Pro, for $129.
New iPad models use a new Apple chip called M4, which is an update from the M3 chip that currently powers Apple’s laptops. Apple said the M4 chip is a “very powerful chip for AI,” citing as one example its ability to power software that separates a subject from its background in a video.
“Achieving this stunning design and breakthrough display required a leap into the next generation of Apple silicon,” said Apple hardware executive John Ternus.
Apple said the iPad Pro tablet will use a new type of display called OLED (the same technology Apple uses in the iPhone), and the new tablet will have brighter, more vibrant colors than older models. . The company also said it has developed a technology called “tandem OLED” to create the screen, which is branded Ultra Retina XDR.
The company added that the iPad Pro could be a useful tool for professional video producers and announced a new app called Final Cut Camera that can control multiple iPhone cameras. Apple says the iPad Pro has a 12-megapixel rear camera that can record 4K video. The company also announced an update to the camera’s flash that makes scanning documents easier.
The new tablets and accessories are available for pre-order now and will be available next week.
Apple says the iPad Air comes in two sizes: an 11-inch size similar to the previous model, and a larger 13-inch model. Both are powered by Apple’s M2 chip. The smaller iPad starts at $599 with 128 GB of storage, and the larger iPad starts at $799.
Apple has also moved the front-facing camera to the longer side of the device (landscape mode) to make it better suited for video conferencing, in line with Apple’s more expensive iPad Pro models.
The iPad Air will be in stores next week and will be available in a variety of colors including blue, purple, and gold.
Apple also lowered the price of its entry-level iPad to $349 from the previous $429.