UPDATE: May. 7, 2024, 4:35 p.m. EDT This story has been updated with B&H Photo’s preorder listings for the new Apple iPad Pros (2024).
The rumor mill was cooking: Apple revealed a revamped iPad Pro with a fresh design, a new M4 chip, and an OLED display during its « Let Loose » event Tuesday. It’s available in 11- and 13-inch sizes that start at $999 and $1,299, respectively, and preorders are now live. Shoppers can reserve one through the Apple Store and B&H Photo ahead of the official May 15 launch.
This update marks the powerful tablet’s first refresh since 2022 — and arguably its biggest ever. For starters, the two variants are sleeker and lighter than any previous iPad Pros: The 11-inch version is 0.21 inches thin and weighs a mere 0.98 pounds, while the 13-inch model is 0.2 inches thin and 1.28 pounds. Apple said they’re even slimmer than ye olde iPod nano, making the 2024 iPad Pro « the thinnest Apple product ever. »
The new iPad Pros have also made the jump to a shiny new M4 chipset, skipping the M3 generation that powers the current Mac and MacBook lineups. It offers up to 50 percent faster CPU performance and up to four times faster GPU performance compared to the previous iPad Pro‘s M2 chip, according to a press release. Its new GPU architecture also brings support for hardware-accelerated mesh shading and ray tracing — an iPad first.
There’s a zippier new neural engine in there, too: Apple claimed it’s « more powerful than any neural processing unit in any AI PC today. »
Both iPad Pro models come equipped with a new « Ultra Retina XDR » screen, which is billed as « the world’s most advanced display. » It features two stacked OLED panels for rich, vivid colors and details (Apple is calling this « Tandem OLED technology »), and it can hit up to 1,600 nits of brightness. The Ultra Wide 12MP camera with Center Stage on the front of it has been scooted over to the landscape orientation.
The new iPad Pros will be available in two aluminum finishes (silver and space black) and four storage options: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB. Shoppers have the option to upgrade them both with cellular connectivity and nano-texture glass (in the 1TB and 2TB models only).
Those who put in a preorder won’t have to wait too long for their new tablet to arrive: The new iPad Pro starts shipping on Wednesday, May 15.
