It’s Apple Season again!
Of unusual timing though, Apple held an event in May titled “Let Loose”, which is a first for Apple. Apple has never held an event in May, just like they never held an event the day before Halloween last year. Another different thing about this event is it was held at 7am PDT and not the usual 10am PDT. Another first. Just like last years event, it is a different time that has never occurred before. The Halloween event they held last year was at 5pm PDT. Before I continue though, I did not have enough time before the event to post my speculation for the Let Loose event, so here is what I drafted:
Apple has hinted that the event might be accompanied by a special event or viewing in London. Maybe broadcasted from there? At 7am PDT it would be 3pm London time. Seems like a reasonable time for an event overseas. There has also been much hype about AI with Tim Cook, Greg Joswiak “Joz”, and others at Apple.
Here’s my analysis of my predictions: There was a viewing event in London during the broadcast. I think this specific start is because Apple wanted to have a reasonable time in London to display the event and new devices, rather than at 6pm if it was at 10am PDT.
Now, for a rundown for what was announced. First (going in order from what was announced first to last), the iPad Air is now available in two different form factors: 11-inch and 13-inch sizes. The new iPad Air boasts a landscape FaceTime camera and stereo speakers with Spatial Audio for an immersive multimedia experience. Additionally, the 13-inch model offers double the bass, delivering richer and more powerful sound quality. Now, for the first time in an iPad Air, the front-facing camera is in landscape orientation which has an ultra-wide lens and 12-megapixels, similar to the iPad 10, resulting in more realistic video calls. The Air is packed by the M2 chip (not the latest) which is plenty powerful. It is even 50% faster than the previous M1 iPad Air. Other highlights include an upgrade of WiFi, the step to WiFi 6E and four new colors: blue, purple, starlight, and space gray. Another new feature is both new models start at 128GB of storage, double the 64GB previously standard, with storage up to 1TB available now as well. A feature that trickled down from the iPad Pro is the hover feature on Apple Pencil that lets you preview where your pencil will land on the screen. The price remains the same starting at $599 for the 11-inch and $799 for the new 13-inch model.
They also showcased the new iPad Pro with M4. Yes, you saw that right. M4! They skipped the M3 for the iPad Pro entirely and they even made a cheeky joke about it during the event. This new chip is truly groundbreaking, with Apple touting it with a fundamental summary about the new chip:
Introducing M4, the next generation of Apple silicon, delivering outrageous performance in the exceptionally thin and light design of iPad Pro. An entirely new display engine enables stunning precision, color, and brightness. A powerful GPU with hardware-accelerated ray tracing renders game-changing graphics. And the Neural Engine in M4 makes iPad Pro an absolute powerhouse for AI.
Read the last sentence again from above. It says absolute powerhouse for AI. They are hinting at something…WWDC is just around the corner (June 10th, actually) and AI could be a major factor in their announcements. I am also refreshed to see that Apple is letting users (eventually) harness the power of the chips they are creating with AI features that users will enjoy and be accessible to take advantage of the power on your Apple device.
Another feature of the new iPad Pro is the overall thinness of the chassis. The 11-inch model is just 5.3mm thin, and the 13-inch model is even thinner at a striking 5.1mm. That is even thinner than the iPad nano, and that was thin! I have not gotten to see it in-person yet, but from the videos I have seen, it appears to be as thin as Apple proclaims. The iPad Pro is barely thick enough to house USB-C thunderbolt port on the side. Just think about that! In addition, the new industrial design improves the thermals of the device by up to 20%, leading to an overall 4x performance boost compared to the previous-generation iPad Pro.
Another highlight is both models of iPad Pros now have OLED displays that Apple calls “Tandem OLED” because they basically put two OLED panels together, increasing the the quality of light through the display, which is called an Ultra Retina XDR display by Apple. This enables a 1000 nit full-screen brightness and 1600 nit peak HDR brightness. And, for the first time ever in an iPad, Apple is offering a nano-textured glass as an available option for the Pro models, similar to that available on the Pro Display XDR. This layer gets rid of much of the pesky glares that are constantly hindering our abilities to see the screen outside. I have seen videos of the comparison, and it is a big difference. But, this option is only available on the 1TB and the 2TB storage option for $100, so you will need to fork over a bit of money to get the nano-textured glass, if that is what you are looking for. Other updates include upgrades to the camera system, Apple has also upgraded the camera modules in the new iPad Pro to take better images, and an adaptive flash improves capture for document scanning tasks. An interesting thing I noticed about the rear cameras is there is now only one camera instead of two, which the previous iPad Pro had (a Wide lens and an Ultra Wide lens). It does seem odd to me to remove technology Apple incorporated, but the question is, how often do iPad Pro users really use the additional Ultra Wide lens? Probably zilch. Additionally, front facing camera has moved to a landscape orientation, allowing for a better perspective for FaceTime calls. The new iPad Pro starts at 256 GB, an increase on the base storage. The two color options are available of Silver and Space Black (similar on the MacBook Pros). The 11-inch is priced starting at $999 and the new 13-inch model starts at $1299.
Apple also highlighted updates to its popular accessories, including the Magic Keyboard. Although only exclusively compatible with the new M4 iPad Pro, this new keyboard boasts a larger trackpad with “even more responsive with haptic feedback” per the press release, function row, and aluminum structure. Like the previous Magic Keyboard, it comes in two colors: black and white. It is available at the same price as the previous Magic Keyboard: $299 for the 11-inch version and $349 for the 13-inch.
On top of that, Apple unveiled the new Apple Pencil Pro. I happened to see an article from 9to5mac that code of the name “Apple Pencil Pro” was seen in Japanese systems, hinting at the possible name. That rumor was correct, after all. Let me share a section of an article from 9to5mac encompassing my exact thoughts on this new Apple Pencil and showcasing its new features:
Alongside the new iPads, a new Apple Pencil Pro has been announced, priced at $129 – the same price as the Pencil 2.
The latest version of the device is a significant upgrade. However, it is only compatible with the latest iPads – both Air and Pro …
A quick recap on Apple Pencil generations
The first Apple Pencil was launched back in 2015, offering compatibility with a wide range of iPads, ranging from the 6th-gen iPad, though 3rd-gen iPad Air, 5th-gen iPad mini, to all iPad Pro models.
The 2nd-gen Pencil was a significant upgrade when it was introduced in 2018, magnetically attaching to a compatible iPad and wirelessly charging. It also offered support for a new hover feature, along with a double-tap gesture for faster switching between on-screen tools.
Things got a little complicated last year, when a new ‘neither one thing nor the other’ model was added into the mix. This updated the Lightning charger to USB-C, and added support for the hover feature – but lacked the pressure-sensitivity of the original. It also offered magnetic attachment to an iPad, but not wireless charging. It also brought the price down to a new low of $79.
Apple continued to offer all three versions in stores and online.
Apple today unveiled the Apple Pencil Pro, a true 3rd-gen version of the device.
A new sensor in the barrel includes a squeeze option with haptic feedback, and supports virtual shaped tools via a new roll feature. The same feature can also be used to switch between tools.
Developers can create custom interactions, with Procreate one of the first third-party app developers to take advantage of it.
The Pro model also offers Find My support, so if you manage to leave the stylus behind, you can now track its location.
The need to retain older models for compatibility with earlier iPads makes for a line-up of five different Apple Pencil options, including a refurb version of the 2nd gen:
Apple Pencil (USB-C): $79
Apple Pencil (1st-gen): $99
Apple Pencil (2nd-gen, refurb): $109 (down from $129)
Apple Pencil (2nd-gen): $129
Apple Pencil Pro: $129
I really don’t know what to think of this pencil. It is definitely groundbreaking with FindMy support, new gestures and commands, but to me, it make the Apple Pencil lineup even more confusing that it already is. Apple is now offering FOUR Apple Pencils. That’s a bit too much for the consumer to handle, I’d say. I expected once Apple revealed the new Apple Pencil that they would discontinue the Apple Pencil 1st-gen and the Apple Pencil 2 because the iPad 9th-gen with a home button was the last iPad to be sold with a home button and lightning connector, as it was discontinued today (I will unpack that in a bit), making the 1st-gen Apple Pencil irrelevant for any iPad Apple sells today. Additionally, the Apple Pencil Pro is priced exactly the same as the Apple Pencil 2, just having more features and capabilities that the Apple Pencil 2 does not have, leading to redundancy for the Apple Pencil 2. But, a thing to note is the new Apple Pencil Pro is only compatible with the two new iPads announced today (Air and Pro). Apple may still wanted to offer pencils that are compatible with any iPad generation a consumer may have and who seeks an Apple Pencil, exactly why they still sell the Apple Pencil 2 and 1st-gen.
Other announcements that did not get highlighted as much as the iPads though included a new Final Cut Pro version for iPad, as it was introduced just recently for iPad.
Some of these updates include the introduction of Live Multicam, that enables users to connect and preview up to four cameras simultaneously, supported by the new Final Cut Camera app for iPhone and iPad.
External Project Support which allows editing directly from external drives, leveraging Thunderbolt connection for fast performance. Improved Performance with the M4 chip, rendering is up to 2x faster and supports up to 4x more streams of ProRes RAW compared to M1. More Customization includes offering 12 new color-grading presets, eight basic text titles, 20 new soundtracks, and additional dynamic backgrounds. Apple Pencil Pro Integration that supports features like barrel roll and squeeze for Live Drawing.
Another update Apple shared is the iPad 10th generation is now starting at $349, a $100 reduction. Meanwhile, the iPad 9th generation is discontinued, ending the era of Home Button iPads. The iPad 10 will serve as the entry-level iPad in replacement for the iPad 9.
Overall, Apple packed in a lot at its “Let Loose” event today. This event featured the introduction of the new iPad Air in 11-inch and 13-inch sizes, powered by the M2 chip, boasting enhancements like a landscape FaceTime camera and stereo speakers with Spatial Audio. Additionally, Apple unveiled the groundbreaking iPad Pro with the M4 chip, offering unparalleled performance and innovative features like OLED displays, an all-new, thinner design, and nano-textured glass. Apple also showcased updates to accessories like the Magic Keyboard and the new Apple Pencil Pro, offering squeeze gestures, barrel roll, haptic feedback, and FindMy support. I am so excited to go experience these new products at my local Apple Store and see if I am enticed to buy one of them. I cannot wait to see how Apple enhances these new products even more by upgrading their software at WWDC24 soon! Mark your calendars for June 10th, 10am PDT!
I had access from many articles from 9to5mac, check them out here: https://9to5mac.com/
The Apple Enthusiast 