New iPad Pro Gets M1 Chip, Giving It MacBook Level Power
April 20, 2021Apple has given both its 11-inch and 12.9-inch the 8-core M1 chip, which makes them about 50% faster than the ones with the A12Z Bionic. The remarkable improvement in speed makes the new generation of Cupertino’s Pro tablets powerhouses. The 8-core GPU offers 40% better performance and the 16-core neural engine allows for better image signal processing.
These models come with up to 16GB memory, 2x faster storage with capcities of up to 2TB. Since the M1 is based on the ARM architecture, which is what the A12Z Bionic is based on, iPadOS is already optimized to take full advantage of the new chip’s capabilities.
The 12.9-inch iPad Pro gets a new Liquid Retina XDR display that brings extreme dynamic range to iPad Pro. It has over 10,000 LEDs across the entire back of the display, features up to 1000 nits of full-screen brightness, 1600 nits of peak brightness, and a 1 million-to-1 contrast ratio. But that’s not all, both iPad Pro models feature Thunderbolt and USB 4 support.
This means that they have 4x more bandwidth for wired connections than the previous iPad Pro at up to 40Gbps and up to 10Gbps ethernet support. This means that users can connect the new tablets to faster external storage and even higher resolution external displays, including the Pro Display XDR at full 6K resolution.
The new True Depth camera system on the iPad Pro features an all-new 12MP Ultra Wide front camera. It supports Centre Stage, which leverages the much larger field of view of the front camera and power of the M1 to keep a subject in focus, even when they move about. It can detect the presence of others in the room too, and automatically adjusts to fit everyone in the frame.
Additional features:
- The neural engine supports Smart HDR 3. In low-light conditions, the ISP and LiDAR scanner can quickly focus images an videos to capture better details.
- The Magic Keypad now comes in a new white colour.
- iPadOS 14.5 will be available for the iPad starting next week. It supports Apple Pencil features like Scribble and Smart Selection, new emoji and support for the latest gaming controllers.
These new tablets will be available to order on 30th April 2021 on apple.com and in the Apple Stores in 31 countries. The new 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro will be available in silver and space gray finishes. iPad Pro is available in 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB configurations.
The 11-inch iPad Pro starts at $799 (US) for the Wi-Fi model and $999 (US) for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model, and the 12.9-inch iPad Pro starts at $1,099 (US) for the Wi-Fi model and $1,299 (US) for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model from apple.com.
