November 11, 2015, marks an important day for Apple fans as the iPad Pro goes finally on sale in 40 countries. The same week, the 12.9-inch tablet will also be available at the Apple retail stores.
The iPad Pro comes in three models, including a 32GB for $799, 128GB for $949, and a 128GB model that also includes cellular connectivity for $1,079.
This time around, buying the tablet may just not be enough, because it’s a big tablet and Apple is also aiming it as a productivity device, just like the Microsoft’s Surface Pro 4, but it’s not as powerful. This means that to be productive, you will need the Smart Keyboard that will cost you an extra $169, and there is also the Apple Pencil that costs $99. (Optional accessories are also available starting November 11.)
While the customers will have to pay premium to get Apple’s own Smart Keyboard, it will be the first cover for an iPad that offers a full-size keyboard. Also, the Smart Keyboard does not connect via Bluetooth, instead it charges and pairs using the three-pin Smart Connector located at the bottom of the tablet.
The Apple Pencil is the other accessory that unlike Surface, it doesn’t come included with the tablet, you will have to purchase it separately, and even more awkward, you have to occasionally recharge it using the Lighting connector. Although, in the real-world the Apple Pencil feels like using a real pencil, it falls shorts to the Surface Pen that includes a tail eraser, a button to call Cortana (in Apple’s case it would be Siri), magnetic attachment, or interchangeable tips. Though, the Apple Pencil does come with the Lightning adapter and extra tip.
If you’re buying the base model of the iPad Pro with the Smart Keyboard and Apple Pencil, then you’re looking to spend around $1,067, which still a few dollars more than the base model Surface Pro 4 with 128GB, Type Cover, and versatile Surface Pen that costs $1,029, but you’re likely to be more productive with a Surface device (opinion).
Who is the iPad Pro for? Apple is specifically targeting business, education, and creative professionals, now that iOS allows users to multitask and the Apple Pencil can help designers and professionals be more productive.
So, what do you get with the iPad Pro? The biggest iPad from Apple sports a 12.9-inch Retina Display with a stunning 5.6 million pixels. Under the hood, it’s powered by an A9X Apple processor and 4GB of memory. The company claims around 10 hours of battery life and reviewers are claiming that the battery life lives up to expectations.
Now that you have some info about the iPad Pro, let’s dive into the technical specifications.
iPad Pro technical specifications
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| Operating System | iOS 9, upgradable to iOS 9.0.2 |
| Dimensions | 305.7 x 220.6 x 6.9 mm (12.04 x 8.69 x 0.27 in) |
| Weight | 713 g (Wi-Fi) / 723 g (LTE) (1.57 lb) |
| Color | Space Gray, Silver, Gold |
| Physical buttons | Power, Volume |
| Display | Screen: 12.9-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit widescreen Multi-Touch display Panel: LED-backlit IPS LCD, capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors Resolution: 2732 x 2048 resolution at 264 pixels per inch (ppi) Aspect ratio: 3:2 Protection: Scratch-resistant glass, oleophobic coating |
| Processor | A9X chip with 64‑bit architecture M9 motion coprocessor |
| Memory | 4GB RAM for all models. |
| Storage | 32GB, 128GB |
| Pen | Apple Pencil |
| Network | Wi‑Fi models: Wi‑Fi (802.11a/b/g/n/ac); dual channel (2.4GHz and 5GHz); HT80 with MIMO Bluetooth 4.2 technology Wi‑Fi + Cellular model: Wi‑Fi (802.11a/b/g/n/ac); dual channel (2.4GHz and 5GHz); HT80 with MIMO Bluetooth 4.2 technology UMTS/HSPA/HSPA+/DC‑HSDPA (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz) CDMA EV-DO Rev. A and Rev. B (800, 1900 MHz) LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 38, 39, 40, 41)4 Data only5 Includes Apple SIM — U.S. and UK only |
| Battery | All models: Built-in 38.5-watt-hour rechargeable lithium-polymer battery Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi‑Fi, watching video, or listening to music Charging via power adapter or USB to computer system Wi-Fi + Cellular model: Up to 9 hours of surfing the web using cellular data network |
| Cameras | iSight camera (rear): 8.0-megapixel Autofocus ƒ/2.4 aperture Five-element lens Hybrid IR filter Backside illumination Improved face detection Exposure control Panorama (up to 43MP) Burst mode Tap to focus Photo geotagging Timer mode Video recording: 1080p HD video recording (30 fps) Slo-mo (120 fps) Time-lapse video with stabilization Video image stabilization Improved face detection 3x video zoom Video geotagging FaceTime HD Camera (front): 1.2-megapixel photos ƒ/2.2 aperture 720p HD video recording Backside illumination Auto HDR photos and videos Improved face detection Burst mode Exposure control Timer mode |
| Sensors | Touch ID Three-axis gyro Accelerometer Barometer Ambient light sensor |
| Audio | Dual microphones for calls, video recording, and audio recording |
| In the Box | iPad Pro Lightning to USB Cable USB Power Adapter |
| Location | All models: Digital compass Wi‑Fi iBeacon microlocation Wi-Fi + Cellular model: Assisted GPS and GLONASS Cellular |
| Pricing | 32GB $799 128GB $949 128GB Wi-Fi + Celluar $1079 |
Initially, the biggest iPad ever will be sold in the United States, Canada, UK, China, Japan, and 36 other countries, including Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Cayman Islands, Czech Republic, Denmark, El Salvador, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greenland, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Hungary, Ireland, Isle of Man, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Russia, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, UAE, Uruguay and the Virgin Islands.
- Buy an iPad Pro from Apple starting at $799
- Buy an Apple Pencil from Apple for $99
- Buy an Smart Keyboard from Apple for $169
Are you getting a brand new iPad Pro? Let us know in the comments below.
Mauro Huculak is a Windows expert and the Editor-in-Chief who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He's also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 12 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows, software, and related technologies, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ & Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, and LinkedIn.