Apple adds new iPad Pro with LIDAR and more…

 The new iPad Pro and Magic Keyboard

The new iPad Pro and Magic Keyboard.

This month, Apple is releasing a new iPadPro with optional Magic Keyboard and trackpad support.

I read the reviews…and some make sense: why? This is expensive and the LIDAR for AR is before the cart, so to speak. I just know too many cool uses and also that fragility of Apple design for replacement costs… but hey, watch their pro-mo video on it!

You can read more about the technical specifications.
Apple keeps saying that iPads are not a computer but then they taunt this as your next “computer that is not a computer”. Honestly, I think many do not need a computer, and just a tablet and phone. But durability is not Apple. And reasonable cost is not Apple.

Read the pricing below, but I think that for the value, a loaded 13″ MacbookAir would do all you need (except the LIDAR and pencil). Think about the new MacbookAir at $1499 for 16GB ram, and 512GB storage vs a 12.5″ iPad ($1299 with 512GB), plus add ($349) for the Magic Keyboard and another ($129) for the Pencil. That is more than the MacbookAir. Oh, and if you are worried, AppleCare+ should be a no-brainer at $199-249.

Now the OUCH in Pricing:
The new 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro will be available in silver and space gray finishes. A starting configuration of 128GB offers pro customers more room for their apps and content, along with 256GB, 512GB and 1TB configurations.

The 11-inch iPad Pro starts at $799 (US) for the Wi-Fi model and $949 (US) for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model, and the 12.9-inch iPad Pro starts at $999 (US) for the Wi-Fi model and $1,149 (US) for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model.

Trackpad support will be available on any iPad running iPadOS 13.4, and work with Apple’s Magic Mouse 2, Magic Trackpad 2 and the Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro. Third-party mice connected over Bluetooth or USB are also supported.

The Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro will be available for purchase in May for $299 (US) for the 11-inch iPad Pro and $349 (US) for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro with layouts for over 30 languages, including simplified Chinese, French, German, Japanese and Spanish.

The second-generation Apple Pencil for iPad Pro is available for $129 (US). The new Smart Keyboard Folio for the new iPad Pro is available in space gray for $179 (US) for the 11-inch iPad Pro and $199 (US) for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro with layouts for over 30 languages, including simplified Chinese, French, German, Japanese and Spanish.

IpadPro profile from side with magic keyboard attached
Looks helluva lot like Surface Pro from Microsoft.

Anyone else think this looks like A Surface Pro in this shot?

iPadOS 13.4 with trackpad support will be available on March 24 as a free software update for all iPad Pro models, iPad Air 2 and later, iPad 5th generation and later, and iPad mini 4 and later.