Apple has unveiled several new iPads, with upgrades for its iPad Pro and Air ranges, putting to end a lengthy drought for new Apple tablets.
iPad Pro M4 2024 specs
The new iPad Pro comes in the same larger sizes (11-inch and 13-inch) but with some eye-catching hardware and design updates.
At a svelte 5.1mm thickness, Apple says the larger device is its thinnest ever product. Both models are the first Apple gadgets to carry the company’s brand new M4 chip, making the iPad Pro four times faster than its predecessor from 2020, per Apple.
The top-end tablet also has an OLED screen for superior contrast, housed inside a smaller frame, which should make it even better for watching Netflix and playing games. In fact, Apple says it has two OLED panels that offer up to 1,600 nits of peak brightness.
How much is the iPad Pro 2024?
The new iPad Pro 11-inch starts from £999, while the 13in model starts from £1,299 for the WiFi-only versions. Both come with 256GB storage as standard, with Apple offering up to 2TB of space for a premium. As usual, Apple is charging more for the WiFi plus 5G models.
iPad Pro M4 vs iPad Pro 6th gen
The iPad Pro has long been fashioned as a laptop replacement, but it may now truly have the edge on Apple’s MacBooks. Apple says the M4 delivers up to 50 per cent faster computing performance than the M2 in the previous iPad Pro. In addition, it’s the first Apple tablet to feature ray tracing for improved lighting and visuals in powerful, blockbuster games. That’s the same tech found inside the latest consoles like the PlayStation 5.
The new chip is the successor to 2023’s M3, which is available in the latest MacBooks. The iPad Pro also features a landscape camera, making it better for work video calls with colleagues. On the back is a 12-megapixel snapper that Apple says utilises artificial intelligence to better scan documents.
iPad Air 2024 specs
Meanwhile, the new iPad Air is available in a bigger 12.9in size for the first time, along with the traditional 11in format. The larger model has 30 per cent more screen room, according to Apple.
It borrows the same landscape camera orientation from its pricer sibling, along with the 2022 iPad Pro’s M2 chip. Ultimately, Apple says the new iPad Air is nearly 50 per cent faster than the M1 model from 2022.
The Air has always been more of a crowd-pleaser compared to Apple’s other tablets, but it has its work cut out competing with the new Pro. We’ve already seen more people opting for iPhone Pro models over regular iPhones, due to the better upgrades on the pricier mobiles, and Apple will be hoping its iPads follow a similar trajectory.
The company’s sluggish tablets business could do with a boost. Apple’s most recent quarterly results showed revenue from its iPad range dipping to $5.6bn (£4.5bn) in the first quarter of the year, a 17 per cent decline on the same period last year.
How much is the iPad Air 2024?
The iPad Air 11in starts from £599 and the 13in starts from £799 with 128GB storage, though you can pay extra for up to 1TB of space. It comes in four colours: space grey, starlight, blue, and purple.
When are Apple’s new iPads coming out?
Apple’s latest iPads are available to pre-order now ahead of their May 15 release date.
Magic Keyboard 2024 and Apple Pencil Pro
Alongside the new tablets, Apple is releasing a Magic Keyboard, with more buttons and an improved trackpad that should make you feel like you’re using a traditional laptop.
There’s also a new version of Apple’s stylus, the Apple Pencil Pro, that you can squeeze and roll to interact with the iPad Pro screen when hovering over it.
The Magic Keyboard costs £349 and the Apple Pencil Pro costs £129. Both are available to pre-order and will ship on May 15.
