Apple unleashes biggest iPad upgrade with more power, new design and even a price cut
It’s been a long time coming but Apple fans are finally getting some new iPads to play with. The US technology company has just confirmed the release of a swathe of new tablets that will launch in the UK next week. The grand unveiling took place during the firm’s “Let loose” event from its HQ in Cupertino California with Apple boss Tim Cook promising that this is the biggest update to the iPad since its original launch.
So what’s new with these new devices, when can you buy them and how much will they cost?
There are four new models coming to UK stores soon including massive upgrades to the premium iPad Pro and hugely popular iPad Air.
The more expensive Pro tablets – there’s an 11-inch and 13-inch model- now feature Apple’s latest and greatest M4 processor which makes them faster than some PCs currently on the market.
New Apple iPad Pro
Apple is promising some serious performance gains with these new Pro tablets around 10 times more powerful than Apple’s first Pro iPad. In fact, the M4 chip is able to perform a staggering 8 trillion operations per second.
This new processor also brings improvements such as Ray Tracing for better gaming and it will blast through memory-hungry tasks such as video editing and image retouching. It does all this whilst still being massively efficient so all that power doesn’t hurt battery life.
The new Pros aren’t just about power. Apple is also boasting that these latest tablets are also now thinner and lighter than before.
There’s also a new OLED Ultra Retina XDR screen which offers improved visuals that are now brighter and more pixel-packed than ever.
The iPad Pro features an M4 processor
Prices for the Pro lineup start from £999.
So that’s the Pro but what if you don’t need all that power? Luckily there are also two new iPad Air machines including – for the first time – a larger 13-inch version.
Both get a faster M2 processor, impressive displays and booming speakers with clever Spatial Audio.
Prices for the 11-inch Air start from £599 – that’s the same as before. If you want the 13-inch expect to pay £799,.
Along with updates to the tablets, Apple is also refreshing its lineup of accessories with new keyboard cases and a more advanced stylus called the Apple Pencil Pro.
Not only is this device far more accurate than before but it also gets new haptic feedback inside which adds new effects and feeling in your hand.
The new iPads are available to pre-order now – UK pricing to follow.
As well as revealing new devices, Apple also says it will be cutting the cost of its current iPad 10th Gen. This device did cost £499 but that’s now been reduced to just £349.
“iPad Pro empowers a broad set of pros and is perfect for anyone who wants the ultimate iPad experience — with its combination of the world’s best displays, extraordinary performance of our latest M-series chips, and advanced accessories — all in a portable design. Today, we’re taking it even further with the new, stunningly thin and light iPad Pro, our biggest update ever to iPad Pro,” said John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering.
“With the breakthrough Ultra Retina XDR display, the next-level performance of M4, incredible AI capabilities, and support for the all-new Apple Pencil Pro and Magic Keyboard, there’s no device like the new iPad Pro.”