Apple Unveils M4 Processor in New iPad Pros

AsianFin--Apple on Tuesday announced new versions of its iPad Air and iPad Pro tablets.

“This is the biggest day for iPad since its introduction,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a short video posted on the company’s website.

Apple's latest iPad models mark the longest gap between updates since the device's launch in 2011, with the last release dating back to October 2022.

The fresh iPad models use a new Apple chip called the M4, an update from the M3 chips that currently power Apple’s laptops. Apple said that the M4 chip was an “outrageously powerful chip for AI,” highlighting its ability to help power software that isolates subjects from their backgrounds in videos.

The Apple M4 chip is built on a 'second-generation' 3-nanometer process, which the company says provides the same performance as the Apple M3 with greatly improved efficiency, offering the iPad Pro desktop-like performance in a tablet without tanking its battery life.

On the specification side, the M4 chip brings to the iPad Pro the same kind of advances that the Apple M3 brought to MacBooks and the iMac last year, including mesh shading, hardware ray tracing, and dynamic caching. It includes a 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU, and Apple says the CPU is 50% faster than the M2's, and the GPU is 400% faster than that of the M2.

“This stunning design and breakthrough display required we make the leap to the next generation of Apple silicon,” John Ternus, an Apple hardware executive, said.

The new iPad Pro, considered Apple's most sophisticated and priciest tablet, will be available in two sizes: an 11-inch version and a 13-inch variant, as announced by the tech giant. Apple boasts that these models are its thinnest yet, measuring at a mere 5.1 millimeters in thickness.

The iPad Pro will be compatible with a new accessory called the Magic Keyboard, crafted from aluminum, and designed to seamlessly integrate a keyboard and trackpad with the tablet. Apple claims that using this accessory will provide an experience akin to using a laptop, offering a familiar "just like a MacBook" feel.

Apple said that its upcoming iPad Pro models will feature a new display technology known as OLED, similar to what is used in its iPhones. The company noted that these tablets will offer brighter displays and more vibrant colors compared to previous models. Additionally, Apple introduced a proprietary technology called "tandem OLED" to manufacture these screens, branded as Ultra Retina XDR.

Emphasizing its potential for professional video production, Apple unveiled a new app called Final Cut Camera, designed to manage multiple iPhone cameras. The iPad Pro will sport a 12-megapixel rear camera capable of recording 4K video, with an updated flash aimed at enhancing document scanning functionality.

The new tablets and accessories are available for preorder now and will go on sale next week.