New Apple iPad Pro 10.5 and 12.9 debut
Apple's iPad Pro lineup just got updated and
now consists of a new 10.5-inch model, with slimmer bezels and a light 1 pound
metal body and a refined 12.9-inch powerhouse. The new and refined unibody
shells wrap around redesigned Retina Displays.
Apple's new True Tone panel is a true
high-performer, featuring a wide color gamut, ultralow reflectivity, an
impressive 600 nit peek brightness and HDR support. So, it is set for the the
new wave of trendy multimedia content.
Yet the most important update is probably the
120Hz native refresh rate of the new screens. This newfound responsiveness,
makes for an industry-leading 20ms latency when using the Apple Pencil. The
panels support variable refresh rate, so you can enjoy fluent motion when
needed and then save energy when viewing slower-moving or static content.
This all adds up to the promise of up to 10
hours of battery life on the devices. And thanks to Fast charging support, it
shouldn't take too long to charge. Besides fast power transfer, USB 3 also
facilitates rapid data transfers (although, we are likely looking at USB 3.0,
rather than 3.1).
The rest of the specs sheet is just as
impressive. The tablets are powered by the Apple A10X Fusion chip, with six CPU
cores and another twelve GPU ones. Apple says that adds up to 30% in CPU and
40% in GPU performance, respectively, over the previous chip generation. The
new iPads hold great promise in the camera department as well. They borrow both
the main and selfie snappers from the iPhone 7. That means a 12MP sensor and a
f/1.8 lens, complete with OIS and a 7MP FaceTime HD camera at the front.
On the software side of things, iOS 11 comes
with several new features that only the new iPads will get to enjoy. There is
now drag and drop support and multi-window apps can finally be freely
repositioned in the UI and snapped into place.
The iOS dock has been treated to both a
visual and functional overhaul and now acts like a powerful taskbar, even
complete with a trio of predictive icons to the far right. The new app switcher
has a new multi window trick as well. It can save the relative position of your
snapped apps so you can return to the same arrangement later.
Some other cool new software tricks on the
Pad Pro line include a full sized keyboard, Multi-select, as well as use of
Apple's new Files app. Although the latter will likely be a way overdue an iOS
wide release, so iPhone users can get up to speed as well.
The new iPad Pro duo is already available to
order today, starting at $649 for a 64GB, 10.5-inch unit in the lower end and
moving all the way up to $1099, for a 512GB 12.9-inch one. Mind you, these
numbers don't include an LTE modem. That will set you back another $130. Units
will ship with iOS 10, with an upgrade to iOS 11 planned for this Fall.
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