Minutes after revealing a modern make-over for the once-revolutionary MacBook Air at Apple's New York launch, Apple CEO Tim Cook trotted out new iPad Pro tablets which the company says can replace your laptop.
It's the Apple version of betting a dollar each way, and there's no doubt that for some executives the supersized iPad Pro will be a safe bet.
While coming in two screen sizes – 11 inches and 12.9 inches – the upgraded tablets have a smaller physical footprint due to a thinner strip of bezels surrounding the screen and, most noticeably, the removal of the home button.
Face ID, Apple’s 3D facial recognition system introduced on last year's iPhone X, replaces the home button's fingerprint scanner, essentially making the iPad Pro just one big slab of almost edge-to-edge screen.
The edges of the case are now flat instead of rounded, for a more professional rather than consumer vibe, but the 5.9mm profile will make these iPads a delight to hold.
Apple's Lightning connector – a mainstay across the iPhone and iPad lines – has been abandoned in favour of a USB-C port. This not only charges the iPad Pro, it lets you connect the likes of cameras, card readers, USB hubs and even external monitors (albeit not a disk drive).
However, Apple has also ditched the headphone jack. The new iPad Pro models want you to connect your cans via Bluetooth or with an optional $15 headphone adaptor for the USB-C socket.
Apple's latest A12X Bionic chip brings speeds, artificial intelligence processing and graphics up to par with the latest iPhones.
The companion Apple Pencil – itself a $199 add-on – is smaller, better to hold and has one flat side so it won’t roll around your desk. It also gains a double-tap shortcut function and magnetically sticks to the iPad Pro for pairing and wireless charging.
Completing that laptop-replacement scenario is the Smart Keyboard Folio (another $119 or $149, depending on what size iPad Pro you have) which is little-changed from the precious version.
As for the sticker on the tablets themselves, the 11-inch model starts at $1299 for WiFi and $1449 with 4G; the 12.9-inch slate kicks off at $1529 for WiFi and $1749 with 4G.
David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.
25 Mar 2015
Total posts 30
I don't mind the idea of an iPad replacing my laptop, but with those price tags, and considering it is still an iPad not a laptop, thanks but no thanks!
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
14 Mar 2017
Total posts 152
Precisely.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
13 Jan 2014
Total posts 124
Who knew I would ever see a photo of my work on ausbt :D
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
13 Jan 2017
Total posts 74
Which one was the "precious" one??? LOL
Singapore Airlines - KrisFlyer
18 Jun 2018
Total posts 4
25 Mar 2015
Total posts 30
Exactly the same here: Apple products for everything, but I reckon Surface Go is a far, FAR, better portable product than an iPAD. If I spend upwards of $1,000 on a portable, it better be able to do everything my laptop does, albeit in a smaller form factor for short burst of work. iOS does not tick that box for me no matter how beautiful the screen or how fast benchmark scores get.
11 Aug 2018
Total posts 2
i'm trying to love my surface this is my second one and it languishes in my draw. i feel i struggle with it. The ipad is great, until an IOS app doesnt behave as the desktop or desktop browser version and its also a struggle.
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