iPad Pro with M1, 5G, and Liquid Retina XDR displays


The new iPad Pro for 2021 sees the addition of the M1 processor, improved displays, and 5G mobile wireless. Adding 5G seems an obvious iteration after the iPhone gained 5G last fall. The M1 processor may bit of a surprise. The move further blurs the lines between MacBooks and iPad Pro.

The other highlight feature is an improved display that Apple is calling Liquid Retina XDR. Apple says Liquid Retina Display offers a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio and 1000 nits of brightness. Additionally P3 wide color, True Tone, and ProMotion technologies. Which is to say, I guess, it's good. The Liquid Retina XDR display is only available in the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, while the 11-inch has a Liquid Retina Display.

A video conferencing feature called Center Stage was also demoed with the iPad Pro. The feature utilizes a new wider-angle front-facing camera to follow the user on FaceTime calls. It's basically a software tilt/pan/zoom powered by AI.

Another noteworthy change is the USB-C port now also functions as a Thunderbolt port. This allows greater expansion for storage, displays, and docks.

Pricing starts at $799 for the 11-inch and $1099 for the 12-inch. Both models start with 128 GB of storage and top out with a new optional 2 TB.