(Glenn Derene/Consumer Reports)
Cook, not exactly known for getting to the point during these press events, started today’s presentation by promising “monster announcements across several of our product lines.”
iPAD PRO
For Apple’s signature tablet, Cook promised the “biggest news in iPad since the iPad.” The iPad Pro has the biggest screen (12.9″) in any iOS device to date.
With the bigger display (5.6 million pixels), explained Apple’s Phil Schiller, movies are more cinematic, games are more immersive, users have access to a bigger keyboard (more on that in a moment), and some apps will be able to be split-screen for side-by-side use. A Microsoft exec was on hand to show how Office users could multitask on the Pro.
The variable refresh rate of the new display also means the iPad can conserve energy when the screen isn’t actively showing video. With this and other system updates, the battery in the Pro is expected to last 10 hours.
In terms of speed, Apple says the new chip in the Pro is 1.8x faster than the speediest iPad currently available. The company claims the new tablet’s graphics are faster than 90% of portable computers shipped in the last year. The tablet is louder too, putting out three times the volume of the current iPad.
Apple is following the lead of the Microsoft Surface and offering a physical “smart” keyboard that is integrated into the iPad Pro’s cover. It attaches and communicates with the Pro via magnetic connections in the case.
Another accessory being offered with the Pro is the Apple Pencil stylus. Its sensors work with the iPad to determine position, angle, and force of each pen stroke. The company claims the Pen is precise enough to draw a single pixel. It’s wireless and its battery can be recharged via a Lightning plug that connects directly into the Pro.
While previous iPad announcements have focused on entertainment and hobbyist applications, the company is now clearly targeting business customers with the iPad Pro. The demonstrations highlighted productivity with Microsoft Office, its publishing applications with Adobe, and its use for the medical community.
If there was any doubt about the Pro — which will be sold in silver, gold, and “space gray” — being aimed at corporate customers, the price confirms this is not an entry-level tablet.
The lowest-cost Pro starts at $799 and comes with 32GB of storage memory and goes up to $1,079 for 128GB.
The Apple Pen will go for $99, while the Smart Keyboard will sell for $169. Both the tablets and the accessories will go on sale in November.
For affordable iPads, Apple is introducing the iPad Mini 4, which apparently has the same power as the current iPad Air 2, but at a smaller size. In addition to this new device, the company has dropped prices on the existing lineup of iPads:
APPLE TV
“Our vision for TV is simple, and perhaps a little provocative,” said Cook. “The future of television is apps.”
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The big news is that searching on Apple TV will show users results from multiple apps — Netflix, iTunes, Hulu, Showtime — rather than having to search through each app. Samsung had reportedly been working on a remote control feature like this but recently abandoned its development.
(more to come)
APPLE WATCH
In news that not very many people will care about, Apple and upscale fashion label Hermes have partnered on a deluxe Apple Watch Hermes with a fancy leather band that wraps around your wrist twice — presumably to add some extra protection against pilferers.
(Glenn Derene/Consumer Reports)
Also, the Apple Watch Sport is getting three new colored metal cases — gold, rose gold, anodized aluminum — at the same price as the rest of the Apple Watch Sport lineup.
by Chris Morran via Consumerist
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