Apple unveils iPads with ‘better than TV’ screen ‘slimmer than iPod Nano’ – ending 559-day wait for new models

APPLE has finally unveiled new iPads at a special event – ending a 559-day wait for new models.

The iPhone maker showed off the gadgets at its Let Loose event, with Apple chief Tim Cook calling it the "biggest day for iPad since its introduction."

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“There’s no other device like it. iPad is powerful, portable, and incredibly versatile,” Cook told Apple fans during the event.

SUPER SCREEN!

The new iPad Pro comes in two different screen size variants, 13 inches and 11 inches.

But those screens have received a major upgrade: They’re now OLED panels that can reach 1,000 nits of brightness for HDR content, and 1,600 nits at peak brightness.

By comparison, an iPhone 12 would typically achieve 625 nits of max brightness.

Apple has been using OLED screens on for years, and now the iPad Pro is finally catching up.

A traditional LED-backlit LCD display uses a backlight to illuminate the pixels that you’re seeing on a screen.

But an OLED panel does away with the backlight because individual pixels can be illuminated on their own – and even totally switched off.

Not only does this introduce battery life savings, but it also means an OLED screen can display true black.

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This improves the contrast of the screen (darker blacks and brighter whites) as well as the range of colors on offer.

It should make watching movies on the iPad a much better experience – and be a big boost for anyone doing serious editing work on their devices.

Many TV models still don’t feature OLED displays, and you’ll generally pay a lot more for that kind of television.

So you might find yourself reaching for the iPad over the TV remote to watch that new movie.

LOOKING GOOD

Apple has also slimmed out the new iPad Pro models (thinner even than the iPad Nano) partly made possibly by the OLED displays.

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It’s currently unclear whether this means the battery size has been reduced (and made up for by OLED screen battery savings).

SPEED BOOST

Powering the device is Apple’s brand new M4 chip.

This is a custom-built Apple processor that has never appeared in any other device.

It’s likely to end up in Apple laptops at some point soon, but for now, the only way to get it is inside these new iPad Pro models.

This is a big leap from the M2 chip that was previously powering the iPad Pro models.

It's up to 10x faster than the original iPad Pro, according to Apple.

This time around, the front-facing camera has moved to the long side of the iPad’s bezel.

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That means it’s built for landscape-orientation video calling, which makes more sense – especially as the iPad will often be docked on a keyboard for many power users.

It means an end to that strange problem where people calling from iPads seem to be looking off to the side of the tablet.

Both new models come in Silver and Space Black color options.

MAGICAL

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There's also a new Magic Keyboard to color-match the latest iPad Pro models.

Apple’s first Magic Keyboard was announced in March 2020, with backlit keys, the ability to charge the iPad, and a magnetic floating mechanism to suspend the iPad like a laptop screen.

Now Apple has swapped out the bottom for an aluminium base with a more premium feel.

The trackpad size has increased, bringing it more in line with MacBooks.

There’s no other device like it. iPad is powerful, portable, and incredibly versatile.

Tim CookApple CEO

And (finally!) it has a function key row on the keyboard.

Additionally, Apple showed off a new Apple Pencil Pro with new squeezing and rolling functions to adjust how your stylus interacts with the iPad.

The original Apple Pencil was launched alongside the very first iPad Pro back in September 2015.

It was then upgraded for a second-generation model in late 2018, allowing for a magnetic connection to an iPad that offered wireless charging.

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Then in October last year, Apple introduced a third (cheaper) stylus with a USB-C connector for charging hidden inside the sliding cap.

Apple showed off the new version of the Pencil, letting you "squeeze" the stylus to quickly access shortcuts (like erasing) in the drawing app Procreate – and "rolling" to change the orientation of your virtual brush.

The announcement comes after a lengthy wait for new iPad models.

Apple’s previous iPad release was on October 26, 2022 – over a year and a half ago.

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The company skipped 2023 for new iPad launches, which may see demand soar for the new 2024 models.

THE PRICE IS RIGHT?

Base storage for the iPad Pro models has doubled to 256GB.

And the cost is now official: you'll pay $999 for the 11-inch version and $1,299 for the 13-inch model.

That's up from the old pricing of $799 and $1,099 for the previous iPad Pro generation.

The new Magic Keyboard costs $299 and $349 depending on the size you buy, while the Apple Pencil Pro is marked up at $129.

They're available to pre-order and will be available next week.

AIR WE GO!

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Apple also gave a minor update to its iPad Air line-up.

There’s now a larger 13-inch size option, just like with the Pro series – in addition to the regular 11-inch model.

The front-facing camera has moved to the landscape edge of the tablet, and there are landscape stereo speakers with spatial audio.

And Apple has upgraded the tablets with its faster M2 processor.

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The new Apple Pencil Pro will also work with the iPad Air.

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They cost $599 and $799 respectively, depending on whether you buy the 11-inch or 13-inch models.

They're available to pre-order today and will officially go on sale next week.