Two new iPads all set to launch by Apple
Two new iPads are all set to launch by Apple. These are 10.8-inch iPad and 8.5-inch iPad Mini. 10.8-inch iPad which will be launched later this year and an 8.5-inch iPad Mini in 2021. According to noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the 10.8-inch model will replace the existing 10.2-inch model or the 10.5-inch iPad Air.
However, the 8.5-inch iPad mini will be a new model of the series. Kuo said Apple will also ship both of these variants with a 20W power adapter as seen in leaks. However, this may not be the case with the iPhone 12 as the company will not be looking to ship the iPhone 12 with a charger. The analyst also claimed that iPhone maker’s plan to adopt mini-LED display technology for future hardware products has been pushed back to 2021 owing to the global health crisis. The analyst also estimates that Apple mini-LED product shipments will grow significantly by about 300 per cent and 225 per cent in 2021 and 2022, respectively.
In a news report citing Macokatara had claimed the upcoming iPad Air 4 will feature USB-C port for connectivity. The report, however, adds that the iPad mini refresh will stick with the Lightning port for another year.
Macotakara also says the fourth-generation iPad Air might be “developed based on” the 11-inch iPad Pro. While the blog does not explain how, it could be a hint to the next-gen iPad Air featuring smaller bezels with a larger display and USB-C connectivity.
It’s possible that the new iPad Air also brings with itself Face ID for authentication, although there are conflicting reports on this as iPad Air refresh has also been claimed to get in-screen Touch ID.
Under the hood, the upcoming iPad Air and iPad Mini models will reportedly feature Apple’s A13 chipset. The high-end iPad Pro, however, could get a more powerful A14X chipset.
It is to be noted that Apple released new iPad Pros in March 2020 with LIDAR sensor technology along with support for a trackpad in iPadOS for the first time ever. The 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro 2020 model are powered by the company’s A12Z Bionic SoC and feature Liquid Retina display.
Now with the A12Z Bionic chip, iPad Pro is faster and more powerful than most Windows PC laptops. The new iPad Pro adds an Ultra Wide camera, studio-quality mics and a breakthrough LiDAR Scanner that delivers cutting-edge depth-sensing capabilities, opening up more pro workflows and supporting pro photo and video apps. The LiDAR Scanner, along with pro cameras, motion sensors, pro performance, pro audio, the stunning Liquid Retina display and powerful apps, extends the lead of iPad Pro as the world’s best device for augmented reality (AR).
With iPadOS 13.4, Apple brings trackpad support to iPad, giving customers an all-new way to interact with their iPad. Rather than copying the experience from macOS, trackpad support has been completely reimagined for iPad. As users move their finger across the trackpad, the pointer elegantly transforms to highlight user interface elements. Multi-Touch gestures on the trackpad make it fast and easy to navigate the entire system without users ever lifting their hand.
Apple has also introduced the new Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro. With a floating design with smooth angle adjustment, a backlit keyboard and trackpad, the Magic Keyboard delivers the best typing experience ever on iPad. The Magic Keyboard will be available for purchase in May.
“The new iPad Pro introduces advanced technologies never before available in mobile computing,” said Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “Combining the most advanced mobile display with powerful performance, pro cameras, pro audio, the breakthrough LiDAR Scanner and new Magic Keyboard with Trackpad, this is another huge leap forward for iPad. There’s no other device in the world like the new iPad Pro and we think our customers are going to love it.”
“We’re making iPad even more capable and versatile by bringing trackpad support to iPadOS,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering. “We carefully considered the best way to integrate trackpad use into a touch-first environment while retaining everything our customers know and love about iPad. We’re thrilled to bring this new way of interacting with iPad to the millions of people using iPadOS today.”
Pro Performance with A12Z Bionic Chip
Built for the most demanding tasks, like editing 4K video or designing 3D models, iPad Pro gets another performance boost with the new A12Z Bionic chip. The eight-core GPU in the A12Z Bionic, along with an enhanced thermal architecture and tuned performance controllers, gives iPad Pro the highest performance ever in an iPad. Combined with the eight-core CPU and the powerful Neural Engine, which enables next-generation apps, there’s no other chip that can offer the incredible performance found in the thin and light design of iPad Pro. With great battery life lasting up to 10 hours,1 faster Wi-Fi connectivity2 and gigabit-class LTE that’s 60 percent faster3 with support for more LTE bands than any other tablet, customers can stay productive and creative all day.
Pro Display
The edge-to-edge Liquid Retina display — in both 11-inch and 12.9-inch sizes — is the world’s most advanced mobile display. Featuring P3 wide colour support, it lets customers see photos, videos, apps and games in vivid, true-to-life detail. ProMotion technology automatically adjusts the display refresh rate up to 120 Hz for ultra-smooth scrolling and responsiveness. No matter where customers take iPad Pro or how they interact with it, True Tone, high brightness and an anti-reflective coating deliver the best viewing experience possible on any mobile device.
Pro Cameras
The Pro camera system on iPad Pro features a 12MP Wide camera for capturing stunning photos and 4K video, and now includes a 10MP Ultra Wide camera that zooms out two times to capture a much wider field of view. Adding a second camera doubles the photo and video possibilities, enabling different perspectives and multi-camera use — a game changer for creative pros.
Pro Audio with Studio-Quality Mics
iPad Pro now features five studio-quality microphones for capturing super clean audio and the quietest details, and delivers an immersive sound experience with four-speaker audio that automatically adjusts to any orientation, no matter how it is held. The combination of pro cameras, pro audio and the large display make iPad Pro a versatile mobile studio for creative pros including filmmakers, video professionals, podcasters and other content creators.
LiDAR Scanner
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. New depth frameworks in iPadOS combine depth points measured by the LiDAR Scanner, data from both cameras and motion sensors, and is enhanced by computer vision algorithms on the A12Z Bionic for a more detailed understanding of a scene. The tight integration of these elements enables a whole new class of AR experiences on iPad Pro.
Every existing ARKit app automatically gets instant AR placement, improved motion capture and people occlusion. Using the latest update to ARKit with a new Scene Geometry API, developers can harness the power of the new LiDAR Scanner to unleash scenarios never before possible.
The LiDAR Scanner improves the Measure app, making it faster and easier to automatically calculate someone’s height, while helpful vertical and edge guides automatically appear to let users more quickly and accurately measure objects. The Measure app also now comes with Ruler View for more granular measurements and allows users to save a list of all measurements, complete with screenshots for future use.
The new 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro will be available in silver and space grey finishes. A starting configuration of 128GB offers pro customers more room for their apps and content, along with 256GB, 512GB and 1TB configurations. iPadOS 13.4 with trackpad support is now available as a free software update for all iPad Pro models, iPad Air 2 and later, iPad 5th generation and later, and iPad mini 4 and later.
Trackpad support will be available on any iPad running iPadOS 13.4, and work with Apple’s Magic Mouse 2, Magic Trackpad 2 and the Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro. Third-party mice connected over Bluetooth or USB are also supported.