(CNN) — In a pre-recorded event broadcast live from its Cupertino (California) headquarters, the company presented the latest versions of its iPad Pro and iPad Air tablets, as well as a new Apple Pencil Pro.
CEO Tim Cook said Tuesday’s announcement marked “the biggest day for the iPad since its introduction.”
At the heart of the new iPad Pro is Apple’s new custom M4 processor, which offers 4 times the performance of its existing iPad Pro models. Considering Apple’s latest MacBook line is currently powered by the M3 chip, this is, as Cook said, an “outrageously powerful chip for AI.”
The company is expected to show off its first batch of AI tools for the iPhone and iPad at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference in June.
The latest iPad Pro comes in two sizes: 11 inches and 13 inches. According to Apple, the 11-inch model is the thinnest to date, at 5.1 mm, and weighs less than a kilo. The screen combines two OLED panels to maximize brightness. The iPad Pro comes in two finishes, silver and space black.
Apple showed off its latest and most powerful iPad to date Apple.
For its part, the iPad Air, for the first time, is presented in the same two sizes: an 11-inch design ($599) and a 13-inch design ($799). The largest size, inspired by the iPad Pro with a larger screen, has 30% more screen area than the 11-inch screen.
iPad Air is powered by Apple’s custom M2 processor with a faster GPU and neural engine that is 50% faster than the previous iPad Air. According to the company, it better supports AI-based software. It also has a front landscape camera.
Meanwhile, an improved Apple Pencil (which costs $129) comes with a new squeeze feature that lets users pull out tools, customize drawing layers of what they’re working on, and includes haptic feedback. It also supports Find My to locate your pen when it inevitably gets lost.
Apple has also shown off a redesigned Magic Keyboard with a haptic trackpad to make the iPad more like a laptop. Some key applications, such as Final Cut, have also received substantial improvements, such as the ability to add AI-based audio or AI editing.
The new iPad range will be available for pre-order from Tuesday and in stores next week.
The event comes just days after Apple reported iPad revenue of $5.6 billion in its latest quarter, down 17% year-over-year. However, the company has stated that it expects its iPad business to grow by double digits in the June quarter.
Apple also reported first-quarter revenue of $90.8 billion last week, down 4% year over year, as the tech giant continues to battle growth challenges, especially in China, amid an uncertain economic environment. It announced a $110 billion share buyback — the largest in the company’s history — while iPhone sales fell 10%.
Ben Wood, chief analyst at market research firm CCS Insight, said the unexpected introduction of the iPad Pro’s new M4 chip and its significant performance jumps may be enough to ignite some excitement among consumers.
“While these new iPads are unlikely to immediately return growth to the category, they represent a much-needed reason to upgrade customers to outdated products,” he said. “The emphasis on artificial intelligence was palpable, with Apple determined to take the lead in this area, given the enormous attention paid to this topic by all its rivals in the last 18 months.”
On last week’s earnings call, Cook teased that generative AI tools could be coming to Apple products in the “coming weeks,” at a time when it is currently lagging behind its competitors.
“We see generative AI as a key opportunity in all of our products and believe we have differentiating advantages,” he said.
