Today Apple held its ‘Let loose’ event, where over the span of 38 minutes the company debuted its latest and most advanced iPad hardware yet. There were some software surprises sprinkled in too.
In the market for a new iPad? Just curious to see what new products Apple announced? Here’s everything that was shared at the event.
M4 iPad Pro
The rumors were true: Apple debuted its next-generation M4 chip in the new iPad Pro, which is on sale now and available May 15. This gives the iPad lineup, for now at least, the most advanced chip Apple makes.
Along with the major performance boost coming from M4, the new iPad Pro also comes with a major display upgrade. Apple is calling this new display the Ultra Retina XDR. It’s powered by OLED and available on both the 11-inch and 13-inch models. There’s also a nano-texture glass option for the first time.
Other noteworthy iPad Pro features include the thinner industrial design and front-facing camera moving to the landscape edge.
iPad Air 6, now featuring a 13-inch model
It was a good day for large-screened iPad fans, as the iPad Air 6 expands the Air lineup to include two models, with a 13-inch joining the existing 11-inch size. Both sizes are available to order now and will ship May 15.
The new iPad Air gains an M2 chip, follows the trend of landscape front-facing cameras, has higher starting storage tiers, and more.
Apple Pencil Pro
Both the M4 iPad Pro and iPad Air 6 are compatible with Apple’s latest-generation Pencil model: the Apple Pencil Pro.
The Pencil Pro includes a new squeeze gesture that can be used by apps to provide a variety of different custom actions. A built-in gyroscope enables rolling the Pencil for greater precision with the tool you’re using. The device also includes Find My integration.
Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro
There’s a new Magic Keyboard that pairs exclusively with the M4 iPad Pro. It promises to be thinner and lighter than the previous Magic Keyboard, while nonetheless adding pro-friendly features like a larger trackpad and a function row.
Final Cut Pro 2 and Logic Pro 2 for iPad
For years, Apple has debuted powerful new iPad hardware without offering much of a software story. There’s especially been a lack of compelling first-party software narratives. Today, however, things were different.
Final Cut Pro 2 and Logic Pro 2 for iPad were held up as strong examples of Apple-made pro iPad apps. They demonstrated the benefits of the powerful new hardware being debuted by showing off advanced features like Live Multicam and stem splitting.
Final Cut Camera app
A surprise app announced today was Final Cut Camera, a new iPhone and iPad app that will be launching later this spring. The free first-party app will directly support the new Live Multicam feature found in Final Cut Pro for iPad. It will also serve as a standalone video capture utility for pros who need access to advanced manual controls.
What wasn’t announced: iPad mini or base iPad
As expected, Apple had no news to share about the iPad mini or base-model iPad. Updates to both devices are anticipated for later this year.
Despite the lack of new hardware, Apple did implement one unannounced change for the base iPad: its 10th gen model now starts at the lower price of $349, while the 9th gen option has been discontinued.
iPad event wrap-up
Following a year in which no iPad hardware received updates, Apple was overdue for giving its tablet lineup some love. Today’s announcements were all about the upper tier of iPad hardware, with the new M4 iPad Pro and iPad Air 6 pushing the iPad line forward in key ways.
With these iPad releases out of the way, Apple can now turn its attention to the various OS updates expected to be unveiled at an AI-focused WWDC happening in June.
What do you think of today’s announcements? Have you ordered an M4 iPad Pro or iPad Air 6? Let us know in the comments.
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