Advertisement
In an attempt to revive its dwindling tablet sales, Apple has launched its latest iPad Pro and iPad Air, both packed with top-tier specifications. The tech giant is hoping that these new devices, which are the sixth-generation iPad Air and seventh-generation iPad Pro, will make a significant impact in the market.
Advertisement
After a pause of nearly two years, Apple has returned with these updates, banking heavily on them to overcome its recent slump in tablet sales. Both the 2024 editions of the iPad Air and iPad Pro are brimming with high-end specs, justifying their price tags. These devices are expected to help Apple make a substantial splash in the market. To enhance the user experience, Apple is also introducing new Apple Pencil Pro and Magic Keyboard accessories to go along with the new devices.
iPad Pro: OLED Screen and M4 Chip
The 2024 iPad Pro boasts two major selling points: a new OLED screen and the Apple M4 silicon chip. The M4 chip, based on second-generation 3-nanometre technology, is said to have up to a 10-core CPU, which is 50 percent faster than the M2, and a 10-core GPU, which is four times faster than the M2. Although the exact number of these cores inside the iPad Pro is unknown at this time, it’s confirmed that the device will feature hardware-accelerated mesh shading and ray tracing, a first for any iPad. In this generation, Apple is also offering a wider range of storage options, including 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB.
The iPad Pro continues to be available in 11- and 13-inch screen sizes, but the panel has been upgraded to OLED, or ‘tandem OLED’ in Apple’s marketing language. Apple claims to use two OLED panels, combining the light from both to provide “phenomenal” full-screen brightness—up to 1000 nits for SDR and HDR content, and a peak of 1600 nits for HDR. These new screens have been dubbed ‘Ultra Retina XDR’ by Apple.
In terms of design, the new iPad Pro is sleeker, with the 13-inch model measuring only 5.1 mm (the 11-inch model is 5.3 mm), making it Apple’s thinnest product ever. It will be available in two finishes—silver and space black. The 12-megapixel TrueDepth camera has been reoriented to a landscape position. The device also supports USB Type-C with Thunderbolt 3/USB 4 speeds (40Gb/s), Wi-Fi 6E, and 5G.
iPad Air: Double the Fun
The 2024 iPad Air upgrade is a bit more conservative. The major update is that Apple is offering two screen sizes in this generation—11- and 13-inch—same as the iPad Pro. The other significant update is the underlying M2 chip, which is theoretically up to 50 percent faster than the M1 in the previous model.
The new iPad Air features a landscape front camera (but no FaceID), Wi-Fi 6E (and 5G), and up to 1TB of storage.
The devices will be available for purchase starting May 15. The 11-inch iPad Pro price in India starts at Rs 99,900 for the Wi-Fi model, and Rs 1,19,900 for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model. The 13-inch iPad Pro starts at Rs 1,29,900 for the Wi-Fi model, and Rs 1,49,900 for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model. For education, the 11-inch iPad Pro will be available for Rs 89,900 and the 13-inch iPad Pro for Rs 1,19,900. The 11-inch iPad Air price in India starts at Rs 59,900 for the Wi-Fi model, and Rs 79,900 for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model. The 13-inch iPad Air starts at Rs 79,900 for the Wi-Fi model, and Rs 94,900 for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model. For education, the 11-inch iPad Air will be available for Rs 54,900 and the 13-inch iPad Air for Rs 74,900.
