New Apple iPad Pro 11 with A12Z Bionic, LiDAR Sensor, Trackpad: Pre-Order and More

After the introduction of the Powerbeats 4 earphones, Apple has unveiled the new iPad Pro 2020. The professional iPad tablet comes with either an 11 or 12.9-inch Liquid Retina display, an ultra-fast A12Z Bionic SoC, an enormously advanced LiDAR sensor, a keyboard with trackpad and much more.

Liquid Retina display and Specs

Not much has changed in the display compared to its predecessor, but this is not necessarily a bad thing: the pixel density is still at 264 PPI, with the 12.9-inch model this corresponds to a resolution of 2732 x 2048 pixels. The brightness is 600 nits, only 1.8 percent of the ambient light should be reflected. As with the predecessor, the screen is 120 Hz fast, thanks to ProMotion this can be regulated dynamically to reduce power consumption.

While Apple does not comment on the technology in the A12Z SoC, one can assume that it is a higher clocked version of the Apple A12 Bionic, which is used in the iPhone XS ($899 on Amazon). In contrast to the A12X Bionic in the previous model, the GPU brings eight instead of just seven cores this time. As usual, Apple does not specify how much RAM is installed in the device, but this time the internal memory ranges from 128GB to 1TB.

Cameras and New LiDAR sensor

In addition to the 12MP wide-angle camera with which the previous model was equipped, there is now also a 10MP ultra-wide-angle camera. The Apple iPad Pro 11 tablet can record 4K videos with up to 60 frames per second with both cameras, at 1080p resolution slow motion with up to 240fps is also possible. On the front, there is a TrueDepth camera again, which the device can unlock with Face ID. This takes 7MP photos and 1080p videos.

But the new LiDAR sensor is much more interesting. This can measure distances by stopping the time it takes light to travel there and back. In this way, rooms and objects can be precisely measured in three dimensions, which should significantly enhance augmented reality applications. Hopefully, you will soon see what exactly is possible with it in the first videos.

“Floating” Magic Keyboard with Trackpad

The coolest innovation is the keyboard and trackpad, mainly because it looks great. The Apple iPad Pro 11 is attached magnetically, and when the case is opened, it looks as if the iPad is floating. The angle of the display can thus be adjusted continuously. Apple probably uses a similar trick to the iMac so that the combination does not tip over by cleverly setting the focus.

The equipment is also significantly better than the predecessor: the keyboard is now illuminated, the keys are based on a scissor mechanism, which is also known from the 16-inch MacBook Pro, the key travel is a full millimeter. The trackpad is based on the same technology that is known from Apple’s laptops, but it is a bit smaller due to space.

Even multi-touch gestures are supported, for example, to make a right-click with two fingers or to switch between apps and spaces with four fingers. In order for this to work, iPadOS finally gets proper mouse support – as expected, the mouse pointer is hidden when inactive if you move it reappears.

As cool as the new keyboard looks, it is so expensive: The B&H Photo store has also listed the Apple’s Magic Keyboard for pre-order at a priced of $299 and it will be available in May 2020, and it is even compatible with the previous generation of the iPad Pro. If you only need a keyboard, Apple still offers its Smart Keyboard Folio at $199 as well as the Apple has also released the Smart Keyboard for 10.5″ iPad and 10.5″ iPad Air for $159 and is also available to pre-order via Bhphotovideo store.

iPad Pro 2020 Release Date, Pre-Order Price

The Apple iPad Pro 11 price starts from $799 for the 128GB WiFi model. The 12.9 inch model with 128GB storage is available for at least $999. These are already up for pre-order via the Bhphotovideo.com online store. The memory upgrades are also not cheap, all prices can be seen directly at the online store.