iPad Pro With Apple M1 SoC, Mini-LED Display, 5G and Thunderbolt Support Launched

iPad Pro models with Apple M1 processor have launched at the company's Spring Loaded event. It has an eight-core design that is said to offer 75 times faster CPU performance compared to the original iPad, as per Apple. Graphics performance is over 1,500 times faster than the first generation iPad, and 40 percent faster than the previous generation. They come with ProMotion displays, 5G support, as well as support for latest Xbox and PS5 controllers. There is also a new 2TB storage configuration and iPad Pro models get Thunderbolt support through the USB Type-C port.

iPad Pro price

The 11-inch iPad Pro starts at $799 (roughly Rs. 60,300) for the Wi-Fi model and $999 (roughly Rs. 75,400) for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model. The 12.9-inch iPad Pro starts at $1,099 (roughly Rs. 82,900) for the Wi-Fi model and $1,299 (roughly Rs. 98,000) for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model. They will be offered in Silver and Space Grey colours with in 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB storage options. The new iPad Pro models will go up for pre-orders starting April 30 in 31 countries and regions, including India, and go on sale in the second half of May. In India, the 11-inch iPad Pro starts at Rs. 71,900 for the 128GB Wi-Fi model, and Rs. 85,900 for the 128GB Wi-Fi + Cellular model. The 12.9-inch iPad Pro starts at Rs. 99,900 for the 128GB Wi-Fi model and Rs. 1,13,900 for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model.

iPad Pro specifications

iPad Pro models come in 11-inch and 12.9-inch sizes. The 12.9-inch model features a Liquid Retina XDR mini-LED display with over 10,000 LEDs, a 2732x2048 pixels resolution, and ProMotion, True Tone, and P3 wide color support. It boasts of up to 1,600 nits peak brightness for HDR. The 11-inch model features a 11-inch Liquid Retina display (2388x1668 pixels) that also includes ProMotion, True Tone, and P3 wide color support. It features It also features HDR and Dolby Vision support. iPad Pro comes with 5G connectivity with support for mmWave in the US, and eSIM card support for the cellular models.

There is 8GB of RAM in the 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB storage models, and 16GB RAM on the 1TB and 2TB storage models. The USB Type-C port is now Thunderbolt and USB 4 which, according to Apple, allows for 4 times the bandwidth for wired connections, compared to the previous generation iPad Pro models. It also allows the new iPad Pro models to support higher resolution external displays including the Pro Display XDR at 6K resolution. Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) and Bluetooth v5 connectivity also make their way on board.

On the front, new iPad Pro gets a 12-megapixel sensor with an ultra-wide-angle lens (122-degree field of view, f/2.4 aperture) that supports Center Stage which pans to keep the subject in the shot. On the back, there are two camera sensors (12-megapixel wide-angle with f/1.8 aperture + 10-megapixel ultra-wide with f/2.4 aperture and 125-degree field of view) along with a LiDAR scanner. The rear setup is also capable of 2x optical zoom. The new iPad Pro gets Smart HDR 3 thanks to the ISP and Neural Engine in the M1 processor. They support Magic Keyboard and the second-generation Apple Pencil.

The 11-inch iPad Pro weighs up to 470 grams and measures in at 247.6 x 178.5 x 5.9 mm, while the 12.9-inch model weighs up to 685 grams and measures in at 280.6 x 214.9 x 6.4 mm. They ship with a 20W USB Type-C power adapter. As for audio, they feature a four-speaker setup and five studio quality microphones.

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