Apple’s iPad Pro gets a full overhaul including USB-C

In Brooklyn New York today Apple have announced an update to its iPad Pro tablets featuring a fresh new design, FaceID and a new faster processor.

Reports of the iPad’s demise have been greatly exaggerated as anyone looking closely at Apple’s sales reporting would know, the company is selling more than ten million iPads every quarter, bringing in over four billion in revenue each quarter.

While iPad sales certainly peaked in 2012-2015, they have been pretty consistent in the years since and what Apple is attempting to make clear is the power of this device in the creative arts.

Tim Cook made this point on stage today, stating that Apple sold more iPads last year than the entire laptop computer market overall.

This new generation iPad Pro features a completely new design that will make it stand out from the rest.  Straight edges on the 5.9mm sides, and an almost edge to edge display with the removal of the Home Button in the same way that has happened on iPhone X, Xs and Xr.

There are still two sizes, with the smaller now packing an 11 inch screen into the same dimension iPad, while the 12.9 inch screen now fits into a much smaller overall device.

FaceID replaces the home button, but has been enhanced to work on all the angles we use our iPads.

Taking the power of the device to the next level, the new iPad Pro features an A12X Bionic chip – Apple reckon this device is faster than 92% of all portable PCs sold in the last twelve months (including i7 powered devices)

With up to 1TB storage it could easily be a replacement device for many people.

Perhaps the most dramatic leap for the new iPad Pro is now the power, the screen or FaceID.  It’s the connector.  No more lightning connector – the new iPad Pro features USB-C as seen in the Apple range of MacBooks and many other devices from smartphones to laptops and tablets from other manufacturers around the world.

You can even charge your phone from the USB-C port on the iPad Pro.  In reality though, it’s connectivity to monitors, or cameras and storage that might find being the key to this device gaining traction in the creative community.

Finally, the Apple Pencil has had a big update.  It now has a flat side, not only to ensure it won’t roll off your table, but to magnetically attach it to the side of the iPad Pro.

When connected, it begins wirelessly charging and is automatically paired.

Using the pencil there is a new double tap mode change – customisable by apps, but the example given was Apple Notes, where a double tap switches from your pencil or tool to the eraser.

Adobe demonstrated a full working version of Photoshop on the new iPad Pro, including a mega 3GB PSD file which was able to be zoomed in at the pixel level, and then out to the entire project with just a tap of the pencil.  Demonstrating not just the pencil’s capabilities but the power of the iPad Pro.

Orders start today, with the iPad Pro going on sale next week on November the 7th.

Australian Pricing for iPad Pro (2018):

iPad Pro 11” WIFI ONLY from $1229 (64GB) to $2349 (1TB)

iPad Pro 11” WIFI + Cellular from $1449 (64GB) to $2569 (1TB)

iPad Pro 12.9” WIFI ONLY from $1529 (64GB) to $2649 (1TB)

iPad Pro 12.9” WIFI + Cellular from $1749 (64GB) to $2869 (1TB)

Apple Pencil $199

Those are dramatically higher than the last iPad Pro, which started at $979, and the Apple Pencil has jumped up from $145.

Interestingly, the existing iPad Pro 10.5inch will remain on sale too.

Trevor Long travelled to New York as a guest of Apple Australia.