Apple today introduced a new iPad Pro with the M2 chip, a new hovering Apple Pencil feature, faster Wi-Fi 6E, and more.
With the M2 chip, the new iPad Pro has up to 15% faster CPU performance and up to 35% faster GPU performance compared to the previous iPad Pro with the M1 chip, according to Apple. The chip has a new media engine and image signal processor that enables ProRes video recording for the first time and up to 3x faster ProRes video transcoding.
On the new iPad Pro, the second-generation Apple Pencil is now detected while it hovers up to 12mm above the display, allowing users to see a preview of their drawing before they make it. And with Scribble, text fields automatically expand when the pencil gets near the screen.
The new iPad Pro is the first Apple device with Wi-Fi 6E, with Apple advertising download speeds of up to 2.4Gbps.
The new iPad Pro is available to order starting today on Apple.com and in the Apple Store app in the U.S. and 27 other countries, with pricing starting at $799 for the 11-inch model and at $1,099 for the 12.9-inch model. Color options include Space Gray and Silver, with 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB storage configurations. Deliveries to customers and in-store availability will begin Wednesday, October 26.
The new iPad Pro models have the same size and weight, display brightness and resolution, and battery life as the previous models, according to Apple's tech specs. There remains a Thunderbolt port, four speakers, Face ID, and a rear Smart Connector on both models. There is also still a physical nano-SIM card tray on cellular models.