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Apple has unveiled a 9.7-inch iPad Pro, with prices starting at $599.
The new iPad comes with a 12 megapixel camera, an improvement over the 12.9-inch Pro’s eight megapixels, and can also record video in 4K.
Stuffed inside its 6.1-millimeter case is Apple’s powerful A9X chip, a 64-bit SoC design that rivals laptops in terms of raw performance. The A9X inside the 9.7-inch iPad Pro is clocked slightly slower than the 12.9-inch model, and it also has half the RAM — 2 gigabytes.
Apple also built in support for Apple Pencil, meaning users can take advantage of the accessory’s pressure- and tilt-sensing capabilities on a smaller canvas than the gargantuan 12.9-inch iPad Pro. A new Smart Keyboard was also introduced alongside the iPad Pro.
Like the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, it also has a four-speaker “pro” audio system that automatically adjusts sound depending on viewing orientation. Total volume is twice that of the iPad Air 2, and if onboard audio isn’t providing enough oomph, iOS 9.3 adds support for outputting video encoded with Dolby Digital Plus audio streams via Apple’s Lightning Digital AV Adapter.
iPad Pro’s communications suite includes 802.11ac Wi-Fi with MIMO technology, while cellular versions support LTE Advanced networks with up to 50 percent faster connectivity and what Apple is calling the most LTE bands supported by any tablet. Apple SIM comes embedded directly into the new iPad Pro, making it a simple process to get online when traveling abroad international.
The display is also 40 percent less reflective and 25 percent brighter than the iPad Air 2. Apple says it’s the lowest reflectivity of any tablet available. Color reproduction also hits new heights with the same color gamut offered on the iMac with Retina 5K display, as well as 25 percent greater color saturation than iPad Air 2.
Apple also announced a new USB 3 speed SD card adapter, and USB-to-Lightning adapter.
Pricing-wise, the new iPad Pro is less expensive than last year’s inaugural iPad Pro, but it’s still not a “cheap” iPad: it starts at $599 for a base model, and goes up to $899 (!) for a 256GB model. Throw in the Apple Pencil, plus an accessory keyboard, and you’re still looking at computer-level amounts of money.
Agencies/Canadajournal
