Apple today introduced the new iPad with an all-screen design featuring a large 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display and powered by the A14 Bionic chip.
Updated cameras include an Ultra Wide 12MP front camera located along the landscape edge of iPad for an even better video calling experience, and an updated 12MP back camera to capture sharp, vivid photos and 4K video, according to Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing.
He adds that a USB-C port supports a wide range of accessories, Wi-Fi 6 brings even faster connections, and cellular models feature superfast 5G so users can stay connected on the go. Apple has also debuted a new Magic Keyboard Folio with a two-piece design made specifically for the new iPad.
The new iPad features an all-screen design in four finishes — blue, pink, yellow, and silver. The 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display extends to the edges, so users have even more screen area for apps, games, and having fun on iPad — all in nearly the same size as the previous generation.
The new Liquid Retina display boasts 2360×1640-pixel resolution, nearly 4 million pixels, 500 nits of brightness, and True Tone technology. Touch ID moves to the top button of iPad.
Joswiak says the A14 Bionic chip delivers a 20% increase in CPU and 10% improvement in graphics over the previous generation. Advanced machine learning functions are powered by a 16-core Neural Engine in A14 Bionic — offering double the number of cores of A13 — boosting machine learning capabilities by up to 80%.
For the first time on any iPad, the front-facing camera is now located along the landscape edge. Whether users are on a FaceTime call or recording a video for social media, they will always be looking right toward the camera.
The landscape Ultra Wide front camera with a 12MP sensor and 122-degree field of view supports Center Stage, which automatically pans and zooms to keep users in view as they move around. The upgraded 12MP Wide back camera on iPad delivers high-resolution photos and detailed 4K video with support for 240-fps slo-mo.
Dual microphones are designed to work in unison with the cameras, capturing audio from the camera being used and minimizing distracting background noise. There are also new landscape stereo speakers.
With new support for Wi-Fi 6, connections are 30% faster on the new iPad than the 802.11ac Wi-Fi supported on the previous generation. Cellular models with 5G purportedly allow iPad to reach peak speeds of up to 3.5Gbps in ideal conditions. This is combined with continued support for Gigabit LTE, physical SIM cards, and eSIM with on-device activation.
The new iPad is available to order starting today, October 18, at apple.com/store and in the Apple Store app in 28 countries and regions, including the US, with availability in stores beginning Wednesday, October 26.
Wi-Fi models of the new iPad are available with a starting price of US$449; Wi-Fi + Cellular models start at $599. The new iPad, in 64GB and 256GB configurations, comes in blue, pink, yellow, and silver.
