Apple today unveiled two completely redesigned variants of its iPad Pro tablet and they’re all-screen (well, almost), backed by a powerful new A12X Bionic processor, and bezels tiny enough to not be able to fit the home button, and Face ID from the iPhone X, among several other exciting things.
Starting off with the biggest and most noticeable change, Apple has given its iPad Pro lineup a much-needed, modern revamp. It has tried pushing the screen to the very edge to now include rounded corners and an equally-sized bezel on all sides, a tradition that began with Apple iPhone X.
The new iPad Pro variants are powered by the souped-up A12X Bionic processor, which now boast of 4 power and 4 efficiency cores. It also introduces a seven-core Apple-designed GPU to enhance gaming performance by up to two times. This is a major leap compared to the A10X Fusion chip which powered the previous-gen iPad Pro and has for the last couple of years.
Apple hasn’t really made any changes in the optics department and the newly launched iPad Pro continues to pack the same 12MP rear and the 7MP front camera (that’s included in the TrueDepth camera system) as previous-gen iPad Pro models.
Connectivity
Though I wouldn’t really have brought up connectivity, the iPad Pro now includes a USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 port for charging and data transfer purposes over Apple’s proprietary lightning port that is seen on the previous-gen iPad Pro.
The Cupertino giant has also unveiled a second-gen Apple Pencil at the launch event and it’s only compatible with the new iPad Pro models. It features an all-white aesthetic, with matte finish and a touch sensor for a double-tap gesture. It’s also simple to pair and charge the new Apple Pencil, which now magnetically attaches to the iPad Pro.
The new iPad Pro is a substantial and worthy upgrade to the older-gen iPad Pro, so let me sum up the differences for you in a quick specs shootout:
Price
Finally, let’s talk about how much extra would you need to shell out to get the latest iPad Pro. The older-gen iPad Pro started at Rs. 52,900 for the Wi-Fi-only 64GB base variant of the 10.5-inch model, whereas the new 11-inch model will cost you a whopping Rs. 71,900.
That’s a substantial difference in retail price as compared to the previous-gen model and falls in line with Apple’s recent mind-boggling pricing tactic – similar to the recent iPhone models. However, it’s definitely worth the upgrade for the features it offers, despite the higher price tag.
