Apple iPad Pro 2020 with Magic Keyboard – Half Computer, Half Tablet

News

by Jeff LochMarch 19^th, 2020

Coronavirus or not, Apple has just released its iPad Pro 2020. With an A12Z Bionic processor, two cameras, a LiDAR scanner, and a brand new Magic Keyboard, the professional Apple tablet is closer than ever to a laptop. Let’s take a closer look at it!

iPad Pro 2020 – Faster Than Ever

While everybody was waiting for the announcement of a new “low-cost” iPhone, Apple unveiled the iPad Pro 2020. This updated version of the famous professional Apple tablet features a brand new A12Z Bionic processor with an 8-core graphics processor. All this processing power should make the iPad Pro 2020 a device that, according to Apple, “outpaces most PC laptops available today.”

Image credit: Apple

If It Works, Don’t Fix It

If you are familiar with the iPad Pro, you probably see that there is no significant change on the outside. Like the 2018 version, the iPad Pro 2020 still features a USB Type-C port, four speakers, and the support for 4G LTE (no 5G). On the inside, there is now four “studio-quality” microphones, as well as Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) instead of Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac).

The iPad Pro 2020 is still available in two versions with the same dimensions: 178.5mm x 247.6mm x 5.9mm for the 11″ version, and 280.6mm x 214.9mm x 5.9mm for the 12.9″ one. But your previous protective shell won’t fit this new iPad Pro due to its new camera system.

Image credit: Apple

Two Cameras – Double the Fun

The iPad Pro 2020 now features two cameras on the back of the device, like the iPhone 11: a 12MP F/1.8 wide-angle camera, and a 10MP F/2.4 ultra-wide camera with a 125° field of view. You can shoot videos in 4K at 24/30/60 fps using the wide camera, and 60 fps using the ultra-wide one. If you like to shoot slow-motion footage, you can go at up to 240 fps in 1080P resolution, no matter the camera.

Videos are captured in HEVC and H.264 formats, and “cinematic video stabilization” is available in 1080P mode. You got it, nothing revolutionary on the photo/video side of the iPad Pro 2020 compared to the iPhone 11/11 Pro: most of the photo/video features are the same between the two lines of products. However, these updates are significant compared to the previous iPad Pro, including the addition of the LiDAR Scanner (talking about the previous model, please take a look at Nino and Pedro discussing video editing on an iPad Pro equipped with LumaFusion App – mind you that they were also using the older iOS version before iPad OS was released.)

Image credit: Apple

LiDAR Scanner

Next to the two cameras of the iPad Pro 2020, there is another sensor, which is the LiDAR Scanner. This scanner works with the pro cameras, motion sensors, and frameworks in iPadOS to measure depth. The LiDAR Scanner is especially useful for VR applications, and according to Apple, it makes the iPad Pro “the world’s best device for augmented reality.”

Image credit: Apple

Improved Display

Both the 11″ and 12.9″ iPad Pro 2020 come with a liquid retina display that features a 600 nits brightness. Apple tablets are known for being really color accurate, and this new iPad Pro should be no different. Indeed, it is even capable of displaying P3 wide color gamut.

There is a slight resolution difference between both versions: the 11″ has a resolution of 2388 x 1668 at 264ppi, while the 12.9″ version has a resolution of 2732 x 2048 at 264ppi.

Image credit: Apple

Magic Keyboard – Here Comes the Trackpad

Since the introduction of iPadOS in 2018, Apple is blurring the thin line between the iPad Pro and a “proper” computer. This is something Apple is aware of, and they are playing with the ambiguity in the ad below.

Along with the release of the iPad Pro 2020, Apple launched the Magic Keyboard, which is a four-in-one product:

• A stand: with a floating cantilever design, you can magnetically attach the iPad Pro to the Magic Keyboard and smoothly adjust the viewing angle.
• A keyboard with a trackpad: butterfly keyboard is gone, welcome back scissor mechanism (same as the 16-inch Macbook Pro). Also, for the first time in the iPad history, there is a built-in trackpad at the bottom of the Magic Keyboard. Indeed, iOS 13.4 now supports mouses and trackpads.
• Front and back cover to protect and transport the iPad Pro 2020.
• A charging station: there is a built-in USB Type-C at the base of the Magic Keyboard port with passthrough power.

Image credit: Apple

The Magic Keyboard is compatible with previous iPad Pros.

Pricing and Availability

The iPad Pro 2020 is available in Space Gray or Silver color, with 128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB capacities. Prices start at $799.00 for the 11″ version with 128GB of memory and Wi-Fi only and go all the way up to $1649.00 for the 12.9″ with 1TB of memory WiFi+Cellular. All models should start shipping on March 25th.

The Magic Keyboard will be available in May for $299.00 for the 11-inch version, and $349.00 for the 12.9-inch version.

What do you think about this new iPad Pro 2020? Do you think it can replace a laptop for basic daily tasks? Do you already own an iPad Pro? Let us know in the comments below!