Mini-LED iPad Pro is official: 5G, powerful M1 chip, familiar design, Thunderbolt port

One upgrade that comes to both iPad Pro tablets is the Apple M1 chip. It’s the company’s most advanced chipset to date and can also be found in the latest iMac and MacBook Pro models.

Compared to the previous iPad Pro, which was only launched last year, the new 8-core CPU design delivers up to 50% faster performance. The 8-core GPU is in a class of its own, per. Apple, and introduces a 40% performance bump over the A12Z Bionic.

It’s now all with optional 5G connectivity as well. The 5G versions of the 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro (2021) support sub-6GHz networks by default. In the US, customers also get access to the faster mmWave 5G networks for the fastest possible speeds.

Sitting with the impressive setup is 128 GB of storage by default. The internal storage is now twice as fast. There are also the usual models of 256 GB, 512 GB and 1 TB in addition to a 2 TB version with 16 GB of RAM.

To ensure that iPad Pro owners can take full advantage of the extra horsepower, the USB-C connector receives an upgrade. Apple adopts the Thunderbolt standard, so syncing data with the new iPad Pro will be even faster.

In addition, it enables support for external displays with even higher resolution, including Pro Display XDR in full 6K resolution and lots of extra peripherals that would not have worked previously. It is important that the Thunderbolt does not require a new charger.

Apple has also updated the selfie camera on the iPad Pro

If all this was not enough, Apple has also announced improvements in the camera department. These are not visible right away because the overall design remains unchanged, but they are definitely there.

The so-called TrueDepth selfie camera on the front now uses an upgraded 12-megapixel sensor designed specifically for the iPad. It enables a new feature called Center Stage in video calling.

Center Stage takes advantage of the new camera’s larger field of view and the M1 chip’s machine learning features to recognize users during calls and keep them centered in the frame at all times. As users move around, Center Stage adjusts the shot to keep them in sight. And when others participate, the camera also detects them and zooms out to fit everyone in.

Apple iPad Pro (2021) price, colors and release date

Pre-orders for the iPad Pro (2021) series start next Friday 30th. April. The tablets can be picked up in two colors – Space Gray and Silver – and will start shipping in the second half of May.

Apple’s 11-inch iPad Pro (2021) prices are as follows:

• 11-inch iPad Pro (128 GB, Wi-Fi) – $ 799
• 11-inch iPad Pro (256 GB, Wi-Fi) – $ 899
• 11-inch iPad Pro (512 GB, Wi-Fi) – $ 1,099
• 11-inch iPad Pro (1TB, Wi-Fi) – $ 1,499
• 11-inch iPad Pro (2TB, Wi-Fi) – $ 1,899

• 11-inch iPad Pro (128 GB, 5G) – $ 999
• 11-inch iPad Pro (256 GB, 5G) – $ 1,099
• 11-inch iPad Pro (512 GB, 5G) – $ 1,299
• 11-inch iPad Pro (1TB, 5G) – $ 1,699
• 11-inch iPad Pro (2TB, 5G) – $ 2,099

Mini-LED 12.9-inch iPad Pro (2021) prices are as follows:

• 12.9-inch iPad Pro (128 GB, Wi-Fi) – $ 1,099
• 12.9-inch iPad Pro (256 GB, Wi-Fi) – $ 1,199
• 12.9-inch iPad Pro (512 GB, Wi-Fi) – $ 1,399
• 12.9-inch iPad Pro (1TB, Wi-Fi) – $ 1,799
• 12.9-inch iPad Pro (2TB, Wi-Fi) – $ 2,199

• 12.9-inch iPad Pro (128 GB, 5G) – $ 1,299
• 12.9-inch iPad Pro (256 GB, 5G) – $ 1,399
• 12.9-inch iPad Pro (512 GB, 5G) – $ 1,599
• 12.9-inch iPad Pro (1TB, 5G) – $ 1,999
• 12.9-inch iPad Pro (2TB, 5G) – $ 2,399