Apple’s iPad line has grown up, both in size and in number. The iPad Pro adds a 12.9-inch tablet to the company’s stable, rounding out the 9.7-inch Air and 7.9-inch mini. Why? To kickstart a flagging line of devices by finding purchase in enterprises around the globe.
True to Apple’s strategically consistent design aesthetic, the Pro looks very much like a grown-up iPad Air. The Pro has a full-size software keyboard, which it can easily house, since it's 12.9-inches diagonally and it's as wide as the iPad Air is tall. "It's the most advanced display we have ever built," says Apple Senior VP Phil Schiller, who says the screen has 5.6 million pixels, which is more than the 15-inch MacBook pro with Retina Display.
Another difference between the Pro and Air? Because it’s larger, the Pro can fit in more speakers, two on the top and two on the bottom. All that space also means more room to pack in battery; the Pro has a projected 10 hours of battery life.
It has the new A9X chip that doubles memory bandwidth and doubled storage performance. It's 1.8 times faster than the CPU it's replacing—Schiller says the graphics performance is 360 times better than it was in the original iPad, and that this year saw the biggest jump in ability. "It's faster than 90 percent of the portable PCs that shipped in the last 12 months," Schiller says.
Ultimately, though, it’s software that will set the iPad Pro apart. During its June developers conference, Apple gave a guided tour through iOS 9, and its many tablet-friendly features. After the update goes through this fall, iPad users will find themselves able to transform their virtual keyboard into a touchscreen with one tap, split their screen between two apps, overlay a video on top of whatever else you’re working on, and more. It’s the biggest suite of iPad-focused software upgrades since the device first came out.
What all of these features share in common is that, combined with a stylus and Bluetooth keyboard, they make a much stronger argument for the iPad’s place in an enterprise setting—if not as a primary computer than at least as one that lets you pick up where you left off back home. It potentially unlocks an entirely new suite of iPad customers, a well Apple surely wants to tap to help stem the decline of its tablet line-up sales. “Pro” describes the device, but also the intended user.
Apple also announced the Smart Keyboard, an accessory keyboard for the Pro. It has three circle connectors on the side called Smart Connectors which carry power and data and connects magnetically to keyboard. Naturally, Apple also showed off a new stylus called the Apple Pencil. Apple says it has "optimal accuracy" and can capture more of a single stroke than your average stylus thanks to sensors built into the tip. The idea is that Apple Pencil feels and works much more like a normal stylus. It's so precise, it's supposed to be able to "touch a single pixel."
The iPad Pro will be available for $799 (32GB/Wi-Fi), $949 (128GB/Wi-Fi), and $1,049 (128GB/Wi-Fi + Cellular) in November.
