Apple’s 2020 line-up of iPad Pro tablets are edging closer to PCs than ever before

When it comes to tablet devices, Apple pretty much rules the market. Samsung and Huawei may have some great devices, but their hardware advances pale in comparison to Apple’s regular rollout of iPads that leverage both its internal tech and optimised software to create a smooth experience. Heck, I should know: I just got myself an iPad Pro a few weeks ago.

Just in time for a new iPad Pro to be announced. DAMMIT APPLE! Anyway, what has changed? On the surface (no not you Microsoft), not much! The 2020 iPad Pro will still ship in 11 and 12.9 inch sizes and will still feature that lovely square design that sets it apart from the regular and Air models of the tablet.

Inside, it’s a different story. There’s the usual upgraded processor and a new triple camera setup with which to snap pictures and be the odd guy out at a festival for using your tablet to do so, with the real money-making feature being a LIDAR scanner that can sense depth and be used for augmented reality apps. Apple’s latest processor is now the A12Z Bionic Chip, an eight-core beast that Apple claims is “more powerful than most Windows PC laptops.”

Funny thing is, the latest iPad Pro may be closer in design to a PC than ever before if you grab the new keyboard designed for it. It has new options for elevating the tablet, but it also has a trackpad that Apple says has been completely reimagined for iPad Pro. Keys are backlit, USB-C passthrough charging is available and yes it’ll cost too much probably when it arrives in May. The US price alone is $299 for the 11 inch model keyboard and $350 for the 12.9 inch big boy version.

As for the iPad Pro models themselves? They’ll come in their usual silver and grey colour schemes, with models having a starting storage space size of 128gb and then stretching to 256gb, 512gb and an entire terabyte. I’m still waiting for official pricing on this for when it eventually lands on our shores, as the US price for a 12.9 inch iPad Pro with 1TB of space and LTE support alone will cost $1649 in the US of A.

For comparison’s sake, a 2018 iPad Pro with the same specs wil set you back close to R30 000. Still worth it I reckon.

Last Updated: March 19, 2020