apple On Tuesday, it announced new versions of its iPad Air and iPad Pro tablets in a short video posted on its website.
Apple CEO Tim Cook said: “This is the most important day for iPad since its launch.”
The new iPad model is the first model released by Apple since October 2022, which is the longest period of time without an update since Apple launched the iPad product line in 2011.
Apple shares traded flat on Tuesday.
Apple’s new iPad Pro comes in two sizes and starts at $999. It also has a new add-on case called the Smart Keyboard that makes it feel like a laptop.
Apple said the iPad Pro, Apple’s most expensive and most advanced tablet, will come in two sizes: an 11-inch model and a 13-inch model. The company says the product is the thinnest ever, measuring 5.1mm thick.
The smaller iPad Pro starts at $999, and the larger 13-inch model starts at $1,299 with 256GB of storage, a slight price increase over its predecessor.
The iPad Pro will be housed in a new case that Apple calls the “Magic Keyboard,” which is made of aluminum and pairs the tablet with a keyboard and trackpad. Apple says that using this protective case will make the iPad Pro experience similar to a laptop, that is, “just like a MacBook.”
Apple’s new Magic Keyboard accessory.
CNBC/Todd Haselton
The Magic Keyboard sells for $249 or $299, depending on size. Apple also announced an updated stylus called the Apple Pencil Pro, priced at $129.
The new iPad models use a new Apple chip called M4, which is an updated version of the M3 chip currently used in Apple laptops. Apple says the M4 chip is an “extremely powerful artificial intelligence chip” and points to its ability to help drive software that isolates subjects in videos from their backgrounds.
“This stunning design and breakthrough display requires us to move toward the next generation of Apple silicon,” said Apple hardware executive John Ternus.
The back of Apple’s new iPad Pro.
CNBC/Todd Haselton
Apple says its iPad Pro tablets will use a new display called OLED — the same technology Apple uses in its iPhones — and that the new tablets will be brighter and more colorful than older models. The company also said it developed a technology called “tandem OLED” to make the screen, which it branded Ultra Retina XDR.
The company added that the iPad Pro could be a useful tool for professional filmmakers and released a new app called Final Cut Camera that can control multiple iPhone cameras. According to Apple, the iPad Pro is equipped with a 12-megapixel rear camera that can record 4K videos. The company also announced an update to the camera flash that will make scanning documents easier.
The new tablets and accessories are available for pre-order now and will go on sale next week.
Apple’s iPad Air starts at $599 and is equipped with the faster M2 chip.
CNBC/Todd Haselton
Apple said the iPad Air will come in two sizes: an 11-inch size that is consistent with older models and a larger 13-inch model. Both are equipped with Apple’s M2 chip. The smaller iPad sells for $599 with 128GB 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) for better video conferencing, matching Apple’s more expensive iPad Pro models.
The iPad Air will be available in stores next week in a variety of colors, including blue, purple and gold.
Apple also lowered the price of its entry-level iPad to $349, down from the previous price of $429.
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