Apple "Let Loose" Event Recap

Apple held their "Let Loose" event today. The entire video was 38 minutes long but in those 38 minutes there was a lot of information and all of that information related to the iPad. Specifically, the iPad Air and the iPad Pro, but there was one other announcement related to the 10th generation iPad.

10th Generation iPad

The 10th Generation iPad now has a lower price of $349. This is down from $449. There have been no other changes. With this price drop, the 9th generation iPad is no longer sold from Apple. It is possible that it might still be available from third-party retailers, but I would not expect to purchase it directly from Apple.

Now, let us look at the iPad Air.

iPad Air

The first iPad covered in the event was the iPad Air. The biggest change 6th generation iPad Air is the size. In fact, it now comes in two sizes, an 11-inch and a 13-inch version. The iPad Air comes with an M2, an upgrade from the M1 in the previous generation. One of the other noticeable changes will be the placement of the FaceTime camera, it is now along the landscape edge of the iPad. This is a more natural position for the camera and it follows the 10th generation iPad in its placement.

If you use the iPad Air in landscape mode, you will get stereo sound with the new "Landscape Stereo Speakers", which can improve the sound quality.

There are now also some additional storage options. The options available are 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB options. If you do order you have four color options to choose from: Blue, Purple, Starlight, and Space Gray. The Blue and Purple options are new variations on the previous colors.

The 11-inch version starts at $599 for the 128GB Wi-Fi only model. The 13-inch starts at $799 for the 128GB model. The cellular versions are $200 more.

Both models are available to order today and will begin delivering next week.

Accessories

There are ways that you can customize your iPad Air and one of them might be a case. There are some options, including the Smart Folio, or even a Magic Keyboard. The Smart Folio is available in four colors, Light Violet, Charcoal Grey, Sage, and Denim. The 11-inch version is $79 while the 13-inch model is $99.

The Magic Keyboard comes in two colors, White and Black. The Magic Keyboard for the 11-inch iPad Air is the same as the previous version and supports all 11-inch devices and costs $299. The Magic Keyboard for the new 13-inch iPad Air is the same one that supported the 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro. This comes in the same two colors, but costs $349.

iPad Pro

The main attraction for this event is the iPad Pro. The iPad Pro continues to come in two sizes, 11-inch and 13-inch. This mimics both the 6th generation iPad Air. The 13-inch is a new size but these two screen sizes are the actual sizes. The new screen sizes means that the resolution has changed to 2420 by 1668 for the 11-inch and 2752 by 2064 for the 13-inch model. This is a very minimal increase, but it is one none-the-less. The new size is actually due to one of the big changes to the iPad Pro, a new display. Specifically, the iPad Pro has an OLED display that Apple is calling "Tandem OLED".

The Tandem OLED display is actually two OLED panels that can light up the display as needed with up to 1000 nits of fullscreen brightness for SDR and XDR, and up to 1600 nits for peak HDR content. The OLED display will allow even deeper true black, more details in shadows and low light, and it should be more responsive for any content that is in motion.

With the OLED display there is an additional option, a Nano-texture display. Similar to the Studio Display, the nano crystals are embedded directly within the display. The Nano-texture display is a bit more than the standard display. More on pricing in a bit.

As rumored, the 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Pro are powered not by the M3, but by the M4. The M4 is a 3-nanometer chip that utilizes the second-generation 3nm manufacturing process. This means that the M4 is able to increase its performance while using the same or less power. According to Apple, it is 50% faster than the M2. In fact, it has the same performance as the M2, just uses half the power.

With the increase of power you may expect the thermals to be impacted, but Apple has accounted for that. The iPad Pro has graphite sheets in the device to help with the thermals. Along with this, there is copper in the Apple Logo on the back to help dissipate the heat.

Both models of the iPad Pro are thinner than their previous versions. The 4th generation 11-inch iPad Pro has gone from 5.9mm to 5.3, a reduction of just about 10%. Meanwhile, the 7th generation 13-inch iPad Pro has gone from 6.4mm to 5.1mm. This is a significant reduction of 20.5%. This reduction means that the weight has also been reduced by 4.7% in the 11-inch iPad Pro from 466 grams to 444 grams. The 13-inch iPad Pro has had a much larger reduction in weight from 685 grams down to 582 grams, or a 15% reduction.

The last change to mention is the placement of the camera. Just like the 6th generation iPad Air and the 10th generation iPad, the camera on the 11-inch and 13-inch iPad is along the landscape edge.

While there are only two color options, Silver and Space Black, you do have some options when it comes to storage. In fact there are different storage sizes, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB options. The Nano-texture glass option is only available in the 1TB and 2TB options. There are some slight differences in the processor for the 256GB/512GB models as compared to the 1TB/2TB models. The 256GB/512GB models have a 9-core processor with 3 performance cores and 6 efficiency cores. The 1TB/2TB options have a 10-core processor with 4 performance cores and 6 efficiency cores. It is not yet known how this difference will manifest in actual usage, if it will at all.

The one thing not covered yet is pricing. The 11-inch iPad Pro starts at $999 for the 256GB Wi-Fi model, the 256GB Cellular model starts at $1199. The 13-inch 256GB Wi-Fi model is $1299 and the Cellular model is $1499. If you want the Nano-texture glass that will be an additional $100, but it is only available on the 1TB or 2TB option.

You can order either model today and it will begin delivering next week. As of this writing some models are already later in May or early June, with the Nano-texture models not shipping until mid-June.

The iPad Pro does have some new accessories.

Accessories

When the 3rd generation iPad Pro was introduced Apple also introduced a new accessory, the Magic Keyboard. The Magic Keyboard is great for having a keyboard with stand that you can use as a case with your iPad Pro. The new iPad Pros also bring a new Magic Keyboard. The new Magic Keyboard has some improvements over the previous version, in that there is a larger trackpad and an additional row of keys, dedicated function keys. This may seem like a small change, and in the grand scheme of things it might be, but having dedicated function keys will make things much easier.

You can get Magic Keyboards specifically designed for the 11-inch or 13-inch M4 iPad. Just like the previous models, there are two color options, white and black. The 11-inch version is $299 and the 13-inch model is $349, the same prices as before.

There is one last accessory to discuss, the Apple Pencil.

Apple Pencil

The 1st generation Apple Pencil was introduced in 2015 with the original iPad Pro. In 2018 it got a refresh with the 1st generation 11-inch iPad Pro and the 3rd generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro. At that time the 2nd generation Apple Pencil changed pairing, and charging, mechanism to be magnets along the landscape side of the iPad.

There is a new Apple Pencil that works only with the new 6th generation iPad Air and the 5th generation 11-inch iPad and 7th generation 13-inch iPad Pro, the Apple Pencil Pro. The Apple Pencil Pro takes what the second generation did and enhances it.

One of the new features is the addition of Find My, which means that if you cannot find your Apple Pencil you will be able to use the Find My network to locate it for you. Along with this, there is also a new gyroscope, which will allow precise control. Rotating the barrel also allows you to change the shape of the pen or brush tools.

The last feature on the Apple Pencil Pro is a new squeeze gesture. This will allow you to quickly bring up a tool palette to quickly switch between tools, line widths, or colors, without needing to lift up your finger and find the necessary button.

The Apple Pencil Pro is available to order now and it costs $129, which is the same as the 2nd generation Apple Pencil. The Apple Pencil Pro is only compatible with the latest devices. As a note, you can also use the Apple Pencil with USB-C with the new iPad Pros.

Closing Thoughts

The Let Loose event was short, but full of a bunch of information. The new iPad Air is a solid update that comes in two sizes, 11-inch and 13-inch models. The new iPad Airs come with an M2, new colors, and support for the Apple Pencil Pro. The iPad Air comes in 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB and it starts at $599 for the 11-inch and $799 for the 13-inch model.

The new iPad Pros comes in two sizes, 11-inch and 13-inch models. The iPad Pros with an OLED display, M4, and come in 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB options and in two colors, Silver and Space Black. The 11-inch iPad Pro starts at $999 and the 13-inch iPad Pro starts at $1299.

All of the products are available to order today and delivery begins next week.

Sources: Apple Newsroom: iPad Pro
Apple Newsroom: iPad Air
Apple Newsroom: M4