Apple unveiled its latest and the most advanced iPad Pro on March 18, 2020. The next-gen Apple’s premium iPad Pro is launched in two models- 11-inch and 12.9-inch sizes. Apple has turned the iPad Pro into a real laptop by adding a powerful and functional keyboard with a touchpad. This keyboard is sure to deliver the best typing experience ever on an iPad Pro.
These top-end tablets from Apple bring a blazing A12Z Bionic chip, which Apple claims is more powerful and faster than most Windows PC laptops. It makes the iPad Pro 2020, one of the top contenders in the list of the best tablets that money can buy. The introduction of the breakthrough LiDAR scanner, the addition of the new ultra-wide-angle camera, motion sensor, pro performance with the A12Z bionic chip, and powerful apps makes the iPad Pro one of the world’s best devices for Augmented Reality.
Here’s everything you need to know about the latest iPad Pros 2020.
iPad Pro 2020 Price and Release date
The iPad Pro was released on March 18, 2020, and was made available for order on the Apple online store from the same day itself. Apple says its first delivery date is March 25, 2020, in the US. The company has shut its physical stores due to the growing concerns over COVID-19.
Now, coming to one of the worth-considering aspects, how much the iPad Pro 2020 costs? So, here’s the list of the price for the latest iPad Pro; depending upon the screen size and the storage size. There’s also the Cellular variant that bumps up the cost of iPad Pro.
- The 11-inch iPad Pro with 128GB internal storage at $799 for the Wi-Fi variant.
- The WiFi+Cellular model of the 11-inch iPad Pro is priced at $949.
- The 12.9-inch model starts at $999 for Wi-Fi and $1,149 for Wi-Fi+Cellular.
Both the iPad models are available in Grey and Silver finishes, with 128GB, 512GB, and 1TB storage options. Like always, Apple doesn’t offer an option for expanding the storage with a microSD card.
Design and Display
The iPad Pro 2020 features the edge-to-edge Liquid Retina display, which offers P3 wide color support to see photos, videos, and games in amazing, true-to-life detail. Also, the ProMotion technology offers you the latest 120Hz refresh rate for ultra-smooth animations and transitions. The best part is that the display is automatically adjusted at the 120Hz refresh rate, unlike the
Samsung Galaxy S20, where you would have to compromise on either the refresh rate or the screen resolution.
The iPad Pro features a thin, light, and durable design, which makes it easy and convenient to carry the tablet wherever you go. At the rear panel, you’ll find a bigger camera-setup, housing dual sensors. The bottom of the iPad Pro has a USB-C port, and there’s no 3.5mm headphone jack. This is something which Apple bid farewell to with their 2018 iPad Pros.
iPad Pro Performance with A12Z Bionic Chip
The iPad Pro 2020 is powered by Apple’s new A12Z Bionic Chip, which features an 8-core GPU and tuned performance controllers to give the highest performance ever on any Apple tablet. The chip is designed to boost performance for demanding tasks like editing a 4K video, working on 3D models, and Augmented Reality apps. Also, Apple claims that with the A12Z Bionic Chip, the iPad Pro 2020 will outpace most PC laptops available today. Also, the Apple-designed Neural Engine offers on-device machine learning ready for the next-gen of pro apps. Both the hardware and software designed to offer a power-packed performance and the result is the fastest iPad Pro ever made.
Now, coming to battery life, Apple claims the iPad Pro 2020 models will be able to last up to 10 hours of browsing the internet or watching videos over Wi-Fi. On the other hand, if you’re using a cellular network, you’ll get 9-hours battery life.
iPad Pro Camera and Breakthrough LiDAR Scanner
The Pro camera system on the rear panel of the new iPad Pro features a 12MP wide sensor for capturing amazing photos and 4K videos. To double the photo and video capabilities on the iPad Pro, Apple has taken a page from the iPhone 11 and added a 10MP ultra-wide sensor, which provides a wider field of view with minimal distortion. It helps to frame perfect shots and would be marked as a game-changer for the creative pros.
Here comes the bigger deal on the iPad Pro- the LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) scanner, which is used to determine distance by measuring the time taken by the light to reach the object and reflect back. The LiDAR scanner measures reflected light from up to 5 meters away, and this works both indoors and outdoors. The iPadOS combines the depth points measured by the LiDAR scanner, the data from camera and motion sensors, and works with the A12Z Bionic chip for a more detailed understanding of the scene. All this introduces a new class of AR experiences on the iPad Pro.
Thanks to the LiDAR scanner, the ARKit apps get instant AR placement, improved motion, and people occlusion. The latest update to the ARKit with new scene Geometry API would allow the developers to create as never before, more immersive scenarios with the help of the LiDAR scanner.
Also, the Measure App gets an improvement with this new LiDAR scanner; which makes it faster and easier to accurately measure the objects.
Studio-Quality Mics
The iPad Pro 2020 features five-studio quality microphones for capturing clean and highly detailed audio. Moreover, you get an immersive sound experience with the four-speaker audio that automatically adjusts to any orientation, no matter how it has held. This amazing combination is a welcome feature for the podcasters, content creators, and filmmakers.
iPadOS 13.4 and Trackpad
Before 2019, Apple has used the iOS software on its iPad products. In 2019, Apple developed the iPadOS for its iPad lineup, focusing more on multitasking and improving productivity. This year, the introduction of iPadOS 13.4 brings trackpad support for the first time ever on an iPad, which offers precise cursor movement. The click-anywhere trackpad brings more natural typing experience and added precision for tasks, including writing, selecting, and working with spreadsheets.
The trackpad has been reimagined for the latest iPad Pro, rather than copying from the existing macOS. Apple introduced the new cursor experience that is contextual and transforms into the exact tool; that you would need depending upon the content you’re pointing to, like the app icons, text, or buttons. It allows you buttery-smooth navigation and fluid gestures; that makes it easy to switch between the apps, access the App Switcher, Control Center and apps in Slide Over. It’s perfect for the tasks that require an extra level of precision, like building or editing a spreadsheet.
Also, the updates coming to Apple’s iWork suite of productivity apps- Pages, keynotes, and Numbers will make the most of the trackpad support and will offer a new way to work on the iPad. The iPadOS 13.4 will release on March 24, 2020.
Magic Keyboard and other accessories
The second-gen Apple Pencil and the Slim keyboard Folio will work on these latest iPad Pros. Now, there’s a new entry to this list; a new keyboard attachment from Apple, which has named the Magic Keyboard. It features a floating cantilever design that allows you to magnetically attach and offers a smooth angle adjustment to lock your iPad Pro at a perfect viewing angle of up to 130-degrees. This full-sized keyboard, designed especially for the iPad Pro offers a responsive, comfortable, and noiseless typing experience. The keyboard features backlit on the keys as well as on the trackpad, and a scissor mechanism that delivers 1mm travel, providing the best typing experience on the iPad.
The Magic keyboard also features USB-C pass-through technology, keeping the USB-C port on iPad Pro free for the accessories. This keyboard will be compatible with last year’s iPad Pros as well.
The downside of the Magic Keyboard is the price tag that it will come with. It starts at a whopping $299 for the 11-inch iPad Pro model and $349 for the 12.9-inch model. These price tags match the cost of a Chromebook. Unfortunately, the Magic keyboard will not be available until May.
Don’t forget to check our list of the best iPad Pro Accessories in 2020.
Apart from the iPad Pro, Apple also announced the new MacBook Air with improved keyboard, performance, and more storage.
That was all the information about the latest iPad Pro 2020. Do let us know which feature did you like the most. Also, don’t forget to share this article with your friends; who have been waiting for long to witness Apple’s most premium iPad Pro ever made.
