Apple iPad Pro (2022) launched: More power for the same tablet design
Apple has unveiled the new iPad Pro tablets through a press release rather than holding an in-person event. The iPad Pro 2022 in 12.9 and 11-inch sizes benefit from the powerful M2 chip, WiFi 6E connectivity, and enhanced features for the Apple Pencil 2nd gen. And both will be released on October 26 starting at $799 price.
TL;DR
- Apple refreshes iPad Pro with M2 chipset.
- The 2022 iPad Pro models also come with WiFi 6E and ProRes video recording.
- Apple's new iPad Pro 11-inch starts at $799 and $1099 for the 12.9-inch size.
The same M2 SoC with an eight-core CPU that powers the high-end MacBook laptops can be found on the 2022 iPad Pro. Apple says the new chip is 15 percent faster in terms of performance and 35 percent better in graphics than the M1. Apple adds that the chip gets 50 percent greater memory bandwidth as well as 40 percent improved machine learning.
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Faster connectivity and unchanged design on iPad Pro
Apple's iPad Pro also has a quicker Wi-Fi 6E connectivity on top of the optional 5G/4G LTE through the cellular models. With this WLAN version, the download speed is twice as fast as the regular WiFi 6, or equivalent to 2.4Gbps. In terms of battery, each is rated with 10 hours on Wi-Fi mode.
The pro tablets are unchanged on the outside. You still get a 12.9-inch mini-LED display with 1,600 nits HDR peak brightness. The smaller 11-inch variant also boasts an adaptive 120Hz refresh rate but at reduced peak brightness at 600 nits. As for the audio, the quad-speakers are certified Dolby Atmos which are coupled with five microphones.
According to Apple, the iPad Pros can directly record videos in ProRes codec or cinema-grade quality despite the same 12MP+10MP dual camera setup found on the rear. Unlike the iPad 10th gen with repositioned front-facing sensor, Apple kept the 12MP ultrawide camera at top of the bezel on the portrait side. Furthermore, Smart HDR 4 is now supported for taking images.
Hover feature added on Apple Pencil 2
Alongside the new iPad hardware, Apple has enabled hovering with Pencil 2 on iPadOS 16 with up to 12mm detection distance. Unsurprisingly, this feature is already found on Samsung Galaxy tablets and smartphones. It will also support official and third-party drawing apps. More importantly, the company promises faster handwriting conversion.
The 2022 iPad Pro 11-inch retails starting at $799 for the Wi-Fi variant with 128GB storage while the 12.9-inch iPad Pro on the same configuration is priced at $1099. At the same time, Apple announced that iPadOS 16 will be released for compatible iPad hardware on October 24.
What are your thoughts on the new iPad Pro tablets? Are these changes worth it? Let us hear your thoughts in the comment section.
