Apple has officially lifted the lid on the new M2 iPad Pro models, which include an 11-inch and 12.9-inch version. The screen sizes remain unchanged compared to the M1 iPad Pro series, but let us discuss what is new in the latest tablets.
Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing, sings praises about the tablet, which he would.
“The next-generation iPad Pro pushes the boundaries of what’s possible on iPad, bringing even more versatility, power, and portability to the ultimate iPad experience. Powered by the M2 chip, the new iPad Pro features incredible performance and the most advanced technologies, including a next-level Apple Pencil hover experience, ProRes video capture, superfast wireless connectivity, and powerful iPadOS 16 features. There’s nothing else like it.”
Design, Display, and More Details
Just like the previous models, Apple has retained mini-LED for the more expensive and larger iPad Pro, whereas the smaller one will ship with a Retina Display, which in short, is an IPS LCD panel. Thankfully, both models support ProMotion technology, meaning both tablets support up to a 120Hz refresh rate, allowing for smooth scrolling and seamless transition between apps, whether you are engaged in media consumption or doing some productivity-related task.
Hardware
Both the 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models feature Apple’s latest and greatest M2, the same custom silicon powering the redesigned MacBook Air and updated MacBook Pro. For thin and light form factors, Apple claims a 15 percent performance boost in compute tasks and a 35 percent performance increase in graphics thanks to the 10-core GPU when compared to the M1.
Apple also says that the new M2 iPad Pro has a 16-core Neural Engine that can process 15.8 trillion operations per second, making it 40 percent faster than the M1’s Neural Engine. The new M2 chip can also deliver 100GB/s of unified memory bandwidth and supports up to 16GB of RAM, with the bandwidth 50 percent faster than what the M1 tops out at.
The M2 iPad Pro series is also the first from the Cupertino tech behemoth to support Wi-Fi 6E, making downloads up twice as fast compared to the previous generation versions. The new tablets’ cellular variants feature mmWave modems and support more 5G networks around the world, so you do not run into compatibility issues.
Camera, New Apple Pencil Features, and More
All M2 iPad Pro models are outfitted with improved cameras that are capable of capturing ProRes video, and for the first time, these slates can transcode ProRes footage up to three times faster. This will allow content creators and creative professionals to finish edits much quicker and complete the work with better color grading. Coming to the new Apple Pencil feature, Apple is calling it hover. Users will require a second-generation stylus for it to work, and the pencil can be detected up to 12mm above the display.
Users will be able to see a preview of their mark before they get around to making changes. This feature should improve productivity, with Apple explaining through an example that by using Scribble, text fields will automatically expand when the second-generation Apple Pencil is in close proximity to the iPad Pro’s screen, and handwriting can convert to text much quicker. Third-party apps should also see some benefits for improving marking and drawing experiences.
Pricing, Availability
The new M2 iPad Pro is available to pre-order right now on Apple.com, in the Apple Store app in the U.S., and in 28 other regions. Pricing starts from $799 for the 11-inch model and $999 for the 12.9-inch model. These models will be available to officially purchase from Wednesday, October 26. As for the colors, the available finishes will be Space Gray and Silver.
Will you be upgrading to any one of the new tablets? If so, which one? Tell us in the comments.
