It’s no secret that iPad sales have been trending downward for years now, but Apple today unveiled a new 9.7-inch version of the iPad Pro that it hopes will reverse that trend.
Positioned as the second member of Apple’s iPad Pro family, the new smaller screened tablet weighs just about one pound, slightly heavier than the iPad Air 2. But not to worry, the iPad Pro really packs a whole host of compelling improvements over the iPad Air 2.
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On the display front, the 9.7-inch iPad Pro screen is 40% less reflective than the iPad Air 2 while also delivering 25% more brightness. Phil Schiller also touted a new technology Apple calls True Tone display which can adjust the color temperature of the display to match the light in the room.
“It’s really natural to use,” Schiller added. “Once you use this display, you’ll never want to go back. It is quite a breakthrough.”
Underneath the hood, the new iPad Pro comes with an A9x processor along with an integrated M9 motion coprocessor for ‘Hey Siri’ support.
The new iPad Pro also packs the most advanced camera system Apple has ever packed into a tablet. Specifically, the new iPad Pro comes with a 12 megapixel iSight camera with focus pixels, true tone flash, and support for Live Photos.
The 9.7-inch iPad Pro also comes with a more advanced speaker system, Smart Keyboard support, support for Apple’s widely revered Apple Pencil, and will be available in four finishes, including a Rose Gold model.
Price wise, a 32GB model will be available for $599, with 128GB and 256GB models available for $749 and $899 respectively. Notably, this marks the first time Apple has developed a 256GB tablet.
Pre-orders for the latest addition to the iPad Pro family will begin on March 24. It will be available in stores on March 31.
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