Apple has redesigned the standard iPad with a new look that expands the screen and adds a USB-C port on the side, and launched an upgraded iPad Pro. Both products are available to pre-order now and hit stores on Oct. 26.
New iPad: A Redesign and a Price Hike
For the 10th-generation iPad, Apple increased the screen size from 10.2 to 10.9 inches, which has a slightly higher pixel resolution at 2,360 by 1,640. The company also removed the Home button, which is found on last year’s ninth-gen iPad and replaced it with a Touch ID button that's integrated into the top power button.
Apple also adds Wi-Fi 6 and a USB-C port to the tablet in another sign Apple might be preparing to ditch the Lightning port. In addition, the company upgraded the front-facing 12-megapixel camera with an ultra-wide sensor for better video calls.
Apple also notes that "for the first time on any iPad, the front-facing camera is now located along the landscape edge" so you don't have to hold the iPad vertically to be centered during a FaceTime video call. The same camera supports Center Stage, meaning it can automatically pan and zoom to keep the user in view as they move around. Meanwhile, the iPad’s rear camera has been bumped up from 8MP to 12MP.
The new iPad seems to adopt the same design as the recently released 5th-gen iPad Air, which also has a 10.9-inch screen and no Home button. The main difference is that the new iPad will use A14 Bionic chip, or the same processor found in the iPhone 12. Meanwhile, the iPad Air comes with a more powerful M1 chip used in the company’s Arm-powered MacBooks.
All those new features, however, mean the iPad is getting a price increase. It starts at $449 with only 64GB of memory. For 256GB of storage, customers have to pay $599. Get it in blue, pink, yellow, or silver. For those on a budget, Apple will still sell the ninth-gen iPad at $329.
Users can also outfit the 10th-gen iPad with Apple's new "Magic Keyboard Folio" case, which includes an attached keyboard. But the peripheral is pricey at $249. It also supports the first-gen Apple Pencil, though a new USB-C to Apple Pencil Adapter is required for pairing and charging.
iPad Pro: M2 Chip, Enhanced Apple Pencil Experience
The iPad Pro, on the other hand, retains the same design as last year’s model. But Apple has upgraded the internals, swapping out the M1 chip for the company’s faster M2 processor, which is being used in this year's newly released MacBook Pros.
The added chip power promises to make the tablet a workhorse for working professionals, such as photographers, graphic designers, and healthcare staffers, who need a portable but powerful tablet, according to Apple. The new iPad Pro also now supports Wi-Fi 6E while still retaining its Thunderbolt 4 USB-C port.
For the first time, the iPad Pro can capture video in Apple’s ProRes format, and transcode ProRes files up to three times faster. “This means content creators can capture, edit, and publish cinema-grade video from a single device out in the field,” the company added.
The other notable upgrade involves the second-gen Apple Pencil, which costs $129. The iPad Pro can now detect the stylus up to 12 millimeters (0.47 inches) above the display, so you can see a preview of where the Apple Pencil will mark before it touches the screen.
“This also allows users to sketch and illustrate with even greater precision, and makes everything users do with Apple Pencil even more effortless,” the company said. “Third-party apps can also take advantage of this new feature to enable entirely new marking and drawing experiences.”
The new iPad Pro will arrive at the same starting prices at its predecessor: $799 for the 11-inch and $1,099 for the 12.9-inch Wi-Fi models (cellular service will cost $200 more). Get it in silver or space gray finishes with 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB configurations. You can pre-order now on Apple's website ahead of an Oct. 26 launch.
