
The new (2020) iPad Pro is powered by the A12Z processor and features a new camera setup on the back. Apple has also unveiled a new Magic Keyboard with a trackpad for iPad Pro.
iPad Pro reviews
The iPad Pro is not available yet, so we are still waiting on reviews. As the product becomes available, 9to5Mac will have a review and a roundup of reviews from respected experts.
iPad Pro specs and features
The new A12Z Bionic chip in the iPad Pro offers the “highest performance ever in an iPad.” There’s an 8-core CPU and 8-core GPU, alongside Apple’s Neural Engine. You’ll also get 10 hours of battery life and LTE that’s up to 60% faster . The iPad Pro is the first iPad to include Wi-Fi 6 support.
Apple describes the new Magic Keyboard as having a “floating design with smooth angle adjustment.” It attaches magnetically to the iPad Pro and features “unique cantilevered hinges” that allow it to adjust up to 130 degrees. The keyboard uses Apple’s scissor-switch mechanism and is backlit as well.
In a video shared with the Verge, Federighi talks through some of the logic behind Apple’s decision to bring trackpad support to iPad Pro. Essentially, the decision came down to realizing how well that trackpad input complements typing on a physical keyboard:
Our goal with iPad has always been to create a device so capable and so versatile it can become whatever you want it to be. And that versatility is built on the power of touch. But of course we give you so many other ways to interact with your iPad, and sometimes you want to type. For typing, nothing beats the Magic Keyboard. It’s when typing that you most appreciate the precision and ergonomics of a trackpad.
Federighi also explained why they decided to make the iPadOS cursor a rounded icon rather than a traditional pointer:
The shape of the cursor is the one most natural for the touch experience. It’s round, just like your fingertip. As you move over the controls, it automatically transforms to make them easy to select. And of course the trackpad is amazing for text — the cursor transforms into a precise tool that makes it super easy to select text, apply formatting, and even select whole blocks of text.
The new iPad Pro Magic Keyboard case also features a USB-C port on its hinge. Apple says the Magic Keyboard features “USB-C pass-through charging. This keeps the USB-C port free for accessories including external drives and displays.” Apple also notes that there is an “updated Smart Keyboard Folio” without a trackpad as well.
Apple says it will update its iWork suite of productivity apps to take “full advantage of the trackpad and open up a whole new way to work with documents on iPad.” There will also be new templates in Pages and Keynote to make use of the new trackpad.
There’s also a new LiDAR camera array on the back of the new model. Apple says this LiDar Scanner measures the distance to surrounding objects up to 5 meters away:
The breakthrough LiDAR Scanner enables capabilities never before possible on any mobile device. The LiDAR Scanner measures the distance to surrounding objects up to 5 meters away, works both indoors and outdoors, and operates at the photon level at nano-second speeds.