During the “Let Loose” event yesterday, Apple announced two new iPads; iPad Air (2024) and iPad Pro (2024), and Apple Pencil Pro. Both the iPad Air and iPad Pro come in two sizes; 11 and 13 inches.
The company has also announced the “M4” processor, which powers the iPad Pro. The M4 comes with Apple’s fastest Neural Engine ever, capable of up to 38 trillion operations per second, which Apple claims is “faster than the neural processing unit of any AI PC today”.
Fabricated using a second-generation 3nm node, the chip offers performance that is 1.5 times faster than the M2, and graphics tasks may experience up to a 4x increase in speed.
The M4 doubles efficiency, providing the same level of performance as the M2 in the 2022 iPad Pros while consuming only half the power.
iPad Air
The new iPad Airs are equipped with the Apple M2 chip, featuring an 8-core CPU and a 10-core GPU, along with 8GB RAM and a base storage of 128GB (goes up to 1TB).
The 11-inch model sports a resolution of 2,360 x 1,640px and a peak brightness of 500 nits, while the 13-inch boasts a resolution of 2,732 x 2,048px and a brightness of 600 nits. However, both are restricted to a 60Hz refresh rate.
The design closely resembles that of the iPad Air (2022), but with the 12MP front-facing camera now positioned horizontally for a more natural feel during video calls. On the back, there’s a single 12MP camera.
TouchID remains integrated into the power button. Furthermore, both models are compatible with Apple’s existing Magic Keyboard and the new Apple Pencil Pro.
Additionally, the new iPad Airs feature Wi-Fi 6E, with cellular models also supporting 5G connectivity via eSIM. Out of the box, they come installed with iPad OS 17.4.
iPad Pro
Apple claims the new iPad Pro is “the thinnest Apple product ever”, measuring at 5.3mm for the 11-inch model and the 13-inch model is even thinner at 5.1mm. The aluminium bodies of the tablets are made out of 100%recycled materials.
This year, the displays of both iPad Pro models have been upgraded to OLED from the previous generation’s mini-LED. Apple has termed these as “tandem OLED displays,” which consist of two OLED panels stacked together to enhance brightness. They offer up to 1,000 nits of full-screen brightness for SDR content and peak at 1,600 nits for HDR.
ProMotion displays are capable of adjusting their frame rates from 10Hz to 120Hz. Both models boast a pixel density of 264ppi, translating to a resolution of 2,420 x 1,668 pixels for the 11-inch model and 2,752 x 2,064 pixels for the 13-inch variant.
As an option, the protective glass can undergo a nano-texture etching process to minimise glare and ambient light scattering. However, this feature incurs an additional cost of RM500 and is exclusively available for the 1TB and 2TB models.
The 256GB and 512GB models come with 9-core CPUs, while the 1TB and 2TB models get 10-core CPUs. Both versions have the same 10-core GPU and 16-core Neural Engine, but the 1TB and 2TB versions get 16GB RAM instead of 8GB.
Apple Pencil Pro
The latest Pencil Pro features a sensor that detects the pressure of your grip, allowing for actions such as swiftly altering tool settings while drawing.
Squeeze gestures receive confirmation from a bespoke haptic engine. Additionally, the Pencil Pro offers connectivity to the Find My network, enabling you to locate it if misplaced.
Pricing and Availability
The iPad Air is available in space grey, starlight, purple, and blue. The 11-inch model is priced from RM2,999, while the 13-inch model begins at RM3,999, with no current update on local availability.
Pricing for the iPad Pro begins at RM5,299 for the 11-inch model and RM6,799 for the 13-inch variant, offered in Silver and Space Black. Apple has not yet announced when the new iPad Pro will be available in Malaysia.
The Apple Pencil Pro is priced at RM599 and with no update on local availability.
There’s also a new Magic Keyboard for the iPad Pro, which is already available for pre-order, with the 11-inch version priced at RM1,479 and the 13-inch at RM1,699.
