Apple introduces the next-generation iPad Pro, supercharged by the M2 chip

Apple has announced the new iPad Pro with the M2 chip, which delivers the ultimate combination of portability, versatility and incredible performance.

The new iPad Pro features a next-level Apple Pencil experience, super-fast wireless connectivity, the world’s most advanced mobile display, professional cameras, Face ID, Thunderbolt and a four-speaker sound system.

New features in iPadOS 16, including Stage Manager, full external display support, desktop apps and reference mode, take professional workflows on iPad even further.

Enabled by its advanced hardware and iPadOS 16, iPad Pro has an incredible ecosystem of powerful pro apps unlike any other device of its kind.

The new iPad Pro is available to order now, and available online from 27 October.

Full external display support for Stage Manager on M1 and M2 iPad models will be available in a software update later this year.

“The next-generation iPad Pro pushes the boundaries of what’s possible on iPad, bringing even more versatility, power and portability to the ultimate iPad experience,” said Greg Joswiak, Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing, Apple.

Powered by the M2 chip, the new iPad Pro features incredible performance and the most advanced technologies, including a next-level Apple Pencil experience, ProRes video recording, super-fast wireless connectivity and powerful iPadOS 16 features. There’s nothing else like it.”

M2, the start of Apple’s next-generation M-series chips, brings even more cutting-edge performance and capabilities to iPad Pro, with industry-leading power efficiency, a unified memory architecture and custom technologies.

The M2 features an 8-core CPU, up to 15% faster than the M1, with advances in both performance and efficiency cores, and a 10-core GPU, delivering up to 35% faster graphics performance for the most demanding users.

Combined with the CPU and GPU, the 16-core neural engine can process 15.8 trillion operations per second, 40% more than the M1, making iPad Pro even more powerful when handling machine learning tasks.

The M2 chip also has 100GB/s unified memory bandwidth, 50% more than the M1, and supports up to 16GB of fast unified memory, making multitasking and working with large assets even more fluid.

The performance of the M2 turbocharges even the most demanding workflows, from photographers editing massive photo libraries and designers manipulating complex 3D objects to healthcare professionals undertaking advanced image processing and analysis to gamers who enjoy graphics-intensive games.

The power of the M2 also extends to the new media engine and image signal processor, which, combined with the advanced cameras, enables users to capture ProRes video for the first time and transcode ProRes footage up to 3 times faster. This means content creators can shoot, edit and publish cinema-quality video from a single device out in the field.

Powered by the new iPad Pro and iPadOS 16, hovering with Apple Pencil (2nd generation) adds a new dimension to users interacting with the screen.

Apple Pencil is now detected up to 12mm above the screen, allowing users to preview their mark before making it. This also enables users to sketch and illustrate with even greater precision, making everything users do with Apple Pencil more effortless.

For example, text fields automatically expand with Scribble when the pencil approaches the screen, and handwriting is converted to text even faster. Third-party apps can also use this feature to enable new marking and drawing experiences.

The new iPad Pro supports the fastest Wi-Fi connections with support for Wi-Fi 6E, so users who need fast connections can take their demanding workflows with them anywhere.

Downloads are up to 2.4GB/s, 2x faster than the previous generation. In addition, Wi-Fi + Cellular models with 5G (sub-6GHz and mmWave) now support more 5G networks worldwide. So users can access their files, communicate with colleagues and back up their data in a flash while on the go.

In addition to significant updates to Messages, new tools in Mail and Safari, the new Weather app, and more ways to interact with photos and video with Live Text and Visual Look Up, iPadOS 16 also introduces powerful productivity features that elevate the iPad Pro experience.

Stage Manager is a brand new multitasking experience that automatically organizes apps and windows, making switching between tasks quick and easy. Later this year, Stage Manager will unlock full external display support with resolutions up to 6K. So users can arrange the ideal workspace and work with up to four apps on the iPad and up to four apps on the external display.

Desktop apps enable new features optimized for the iPad Pro screen, making apps more capable of new elements and interactions. These include a consistent undo and redo, a redesigned native find-and-replace experience, a new document menu, customizable toolbars, the ability to change file extensions, see folder size in files, and more.

Reference mode enables the 12.9-inch iPad Pro with Liquid Retina XDR display to match color requirements in workflows such as review and approval, color grading and compositing, where accurate colors and consistent image quality are critical.

That means professional users, including photographers and videographers, can edit HDR photos and videos with all the real details right at their fingertips. In addition, on-set cinematographers can preview content in a color profile that represents the final image.

The new iPad models are designed to minimize their impact on the environment. They include 100% recycled gold – a first for iPad – in the plating of several printed circuit boards, as well as recycled aluminium, tin and rare earths.

All iPad models meet Apple’s high standards for energy efficiency and are mercury-free, BFR-free, PVC-free and beryllium-free.

Redesigned packaging in the new iPad Pro eliminates the outer plastic film, and 99% of the packaging is fiber-based, bringing Apple closer to its goal of completely removing plastic from all packaging by 2025.

Today, Apple is carbon neutral for its global business operations, and by 2030 it plans to be 100% carbon neutral throughout its supply chain and all product life cycles.

This means that every Apple device sold, from component manufacturing, assembly, transport, customer use and charging, all the way through recycling and material recovery, will have zero climate impact.

The new iPad Pro is available to order from 19 October, at apple.com/nz/store and in the Apple Store app in 28 countries and regions, including New Zealand, with availability from 27 October.

The new 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro will be available in silver and space gray finishes with 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB and 2TB configurations.

The 11-inch iPad Pro starts at RRP NZ$1649 including GST for the Wi-Fi model and RRP NZ$1949 including GST for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model; The 12.9-inch iPad Pro starts at RRP NZ$2,299 including GST for the Wi-Fi model, and RRP NZ$2,599 including GST for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model.

The Apple Pencil (2nd generation), available to purchase separately, is compatible with the new iPad Pro for RRP NZ$279, including GST.

The Magic Keyboard is available in black and white at RRP NZ$619, including GST, for the new 11-inch iPad Pro and RRP NZ$709 for the new 12.9-inch iPad Pro, with settings for over 30 languages.

The Smart Keyboard Folio for the new iPad Pro is available at RRP NZ$389 including GST for the new 11-inch iPad Pro and RRP NZ$419 including GST for the new 12.9-inch iPad Pro.

The Smart Folio is available in black, white and navy at RRP NZ$159, including GST, for the new 11-inch iPad Pro and RRP NZ$199, including GST, for the new 12.9-inch iPad Pro.

Education awards are available to current and newly accepted students and their parents, faculty, staff and home school teachers at all grade levels. The new 11-inch iPad Pro starts at RRP NZ$1,549 including GST, and the 12.9-inch iPad Pro starts at RRP NZ$2,089 including GST. The second generation Apple Pencil is available at RRP NZ$259 including GST, and the Smart Keyboard Folio is available at RRP NZ$339 including GST for the 11-inch iPad Pro and RRP NZ$369 including GST for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro. The Magic Keyboard will be available at RRP NZ$569 including GST for the 11-inch iPad Pro and RRP NZ$669 including GST for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro. For more information, visit apple.com/nz-hed/shop.

iPadOS 16, the powerful operating system designed specifically for iPad, will be available starting October 25 and ships free with the new iPad Pro.

iPadOS 16 will be available as a free software update for iPad (5th generation and later), iPad mini (5th generation and later), iPad Air (3rd generation and later), and all iPad Pro models.

Engraves iPad with a meaningful mix of emoji, names, initials and numbers, all free, only available at apple.com/nz/store or in the Apple Store app.

Apple offers customers several services online. From personal support and advice from Apple specialists to convenient delivery options, Apple makes sure the best way to buy Apple products is from apple.com/nz/store.