Apple unveils new M2 iPad Pro, with ‘next level’ Apple Pencil hover experience, ProRes video capture, more

After a year and a half, Apple introduces the new M2 iPad Pro. The announcement was made through a press release. The company calls this “the ultimate combination of portability, versatility, and unbelievable performance.”

“The next-generation iPad Pro pushes the boundaries of what’s possible on iPad, bringing even more versatility, power, and portability to the ultimate iPad experience,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “Powered by the M2 chip, the new iPad Pro features incredible performance and the most advanced technologies, including a next-level Apple Pencil hover experience, ProRes video capture, superfast wireless connectivity, and powerful iPadOS 16 features. There’s nothing else like it.”

The new iPad Pro comes in two sizes: 11-inch (LCD) and 12.9-inch (miniLED) options. The M2 chip features an 8-core CPU — up to 15 percent faster than M1 — with advancements in both performance and efficiency cores, and a 10-core GPU, delivering up to 35 percent faster graphics performance for the most demanding users. Combined with the CPU and GPU, the 16-core Neural Engine can process 15.8 trillion operations per second — 40 percent more than M1 — making iPad Pro even more powerful when handling machine learning tasks. 

Apple says it has improved the Apple Pencil experience by providing “a completely new dimension for users to interact with their screen.”  Apple Pencil is now detected up to 12 mm above the display, allowing users to see a preview of their mark before they make it. This also allows users to sketch and illustrate with even greater precision and makes everything users do with Apple Pencil even more effortless.

The M2 iPad Pro supports the fastest Wi-Fi connections with support for Wi-Fi 6E so users who need fast connections can take their demanding workflows with them everywhere. Downloads are up to 2.4Gb/s, 2x faster than the previous generation. Wi-Fi + Cellular models with 5G (sub-6GHz and mmWave).

The new 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro will be available in silver and space gray finishes with 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB configurations. The 11-inch iPad Pro starts at $799 and it’s possible to order it now. The M2 iPad Pro will hit stores Wednesday, October 26.