Apple recently held its ‘Let loose’ event, which lasted around 38 minutes. During this event, the company unveiled its newest and most advanced iPad hardware. The event also included some unexpected software announcements.
If you’re in the market for a new iPad or just want to see what new products Apple has announced, here’s a summary of everything that was shared at the event.
M4 iPad Pro
The rumors turned out to be true – Apple unveiled its latest M4 chip in the new iPad Pro, which is now on sale and will be available starting May 15. This gives the iPad lineup, at least for now, the most advanced chip that Apple has produced.
In addition to the major performance boost from the M4 chip, the new iPad Pro also features a significant display upgrade. Apple is calling this new display the Ultra Retina XDR. It’s powered by OLED technology and is available on both the 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Pro models. There’s also a new nano-texture glass option for the display, which is a first.
In addition to the new chip and display upgrades, the latest iPad Pro models also feature a slimmer industrial design. Furthermore, the front-facing camera has been repositioned to the landscape edge, rather than its previous location.
iPad Air 6, now featuring a 13-inch model
It was an exciting announcement for those who prefer larger-screen iPads, as the iPad Air lineup has now been expanded to include two model sizes – an 11-inch version as well as a new 13-inch model. Both of these new iPad Air sizes are available for pre-order now and will begin shipping on May 15.
The refreshed iPad Air models come equipped with Apple’s M2 chip, adopt the landscape-oriented front-facing camera design, offer higher starting storage tiers, and include various other improvements over the previous generation.
Apple Pencil Pro
The new M4-powered iPad Pro and the updated iPad Air 6 are both compatible with Apple’s latest stylus, the Apple Pencil Pro.
The Apple Pencil Pro introduces a new squeeze gesture functionality, which apps can integrate to provide users with a variety of custom actions. Additionally, the stylus includes a built-in gyroscope that enables more precise control and manipulation when using it with different tools. Furthermore, the Apple Pencil Pro integrates with Apple’s Find My network for improved tracking and locating capabilities.
Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro
Alongside the new M4-powered iPad Pro, Apple has also unveiled a redesigned Magic Keyboard accessory that is exclusively compatible with this latest iPad Pro model. This new Magic Keyboard is designed to be thinner and lighter than the previous generation, while still providing pro-level features such as a larger trackpad and a function row of keys.
Final Cut Pro 2 and Logic Pro 2 for iPad
In the past, Apple has often unveiled impressive new iPad hardware without accompanying it with a robust software story or compelling in-house app experiences. However, this time around, the company’s approach was different.
At the event, Apple highlighted Final Cut Pro 2 and Logic Pro 2 for iPad as strong examples of its own professional-grade iPad apps. These apps were used to demonstrate the benefits and advanced capabilities enabled by the powerful new iPad hardware, showcasing features like Live Multicam and stem splitting.
This suggests Apple is now placing a stronger emphasis on delivering a more complete software experience to complement its latest iPad Pro and iPad Air hardware innovations.
Final Cut Camera app
In the past, Apple has often unveiled impressive new iPad hardware without accompanying it with a robust software story or compelling in-house app experiences. However, this time around, the company’s approach was different.
At the event, Apple highlighted Final Cut Pro 2 and Logic Pro 2 for iPad as strong examples of its own professional-grade iPad apps. These apps were used to demonstrate the benefits and advanced capabilities enabled by the powerful new iPad hardware, showcasing features like Live Multicam and stem splitting.
This suggests Apple is now placing a stronger emphasis on delivering a more complete software experience to complement its latest iPad Pro and iPad Air hardware innovations.
What wasn’t announced: iPad mini or base iPad
As anticipated, Apple did not have any updates to announce regarding the iPad mini or the entry-level iPad models during this event. Updates to these devices are expected to be unveiled later in the year.
Although there were no new hardware announcements for these iPad lineups, Apple did implement one unannounced change to the base iPad – the 10th generation model will now start at the lower price point of $349, while the previous 9th generation iPad has been discontinued.
iPad event wrap-up
After a year in which there were no updates to the iPad hardware lineup, Apple was due to give some much-needed attention and upgrades to its tablet offerings. The announcements made at this event were focused on the premium tier of iPad devices, with the new M4-powered iPad Pro and the updated iPad Air 6 representing significant advancements for the iPad lineup.
Now that these high-end iPad releases have been unveiled, Apple can shift its focus to the various software updates and OS enhancements that are expected to be announced at the upcoming AI-themed WWDC event scheduled for June.
