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Apple announces new 10.5-inch iPad Pro with narrower side bezels, 120Hz refresh rate display

As expected, Apple has unveiled a brand new iPad Pro with a 10.5-inch with narrower bezels. The side bezels are 40% smaller, and the screen can display a full size keyboard. Apple is also launching an update to the 12.9-inch iPad with both running on an A10X Fusion chip.

New iPad Pros include a 50% brighter True Tone display and ‘ProMotion’ technology which increases refresh rates up to 120Hz. This means the display is buttery smooth and Apple Pencil drawing is even better.

The new iPad Pro includes dynamic refresh rate adjustments, screens move from 24Hz to 48Hz to 120Hz. This maximises battery life and performance, when you need it.

The A10x Fusion chip improves CPU and GPU by at least 40%. Cameras have also been upgraded with the same sensor as the iPhone 7 on the back and the front.

Apple demoed a photo app called ‘Affinity Photo’, to demonstrate the higher refresh rate of the display and capability of the A10X chip. Apple says new iPad Pro performance compares favourably with a desktop computer. This includes incredibly fast selections and fluid Apple Pencil interactions.

Both iPad models start with 64 GB of memory and maxes out to 512 GB at the high-end.

Apple is also launching new polyurethane and leather cases for the iPad Pro.

iPad Pro, in 10.5-inch & 12.9-inch Models, Introduces the World’s Most Advanced Display & Breakthrough Performance
iOS 11, Coming This Fall, Brings New Features That Make iPad Pro Even More Powerful
June 05, 2017 03:08 PM Eastern Daylight Time
SAN JOSE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Apple® today introduced an all-new 10.5-inch iPad Pro® and a new 12.9-inch iPad Pro, featuring the world’s most advanced display with ProMotion™ technology and incredible performance with the new A10X Fusion chip. The new 10.5-inch model reduces the borders by nearly 40 percent to fit into an incredibly compact package that still weighs just one pound. Combined with powerful new iPad® features in iOS 11 coming this fall, like the all-new Files app, customizable Dock, improved multitasking and deeper integration of Apple Pencil®, iPad Pro gives users the ability to be even more productive and creative.

“These are by far the most powerful iPads we’ve ever created with the world’s most advanced displays featuring ProMotion, the powerful new A10X Fusion chip and the advanced camera system of iPhone 7,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s vice president of Product Marketing. “Together with iOS 11 these new iPad Pro models will radically change what users can do with iPad.”

The Most Advanced Display Featuring ProMotion

The stunning, redesigned Retina® display in iPad Pro features ProMotion, a new technology that delivers refresh rates of up to 120Hz for fluid scrolling, greater responsiveness and smoother motion content. With ProMotion, Apple Pencil is even more responsive with an industry-best, 20-millisecond latency for even more fluid and natural drawing. ProMotion also improves display quality and reduces power consumption by automatically adjusting the display refresh rate to match the movement of the content.

The advanced Retina display is Apple’s brightest iPad display yet and features antireflective coating, making content easier to see indoors and out. True Tone® dynamically adjusts the white balance of the display to match the light around you for a more natural and accurate viewing experience. A wide color gamut enables iPad Pro to deliver digital cinema-standard colors.

Groundbreaking Performance Powered by A10X Fusion Chip

iPad Pro delivers groundbreaking performance, connectivity and versatility to tackle the most demanding tasks. The powerful new 64-bit A10X Fusion chip provides performance that is faster than most PC laptops shipping today, so tackling complex tasks like editing photos and 4K video, rendering 3D images or playing games feels effortless. A six-core CPU and 12-core GPU deliver up to 30 percent faster CPU performance and 40 percent faster graphics performance than the industry-leading A9X chip, while delivering all-day battery life.1

iPad Pro is the perfect device to shoot, edit and share pro-quality photos and videos. It features the same advanced front- and back-facing cameras as iPhone® 7, including a 12-megapixel camera with optical image stabilization, along with a 7-megapixel FaceTime® HD camera. iPad Pro also features a four-speaker audio system, providing powerful, clear and rich stereo sound in any orientation. An embedded Apple SIM2 and support for 802.11ac Wi-Fi and LTE Advanced3 make it easier to stay connected when traveling in more than 180 countries and regions.

Touch ID® on iPad Pro is more responsive and gives users a simple and secure way to unlock iPad, keep personal information private within apps and approve purchases from the App Store®, iTunes Store® and iBooks Store℠. With Apple Pay® on iPad, paying for physical goods and services within apps or on websites in Safari® has never been easier.4

iOS 11 Introduces Powerful iPad Features

iOS 11, coming this fall, introduces powerful new features for iPad, including:

— a new customizable Dock that provides quick access to frequently used apps and documents from any screen;

— improved multitasking, including a redesigned app switcher that brings Spaces® to iOS, making it easier to move between apps or pairs of active apps, used in Split View and now Slide Over;

— the new Files app that keeps everything in one place, whether files are stored locally, in iCloud Drive® or across other providers like Box, Dropbox and more;

— Multi-Touch™ Drag and Drop, which is available across the system to move text, photos and files from one app to another, anywhere on the screen;

— a new document scanner in Notes, which lets users easily scan single or multi-page documents, removes shadows and uses powerful image filters to enhance readability; and

— deeper integration with Apple Pencil, with support for inline drawing to write along text in Notes and Mail, Instant Markup to easily sign documents, annotate PDFs or draw on screenshots, and a new Instant Notes feature, which opens Notes from the Lock Screen by simply tapping Apple Pencil on the display. New searchable handwriting makes it easy to search for handwritten text or characters.

Apple Pencil & Smart Keyboard

Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard™, available for purchase separately, bring breakthrough levels of precision and utility to iPad Pro. Advanced sensors in Apple Pencil measure both pressure and tilt for natural drawing, annotating and note-taking. A new full-sized Smart Keyboard has been custom designed for the 10.5-inch iPad Pro, offering a thin yet durable keyboard that never needs to be charged or paired over Bluetooth and is easily foldable into a protective Smart Cover®.

Pricing & Availability

• The 10.5-inch iPad Pro comes in silver, space gray, gold and rose gold and starts at $649 (US) for the 64GB with Wi-Fi model and $779 (US) for the 64GB Wi-Fi + Cellular model. The 12.9-inch iPad Pro is available in silver, space gray and gold and starts at $799 (US) for the 64GB Wi-Fi model and $929 (US) for the 64GB Wi-Fi + Cellular model. For more information, visit apple.com/ipad.

• The new iPad Pro models are available to order beginning today from Apple.comand will start delivering to customers next week. Both models will also be available next week in Apple Stores, through select carriers and Apple Authorized Resellers (prices may vary) in the US and 37 additional countries and regions, including Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK. India, Turkey, UAE and other countries and regions will follow later this month. Brazil, Mexico, South Korea and other countries and territories will follow in July.

• Apple Pencil is available for $99 (US). The Smart Keyboard is available in charcoal gray for $159 (US) for the 10.5-inch iPad Pro and $169 (US) for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro with layouts for over 30 languages, including simplified Chinese, French, German, Japanese and Spanish.

• A new Leather Sleeve is available for both the 10.5-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro in a range of colors for $129 (US) and $149 (US), respectively. A new Apple Pencil Case is available in a range of colors for $29 (US). iPad Pro Smart Covers are available in polyurethane and leather in a variety of colors for $49 (US) and $69 (US) for the 10.5-inch iPad Pro and for $59 (US) and $79 (US) for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro at Apple.com and Apple Stores.

• Every customer who buys iPad Pro from Apple will be offered free Personal Setup, in-store or online, to help them customize their iPad Pro by setting up email, showing them new apps from the App Store and more.5

• Anyone who wants to start with the basics or go further with their new iPad Pro can sign up for free sessions at apple.com/today.

1 Battery life depends on device settings, usage and other factors. Actual results may vary.

2 Embedded Apple SIM in iPad Pro (10.5-inch and 12.9-inch) may be disabled when purchased from some carriers. See your carrier for details. Apple SIM and embedded Apple SIM not available in China.

3 LTE is available through select carriers. Network speeds are dependent on carrier networks. Check with your carrier for details.

4 Apple Pay is not available in all markets. For a list of Apple Pay countries, visit apple.com/ios/feature-availability/#apple-pay.

5 In most countries.

Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple TV. Apple’s four software platforms — iOS, macOS, watchOS and tvOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay and iCloud. Apple’s more than 100,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth, and to leaving the world better than we found it.

NOTE TO EDITORS: For additional information visit Apple Newsroom (www.apple.com/newsroom), or call Apple’s Media Helpline at (408) 974-2042.

© 2017 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, iPad Pro, ProMotion, iPad, Apple Pencil, Retina, True Tone, iPhone, FaceTime, Touch ID, App Store, iTunes Store, iBooks Store, Apple Pay, Safari, Spaces, iCloud Drive, Multi-Touch, Smart Keyboard, Smart Cover and Apple Store are trademarks of Apple. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

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Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Benjamin Mayo

Benjamin develops iOS apps professionally and covers Apple news and rumors for 9to5Mac. Listen to Benjamin, every week, on the Happy Hour podcast. Check out his personal blog. Message Benjamin over email or Twitter.