Apple’s new iPad Pro, available online for either $799 or $949 for 128GB Wi-Fi configurations, depending on the size. They’re available to order online now, and Apple says they will ship on March 25th.
Both the 11-inch and 12.9-inch sizes look identical to last year’s models, but there’s a new processor and new camera system inside them both. Apple’s headline feature is that it has a LIDAR scanner to go along with its camera for depth sensing and AR, but what most people are going to notice is that very new keyboard that you can get with it.
The keyboard unfolds and elevates the iPad to a more comfortable viewing position, as you can see above. It also has a trackpad on it. Apple says, “Rather than copying the experience from macOS®, trackpad support has been completely reimagined for iPad. As users move their finger across the trackpad, the pointer elegantly transforms to highlight user interface elements.” You can see very brief examples of it in use in the video below.
The new trackpad will support gestures that let you switch between apps, open the app switcher and activate the Dock or Control Center. Third-party apps already support the trackpad without any change. But developers can release updates to improve support thanks to new APIs.
The keyboard of the Magic Keyboard now looks more like a traditional keyboard with separate keys. There’s a USB-C port, which recharges both the keyboard and the iPad attached to it. This way, you can recharge your device and plug another accessory to the iPad Pro itself. And speaking of “unfortunately,” it will cost a whopping $299 for the 11-inch model and $349 for the 12.9-inch version.
The iPad Pro will be available next week orders start today. There are two finishes silver and space gray. The 11-inch iPad Pro with 128GB of storage costs $799. The 12.9-inch model with 128GB of storage costs $999. You can add cellular support for an additional $150. There are also more expensive options with more storage (256GB, 512GB and 1TB).
