Works with Smart Keyboard and Apple Pencil, starts at $599
On March 21, 2016 Apple announced the 9.7-inch iPad Pro, which has the same size screen as the original iPad along with last year’s iPad Air 2. The new Pro model follows the larger, 12.9-inch iPad Pro announced six months ago. Both Pro models include support for the ultra sensitive Apple Pencil ($9) and a detachable Smart Keyboard cover ($149), which are sold separately. The new 9.7-inch iPad Pro offers improvements over both predecessors, with better front and rear camera that shoots 4K, a brighter display, greater color accuracy, and an ambient light sensor that dynamically calibrates the display that’s best for your eyes.
“It is the ultimate upgrade for existing iPad users and replacement for PC users.”
— Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing.
The 9.7-inch iPad Pro debuts a True Tone display, the first-ever in an Apple product. It uses new four-channel sensors to dynamically adjust the white balance of the display to match the light around you for a more natural and accurate, paper-white viewing experience. It should make content even easier to see indoors and out. Meanwhile, a new Night Shift feature uses iPad Pro’s clock and geolocation to automatically adjust the colors in the display to the warmer end of the spectrum after dark and may even help you get a better night’s sleep.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_pMx7IjYKE
The new iPad Pro is exactly the same size and weight as iPad Air 2. On the inside, The 9.7-inch iPad Pro uses the faster A9X chip with M9 graphics co-processor. It also adds a few more bands of LTE, which could potentially make downloads 50% faster. Also, a new four-speaker audio system should make gaming more fun. But the main reason you’d want a Pro model is to use it with Apple Pencil for art and/or Smart Keyboard for laptop-like productivity. However, that privilege is costly since the Pro model is currently priced $200 more and the accessories together add-on another $250.
However, The 9.7-inch iPad Pro is the first iPad to shoot 4K video. It has an advanced 12-megapixel iSight rear camera sensor and a 5-megapixel, front-facing FaceTime HD camera, which is better the 12.9-inch iPad Pro. Thus it’s safe to say the 9.7-inch iPad Pro is Apple’s most advanced iPad (and tablet) yet.
Pricing
The 9.7-inch iPad Pro comes in silver, space gray, gold and a new rose gold metallic finish, priced at:
- $599 (US) for the 32GB with Wi-Fi
- $749 (US) for the 128GB with Wi-Fi
- $899 (US) for the 256GB with Wi-Fi
- $729 (US) for the 32GB with Wi-Fi + Cellular
- $879 (US) for the 128GB with Wi-Fi + Cellular
- $1029 (US) for the 256GB with Wi-Fi + Cellular
Availability
The 9.7-inch iPad Pro will be available Thursday, March 31, 2016 in Australia, Canada, China (Wi-Fi models only), France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Singapore, the UK, US Virgin Islands and the US. Pre-orders start on March 24th.
The 9.7-inch iPad Pro will be available in early April in Albania, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Cayman Islands, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Greenland, Guam, Guatemala, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Isle of Man, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Lichtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Macau (Wi-Fi models only), Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand (Wi-Fi models only), Turkey and UAE.
