Direct from its headquarters in Cupertino, California, Apple has lifted the lid on two new tablets for iPad users. At the more affordable end of the scale, the new 10th-generation iPad represents some substantial design changes from previous models with a 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display, updated cameras and four new finishes. The iPad 10 arrives alongside the new flagship Apple iPad Pro, which gets the royal treatment with the same super-charged M2 chip that debuted in the MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro earlier this year.
Here’s everything you need to know about both the 10-generation iPad and the new iPad Pro.
Apple iPad 10 – Price, Release Date & Features
Price In Australia: From $749
Release Date In Australia: Thursday, October 27
The Apple iPad 10 – set for an October 27 release date in Australia – gets a nice little performance upgrade with the A14 Bionic Chip, which has already proven its worth in 2020’s fourth-generation iPad Air and should be a welcome addition to anyone after a less expensive tablet. If you’re jumping up from the iPad 7, for example, this would mean a 3x in performance and overall efficiency, making the upgrade more tempting if you’re still making do with one of the older iPad models.
Wi-Fi models for the iPad 10 start from an easy $749 with Cellular models starting from $999. Although you’ll be getting some fairly low storage if you want to go for the cheapest options, given those prices would be for the 64GB versions only. 256GB versions are also available, which will obviously require a bit more outlay.
Perhaps most significant as far as design changes go is the repositioning of the Ultra Wide 12MP front camera, which is now located alongside the landscape edge of the iPad and should make video calls much more seamless. With previous models, if you had a video call come through while you had the iPad sitting horizontally on a desk, you’d need to reshuffle the device to portrait and put up with appearing slightly off-center. This small but meaningful design change solves that issue.
Also on the cards for the Apple iPad 10 is support for the new Magic Keyboard Folio, which Apple claims has improved traction (1 mm of travel), bigger keys, a versatile two-piece design and a click-anywhere trackpad. This should translate to a smoother typing experience overall, whereas in the past users have often taken issue with how small the keys are for the iPad’s magnetic keyboard.
On the rear of the iPad you’ve got a 12MP Wide sensor with support for 240-fps slow motion (not that many people use their iPads for that kind of content creation) as well as 4K video and high-resolution photos.
One final design change I want to mention is Touch ID. Apple has now moved the biometric to the top button of the iPad, which should make unlocking the device and using Apple Pay a bit more intuitive for anyone holding the tablet in either portrait or landscape.
In terms of colourse, you’ve got four new options – blue, pink, yellow and silver. All feature the same environmentally-friendly design, which now uses 100% recycled gold in the plating and 100% recycled copper in the foil of the main logic board alongside some other recycled materials included aluminium, tin and “rare earth elements.”
Apple iPad Pro With M2 – Price, Release Date & Features
Price In Australia: From $1,399
Release Date In Australia: Thursday, October 27
If you want Apple’s latest high-end tablet then you’re looking at a next-generation performance with Apple’s impressive M2 chip. As above, the iPad Pro has been treated with the latest in Apple Silicone, following the M2’s well-reviewed performance in the MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro.
Apple isn’t holding any punches with this one, it seems. The iPad Pro with M2 features an advanved mobile display, pro-level cameras and a four-speaker audio system which should make consuming content much more immersive.
The flagship tablet will be available in Australia from October 27, with the option of either an 11-inch or a 12.9-inch display with storage options starting from 128GB and maxing out at 2TB. Unlike the iPad 10, you’ve got limited colour options here – it’s either silver or space grey, keeping it simple for the powerful device.
Demanding workflows should be a breeze with the M2. Apple’s latest chip features an 8-core CPU which makes it up to 15% faster than the already super powerful M1. This is complemented by a 10-core GPU and a 16-core Neural Engine which can process 15.8 trillion operations per second – almost double what the M1 can do.
Much like the new iPhone 14, the iPad Pro is now able to capture ProRes video and transcode ProRes footage up to 3x faster than previous models. Content creators should be well taken care of here, as well as graphic designers and photographers making use of more intensive editing apps.
“The next generation iPad Pro pushes the boundaries of what’s possible on iPad, bringing even more versatility, power and portability to the ultimate iPad experience,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s sneisor vice president of Worldwide Marketing.
Apple seems to be putting a lot of emphasis on how the iPad Pro will work with the new Apple Pencil as well. Designed to maximise features from iPadOS 16, the writing tool can now be detected by the iPad Pro’s display faster, even when it’s hovering 12 mm above the screen. The second-generation Apple Pencil, like all other Apple accessories, is of course sold seprrately and you’re looking at an extra $219 if you want the writing tool.
As for the iPad Pro itself. Prices start from $1,399 in Australia for the Wi-Fi-only 11-inch iPad Pro and $1,649 for Cellular. The 12.9-inch iPad Pro starts at $1,899 for the Wi-Fi model and $2,149 for Cellular.
