Apple unveils new iPad Pro, the biggest iPad yet

Apple announced a new entry in its popular iPad line today: the iPad Pro. It’s the biggest iPad the company has ever developed, boasting a 12.9-inch display. It’s also the fastest, Apple said, featuring a “console-class” GPU that’s up to two times faster than previous models.

Apple’s Phil Schiller said the iPad Pro’s processors will feature “360 times more graphics power” than previous iPads.

The iPad Pro will output 5.6 million pixels — more than a 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display, Schiller boasted. It will feature a full-size keyboard and will allow for application multitasking. Schiller said the iPad Pro’s larger display will make games and movies more immersive, in part thanks to a four-speaker system that provides audio for the touchscreen device.

The new iPad will weigh about 1.5 pounds, slightly more than the original iPad, and measures 6.9 mm thick. Apple said the iPad Pro will boast up to 10 hours of battery life.

While the iPad Pro will include the typical software-based keyboard, Apple will also sell a physical “smart keyboard.” The keyboard is a foldout cover that is connected via a magnetic connection — Microsoft Surface users will likely find the smart keyboard very familiar looking. The iPad Pro keyboard will retail for $169.

Apple has another physical input device planned for the iPad Pro: a stylus called the Apple Pencil. The new stylus measures tilt, pressure and stroke. In a video presentation, Apple showed artists using the Apple Pencil on the iPad Pro to paint, draw and sketch. The Apple Pencil will retail for $99.

Other iPad Pro demos included Microsoft Office apps, Adobe’s layout software Comp and human anatomy software from 3D4Medical.

Apple will release the iPad Pro this November. The device will come in three colors — silver, gold and space grey — and will sell for $799 with 32 GB of storage, $949 with 128 GB of storage and $1079 with 128 GB of storage and cellular connectivity.