The iPad Pro

As predicted, Apple announced the impending release of their biggest iPad yet – the iPad Pro. Not only is it big, sizing in at a respectable 12.9 inches, it also has 5.6 million pixels, which is more than any other iOS device.

It also comes with some pretty power. Weighing in with a 64-bit A9c processor, it provides a performance 1.6 times faster than the iPad Air 2 and, according to Apple, a performance 80% faster than portable PC’s. Fancy.

The Pro comes equipped with a 4-speaker audio system, with 2 speakers on each side, that will put out 3 times the audio levels of the iPad Air 2. It also comes with an 8 megapixel iSight camera touch ID, Smart and lightening connecters, duel microphones, a 3.5 mm headphone jack, is 6.9 mm thick and weighs an it-feels-lighter-than-it-should 1.57 pounds.

The word coming from those who got to play with it is that it’s a beautiful device, but that it would remain to be seen where exactly in the marketplace it will sit – some believing it’s too big, some noting that you it’s possible position as a competitor to notebooks is unrealistic.

Alongside the iPad Pro Apple announced 2 new accessories- the Apple Pencil, and the Smart Keyboard. The Apple Pencil is their new Stylus (yes, a stylus) which is apparently remarkable in it’s ability to produce different strokes and allows the user to touch a single pixel. The battery will last for 12 hours, and it will sell for (an initially difficult to swallow) price of $99.

The Smart Keyboard connects magnetically to the iPad Pro and, by all reports, works nicely with the device.It will retail for $169. Both the Apple Pencil and the Smart keyboard will be available alongside the iPad pro.

The iPad Pro will be released in November in Silver, Space Gray and Gold, starting at $799 for a 32GB Wi-Fi only model. A 128GB Wi-Fi only model will also be available for $949 and a Wi-Fi + LTE 128GB model will retail for $1,079.

We also have a new iPad Mini 4, 7.9-inches, 6.1mm in thickness, 18% thinner than the previous generation. The tablet also weighs just 0.65 pounds with a 30% faster CPU and 60% faster graphics than the iPad Mini 3.

iPad Mini 4 is available in Space Gray, Gold, and Silver for $399 (16GB), $499 (64GB), and $599 (128GB), including cellular options. Apple has dropped the iPad mini 3 from its lineup, while the iPad mini 2 is available for $269.

Ch-check both the iPad Pro and the Apple pencil out for yourself in the very Appley vid’s below!