Apple event news hub and live blog: New iPads are here! – 9to5Mac

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Today’s the day that Apple will update the iPad lineup for the first time in over a year. Today’s special Apple event, dubbed “Let loose,” will include new iPad Air, iPad Pro, Magic Keyboard, and Apple Pencil announcements. Head below to follow along with everything in real-time.

How to watch today’s Apple event

Apple makes it easier than ever to watch its special events nowadays. You can stream today’s “Let loose” event on Apple’s website, on YouTube, and with the TV app on any device.

As a reminder, the event kicks off at 7 a.m. PT/10 a.m. ET.

Apple Event News Hub

New iPads: Live blog

Back to iPad Pro, Magic Keyboard, and Apple Pencil Pro

• iPad 10 gets a price cut to $349, down from $449
• Order starting today, available next week
• Apple Pencil is $129
• Magic Keyboard for 11-inch is $299, 13-inch Magic Keyboard is $349.
• New iPad Pro starts at 256GB. 11-inch starts at $999 and the 13-inch starts at $1299.

Here’s a recap

• Apple Pencil Pro also works with the iPad Air.
• New sensor in the barrel of the Apple Pencil: Squeeze to bring up a new tool pallet. When you squeeze, a haptic sensor delivers feedback. Gyroscope lets you “barrel roll” for changing orientation of shaped pens or brushes. Find My support for when you lose Apple Pencil Pro.

• Next up is a new “Apple Pencil Pro,” which takes the Apple Pencil experience to a whole new level.

• New Magic Keyboard: aluminum design, larger trackpad, function row keys.
• 12MP FaceTime camera has been moved to the side.
• 12MP camera, new adaptive True Tone flash.

New Pro apps

• Logic Pro 2 for iPad adds new stem splitter feature that extracts voice, bass, drunks, and other instruments into four separate tracks.

• Also, a new Final Cut Camera app for iPhone and iPad.
• Final Cut Pro 2 adds multicam support for the first time.
• Final Cut Pro 2 and Logic Pro 2 for iPad.

iPad Pro and M4

• 20% improved thermal performance. 4x faster than previous iPad Pro with M2. 10x faster than the original iPad Pro.

• “More powerful than any neural processing unit in any PC today.”
• M4 features the most powerful Neural Engine ever, can perform 38 trillion operations per second. “An outrageously powerful chip for AI,” Apple says.
• Here are the specs for the M4 GPU:

• Here are the specs for the M4 CPU:

• 50% faster CPU performance than M2.
• Built on second-generation 3nm technology.
• Powered by the next-generation Apple Silicon processor: M4.
• New nano-texture display option.

• Called Ultra Retina XDR. 1000 nits of full-screen brightness for standard and HDR content. 1600 nits of peak HDR brightness.
• “State-of-the-art display that uses two OLED panels” to deliver astonishing brightness, known as Tandem OLED.
• Available in space gray and silver.
• Ternus says it’s the thinnest Apple product ever, even thinner than the iPod nano.

• Available in 11-inch and 13-inch screen sizes. 11-inch iPad Pro is 5.3 mm and weighs .98 lb. The 13-inch is 5.1 mm thin and weighs 1.28 lb.
• Here’s the “all-new, stunningly thin and incredibly powerful iPad Pro.”
• Now, we’re moving onto the iPad Pro. “We’re going to crush the limits of what you can do on iPad,” John Ternus says.

New iPad Air

• Available in blue, purple, starlight, and space gray. 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB storage capacities. 11-inch starts at $599 and 13-inch starts at $799. Available to order today and available next week.
• The new iPad Air is powered by M2, up to 50% faster than the previous generation M1.
• Works with the existing Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil. There’s also support for Apple Pencil Hover, a feature that was previously exclusive to the iPad Pro.
• The new iPad Air also features a landscape FaceTime camera for the first time, alongside landscape stereo speakers with Spatial Audio. The new 13-inch model has double the bass.

• Now, we’re moving on to the iPad Air – which Apple says is now available in 11-inch and 13-inch form factors for the first time.

Apple event intro

• Tim Cook is kicking things off, saying today is “all about the iPad.” We’re also getting an update on Apple Vision Pro, which Tim says is already impacting the lives of users everywhere.

• Here’s Apple marketing VP Bob Borchers giving an intro at Apple’s NYC watch party:

• The stream is officially live! Currently enjoying some pretty cool animations and hipster music.
• Another look at the watch party in New York City, being held at Apple’s loft in Tribeca:

• Here’s a look at the setup in New York City, courtesy of Lance Ulanoff:

• As expected, Apple has invited members of the press/influencers to cities including New York City and London to watch today’s event. Presumably, these people will also get hands-on time with the new hardware once the event concludes.
• As of 9am ET, the Apple Store still hasn’t gone down. This could signal that the new iPads won’t be available for purchase today. Or, it could be that Apple just doesn’t think the iPad event hype is worthy of halting product sales for an hour.

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