At it's October special event, Apple unveiled the next-generation iPad Pro. With a whole new design, no Home button (but Face ID instead), and a whole lot more. Here's everything you need to know!
What's all this about a new iPad Pro?
That's right, folks. There's a new iPad Pro in town and it's got plenty of new features. It's got a nearly bezel-less LCD display with the same iPhone XR Liquid Retina technology. It also supports Face ID and a whole lot more.
It's 15% thinner and the 12.9-inch model is about 25% less overall volume than the previous model. Both iPad Pro 2018 models are 5.9 mm thick. The Liquid Retina display has about a quarter million more pixels than its predecessor.
I heard there is an update to both sizes of iPad Pro
You are correct. The 10.5-inch iPad Pro now has a larger screen, but the same sized body. The 12.9-inch iPad Pro has the same size display, but a much smaller sized body (about the size of an 8.5 X 11-inch piece of paper).
So they've ditched the 3.5mm headphone jack?
You've heard correct. With all the new speakers and mics and buttons (four speakers, four microphones ,a USB-C port, a magnetic connector, a nano-SIM tray, and sleep/wake and on/off buttons), Applel just didn't have room for one more port. The 3.5mm jack we've all been holding onto is now kicked to the curb. Luckily, there are dozens of fantastic USB-C supported headphones on the market already if you're not into the whole Bluetooth connectivity thing.
What's the big deal about AR support?
Apple is positioning the iPad Pro to be the next big thing in AR. Thanks to the advanced processor, cameras, and audio the iPad Pro can really take AR to the next level.
Advanced cameras and sensors and improved four-speaker audio combine with the power of A12X Bionic to turn iPad Pro, with its large viewfinder, into the best device ever for AR. With support for the next generation of AR apps, a new world of AR experiences is possible on iPad, such as measuring the reflection on real-world objects, navigating buildings in 3D and exploring entire universes. Adobe's Project Aero (coming 2019) will enable creators to design experiences that take AR on iPad even further.
No funny new names, huh?
Nope. Apple didn't put an X across its entire line of products. Though the iPhone is now an X model (skipping 9 altogether), the iPad Pro still remains just that. The way to distinguish between this year's model and previous iterations is by the year of its release, 2018.
What are the new features?
New features are all over the place. The 2018 model iPad Pros are pretty nearly as powerful as a laptop computer. In fact, Apple claims that it's faster than 92% of portable computers.
Face ID support
iPad Pro 2018 with its edge-to-edge display means no more Home Button, but adds support for advanced Face ID, which is powered by Apple's secure enclave. It uses Apple's special True Depth camera for the most accurate facial identification.
Edge-to-edge display for 12.9-inch iPad Pro
That's right. The iPad Pro screen is nearly bezel-less. Not entirely, though. Similar to the way the iPhone XR is designed, there is a very thin bezel around the edge (about a half inch?). The LCD display is also being called Liquid Retina like the iPhone XR. It uses the same technology, featuring wide color support, True Tone, and an anti-reflective coating for the best possible experience, indoors or out.
ProMotion technology automatically adjusts the display refresh rate up to 120Hz for ultra-smooth scrolling and incredible responsiveness on iPad Pro.
New Pencil 2 integration
The iPad Pro 2018 has a new way to charge the new Apple Pencil 2. Instead of connecting it to the port, risking breaking the charging plug right off, the Apple Pencil 2 connects to the iPad Pro 2018 magnetically. It automatically charges while it's connected.
Camera updates
The front-facing camera on the 2018 iPad Pro gets a major boost (still 7MP, though) thanks to the True Depth array needed for Face ID. The back-facing camera gets a small spec bump, but not as good as the FaceTime camera.
7MP TrueDepth font camera with Portrait Mode, Portrait Lighting, and Smart HDR.
12MP back camera with Smart HDR and 4K video at 30 or 60 fps.
Faster processor
The iPad Pro 2018 uses Apple's latest and greatest AX12 Bionic Neural Engine processor with an 8-core CPU: four performance cores and four efficiency cores, which Apple says provides up to 35% faster single-core performance and the new performance controller supports simultaneous use of all eight cores for up to 90% performance boost.
It also comes with a 7-core GPU with up to 2X faster graphics performance than the 2017 iPad Pro models. Apple compares it to the same performance of the XBox One X (but much more portable).
USB-C charging
That's right. Not only does the iPad Pro finally support USB-C, but it also has reverse charging capability. That means you can plug a USB-C-to-Lightning cable into the iPad Pro 2018 and actually charge your iPhone with it.
The 2018 iPad Pro comes with an 18W USB-C power adapter and a 1-meter USB-C charging cable.
Larger storage capacity
The iPad Pro 2018 maxes out at 1TB of storage now. That's more apps, music, videos, and documents than most computers. Neither my iMac nor my MacBook Pro have 1TB of storage and I've never come close to filling my storage space with either of them.
Will my old iPad Pro case fit this new model?
Unfortunately, no. Even though the 2018 model 11-inch iPad Pro has about the same body size as its predecessor, the new iPad Pro design is significantly different with a flat edge (not entirely unlike the iPhone 5 design).
How much is this beauty going to set me back?
Here's the pricing for the new iPad Pro line
11-inch iPad Pro:
- $799 for 64GB Wi-Fi
- $949 for 64GB Wi-Fi + Cellular
- $949 for 256GB Wi-Fi
- $1,099 for 256GB Wi-Fi + Cellular
- $1,149 for 512GB Wi-Fi
- $1,299 for 512GB Wi-Fi + Cellular
- $1,549 for 1TB Wi-Fi
- $1,699 for 1TB Wi-Fi + Cellular
12.9-inch iPad Pro:
- $999 for 64GB Wi-Fi
- $1,149 for 64GB Wi-Fi + Cellular
- $1,149 for 256GB Wi-Fi
- $1,299 for 256GB Wi-Fi + Cellular
- $1,349 for 512GB Wi-Fi
- $1,499 for 512GB Wi-Fi + Cellular
- $1,749 for 1TB Wi-Fi
- $1,899 for 1TB Wi-Fi + Cellular
When can I get my hands on one?
You can preorder the iPad Pro 2018 models starting today and they'll be available starting Nov. 7.
Want more on the new iPad Pros?
Let us know in the comments, or head over to the iMore Forums and tell everybody about your thoughts on the new iPad Pro lineup!
We're updating this constantly with new information, so please check back!
