At 22 o'clock on May 7, Beijing time, the Apple Let Loose special event arrived as scheduled. The main character of this event is the new Apple Pencil 3 and iPad series related products, the event did not last long, but the products brought brought many surprises.
The last time Apple updated the iPad series was 18 months ago, which is also the longest interval in the history of iPad releases. Will the improvement of the iPad series products in terms of screen, size and other aspects satisfy the long-awaited fruit fans? Without further ado, let's get straight to the product.
The iPad family, completely refreshed from the inside out
The conference was kicked off by the familiar Apple CEO Cook, who introduced a series of achievements about the Vision Pro and M3 Macbook Air, and brought us the iPad series updated again after 18 months.
1. iPad Air: The super-large version of the benchmark "Pro" is here
The most intuitive change to the iPad Air is the screen size. The new iPad Air adds a 13-inch model, which directly raises the size of the iPad Air tablet to the largest tablet in Apple's history, and it is not an exaggeration to call it the largest iPad Air in Apple's history.
The new iPad Air has an enlarged screen size comparable to that of the iPad Pro, which can be said to provide a more affordable option for consumers with large screen needs. At the same time, the original 11-inch version of the iPad Air has been retained, allowing consumers to choose their preferred screen size.
Source: Apple
In terms of core configuration, the two iPad Air products are equipped with Apple's M2 chip, which was officially released at the WWDC2022 conference and was first applied to the 2022 13-inch MacBook Pro. It is believed that the iPad Air will be equipped with the M2 chip, which will provide users with a smooth experience that ranks among the top products in its class.
In addition, the new iPad Air starts at 128GB of RAM, is equipped with a landscape camera, stereo speakers, supports spatial audio, and is available in four colors: blue, purple, starlight, and space gray, and the case is made of 100% recycled aluminum, and supports Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil.
Source: Apple
In terms of price, 11-inch iPad Air, WiFi version: 128GB version is priced at 4799 yuan, 256GB version is 5599 yuan, 512GB version is 7299 yuan, and 1TB version is 8999 yuan; Cellular version +1000 yuan.
13-inch iPad Air, WiFi version: 128GB version is priced at 6499 yuan, 256GB version is 7299 yuan, 512GB version is 8999 yuan, and 1TB version is 10699 yuan. Cellular version +1000 yuan.
2、首发M4芯片，iPad Pro性能炸裂
If you want to say that the star product of this conference, it must be the new iPad Pro with more powerful performance and a more delicate screen. This time, the iPad Pro has been updated with two screen sizes: 11-inch and 13-inch.
Source: Apple
The new iPad Pro is not only the first iPad product to feature an OLED screen, but also the first tablet to feature a double-layer OLED series structure. In the past, OLED technology was often used on iPhones. With the blessing of the OLED screen, the brightness and color of the new iPad Pro have been further improved, with a full-screen brightness of 1000 nits, an HDR peak brightness of 1600 nits, and a nano glass panel is optional for the 1TB/2TB version.
At the same time, the thickness of the fuselage has also been significantly improved, and the thickness of the 11-inch and 13-inch versions is 5.3mm and 5.1mm respectively, which is the thinnest Apple product at present.
Source: Apple
In addition, the iPad Pro directly crossed the M3 chip and was equipped with the M4 chip for the first time. The M4 chip is built on the next-generation GPU architecture on the M3 chip, with six energy-efficient cores and up to 50% faster CPU speed than the M2. The M4 chip's 10-core GPU architecture is up to 4 times faster than the M2, and the power consumption control performance is also quite good, providing the same performance as the M2 with only 50% of the power consumption.
It is worth noting that the M4 chip specifications under different storage versions of the new iPad Pro are different, such as the 256GB and 512GB versions have 8GB memory + 9-core CPU M4 chip (3 performance cores and 6 efficiency cores), while the 1TB and 2TB versions have 16GB memory + 10-core CPU M4 chip (4 performance cores and 6 efficiency cores).
Source: Apple
The M4 chip is expected by Apple to rely on the powerful chip performance, the M4 version of the iPad Pro will better complete a variety of AI functions, at the event we have witnessed the new iPad Pro in painting, music and other professional fields of excellent performance, which is also part of Apple's AI strategy this year.
iPad Pro memory starts at 256GB, in terms of price, 11-inch iPad Pro, WiFi version: 256GB version is priced at 8999 yuan, 512GB version is 10699 yuan, 1TB version is 14099 yuan, 2TB version is 17499 yuan; Cellular version +1700 yuan. The 1TB/2TB version can be equipped with nano glass, which costs +800 yuan;
13-inch iPad Pro, WiFi version: 256GB version is priced at 11499 yuan, 512GB version is 13199 yuan, 1TB version is 16599 yuan, 2TB version is 19999 yuan; Cellular version +1700 yuan. Optional nano glass needs +800 yuan;
Apple's dominance in the tablet market has further declined after the iPad experienced zero updates in 2023, and although the global tablet market returned to growth in the first quarter of 2024, the iPad is in an increasingly difficult situation.
Recently, market research agency Canalys released a report showing that in the first quarter of 2024, global tablet shipments increased slightly by 1% to 33.7 million units, which is also the first time that the global tablet market has grown after four consecutive quarters of decline. The market recovered, but the iPad market share fell by about 6% year-on-year, only 35.6%.
It is reported that in 2024, in addition to the two new iPad products released today, Apple will also release more iPad series products to recover the decline of the tablet market. Performance, screen, and size may be just the beginning, and it will be interesting to see if Apple can continue to defend its position in 2024 with new breakthroughs in form and function.
Apple Pencil Pro+妙控键盘，好的配件同样重要
The promotional materials released by Apple this time all have obvious Apple Pencil elements, which once made everyone think that the Apple Pencil series products are the protagonists of this special event.
Apple's release of the Apple Pencil Pro tonight really didn't disappoint everyone. Apple Pencil Pro has been upgraded with haptic feedback, which allows users to feel the effect of simulated vibrations when using the stylus, giving users a more realistic drawing and writing experience.
A new sensor hidden on the surface of the barrel adds even more possibilities to the Apple Pencil Pro. Users can also interact with simple presses, allowing them to pinch gestures to pop up a new panel while doing other things, and flexibly add shapes, signatures, stickers, or switch brush colors.
Source: Apple
In terms of price, the Apple Pencil Pro is priced at 999 yuan in China and will be on sale on May 15, only for the new iPad updated tonight.
The previous generation Apple Pencil was released on October 30, 2018, and is available on the iPad Pro from 2018 and later, the iPad Air from 2020 and later, and the latest iPad mini. The latest update to the Apple Pencil series is the castrated version of the Apple Pencil (USB-C) in 2023, which is positioned at the relatively low-end and removes features such as pressure sensing and wireless charging.
Source: Apple
The release of the Apple Pencil Pro will directly replace the high-end products of 2018, bringing Apple Pencil products back to the competitive realm of high-end stylus, improving the user experience, and re-engaging users with professional creative needs with the new iPad Air/Pro.
In addition to the Apple Pencil Pro, Apple has also introduced an upgraded version of the Magic Keyboard. This keyboard can be used as a case for the iPad, with a built-in keyboard and a small trackpad. The new Magic Keyboard is made of more durable aluminum, and when paired with the iPad, it provides users with greater productivity, at least in terms of appearance, and is not far from a real laptop.
Apple is inseparable from the Chinese market
Looking at the whole special event, for the iPad series, Xiao Lei's personal feeling is that these two iPad products have added new chips, screen technology, and some new features, but after all, it is just a more conventional update.
In Lei Technology's view, none of the above products are enough to reverse Apple's current decline. As mentioned above, Apple's difficulties in the global tablet market are not only tablets, but even Apple's core revenue product, the iPhone, has also encountered challenges.
Market research agency IDC announced the shipments of the global smartphone market in Q1 2024, and Apple's market share in Q1 fell by 9.6% year-on-year, losing the title of global smartphone shipment champion just won last year.
One of the important reasons for the decline of the iPhone and iPad is the cold of Apple products in the domestic market. As one of the world's largest consumer electronics markets, the importance of the domestic market to Apple is self-evident, and I believe that Apple also hopes to regain the love of domestic users through new products.
Source: Apple
A significant change in this special event is the adjustment of the time, Apple will broadcast the event live at 22 o'clock Beijing time that night (that is, 7 a.m. Pacific time on May 7), which is nearly three hours earlier than the previous press conference, and Xiao Lei does not have to stay up late to chase Apple's press conference for the first time. We don't know whether the reason for the time adjustment is to take care of the work and rest of domestic users, but if the iPad business wants to return to the top, it must be inseparable from the Chinese market.
At the end of the conference, Cook mentioned the upcoming WWDC2024, and if nothing else, AI will be the focus of this year's WWDC. Xiaolei estimates that iOS and iPadOS will add new AI functions, and the AI functions of most AI PCs are currently centered on professional creation and efficient office.
Professional creation is the advantage of iPad and Apple Pencil, and if it can be combined with professional models in different fields to achieve more convenient creation of paintings, music, etc., I believe it will be favored by many users.
In 2024, the implementation of AI large models will be accelerated, cars will become a golden scene, and "the second half is intelligent" will become the consensus of the industry.
On April 25, the Beijing Auto Show became a watershed for new energy vehicles to move towards the second half, with intelligence becoming the absolute protagonist, domestic brands rising strongly, entrepreneurs "new car models" becoming landscapes, and fuel vehicles, joint venture vehicles, foreign brands, and functional vehicles completely lonely.
During the auto show, Lei Technology's new media tram of "pay attention to electric vehicles and understand intelligence better" sent a luxury reporting group to Beijing to conduct a systematic front-line professional in-depth report, with a total of 8 videos, 8 in-depth analysis and massive short content, the whole network received millions + readings, and won a number of WeChat 100,000+ explosive models (real traffic), which attracted great attention in the professional media of the industry.