Apple refreshes iPad Air and iPad Pro lineups - while talking up AI

By Emily Bary

Apple also debuts a new Apple Pencil with tools for greater precision

Apple Inc. announced a refreshed tablet lineup Tuesday on what Chief Executive Tim Cook called the "biggest day for iPad since its introduction."

His announcement featured the debut of new iPad Air models, including a redesigned 11-inch model and an all-new 13-inch model that has 30% more screen real estate.

The new Air models have Apple's (AAPL) M2 chip, which helps to make the devices about 50% faster than models running the older M1 chip. The device will come in new blue and purple color options, as well as more traditional starlight and space gray options.

Likely aware of Wall Street's criticism that the company hasn't been vocal enough about artificial-intelligence initiatives, speakers made several callouts during the iPad event. A front-facing camera on the landscape edge uses machine-learning to keep everyone in the frame of view, according to Apple.

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Plus, the Air is an "incredibly powerful device for AI," one speaker said, calling out features like live-text capture, which lets people copy text out of images, as well as options that let people improve their photos.

The smaller model still starts at $599 for a 128GB configuration, while the larger one will begin at $799.

Apple is also refreshing the Pro lineup, and these iPads are getting even thinner. In fact, the device is the "thinnest Apple product ever," one speaker said - slimmer even than the iPad nano. The smaller 11-inch model weighs less than a pound.

Both that and the 13-inch option will come in silver and space black.

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The 11-inch Pro starts at $999, while the 13-inch Pro starts at $1,299.

The Pro models will come with a nano-textured glass option that Apple says features even less glare.

And the devices are also getting a processing upgrade - to Apple's M4 chip. Its central-processing unit features machine-learning accelerators and gets up to 50% faster CPU performance versus the M2 chip that the older iPad Pro model has.

On the GPU front, the chip supports ray tracing, a technology that enhances the gaming experience.

The M4 uses just half the power as the M2 chip for the same performance, Apple says. And the neutral engine in the M4 makes it "an outrageously powerful chip for AI," according to one speaker.

One AI enhancement on the Pro is a photo feature that removes shadows from receipts and other pictures of documents.

The company also refreshed the Apple Pencil with a new pencil that allows users to squeeze for haptic feedback and to activate actions without actually touching the iPad's screen. Users will also be able to roll the pencil for more precision. And locating lost Apple Pencils will get easier since the upgraded device will be compatible with the Find My app.

-Emily Bary

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05-07-24 1039ET

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