iPad 2024: What Is New and How Much Do They Cost?

Apple’s ‘Let Loose’ showcase has been, well… let loose, and it involved lifting the lid on the next generation of iPads. The tech giant showed off two new tablets: a fancy new iPad Pro and the next evolution of the iPad Air. But what’s really different about them?

A quick guide to Apple’s new 2024 iPads

Apple iPad Pro 2024

There are four main categories that set the new iPad Pro apart from previous generations: display, processor, camera and design. Let’s go over each of them:

Display:

As the rumours have been suggesting for months, Apple’s iPad Pro has finally made the jump to OLED, ditching the previous liquid retina display for an even more advanced screen it’s labelled the Ultra Retina XDR display.

You may be familiar with OLED (organic light emitting diode) technology as some of the best available in flatscreen televisions these days. OLED is hailed as some of the top screen technology as it is able to light individual pixels rather than pixel “zones” that some more traditional displays use. This means it is able to create incredibly defined images with high contrast, no blooming and extremely dark blacks (as it lights pixels individually rather than with a backlight).

The main concerns people have had with OLED over the years is that it is not as bright as traditional LCD panels. However, Apple has outfitted its iPad Pro displays with two OLED panels that help to create double the brightness, with a peak of 1600 nits for HDR content.

Design:

Another great thing about OLED displays is that they are thin and light, which has resulted in the design of the 2024 iPad Pro also becoming thinner and lighter. In fact, Apple claims this is its thinnest product ever.

The 11-inch model of iPad Pro is only 5.3mm thin and weighs just 500 grams, while the 13-inch model is even thinner at 5.1mm. Despite this enhanced thinness, Apple still maintains that the devices are as strong as their predecessors.

Both models are available in two finishes – silver and space black.

Additionally, the 2024 iPad Pro uses a USB-C connection for charging and connectivity that is capable of supporting Thunderbolt 3 and USB 4.

Processor:

We’ve only recently been introduced to the M3 chip, but Apple is already forging ahead with its processor technology, introducing the iPad Pro with the M4 chip.

According to Apple, the next generation of its in-house silicon chip provides an entirely new display engine to power the Ultra Retina XDR. The CPU has 4 performance cores and 6 efficiency cores and uses machine learning to deliver up to 1.5x faster CPU performance than the previous M2. The M4 chip also makes hardware-accelerated ray tracing, mesh shading, and dynamic caching possible on iPad Pro.

The M4’s neural engine also has a focus on AI workloads, making features like Live Captions and Visual Look Up quick and easy and with a focus on powering locally generated AI features.

Cameras:

Now, we all know you’re probably not buying the iPad Pro for its camera, but it can’t hurt to always have a decent camera on your device. In this 2024 iteration of the iPad Pro, Apple has bolstered its camera with a 12MP back camera and a 12MP Ultra Wide camera on the front with TrueDepth that is suited to taking FaceTime and conference calls.

New iPad Air

Let’s move on to the iPad Air. The main changes to this device in 2024 is that it is now offered in two different sizes (11-inches and 13-inches) and is powered by the M2 chip.

The iPad Air is a more affordable version of Apple’s tablet, allowing those who want an Apple tablet to get one without the additional costs associated with all the extra fancy bells and whistles, which means there aren’t too many advancements to write home about.

However, Apple has made some enhancements to its budget-friendly tablet, providing a redesigned Ultra Wide 12MP front-facing camera and providing a boost in processing power with the M2 chip. While not as powerful as the M4, the M2 chip features an 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU that is a huge leap in performance, efficiency and speed when compared to the previous generation. Similar to the M4, the M2 chip has a focus on AI features.

The iPad Airs will be available in blue, purple, starlight and space grey.

Did Apple announce anything else?

Along with the new iPads, Apple also took this opportunity to update us on a few accessories, including:

Apple Pencil Pro: An Apple Pencil that contains a sensor in the barrel that can sense a user’s squeeze and customise it to functions like switching tools, colours and line weights. It is also equipped with Find My functions.

Magic Keyboard: A new thinner and lighter Magic Keyboard designed for the redesigned iPad Pro to keep the package as thin and light as possible. The new keyboard includes a function row for access to features like volume and brightness control. The aluminium hinge includes a USB-C connector for charging, and the keyboard comes in black and space black colours.

How much do they cost?

Before we all get too excited, let’s talk about prices.

• 11-inch iPad Pro – $1,699 (WiFi), $2,049 (Cellular + WiFi)
• 13-inch iPad Pro – $2,199 (WiFi), $2,549 (Cellular + WiFi)
• 11-inch iPad Air – $999 (WiFi), $1249 (Cellular + WiFi)
• 13-inch iPad Air – $1,299 (WiFi), $1549 (Cellular + WiFi)
• Apple Pencil Pro – $139
• Magic Keyboard – $499 (11-inch), $579 (13-inch)

The new iPads and accessories are available for pre-order today with availability in stores beginning May 15.

Lead Image Credit: Apple