After months of rumors, Apple has today announced a completely redesigned iPad Pro with slimmed-down bezels, Face ID, a USB-C port, and far more powerful specs than its predecessor. Just like prior years, the new iPad Pro comes in two screen sizes: 11 inches and 12.9 inches. The 11-inch model has essentially the same proportions as the prior 10.5-inch model. And the 12.9-inch model puts the same-sized display into a much smaller form factor. The new iPad Pro starts at $799 for the 11-inch and $999 for the 12.9-inch. Preorders begin today, and it ships on November 7th.

The new Pro is the company’s first iPad not to include a home button, which allowed Apple to extend the screen vertically for a much more immersive experience. The bezels have been downsized on all four sides. Like the iPhone XR, Apple is referring to this screen as a Liquid Retina Display. Both sizes offer Apple’s ProMotion technology for smooth, fluid display performance. With the removal of the home button, the new iPads will fully adopt the gesture navigation that debuted on the iPhone X.

But something else has been removed, too: the headphone jack. There’s no 3.5mm port visible on any of the device’s sides, meaning that buyers will need a USB-C to headphone dongle to listen to music through wired headphones. Apple will be releasing its own $9 headphone adapter — no, there’s not one in the box — along with other USB-C accessories.

Both iPad Pros feature Face ID and the TrueDepth camera setup that also began with the iPhone X. But unlike the iPhone X, XS, and XR, the new iPad Pro lacks a notch; its Face ID components are housed in the top, flat bezel. On the iPad, Face ID can work when the device is oriented horizontally, like when it’s connected to a keyboard, for example. Adding Face ID means that Animoji and Memoji will be coming to the iPad for the first time.

The 2018 iPad Pros are powered by Apple’s new A12X Bionic chip with an 8-core CPU and 7-core GPU. This leads to 35 percent faster single-core performance and a leap to 90 percent faster for multicore tasks. As for the GPU, Apple’s Jon Ternus said, “The iPad Pro delivers Xbox One S class graphics performance in a package that is much smaller.” It will offer up to 1TB of built-in flash storage.

The iPad’s transition away from Apple’s proprietary Lightning connector to USB-C is a move that the company hasn’t yet deemed to be right for its iPhones. The recently released iPhones XS and XR continue to use Lightning. But putting USB-C in an iPad further cements the device’s place as a computer alternative — if not yet a full replacement. The new port opens new capabilities for the iPad Pro such as charge out; it can provide power to a connected iPhone, for example. The iPad Pro can be connected to displays ranging up to 5K resolution.

The new iPad Pros have four speakers that deliver wider stereo sound, a 12-megapixel camera (capable of 4K/60 video recording), and offer gigabit LTE on cellular models. They’ll ship with an 18-watt charger in the box, and Apple says battery life is good for up to 10 hours of continuous use.

Apple is also introducing a redesigned $129 Apple Pencil alongside its latest iPads. The annoying charging method that required plugging the Pencil directly into the iPad is gone. Now, it attaches to the tablet magnetically and charges wirelessly. Tapping the iPad Pro with the Pencil will immediately wake the device and launch Notes. And other touch gestures — open to third-party developers — can switch between tools in productivity apps and execute other actions.

Additionally, Apple is updating the old Smart Keyboard, now called the Smart Keyboard Folio, to allow the iPad to sit at two different typing angles. Unfortunately, it’s gotten more expensive at $179.

“We sold more iPads in the last year than the entire notebook lineup of all of the biggest notebook vendors,” CEO Tim Cook said. He said Apple has sold a total of more than 400 million iPads.

Source: the verge