Tag Archives: iPad

iOS, Lifestyle, Mobile, News

[WWDC 2021] Apple Launches iPadOS 15 – Not Just an Enlarged iPhone Anymore

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Apple’s iPadOS has always been very closely related to the iOS. After all, when iPad first launched it was running the regular iOS that was enlarged and optimised for larger displays at 9.7-inch. Over the years though, the iPad had its own development team, and the platform grew very quickly into something rather special on its own. In 2021 then we have the iPadOS 15 for the modern Apple iPad.

The iPadOS 15 really shows the maturity of the iPad tablet platform. It still shares some features with the iOS, especially iOS 15 that was also launched in the same WWDC 2021 conference. It shares the privacy and security features, for example. It shares the same Siri and on-device intelligence as well with iOS 15. But iPadOS 15 is a lot more than that too.

The Widget Life

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For one, widgets has been improved on iPadOS 15. While widgets has been a thing on Apple’s mobile devices, it really comes to its own on iPadOS 15. You can now move and place your widgets anywhere on your home screens to really place the things that matter to you most on your front page.

App Library

When you place widgets though, there might be less room for app icons to be on your home screen. That means you end up with more home screens than you need. That has always been an issue with Apple’s interface. With iPadOS 15 though there is now an App Library. You can now delete apps from your home pages and store these apps for later use in the App Library, kind of like the App Drawer from Android. Actually, it works exactly like that.

Better Multitasking, More Productivty

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Multitasking on the iPadOS is also improved in iPadOS 15. It is plenty more intuitive with a dedicated multitasking button that allows you to launch apps or put apps in split screen mode or in Picture-in-Picture mode. Plus, the multitasking bar allows you to monitor and access all the apps you currently have open. You can close apps from the same page too.

Taking notes on the iPad has always been the natural ground of iPad, especially when Apple introduced their Apple Pencil.  Notes on iPadOS 15 is a lot more intuitive than before though with the addition of Mentions. While Mentions is not something you use when you do not share Notes with others, it helps a lot when the Notes is meant to be shared with other people or your working team. You can create the notes while tagging another person to either assign the work to the person, or to point out the person in-charge of the notes. To make things easier to find, you can add tags too. Just a simple hashtagging of keywords basically to make the notes easier to navigate and to surface important notes.

With Apple Pencil too, iPadOS 15 becomes an essential work tool especially when you are on the move. With the Pencil, you simply swipe up from a corner to bring up quick notes to jot down things like phone numbers, or any other important information quickly and seamlessly. When you browse through the web on Safari, and you find something that would catch your interest, you simply swipe up to bring up quick notes and the option to copy down the website URL will appear. You can even copy sentences or segments of the website with links on notes.

Language Barrier? Not Anymore

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Source: Apple

The Translate app also comes to its own in iPadOS 15. You can now have a natural flowing conversation with other people even if you are speaking different languages now with iPadOS 15. Your iPad automatically translates conversations for you in real-time. Translate also now works with every other thing within the iPadOS ecosystem. It does not stop there though; your iPad is now also your language coach to practice handwritings.

Swift Playgrounds

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To really fulfil the potential that the iPad platform has to offer now though is something Apple calls the Swift Playgrounds. The Swift Playgrounds is Apple’s coding platform the Apple’s own coding language. With the iPad’s Swift Playgrounds, you can either learn to code, or develop a new app from the ground up with the built-in SDK. You can even simulate apps for different platforms with Swift Playgrounds, which also adds a layer of productivity and function for the iPad. If you have Apple’s iPad Pro with M1 chip, this is one of the most sensible additions to the iPadOS.

Availability

Apple’s iPadOS 15 is now available as preview on iPads equipped with Apple A12 Bionic chips or later. The full OS update will be available later in Fall 2021. For more information on Apple’s iPadOS 15, you can visit Apple’s Website.

iOS, Mobile, News

The Apple iPad Pro with Apple M1 chip – The Most Powerful Ever

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When Apple introduced the wonder that is the Apple M1 chip to the world, we had a question. We wondered what would Apple’s iPadOS would look like and feels like with the Apple M1 chip behind it. We could only hope for Apple to inevitably launch their new iPad Pro line-up with the Apple M1 processor; it only makes sense.

We wonder no more when Apple got through its Spring Loaded event this morning (Malaysia time). They announced the highly anticipated updated Apple iPad Pro with the Apple M1 processing chip. Traditionally, the Apple iPad Pro has always come with Apple’s mobile platform. The 2020 variant, for example packs Apples A12Z bionic System on a Chip (SoC). In which case, we always thought of the iPad Pro to be a larger version of the iPad made for light workloads in workplaces.

The Apple M1 chip changes everything we know and thought of the Apple iPad Pro though. The Apple iPad Pro, with the power of a powerful Apple M1 chip that is also found in the Mac, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and even the new iMac should be a completely new beast altogether. It also makes the most powerful iPad Pro ever leaps and bounds better than the older iPad Pro it replaces. The 2021 iPad Pro now makes more sense than ever.

Source: Apple

Do not get us wrong, the iPad Pro still looks like the regular blown-up Apple iPad. You choose between an 11-inch display and a 12.9-inch display. Put the new iPad Pro against the new iPad and the iPad Pro still dwarfs the iPad.

Thanks to Apple’s M1 chip though, the iPad Pro can be more computer than tablet in a lot of areas. For one, you get up to 2TB in high-speed storage instead of a measly 1TB (up to). It is also now a USB Type-C device with Thunderbolt support, finally. That also means you can work off multiple displays with the iPad Pro if you have a Thunderbolt ready display or expansion dock. But most of all, along with 16GB of RAM, the iPad Pro now delivers desktop level performance in a package no larger than a small stack of A4 paper.

The M1 chip has proven itself to be a highly capable chip in the Mac platform and it should prove to be a little bit of an overkill for the likes of iPad OS. But that does not mean that you cannot harness the benefit of the M1 chip on a tablet form factor. The added power also means that you can now process videos quicker and at higher resolutions on top of the iPad Pro itself. The M1 chip also allows the iPad Pro to go through photos and edit them quickly. Very important when you are constantly on-the-go.

Source: Apple

On top of all of that, the Apple iPad Pro with 12.9-inch display features a new Liquid Retina XDR display that features a new age mini-LED design with over 10,000 LEDs backlighting the display to allow brightness at up to 1,600 in peak brightness and 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio. That also means you can rely on this single display when you really need to get your work going on the go. Its True Tone and P3 colour gamut coverage also means that you can even use this display to colour correct all your video footages or even photos. The combination of those two technologies with ProMotion also means you can really enjoy HDR and Dolby Vision contents on the large display.

The Apple iPad Pro also comes packing a 12-Megapixel mean rear camera and a 10-Megapixel ultra-wide camera supported by a LiDAR scanner. While that is nothing really new on an iPad Pro, they are still great cameras for quick video productions even. But the iPad Pro also now supports Centre Stage via its 12-Megapixel front-facing ultra-wide angle camera that automatically keeps you centered in the frame and automatically shifts and zooms as other people joins the call or when you move around. Of course, the 12-Megapixel sensor allows you to have a Full HD video call experience via FaceTime along with Face ID features.

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The Apple iPad Pro will be available for orders 30th April 2021 onward and ship May 2021 onward in selected markets. You can choose between two colour variants and two screen sizes, Space Grey or Silver, and 11-inch (Liquid Retina) or 12.9-inch (Liquid Retina XDR). Storage options start from 128GB all the way to 2TB. The WiFi only variant of the iPad Pro (11-inch) starts at US$ 749(MYR 3,499*)  while the cellular (5G capable) variant starts at US$ 999 (MYR4,149*). The 12.9-inch starts at US$ 1,099 (MYR 4,799*) for the WiFi only variant and the cellular (5G capable) variant starts at US$ 1,299 (MYR 5,499*).

*Official Malaysia pricing as per Apple Malaysia

iOS, Mobile, News

The 8th Generation iPad and Apple iPad Air for 2020 Are the Most Powerful Tablets in Their Classes

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This year marks 10 years of Apple’s iconic iPad. The Apple iPad was introduced back in 2010 as an alternative Apple experience. To most, it is just an enlarged iPhone. The iPad has evolved to plenty more than just a glorified tablet sized iPhone though. It has become an essential productivity, entertainment, and multitasking tool.

The 7th Generation Apple iPad is also made to be more affordable than ever. This year, the 8th Generation Apple iPad is just as affordable and even more powerful than before. The 8th Generation Apple iPad can now be your full-time work and play partner. The new Apple iPad Air is even more powerful, a powerhouse that you can use as an essential production tool.

The New 8th Generation Apple iPad (2020)

Source: Apple

The new iPad now comes packing a powerhouse in the form of the Apple A12 Bionic 6-core System on a Chip (SoC). While that is not a new SoC, it is still a powerful enough SoC to work with even the latest games from Apple’s App Store.

The A12 Bionic SoC though comes with a Neural Engine, which also means that the Apple iPad comes with a dedicated Machine Learning core for the first time. That also means a clever and instant smart photo editor on the new Apple iPad. The A12 Bionic is also capable of clever motion tracking and analysis that you can use in various settings.

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That is not all power that the new A12 Bionic boasts though. The A12 Bionic is even more efficient that before too. That also means that the Apple iPad can remain as slim and retain its all-day battery life even with its large 10.2-inch Retina display.

iPadOS 14 on The New Apple iPad

With the latest iPadOS on the new Apple iPad, the Apple Pencil is even more powerful and better than before. Hand-written notes can be converted to typed texts in an instant, as long as your handwriting is clear enough to read. This is especially helpful when you are out in the field and have no surfaces to type on.

The All-New Apple iPad Air

Source: Apple

The Apple ipad Air for 2020 is the most powerful Apple iPad ever with Apple’s brand new SoC. Before we get there though, the Apple iPad Air is even more colourful too at the same time. The Apple iPad Air now comes in 5 different colours now. For the first time ever too, the Apple ipad Air is charged via a USB Type-C port instead of an Apple proprietary Lightning port.

It is also compatible with Apple’s Pencil. In fact, you can attach the Apple pencil to the side of the iPad Air magnetically. The size is also perfect for Apple’s existing magic keyboard attachment. Narrower bezel allows the iPad Air to have an expansive 10.9-inch Retina display though.

The retina display is a beautiful display though. It is a full laminated display with True Tone colours and DCI P3 certification. That also means that the display is perfect for those working in the creative industry. Even if you need it for photo editing on the go, the display will take care of you.

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The Apple iPad Air for 2020 is also the first Apple device to integrate Apple’s Touch ID with its power button. It also boasts 12-Megapixel main camera out the back and a 7-Megapixel front-facing camera. The main camera is capable of 4K resolution video recording too, just in case you need it. For entertainment purposes, you get stereo speakers that is enabled in landscape mode.

The A14 Bionic Processor

The Apple iPad Air packs Apple’s latest A14 Bionic SoC. It is Apple’s latest, most powerful, and most advanced processor to ever come out of Cupertino. But it is not just Apple’s most advanced SoC to date, it is probably the world’s most advanced mobile processor to date.

The A14 Bionic SoC is the first ever production 5nm consumer grade SoC in the world with 11.8 billion transistors. It is supposed to be more powerful than a modern entry-level notebook. It is 40% more powerful than the A13 Bionic that is currently powering the Apple iPhone XS. It packs 30% more graphical performance compared to the A13 bionic too for what Apple claims to be console level gaming experience. That and 4K video editing capability.

The A14 Bionic SoC also packs a dedicated 16-core neural processor. The more powerful neural processor also allows the new iPad Air to process 11 trillion operations within a second. Thanks to that, machine learning on the iPad Air is even more powerful.

Availability and Pricing

The 8th Generation Apple iPad will be available in the usual Space Grey, Silver, and Gold colour options. There are only two storage variants for the Apple iPad though, 32GB and 128GB variants. The Apple iPad will be available soon in the United States this Friday onward for US$ 329 (WiFi only) and US$ 459 (WiFi + Cellular) onward. There are no official word on Malaysia’s availability though there is already Malaysian pricing. The Apple iPad will be available in Malaysia for MYR 1,449 (WiFi only) and MYR 1,999 (WiFi + Cellular) onward.

The Apple iPad Air, as mentioned comes in 5 different colours. You can choose between Space Grey, Silver, Rose Gold, Green, and Sky Blue Colour options. The Apple iPad Air will be available in the United States market next month onward for US$ 599 (WiFi only) onward and US$ 729 (WiFi + Cellular) onward. There is no official word on Malaysia’s availability. The iPad Air will be available starting from MYR 2,599 (WiFi only) and MYR 3,149 (WiFi + Cellular) onward.

Computers, Mobile, News

Apple’s New iPad Pro Has LiDAR & TrackPad Support

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The iPad Pro turned heads when it was first launched back in June 2017. Many were asking where this large tablet would sit in the continuum of devices that is available to the consumer. However, the iPad Pro became one of the most revered devices for creatives and those looking to be productive on the go.

The 2020 iPad Pro ups the ante with Apple’s new A12Z Bionic chip. The A12Z succeeds the A12X SoC (System on a Chip) which Apple introduced with the previous generation iPad Pro. The new processor comes with 8-cores; 4 of which are optimized for performance while another 4 are optimized for efficiency. Apple touts that this processor makes the new iPad Pro “faster and more powerful than most Windows PC laptops”.

The new iPad Pro is, once again, made for creatives looking to work on the go. Apple’s A12Z Bionic chip makes it possible to edit 4K video and design 3D models on the iPad. According to Apple, the chip also comes with enhanced thermal architecture and fine-tuned performance which allows it to handle larger workloads than previous iPads. The performance of the iPad Pro 2020 is enhanced further with the Neural Engine of the A12Z which allows next generation apps to run.

The display on the iPad Pro 2020 is a near bezelless Liquid Retina display. Both the 11-inch and the 12.9-inch iPad Pro will come with Apple’s most advanced display yet. The new display has support for the DCI-P3 gamut which makes colour reproduction more accurate than ever. This is enhanced with ProMotion technology which automatically adjusts the refresh rate up to 120Hz for smooth scrolling and better responsiveness.

The camera module on the new iPad Pro comes with a dual sensor setup. It is equipped with 12-megapixel, wide angle sensor with an aperture of f/1.8 and a 10- megapixel, ultra-wide sensor with an f/2.4 aperture and 125° field of view. The camera setup supports up to 5x Zoom, Smart HDR, Auto image stabilization and 4K video recording at up to 60 fps.

The biggest change on the new iPad is the inclusion of a LiDAR Scanner module. This module allows the iPad to measure the distance between it and surrounding objects for up to 5 meters. This will work both indoors and outdoors. The LiDAR sensor works in tandem with the cameras and motion sensor to enable a whole new level of AR experiences. Apple has announced that apps developed on its ARKit technology will automatically be able to make use of the sensors when the ARKit updates.

Apple also brings the iPad Pro one step closer as the rival to the Surface Pro from Microsoft with the addition of trackpad support. The support comes with an updated iPadOS and likely will make its way to older iPads. However, the new iPad Pro is the only iPad with a Magic Keyboard. The new Magic Keyboard has a unique floating design which allows the iPad to shine. It also comes with USB-C pass-through for charging. Like the Magic keyboard on the recently announced MacBook Air, the magic Keyboard comes with 1mm travel for a better overall typing experience.

Pricing & Availability

The new iPad Pro will be available in Space Gray and Silver starting today on Apple’s website. It will be available in stores starting next week in 30 countries including the United States.

The 11-inch iPad Pro will be retailing for USD$799 for the WiFi only model and USD$949 for the WiFi and cellular version. These prices are for the 128GB version of the iPad, there are options for 256GB (USD$899 WiFi; USD$1,049 WiFi + Cellular), 512GB (USD$1099 WiFi; USD$1,249 WiFi + Cellular ) and 1TB (USD$1,299 WiFi; USD$1,449 WiFi + Cellular ) of storage.

The 12.9-inch version starts at USD$999 for the WiFi only model and USD$1,149 for the WiFi and cellular model. As with its smaller sibling, the prices mentioned are for its 128GB version. There are also 256GB (USD$999 WiFi; USD$1,249 WiFi + Cellular), 512GB (USD$1,299 WiFi; USD$1,449 WiFi + Cellular) and 1TB (USD$1,499 WiFi; USD$1,649 WiFi + Cellular) versions.

In Malaysia, these Models are priced as follows:

iPad Pro (11-inch) (MYR)
  128GB 256GB 512GB 1TB
WiFi 3,499 3,949 4,849 5,749
WiFi + Cellular 4,149 4,599 5,499 6,399
iPad Pro (12.9-inch) (MYR)
  128GB 256GB 512GB 1TB
WiFi 4,399 4,849 5,749 6,649
WiFi + Cellular 5,049 5,499 6,399 7,299