LOS ANGELES – At $999, Apple's new 12.9-inch iPad Pro, out next week, is the most expensive iPad tablet ever. That's double the price of the first iPad, introduced in 2010, which had an opening price of $499. Sure, there's the 11-inch version starting at $799, but at Talking Tech we are taking the perspective of go big or go home. Consumers eager to snap up the new iPad with the 12.9-inch screen, edge-to-edge display that resembles current, premium iPhones and FaceID to unlock the device will pay a lot more than just one grand if they plan on souping it up. For that, we get almost $3,000 – once we add in taxes, fees, accessories and two-year support from Apple Care. This compares to $899 for the starting price of Microsoft's Surface Pro 6, with 11.5-inch screen, 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage. If you add in $99 for pen and $129 for cover, that totals $1,127. Or compare it to $799 for Google's soon-to-launch PixelSlate, with a 12.3-inch screen, 8 GB RAM and 64 GB of storage, similar to the iPad Pro specs. Add $199 for keyboard and $99 for pen for a total of $1,097. Even the new MacBook Air, which starts at $1,199, would be slightly less than the new iPad Pro, with more functionality, if souped up, coming in at $2,631.91, with a 1.5 terabyte solid state hard drive, 8 GB of RAM, Apple Care and tax. While the top-of-the-line iPad Pro starts at $999 for 64 GB of storage, it's $1,149 if you add in cellular connectivity. Add different storage combinations and watch the price creep up: $1,149 (or $1,299 with cellular) for 256 GB storage, $1,349 (or $1,499) for 512 GB and $1,749 (or $1,899) for the new 1 terabyte offering. Then, start adding the accessories. —The Pencil, for drawing on the iPad, $129. —Keyboard, for typing on the iPad like a computer, $199. —Case: $99 —USB-C SD card reader, for photographers to import their photos. $39 —USB-C to USB dongle. The new iPad switches from the Lightning port, which iPhone users turn to for iPhone charges, to USB-C. So if you want to, say, charge your iPhone in an iPad that's connected to power, you'll need the $19 dongle. This all comes to $2,384. Add AppleCare, tax and fees (from where we are in Los Angeles), you're looking at a final tally of $2,756.74. While the new iPad Pro is touted as a laptop replacement for creative pros, it still hobbles the users. Unlike, say, a MacBook Pro laptop that also has a USB-C slot for charging the computer and plugging in an external hard drive – essential for filmmakers, photographers and the like, you cannot plug a drive into the USB-C slot, Apple says. Readers, what do you think? Would you pay nearly $3,000 for the new, top-of-the-line iPad Pro, which goes on sale Nov. 7? Let's talk about it on Twitter, where I'm @jeffersongraham<doc-sep>My 2017 iPad Pro, with uncanny timing, has started acting up these past few days. All of a sudden there's a patch of lighter-than-the-rest pixels at the bottom of the screen, and I can't stop looking at it. It's the proverbial fly in the ointment, the stain you can't remove: a reminder that even mighty Apple technology will break down and die, faster than you'd like. So when Apple came calling with a new iPad Pro lineup Tuesday morning — without mentioning it costs more than $2,300 at the upper end — I was probably more vulnerable to the sales pitch than the average fanboy. *A 1TB iPad Pro w/ cellular, Apple Care, Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard is actually $2356* (the 15-inch MacBook Pro starts at $2399 by comparison) pic.twitter.com/wal9tS5Sev — Karissa Bell (@karissabe) October 30, 2018 I was dazzled by the 12.6-inch iPad, or rather by the reduced bezel size that trimmed this former monster to the size of legal paper — not that much larger overall than my current 10.1-inch device with larger bezel and case. (Those numbers refer to the size of the screen itself, rather than screen plus bezel; by keeping the former the same, the device shrinks.) I was most definitely seduced by the new flat-sided Apple Pencil, which attaches magnetically to the side of the new iPad Pro — and wirelessly charges at the same time! With my current round Pencil, I had to buy a third-party Pencil-holding case to keep it close, and I invariably forget to plug the Pencil into the lightning port. At the same time, I was sad that Apple had removed the headphone jack (again! ), and that it was forcing iPad Pro upgraders to use the insecure Face ID system rather than Touch ID. So much for Pro users who want to listen on superior wired headphones without a mass of dongles, or unlock their iPad Pro while wearing a hat and shades. Ironically, Apple had just revealed it was keeping the headphone jack in the new MacBook Air, and, uh, adding Touch ID. So the company clearly understands that both are important to computer users. And yet it claims to be pitching the iPad Pro at the computer-buying market. Your wallet says no. Your heart says go. And then there was the price tag. To be clear, $2,356 is what it costs for a one-terabyte 12.6-inch iPad Pro with Pencil, Smart Keyboard and Apple Care. (We haven't included the cost of any cases or extra adapters you might need; the iPad Pro charges via USB-C rather than lightning, so anything you attached to your iPad via the old cable system will need to be upgraded with a new dongle.) Sure, not all iPad Pro buyers are going all-out like that. But here's my guess: Apple is going to be extraordinarily good at upselling on this one. In fact, most users are probably going to upsell themselves. If you're in the market for an iPad Pro, why not get the maximum storage? Think of everything you could do with a 1TB device — especially now that you can use fully-fledged Photoshop on it. Not to mention the console-style games Apple is pushing hard (the launch event included a demo of NBA 2K19). This, of course, is Apple's M.O. It's the reason why they don't just issue a press release every year. The product introductions are riots of color and form and function; marketing so good you don't even realize it's marketing. It's easy to imagine the best version of yourself, if only you had this beautiful new, light yet giant screen in your hand. Your wallet says no. Your heart says go. Also part of Apple's M.O. in the Tim Cook era, unfortunately, is this "my way or the highway" approach to technology upgrades. You need to plug in an aux cable, for whatever reason? You prefer the secure fingerprint-unlocking system of Touch ID? Tough shit. Go buy a new MacBook Air instead. You have a million lightning cables? Go buy a million USB-C cables. On the pricing front, Apple has always eschewed the low-range market — but now it appears to be eschewing the midrange market, too. It's all about high-end purchasers these days, or making midrange people max out their credit cards, and if that isn't a metaphor for America as a whole I don't know what is. We're used to this approach on the smartphone side of things. Because they are smaller and more frequently used, we even forgive it. We watched Apple release a $1,449 iPhone XS with no Touch ID and no headphone jack, and we said nothing. Then they came for the iPad Pros. Will I get the new iPad Pro anyway? It seems very likely that I will. After all, in order to fix the too-bright patch of pixels on my current device, I will have to walk into the Apple Store. There I will walk past a gleaming display of spanking new slim 1TB iPad Pros, with impossibly large screens, impossibly small bezels, magnetic Pencils attached to perfectly machined, recycled aluminum sides. And right there, I will picture my best self living my best life. My wallet doesn't stand a chance.<doc-sep>Apple announced updated iPad Pro and Macs today that are more powerful, thinner, and lighter. But along with all the advancements come more expensive prices. While the new tablet starts at $800, a maxed out iPad Pro costs almost $2,000 and that’s without any accessories. The new MacBook Air and Mac mini also become quite expensive with upgrades, going north of $2,500 and $4,000, respectively. The new 11- and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models start at $150 and $200 dollars more expensive, respectively, than last year’s lineup. The base model 11-inch iPad Pro with Wi-Fi costs $800 with 64GB of storage, while the 12.9-inch Wi-Fi version runs $1,000. For those adding 1TB of storage with the cellular model, the maxed out iPad Pro prices almost double to $1,699 for the 11-inch and $1,899 for the 12.9-inch. Add in a Smart Folio or Smart Keyboard Folio, the new Apple Pencil, AppleCare+, and tax and you’re looking at around $2,200-$2,600. While the MacBook Air has long been Apple’s budget notebook, today’s improvements to the newest model also means a higher price. Previously starting at $999, the 2018 MacBook Air includes a $200 price hike that puts it at $1,199. But if you opt for 16GB RAM and the 1.5TB SSD and you’re now looking at a price in the MacBook Pro range of $2,600. Lastly, the Mac mini received its highly anticipated update today. The new models offer four or six-core processors and can really be upgraded across the board. The base model starts out at $800, but quickly climbs to $4,200 with the 6-core Intel i7 processor, 64GB RAM, 2TB SSD, and 10 Gigabit Ethernet upgrade. After the iPhone XS and XS Max became the company’s most expensive iPhones to date, these latest iPad and Macs have followed suit. What about you? Do you think the base models are sufficient the for the iPad Pros and Macs, or is Apple expecting most users to buy upgraded machines? Keep up with all of today’s announcements with our October Event news hub. Check out 9to5Mac on YouTube for more Apple news: FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More. Check out 9to5Mac on YouTube for more Apple news:<doc-sep>Apple unveiled its latest iPad Pro models and Mac computers at an event in Brooklyn on Tuesday, offering long-awaited updates to some of its most popular devices. The new iPad Pros eliminate the home button and incorporate Apple's facial recognition technology, Face ID, that was introduced with the company's iPhone X product line last year. The tablets feature the same edge-to-edge LCD display that Apple introduced with the recently released iPhone XR, and they come with 11- and 12.9-inch displays. The Pro is thinner than ever and comes with sharper edges. The iPads run on A12X bionic chips, a notch more powerful than Apple's high-end iPhone XS and XS Max smartphones. They ship with up to 1 terabyte of storage, and trade out Apple's typical Lightning port for a USB-C port, similar to high-end computers. The USB-C port will also let users connect accessories like digital cameras and high-resolution desktop displays to the iPad Pro. It does not have a traditional headphone jack, which means you will need an adapter to plug in your headphones. The new iPad Pro starts at $799 for the 11-inch model and $999 for the 12.9-inch model. Both models are available to order Tuesday and will arrive on Nov. 7. Apple updated its high-tech stylus, the Apple Pencil, as well. It now magnetically attaches to the tablet to charge wirelessly. It also has touch gestures for switching between digital drawing tools on the iPad.<doc-sep>
After months of rumors, Apple has today announced a completely redesigned iPad Pro with slimmed-down bezels, Face ID, a USB-C port, and far more powerful specs than its predecessor. Just like prior years, the new iPad Pro comes in two screen sizes: 11 inches and 12.9 inches. The 11-inch model has essentially the same proportions as the prior 10.5-inch model. And the 12.9-inch model puts the same-sized display into a much smaller form factor. The new iPad Pro starts at $799 for the 11-inch and $999 for the 12.9-inch. Preorders begin today, and it ships on November 7th. The new Pro is the company’s first iPad not to include a home button, which allowed Apple to extend the screen vertically for a much more immersive experience. The bezels have been downsized on all four sides. Like the iPhone XR, Apple is referring to this screen as a Liquid Retina Display. Both sizes offer Apple’s ProMotion technology for smooth, fluid display performance. With the removal of the home button, the new iPads will fully adopt the gesture navigation that debuted on the iPhone X. But something else has been removed, too: the headphone jack. There’s no 3.5mm port visible on any of the device’s sides, meaning that buyers will need a USB-C to headphone dongle to listen to music through wired headphones. Apple will be releasing its own $9 headphone adapter — no, there’s not one in the box — along with other USB-C accessories. Both iPad Pros feature Face ID and the TrueDepth camera setup that also began with the iPhone X. But unlike the iPhone X, XS, and XR, the new iPad Pro lacks a notch; its Face ID components are housed in the top, flat bezel. On the iPad, Face ID can work when the device is oriented horizontally, like when it’s connected to a keyboard, for example. Adding Face ID means that Animoji and Memoji will be coming to the iPad for the first time. The 2018 iPad Pros are powered by Apple’s new A12X Bionic chip with an 8-core CPU and 7-core GPU. This leads to 35 percent faster single-core performance and a leap to 90 percent faster for multicore tasks. As for the GPU, Apple’s Jon Ternus said, “The iPad Pro delivers Xbox One S class graphics performance in a package that is much smaller.” It will offer up to 1TB of built-in flash storage. The iPad’s transition away from Apple’s proprietary Lightning connector to USB-C is a move that the company hasn’t yet deemed to be right for its iPhones. The recently released iPhones XS and XR continue to use Lightning. But putting USB-C in an iPad further cements the device’s place as a computer alternative — if not yet a full replacement. The new port opens new capabilities for the iPad Pro such as charge out; it can provide power to a connected iPhone, for example. The iPad Pro can be connected to displays ranging up to 5K resolution. The new iPad Pros have four speakers that deliver wider stereo sound, a 12-megapixel camera (capable of 4K/60 video recording), and offer gigabit LTE on cellular models. They’ll ship with an 18-watt charger in the box, and Apple says battery life is good for up to 10 hours of continuous use. Apple is also introducing a redesigned $129 Apple Pencil alongside its latest iPads. The annoying charging method that required plugging the Pencil directly into the iPad is gone. Now, it attaches to the tablet magnetically and charges wirelessly. Tapping the iPad Pro with the Pencil will immediately wake the device and launch Notes. And other touch gestures — open to third-party developers — can switch between tools in productivity apps and execute other actions. Additionally, Apple is updating the old Smart Keyboard, now called the Smart Keyboard Folio, to allow the iPad to sit at two different typing angles. Unfortunately, it’s gotten more expensive at $179. “We sold more iPads in the last year than the entire notebook lineup of all of the biggest notebook vendors,” CEO Tim Cook said. He said Apple has sold a total of more than 400 million iPads.