Apple Announces A Range Of Updates To iPad Products In Its “Let Loose” Event

The one thing that tech enthusiasts, businesses and the public look forward to is events held by major consumer electronics companies, which offer them a view of what new products are to come.

One of the most anticipated events includes those hosted by Apple. In addition to its highly touted WWDC (Worldwide Developers Conference) event, the company hosts other events to showcase its products and services.

Through Apple’s Event, which was dubbed “Let Loose”, the company announced updates to its existing product line.

The updates were released through its website as well, which also contained links to view the event and a recap.

So, what new products did Apple reveal and what updates were brought in? Let’s explore!
 

Apple iPad Pro

 

• “All-new pro design. Incredibly portable. The thinnest Apple product ever,” is how the company described its new iPad Pro, with a tagline that read “Thinpossible”.

• While pre-orders are available now, the product will be launched on May 15, with its price range starting from $999.

• The product’s features include an enhanced visual experience brought forth by an OLED display in two panels called Tandem OLED and nanotextured glass for less glare. Its options include an 11-inch and 13-inch model.

• The iPad Pro comes with Apple’s M4 chip, which is said to offer “outrageous performance, game-changing graphics and powerful AI capabilities.”

• Apple’s M4 chip is the fourth generation of its custom SoCs (System on a Chip), which features updated CPU and GPU cores, new display engines and is said to be 1.5x faster than the M2 with 4x rendering performance.

 

Apple iPad Air

 

• Just like the iPad Pro, the iPad Air releases May 15 and can be pre-ordered.

• Apple’s iPad Air comes with the M2 chip, comes in two portable sizes (an 11-inch display and a 13-inch display), a landscape front camera and is priced at $599 (11 inch) and $799 (13 inch).

• Both models come with a high-resolution Liquid Retina display that delivers “a brilliant, responsive and color-accurate viewing experience.”

• The M2 chip is 50% faster than its predecessor.

• Speaking about the new iPad Air, Melody Kuna, Director of iPad Design, said, “We’ve also redesigned the iPad Air to put the front-facing camera on the landscape edge and a feature center stage that uses machine learning to keep everyone in the field of view automatically.”

• [Contd.] “So it’s perfect for connecting with friends and family over FaceTime or joining a video conference while using a keyboard.”

 

Apple Pencil Pro

 

• The Pencil Pro is also open to pre-orders and will be made available May 15 and is priced at $129.

• Having launched in 2015, the Apple Pencil’s last significant update was in 2018, which included magnetic charging.

• Apple’s Pencil Pro will be compatible with the iPad Pro (11-inch and 13-inch) and the iPad Air (11-inch and 13-inch).

• The pencil comes with a range of new features that enhance its operability and functionality.

• This includes squeezing to bring up a new palette, allowing users to quickly switch tools, line weights and colors.

• Barrel roll allows users to obtain precise control of shaped pen and brush tools, powered by a new gyroscope.

• “A custom haptic engine provides precise feedback that you can feel. When you squeeze or double-tap, you’ll feel a light pulse confirming the action,” is what the haptic feedback feature brings.

• Double tapping the pencil allows a user to quickly switch between tools, like a pen and eraser.

• Users can hover above the display to get a better sense of where the Apple Pencil will touch down, improving precision.

 

Other Announcements

 

• Apple also announced a new and improved version of its Magic Keyboard, which has been “completely redesigned” to be lighter, thinner and more responsive with haptic feedback. It offers aluminum palm rests and a bigger trackpad. It also comes with a function row to perform tasks such as controlling screen brightness.

• Apple’s updated Final Cut Pro comes with features to boost video shooting speed with its Live Multicam, which transforms iPads into a multicam production studio that can connect, preview and adjust the settings of up to four cameras at a time. It also allows users to connect multiple iPhones or iPads.

• While the company didn’t reveal much in the way of artificial intelligence (AI) products or its plan, it did mention the M4 chip comes with a neural engine that’s “dedicated to the acceleration of AI workloads.”

• The consensus is that the company’s AI plan will be revealed in its WWDC event in June.

What do you think of Apple’s latest updates and product improvements?

Let us know in the comments below!