Apple just introduced its most powerful iPad, MacBook Air

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The new iPad Pro comes with a floating design, reminiscent of iMacs.
The new iPad Pro comes with a floating design, reminiscent of iMacs.

Dubai - New iPad Pro now comes with dual cameras, Lidar scanner and desktop-grade experience

By Alvin R. Cabral

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Published: Wed 18 Mar 2020, 5:28 PM

Last updated: Mon 23 Mar 2020, 2:12 PM

Apple took cues from its smartphone and laptop and integrated them to its tablet. The result is the most powerful iPad by far.
The company on Wednesday revealed its latest iPad Pro and, with its new features, continues to blur the line between traditional laptops and more capable tablets.
Apple touts its new flagship tablet PC to be more powerful than most Windows laptops thanks to its new A12Z Bionic chip, making it the most efficient and highest-performing in the line-up. Its LTE connectivity is 60 per cent faster with support for more LTE bands.
"The new iPad Pro introduces advanced technologies never before available in mobile computing," said Phil Schiller, Apple's senior vice-president of worldwide marketing.
"This is another huge leap forward for iPad. There's no other device in the world like the new iPad Pro and we think our customers are going to love it."
A key upgrade on the new iPad Pro is its camera, which now features a dual-lens system - making it the first iPad to have more than one snapper. The lens comprise a 12MP wide and 10MP ultra-wide setup, which gives it a similar feel to what's in the latest iPhones.
Another significant addition to this is the Lidar scanner on the cameras. Lidar - light detection and ranging - provides a significantly-advanced method of scanning objects up to five metres away, providing better depth detail. The feature will help augmented reality developers and enthusiasts, paving the way for more AR-focused apps that are richer and immersive.
The new Magic Keyboard, meanwhile, provides a desktop-class experience; it attaches magnetically onto the iPad Pro and has a floating design reminiscent of some iMac models. It is a full-size keyboard - similar to those on a 15-inch MacBook - with backlit keys, a scissor mechanism and, for the first time on an iPad, a trackpad. Older keyboards will be backward compatible.
Apple also released a new MacBook Air, and just like the new iPad Pro, is the most powerful one in its series.
The ultra-thin laptop pledges to be twice as fast and up to 80 per cent better graphics. Its storage options have now been doubled and its price is even lower, which would make it more appealing to users, especially students.
"From students and consumers buying their first computer to customers looking to upgrade, everyone loves the Mac, and they especially love MacBook Air. Today we're giving it a huge update, a new lower price and an even lower price for education," said Tom Boger, Apple's senior director of Mac and iPad product marketing.
Intel's 10th-generation chips will be powering the new MacBook Air and, for the first time, quad-core processors will be in it. Along with Intel's Iris Plus graphics card, this will allow users relying on graphics-heavy software and gamers to navigate through it smoothly.
Apple also brought the Magic Keyboard to the new MacBook Air, and its starting storage capacity is now at 256GB.
The new iPad Pro comes in 11- and 12.9-inch models and start Dh3,199 and Dh3,999, respectively. The new MacBook Air starts at Dh4,199; for education, you can get it from Dh3,946.95.
- alvin@khaleejtimes.com


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