Apple's major release! The thinnest iPad Pro equipped with M4 chip, iPad Air, Pencil, and keyboard also debut

Apple held an online product launch event on May 7th, unveiling the new iPad Pro with the M4 chip, two sizes of the new iPad Air, Apple Pencil, and Magic Keyboard. The new iPad Pro will be Apple's most powerful and thinnest iPad product.

Thinnest iPad Pro Ever with OLED Display for the First Time

The new iPad Pro will come in 11-inch and 12.9-inch models, featuring an OLED display for the first time, supporting LTPO technology and 120Hz ProMotion display. The new large-screen iPad Pro has a thickness of 5.1mm, making it Apple's thinnest iPad product, weighing a quarter pound less than its predecessor, while the 11-inch model weighs less than a pound.

Apple stated that this tablet is brighter and has richer colors compared to the old models. Apple has developed a technology called "dual-series OLED" for manufacturing the display, naming it Ultra Retina XDR. Additionally, the new screen will have a longer lifespan and better battery life. Supply chain experts have indicated that this is the best OLED panel ever produced.

At the same time, the all-new iPad Pro will be powered by Apple's M4 chip, touted as Apple's most powerful iPad. Apple stated that the M4 chip is a "powerful chip for artificial intelligence" and introduced the company's neural engine, a chip specifically designed for AI software that can quickly separate subjects from backgrounds in videos. Apple's hardware chief, John Ternus, said at the event, "This stunning design and breakthrough display allow us to move towards the next generation of Apple chips."

In addition to the hardware upgrades, the price of the iPad Pro has also increased. The 11-inch model starts at $999, higher than the previous starting price of $799. The 12.9-inch model starts at $1299, higher than the previous starting price of $1099. This makes it Apple's most expensive tablet. The iPad Pro starts with 256GB of storage, up to a maximum of 2TB.

Big-Screen iPad Air Arrives

In the iPad Air series, Apple will release two new products: one is a 10.9-inch regular upgrade version, and the other is a brand new 12.9-inch version. The smaller iPad offers 128GB of storage space, priced at $599, while the larger screen version starts at $799This is the first new iPad model released by Apple since October 2022, and also the longest interval update since the product line was launched in 2011. The iPad Air is Apple's mid-range model, last updated in March 2022, offering various colors including blue, purple, and gold. The storage capacity of the iPad Air starts at 128GB and can go up to 1TB.

Upgraded versions of both iPad Air models will be equipped with the M2 chip, with processing speeds expected to be 50% faster than the previous models. Apple stated that the reason for introducing a larger iPad Air is that about half of iPad Pro buyers choose the larger size version of this model.

Furthermore, the new iPad Pro and iPad Air will both move the camera to the side in landscape orientation, in response to common user requests for better video conferencing in landscape mode.

Finally, Apple will also introduce a new Magic Keyboard designed specifically for the iPad Pro and Apple Pencil at the event, aiming to generate more revenue from the iPad series. The new Magic Keyboard, priced at $299 and $349 (iPad case with built-in trackpad and keyboard), is made of more durable aluminum, giving the iPad a more laptop-like appearance. The new $129 Apple Pencil Pro provides artists with new gesture features.

All new iPads will be available for sale next week and pre-orders will start on Tuesday. Apple will also reduce the price of the 10th generation iPad to $349. Apple did not update the iPad mini on Tuesday, but reportedly plans to make improvements to this product as early as the end of this year.

Apple CEO Tim Cook said, "This is the most important day for the iPad since its inception."

Despite a decline in sales over the past two years, the iPad remains the best-selling tablet globally. According to market research firm IDC, nearly 10 million iPads were sold in the first quarter of this year, giving Apple a 32% market share. However, IDC reports a 9% year-on-year decline in iPad sales. Samsung ranks second with a 22% market share. Huawei, Lenovo, and Xiaomi occupy the remaining share of the top five.

In addition to new hardware, Apple has updated Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro for the iPad, and introduced a new app called Final Cut Camera to provide additional camera angles for iPhone and iPad during video shooting.

M4 Chip: Born for Artificial Intelligence

Apple emphasized the artificial intelligence performance of the M4 chip at the event. Apple stated that the new neural engine makes it an "extremely powerful chip for AI," capable of performing 380 trillion operations per second (TOPS). It is claimed that this is 60 times faster than the neural processing unit (NPU) of the A11 chip released by Apple in 2017, but still lower than the 45 TOPS of the Snapdragon X EliteApple claims that the M4 can achieve the same performance as the latest PC chips with one-quarter of the power consumption.

The M4 uses second-generation 3-nanometer process technology, with a 10-core Central Processing Unit (CPU) consisting of 4 performance cores and 6 efficiency cores, which Apple says is 50% stronger than the M2 chip in the previous generation iPad Pro. The 10-core GPU of the M4 also supports dynamic cache, grid shading, ray tracing, and a new display engine, rendering speeds 4 times faster than the M2.

Apple did not disclose the number of NPU cores in the M4. Since the debut of the M1 chip, Apple's M-series chips (excluding M1 and M2 Ultra) have maintained a 16-core NPU, but the TOPS of the NPU has gradually increased in each generation, meaning an improvement in performance in rapid calculations. The leap from M1 to M2 was twice the increase from M2 to M3, so Apple's jump from M3's 18 TOPS to the new M4's 38 TOPS is particularly noteworthy.

How about the AI function? Stay tuned for next month's WWDC

Apple's latest product launch coincides with major Silicon Valley tech giants ramping up their efforts in artificial intelligence. Microsoft and Google have already launched their own AI platforms to assist in tasks like writing emails or code. Apple has long been considered a laggard in this area.

While Apple has stated that the M4 chip is a "very powerful chip for artificial intelligence," the specific AI functions supported by the new chip may not be fully clear until next month's WWDC developer conference. Some analysts predict that Apple's AI capabilities may manifest in speeding up common tasks through automation, or enabling the company's voice assistant Siri to delve deeper into applications and perform tasks on behalf of users.

Currently, many AI features, such as helping users zoom in during video calls or slightly adjusting their eye angles to appear as if they are looking directly at the camera, are available. However, some analysts believe that these features are not yet enough to trigger a wave of upgrades.

Last week, Cook stated that the company is "very optimistic" about the opportunities for generative AI and plans to make more announcements later this year.

On Tuesday, Apple's stock price rose over 1% before the start of the event, but narrowed its gains after the event began, rising 0.42% to $182.48 during trading.

Netizens: What's the use of powerful hardware? Hurry up and work on AI

Netizens have had mixed reactions to the new iPad Pro. Perhaps due to the previous specifications being leaked, the response to the new iPad Pro has been generally lukewarm, with many not buying into the upgraded hardware. However, some netizens have expressed that the new model exceeded their expectations.

Some netizens said,Some netizens expressed their opinions on the new iPad Pro:

"Hardware has never been a problem for the iPad."

Some netizens said,

"People don't care much about these technical indicators. What happened to the strategy of showcasing product advantages? What value can I really get for $999?"

Some netizens even said, "It's better to buy a MacBook Air for the same price."

Some netizens expressed dissatisfaction with Apple not mentioning the battery life improvement of the new iPad Pro:

"I am a bit shocked that this iPad, priced at over $1300, did not mention any improvement in battery life. I use the iPad with the M2 Pro chip, as a device priced over $1000, its battery life is simply embarrassing. You would expect it to last a whole day, but if you use it as your main laptop, it basically can't last."

Some netizens criticized Apple for lacking innovation and were angry about it:

"Who cares about a thinner iPad? Where is Apple's artificial intelligence assistant? New smart interface? Foldable screen? Where is the next major innovation? Apple has become the representative of squeezing toothpaste-style innovation. I love this brand and have spent a lot of money on your products. But if you don't elevate your game, you will lose everything. Technology can even disrupt the most powerful players. Pray for Apple! ????????"

Some netizens are urging Tim Cook to step up in artificial intelligence:

"Tim, you must make some progress in artificial intelligence. You have great products in hardware, but it's time to strengthen in software. You are falling behind, but you have a perfect development environment. Don't be afraid of risks, learn to avoid them."

However, some netizens expressed satisfaction with the new iPad Pro"Finally, a tablet so thin and light that my to-do list doesn't seem busy enough! I can't wait to see what masterpieces we can create together."

As for the new iPad Air, netizens' reviews are mostly positive, with some saying they will definitely upgrade.

However, some netizens are still dissatisfied with the new iPad Air for not having Face ID and having a screen refresh rate of only 60Hz