Apple Releases the Next-Generation iPad Pro With the New M2 Chip
Apple released the M1-powered iPad Pro last year, and it was received exceptionally well. Not only was it the most powerful tablet ever released, by far. Apple’s consistent updates over the years to make the iPads an actual laptop replacement also ensured the chip actually gets to stretch its legs. The Cupertino giant also released its in-house M2 SoC this year with the MacBook Air, and finally Apple is also refreshing the iPad Pro lineup with the same chip.
Apart from the new M2 SoC, Apple hasn’t really changed anything with this year’s iPad Pro models. The iPad Pro lineup remains the same physically, with narrow bezels, a power button on the top, volume rockers on the side, and a USB-C connector.
M2 features an 8-core CPU — up to 15 percent faster than M1 — with advancements in both performance and efficiency cores, and a 10-core GPU, delivering up to 35 percent faster graphics performance for the most demanding users. Combined with the CPU and GPU, the 16-core Neural Engine can process 15.8 trillion operations per second — 40 percent more than M1 — making iPad Pro even more powerful when handling machine learning tasks.
Even the display remains the same, with the 12.9-inch iPad Pro sporting a mini-LED Liquid Retina XDR display. The panel has a full 2D backlighting system with 2,596 full‑array local dimming zones, with a 2732×2048-pixel resolution at 264 pixels per inch (ppi).
There were rumors that Apple would upgrade the 11-inch iPad Pro’s display to the mini-LED version. But unfortunately, Apple is not going to do that this year, and it has the same 11-inch Liquid Retina display, with 2388×1668-pixel resolution at 264 pixels per inch (ppi). Like last year, both the iPad Pro models feature ProMotion, meaning support for a 120Hz display.
This year’s iPad Pro refreshes get a familiar camera setup with a dual camera system featuring a Wide and Ultra Wide lens. On the front the tablets are equipped with a 12MP Ultra Wide camera, and a 122° field of view.
Back Cameras
- Wide: 12MP, ƒ/1.8 aperture
- Ultra Wide: 10MP, ƒ/2.4 aperture and 125° field of view
- 2x optical zoom out
- Digital zoom up to 5x
- Five‑element lens (Wide and Ultra Wide)
Front Camera
- 12MP Ultra Wide camera, 122° field of view
- ƒ/2.4 aperture
- Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control
- Portrait Lighting with six effects (Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono, High‑Key Mono)
- Animoji and Memoji
- Smart HDR 3
- 1080p HD video recording at 25 fps, 30 fps or 60 fps
Powered by the new iPad Pro and iPadOS 16, hover with Apple Pencil (2nd generation) provides a completely new dimension for users to interact with their screen. Apple Pencil is now detected up to 12 mm above the display, allowing users to see a preview of their mark before they make it. This also allows users to sketch and illustrate with even greater precision, and makes everything users do with Apple Pencil even more effortless.
Another interesting tidbit, the new iPad Pro models will be shipping with iPadOS 16, and according to Apple there will be a wider rollout from October 24th for iPad (5th generation and later), iPad mini (5th generation and later), iPad Air (3rd generation and later), and all iPad Pro models.
Pricing and Availability
Some good news here as the pricing for the M2 chip powered iPad Pro lineup is unchanged from last year. The 11-inch iPad Pro starts at $749 for the base 128GB version, extending all the way to $1799 for the 2TB variant. On the other hand, the 12.9-inch iPad Pro will start at the familiar $999 for the base 128GB version, extending all the way to $2099 for the 2TB version.
The new iPad Pro lineup is available to order starting today at Apple’s official store, here. You can also find them on sale in brick-and-mortar stores from October 26th.
