Apple Announces M4 iPad Pros, M2 iPad Airs, and Apple Pencil Pro

Apple has just wrapped up its iPad event where it pulled the wraps off two new iPad Pro models with OLED displays and a brand new M4 chip, as well as two new iPad Air models with the M2 chip from 2022. The company also announced two new iPad accessories with the Apple Pencil Pro and a redesigned Magic Keyboard for the iPad Pro.

As 2023 passed without any new iPad models, Apple needed to hit hard today, and the new 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Pro appear to be solid upgrades. Today also marks the first time Apple introduces a new M-Series chip on an iPad instead of a Mac, and the M4 comes nearly six month after Apple launched the first M3-powered Macs. The iPad Pro skipped the M3 entirely, while the iPad Air is moving from the M1 to the M2.

Apple’s new iPad Pro and iPad Air models also adopt a design change that came first to the entry-level iPad in the fall of 2022: Their front-facing camera has been moved to the landscape edge, which is more convenient when using video conferencing apps. The latest iPad Pros come with other notable design changes, and Apple said that they’re the thinnest iPad models it has ever created.

Apple’s new iPad Pro gets an M4 chip and an OLED screen

Apple’s new iPad Pro is the first Apple device to come with the company’s brand new M4 chip, which uses a second-gen 3nm technology that’s more power efficient. The M4 comes with up to 10 CPU cores (up to four performance cores and six efficiency cores) delivering up to 1.5x faster CPU performance compared to the M2. The 10-core GPU also offers up to 4x faster performance than M2, and it supports the same hardware-accelerated mesh shading and ray-tracing features previously seen on the M3.

AI performance is another highlight with an NPU capable of 38 trillion operations per second. Apple emphasized that the neural engine on the M4 is “more powerful than any neural processing unit in any AI PC today.” The company showcased how developers can leverage the NPU in the M4 by announcing two new AI-powered iPad apps, Final Cut Pro 2 and Logic Pro 2.

Apple said that designing a thinner iPad Pro with an OLED display was only possible with the M4. The chip comes with a new display engine and can deliver the same performance as the M2 using just half the power. The result is new 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Pro models that are thinner than the iPad Nano, with the 13-inch model being just 5.1mm thin.

Apple gave the “Ultra Retina XDR” moniker to its new OLED display on the iPad Pro. The display actually uses two OLED panels and combines the light from both to deliver 1000 nits of brightness for SDR and HDR content and 1600 nits peak for HDR content. A new nano-texture glass option that reduces glare is also available.

The new iPad Pros will also support two new accessories. There will be a new Magic Keyboard with an aluminum case, a new function row, and a larger trackpad with haptic feedback. For digital creators, the Apple Pencil Pro will come with a new sensor in the barrel and gyroscope enabling new interactions. It will also add Find My support for the first time, making it easier to find if lost.

iPad Air adds M2 chip and 13-inch screen size

Apple’s new M2 iPad Air is now available in two sizes with 11-inch and 13-inch models, just like on the iPad Pro lineup, and the 13-inch version also comes with better speakers with double the bass. Apple has moved the 12MP front-facing camera to the landscape edge of the device, though the rest of the design is unchanged.

Apple said that the M2 chip on the iPad Air should make it 50% faster than the previous model with an M1 chip, and the built-in NPU is also 40% faster. The new tablet also improves wireless speeds with Wi-Fi 6E, and digital artists can also the new Apple Pencil Pro on the tablet.

The M2 iPad Air is still compatible with the existing Magic Keyboard, which has a backlit keyboard and trackpad. Apple also announced a new Smart Folio for iPad Air that attaches magnetically and supports multiple viewing angles.

Pricing and availability

Apple’s latest iPads can be pre-ordered today and will start shipping next week. The M4 iPad Pro starts at $999 for the 11-inch model with 256GB of storage, and the 13-inch model starts at $1,299. The new Apple Pencil Pro is priced at $129, while the new Magic Keyboard starts at $299.

The M2 iPad Air starts at $599 for the 11-inch model and $799 for the new 13-inch version. The base models now come with 256GB of storage instead of 128GB, and there are 512GB and 1TB options as well. Last but not least, Apple dropped the priced of the entry-level iPad from $449 to $349. The company has also removed the 9th gen iPad, the last one with a physical Home button from the lineup.