Apple made headlines today with the announcement of its latest iPad Pro, powered by the same M2 processor found in the redesigned MacBook Air from earlier this year. The tablet still comes in 11-inch and 12.9-inch sizes, and it’s sticking with a familiar design. Yet, despite the similarities, there’s plenty to talk about.
Where to preorder the new iPad Pro with M2
The 11-inch iPad Pro with M2 starts at $799, while the 12.9-inch model starts at $1,099. Both are available with 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB or 2TB of storage. Two color options are available: Space Gray and silver.
Beginning today, you can order the new iPad Pro from Apple.com, and it’ll be available in stores starting Oct. 23. A variety of accessories are also available, like the Magic Keyboard starting at $299 and the Apple Pencil (2nd gen) for $129.
The iPad Pro has never been more powerful
With the new iPad Pro, Apple is including the M2 processor. Previously, the iPad Pro packed in the M1 chip, so this new generation will be noticeably faster. Apple says to expect up to 15% better performance day to day, while heavier tasks like gaming and video editing will see a 35% increase in performance. It’s all thanks to the new 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU.
Machine learning on the iPad Pro is also more powerful than ever, with a 16-core Neural Engine that can process 15.8 trillion operations per second — 40% more than the M1. The faster memory also makes multitasking and flipping between apps feel snappier.
ProRes video capture comes to the iPad
The M2 chip enables something that was previously an iPhone exclusive: ProRes video capture. Using the iPad Pro’s dual 12MP cameras (one standard width, one ultra-wide), you’ll have deeper control over the edits you make when recording video in Apple’s ProRes format. What’s more, Apple says ProRes video transcoding is three times faster than before, so your finished project can get out to the world even sooner.
The Apple Pencil can hover
For Apple Pencil power users, Apple is adding the ability to hover the tip of the Pencil over your iPad Pro’s screen to give a preview of what will happen once they touch. According to Apple, the Pencil can hover at up to 12mm and will help you draw and write with better precision.
Faster connectivity
The new iPad Pro also comes with faster Wi-Fi thanks to the inclusion of Wi-Fi 6E. Apple says it will be twice as fast as before with up to 2.4Gbps. Cellular versions of the latest iPad Pro also come with 5G, and it’s helpful that there is support for more 5G networks around the world.
A familiar iPad experience, with similar designs and iPadOS
Beyond these changes, the iPad Pro will feel familiar to anyone who’s ever seen or used one in the past. You still get a flat, aluminum design that’s available in 11-inch and 12.9-inch sizes. The 11-inch model sticks with an LCD panel for its display, while the 12.9-inch model boasts mini-LED, so you get deeper black levels and an overall better viewing experience.
A quad speaker system comes with both models, which should undoubtedly sound fantastic, and you’ll find a USB-C Thunderbolt 4 port on the bottom.
The iPad is powered by iPadOS 16.1, which includes new features like Stage Manager (a new way to multitask with floating windows and separate desktops), Reference Mode (good for those who regularly use color correction tools) and desktop-class applications. The new software should be familiar to you, however, since a lot remains unchanged from iPadOS 15.
What’s more, the new iPad Pro remains compatible with 2020’s Magic Keyboard. That way, if you’re upgrading from an older model, you won’t have to worry about springing for a new keyboard as well.