iPad Pro Apple's 12.9-inch iPad, launching November 11.

What's New

AT A GLANCE

The iPad Pro is Apple's largest iPad yet, with a 12.9-inch 2732 x 2048 resolution display, a powerful A9X processor, a super slim design, and a four-speaker audio system. Apple will begin taking online orders for the new tablet on November 11.

FEATURES

• 12.9-inch 2732 x 2048 resolution display
• A9X processor
• iPad Air 2-style design
• Four-speaker audio system
• Optional Smart Keyboard
• Optional Apple Pencil
• Available in Silver, Gold, and Space Gray

Apple introduced its new flagship 12.9-inch iPad Pro at its fall media event on September 9. As Apple's largest mobile device, the iPad Pro offers 78 percent more screen real estate than the 9.7-inch iPad Air 2, Apple's previous flagship tablet, which it also takes design cues from.

The iPad Pro measures in at 6.9mm thick and it weighs 1.57 pounds, which is just a half-pound heavier than the iPad Air 2. It is available in Gold, Silver, and Space Gray, like the rest of the iPad lineup.

Externally, the iPad Pro looks like a giant iPad Air 2, but its internal hardware puts it on par with desktop-class machines. With its light weight and its enormous touchscreen, the iPad Pro is a unique device that combines a new class of applications with touch-based input methods and portability.

On stage, Apple CEO Tim Cook described the iPad Pro as the "most capable and powerful" iPad Apple had designed yet, replete with advanced technologies and innovations. The iPad Pro is powered by a 64-bit A9X chip with a built-in M9 motion coprocessor. Compared to the A8X in the iPad Air 2, the iPad Pro is 1.8 times faster at CPU tasks and twice as fast at GPU tasks.

The iPad Pro's display has a resolution of 2732 x 2048 at 226 pixels per inch, for a total of 5.6 million pixels, more than any other iOS device. To drive all of those pixels, the iPad Pro uses technology from the 5K Retina iMac, plus display elements designed to give it the best possible contrast ratio, uniform color, and brightness.

For the first time in an Apple display, it uses a variable refresh rate to preserve power when static images are on the screen. The iPad Pro has "all day" 10-hour battery life despite its massive screen.

https://youtu.be/WlYC8gDvutc

Also new in the iPad Pro is its four speaker audio system that automatically balances left and right depending on how the iPad is held for the best possible sound. It also puts out three times as much audio volume as the iPad Air 2. There's an 8-megapixel rear camera for taking photos, and a 1.2-megapixel front-facing camera for FaceTime and selfies.

Like Apple's other mobile devices, the iPad Pro includes 802.11ac Wi-Fi, has an LTE option, and ships with Apple's fingerprint recognition system, Touch ID.

To expand the flexibility of the iPad Pro and increase its usefulness for both creative and productivity based tasks, Apple designed two accessories to go with it: the Apple Pencil and the Smart Keyboard. The accessories and the iPad Pro were built together, so they work together in incredible ways.

The Apple Pencil is a pressure-sensitive stylus with multiple sensors that are able to detect position, force, and tilt. Combined with the iPad Pro's display, it's accurate enough to touch a single pixel on the screen, making it perfect for artists.

Apple's Smart Keyboard is essentially a Smart Cover with a built-in keyboard, but it's designedwithout a battery because it can connect to the iPad Pro through the tablet's new Smart Connector, a port that's able to provide both data and power.

These accessories are entirely optional. The iPad Pro works like any other iPad, but the Smart Keyboard and the Apple Pencil add an additional layer of flexibility and enhance what's possible to achieve with a tablet device.

How to Buy

The iPad Pro will be available from Apple's online store beginning Wednesday, November 11, with in-store availability following later in the week. Several online retailers such as Sam's Club began accepting pre-orders for the iPad Pro during the first week of November before Apple's official announcement, but those outlets may have limited, if any, stock for the official launch date.

Pricing for the iPad Pro starts at $799 for the entry-level 32GB Wi-Fi only model. A 128GB Wi-Fi only model is available for $949, and a 128GB Wi-Fi + Cellular model is available for $1,079.

The iPad Pro's accessories, the Apple Pencil and the Smart Keyboard, will be sold separately. The Apple Pencil will be priced at $99, while the Smart Keyboard will retail for $169.

The initial rollout for the iPad Pro will include 40 countries: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Cayman Islands, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, El Salvador, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greenland, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Hungary, Ireland, Isle of Man, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Russia, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, UAE, US, UK, Uruguay and US Virgin Islands.