Apple’s New iPad Pro: Less Bezel, Big Screen, More Power

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Apple launched two new iPad Pro’s at a special event in Brooklyn on Tuesday. The iPad is a popular product from Apple with CEO Tim Cook describing it as a “magical piece of glass that transforms into whatever you want it to be.” The new iPad Pro from Apple pushes the limit of what you do with these machines even further.

New iPad Pro from Apple – what’s special about them?

Apple’s new iPad Pro is a big departure from the earlier products when it comes to design. Many design cues are inspired from the latest iPhone, including Apple’s focus to reduce or eliminate the bezels.

The new iPad Pro from Apple – in 11-inch or 12.9-inch screen sizes – have fewer bezels around the screen, while the sides have been flattened to give a new look. The slimmer bezels mean more space to fit the screen. Further, the new devices sport a Liquid Retina screen (similar to the iPhone XR) and rounded corners.

The screen gets the same True Tone feature as seen on the recent iPhone models. The resolution for the 11-inch version is 2388 x 1668 pixels, while the 12.9-inch version has 2732 x 2048 pixels. Pixel density for both the devices is 264ppi. Even though the iPad’s footprint is the same as the older ones, the new ones are slimmer at just 5.9mm.

On the top bezel, Apple has fitted a 7-megapixel camera and 3D TrueDepth face scanning sensors to support Face ID. With Face ID in, Apple has removed the Home button. Users will now have to depend on gesture controls to get around the iOS. On the back, there is a 12-megapixel camera with an f/1.8 aperture.

The rear camera supports up to 4K resolution for videos. Apple has only added a single lens, so the iPhone XS’s portrait modes won’t be possible, but it features Smart HDR technology. The new iPad Pro features four speakers (including both woofers and tweeters) around the edge of the body.

Graphics performance similar to Xbox One S

Talking of the power, Apple claims that the new iPad Pro’s are as powerful as an Xbox One S. Apple said that the new device “delivers Xbox One S class graphics performance in a product that’s 94% smaller.” To prove the point, Apple even demoed the latest version of the NBA 2K on the new iPad Pro, and the graphics looked crisp.

The new iPad Pro is powered by Apple’s latest chip, the A12X bionic. The chip features an 8 core CPU and a 7 core GPU. In terms of performance, the chip is 35% faster for single core and up to 90% faster for the multi-core.  The graphical performance of the new chip is also way better than the last one.

Further, the new chip also gets a neural engine, which so far was limited to the iPhones. The neural engine would help to do tasks more intelligently, like editing photos. Geekbench 4 benchmarks reveal that the performance of the new iPad Pro’s processor is nearer to the one in the new 15-inch MacBook Pro.

Add-on’s and other details

Apple’s new iPad Pro also gets a new Pencil. The new Apple Pencil can be magnetically attached to the body of the iPad Pro. Moreover, it gets charged when it is magnetically attached. Apple has also added new features to this add-on, which now costs $129. The Apple Pencil can be used to switch modes by tapping the back side. Further, a tap on the Pencil also opens the Notes app.

Apple’s new devices are also getting a new Smart Keyboard Folio case. The keyboard costs $180 for the 11-inch model, and $200 for the bigger iPad Pro.

Another big update to the new iPad Pro is the USB-C. Apple has ditched the longstanding Lightning port to adopt the USB-C, which is more popular. Now, your iPad can be used as an external battery pack to charge your iPhone. Apple claims that the battery would run for ten hours on a single charge.

Prices are based on the memory size and whether you select a Wi-Fi or cellular model. Internal storage options range from 64GB to 1TB. A 64GB 11-inch Wi-Fi iPad Pro is priced at $800, while the cellular version of the same costs $950. For the 12.9-inch 64GB model, the price is $1000, while the cellular model of the same is priced at $1,150.

Both the devices will be available in LTE configurations also. You can pre-order the device now, while shipping will begin on Nov. 7.

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