Complementing the recent partnerships with IBM and Cisco to offer mobile solutions to companies, Apple today launched at its special event a specific model of its tablet for professional users. As expected, the iPad Pro brings a larger screen, 12.9 inches (diagonally).
The new model offers more space for use in applications, which Apple is taking advantage of to offer improvements in iOS (including a keyboard full-size) and its own software products. The company claims that the screen used on the device is the most advanced it has ever created, with a resolution of 2732 × 2048 pixels (only 5.6 million pixels in total). In addition, the iPad Pro is also very thin: 6.9mm, against 6.1mm of the iPad Air 2.
A new processor, the A9X, was created for the new iPad Pro, accompanied by a sound system with four speakers distributed on all sides. According to Apple, it has a graphics performance higher than 90% of the PCs launched in the last year, being a reference for video editing and use of advanced applications for graphics.
In addition to offering a virtual keyboard with the largest screen space, Apple created a new external keyboard (the Smart Keyboard), with an integrated cover, fabric finish and a new magnetic technology for data and energy transmission for the accessory it will be connected in landscape mode using a strip of three magnetic circles, called Smart Connector. For drawing and handwriting, the company also offers a stylus, called Apple Pencil.
Apple Pencil uses specific sensors for drawing on screen recognizing various attributes such as pressure and angle, integrated into the iPad Pro screen. It also comes with an integrated battery and a Lightning connector for charging.
Native iOS apps have been adapted to use the new Apple Pencil like Mail, which supports it for markup images and documents. At today's event, the company also showed results from a joint work between Microsoft and Adobe, for the Office and Creative Cloud apps, which will also support side-by-side multitasking and other iOS 9 news.
The iPad Pro also features a 10-hour battery life, an 8-megapixel iSight camera, Touch ID on the home button and 802.11ac Wi-Fi with MIMO and Bluetooth. It will go on sale in November in three space gray, silver and gold colors and three configurations: 32GB (US $ 800), 128GB (US $ 950) and 128GB with Wi-Fi + Cellular (US $ 1,070).
However, the accessories shown on the stage will be sold separately. The Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard will be available starting in November, for $ 100 and $ 170, respectively.
New line includes iPad mini 4
In addition to the iPad Pro, Apple brought a new iPad mini to its line, incorporating the same capabilities as the iPad Air 2 in its smaller design. It will be sold from $ 400. Next to it is the iPad mini 2 (yes, with A7 processor and without Touch ID), starting at US $ 270.
The iPad Air and Air 2 will be kept in their current two models, starting at $ 400 and $ 500, respectively.
