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Apple quietly unveils the new iPad Pro

Now with better cameras, LiDAR Scanner, and Trackpad Support

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It’s been a while since Apple updated the iPad Pro. Six months ago, there was a leak that showed the new camera setup a la iPhone 11 Pro — and now it’s finally confirmed as Apple quietly announced the new iPad Pro for 2020.

Pro performance and trackpad support

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The new iPad Pro features a newer A12Z Bionic Chipset. Built to meet your needs, it can handle tasks like 4K video editing or even 3D modeling. It’s currently the highest performing iPad in the market. Apple even claims that it performs faster than most Windows laptops.

With its incredible performance, the power-efficient eight-core chipset also saves battery life by up to 10 hours of usage. Although it doesn’t support 5G yet, it promises faster Wi-Fi connectivity and LTE speed is 60 percent faster with more LTE band support.

With the newer iPadOS 13.4, it now has a trackpad support. It’s responsible for making the user’s typing experience more natural, while text selection is more precise. The cursor displays as a circle which highlights UI elements, text fields, and even apps on both the home screen and dock. It also lets you enjoy web scrolling, photo viewing, organizing mails, text editing, presentations, spreadsheets, and more.

Pro audiovisual experience

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Just like its predecessor, the new iPad Pro features an edge-to-edge Liquid Retina Display that comes in two sizes — 11-inch and a bigger 12.9-inch. TrueTone still exists to automatically adjust screen tint. Thanks to ProMotion technology, you’ll still enjoy fluid animations with 120Hz refresh rate. It also supports P3 wide color display gamut with vivid colors and better contrast which makes it the world’s “most advanced mobile display”.

As the new iPad Pro are made for professionals and content creators, the audio experience is also upgraded. You get five studio-quality microphones for a cleaner and more dynamic audio. Other than that, you also get a four-speaker setup which brings an immersive audio experience right in front of you.

Pro cameras

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Even though the new iPad Pro has an iPhone 11 Pro-like camera bump, don’t be mistaken as it only features a dual camera setup instead of three. Nonetheless, it’s still an upgrade from last year’s iPad Pro. There’s a 12-megapixel wide camera for your regular shots, combined with a 10-megapixel ultra-wide camera for a wider shot perspective. It improves not just photo capabilities, but also video shooting meant for the creative pros.

The third sensor you’ll find on the square cutout is the LiDAR Scanner — a breakthrough feature of the new iPad Pro. The scanner is responsible for measuring distance of objects around you of up to 5 meters away. Whether indoors or outdoors, you’ll have a great AR experience with Apple’s new tablet.

It also improves your usage with the Measure app. The scanner can automatically calculate someone’s height while measuring the width and length of objects is faster and more accurate. The app now comes with Ruler View that displays precise measurements and allows the user to save everything through screenshots for future use.

Pro accessories

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The new iPad Pro comes with new accessories including the second-generation Apple Pencil and an updated Smart Keyboard Folio. Other than those accessories, the new Magic Keyboard now features a floating design with cantilevered hinges that allow smooth adjustments of viewing angles up to 130 degrees. The keyboard design relies on scissor mechanism that delivers 1mm travel and has backlit support.

The new keyboard also features USB-C pass-through charging which keeps the USB-C port on the new iPad Pro free for accessories like external drives and displays. There’s also the click-anywhere trackpad for easy navigation and precise touch experience and adjustments.

Pricing and availability

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You can order the new iPad Pro on Apple’s website right now. Starting with the 11-inch new iPad Pro, the base model (128GB + Wi-Fi only) starts at US$ 799 while the Wi-Fi + Cellular model with base storage has a retail price of US$ 949. Meanwhile, the base configuration of the bigger 12.9-inch new iPad Pro starts at US$ 999 and the Wi-Fi + cellular model retails at US$ 1,149.

Other than the 128GB storage option, you also get to choose between 256GB, 512GB, and even a 1TB configuration. Color options are limited to silver and space gray only.

For the accessories, the new Magic Keyboard will be available starting in May for US$ 299 (11-inch model) and US$ 349 (12.9-inch). Meanwhile the new Smart Keyboard Folio is being sold for US$ 179 and US$ 199 respectively. Lastly, the second-generation Apple Pencil retails at US$ 129.

Gaming

Nintendo officially announces Ocarina of Time remake

Coming in 2026.

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There are a few titles that an overwheling majority of gamers consider as an absolute must-play for other gamers. One of those titles is The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Originally launched for the Nintendo 64, it’s not easy to play the iconic game today. But, later this year, the game is about to get much more accessible. Nintendo has officially announced a remake of Ocarina of Time.

Modern gamers might not realize the effect of the original Ocarina of Time on the RPG genre. Besides adding a third dimension to the then-fledgling Legend of Zelda series, the 1998 game also revolutionized the gaming world by popularizing targeting systems. That, and the refining of the formula in Majora’s Mask, makes Ocarina an essential in gaming history.

During today’s Nintendo Direct, the company capped off the hour-long presentations by announcing a remake of the game. Though the short, short trailer didn’t reveal any gameplay, it did confirm that the remake will retain the original’s more whimsical art style, as opposed to the realism put forth by the Breath of the Wild duology.

It’s not the first re-release for the game, though. In the past, Nintendo released remastered versions of the game for the GameCube and the 3DS. This is, however, the first official remake of the title for a much more modern system.

We didn’t know when the remake will officially launch, but it’s coming out within this year.

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Apple has essentially confirmed the launch of the iPhone Fold

Some hidden references were not hidden enough.

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No, Apple did not officially launch the iPhone Fold yet.

However, WWDC 2026 had a few surprises for those attentive enough to go deeper into the event’s announcements. And it all revolves around iOS 27.

Of course, the main event of WWDC 2026 is the first peek into the upcoming mobile operating system. Though we already covered everything that Apple visibly announced, something hidden has essentially confirmed the band’s first foldable phone.

On X, Sam Henri Gold, an engineer, spotted a few crucial references to a foldable form factor. Hidden underneath the recently released iOS 27 beta are mentions of “foldState” and “angleDegrees.” The code also includes references to the number of displays a single device has.

Notably, iOS 26 did not include such mentions. It can’t be purely coincidental. Unless Apple is suddenly shipping iOS 27 out to foldables from other brands (highly unlikely), this is the prelude to an iPhone Fold coming later this year.

Now, rumors of an iPhone Fold have been making the rounds for a while now. But they haven’t been as strong as this year. There’s heavy speculation that the brand’s first foldable phone is coming later this fall.

There’s still a nonzero chance that it makes an appearance during WWDC 2026, but don’t put all your eggs in this basket. Apple traditionally reserves the conference for software developments. Fall is the usual playing ground for Apple’s hardware.

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Apple Intelligence gets smarter across apps

Beyond Siri AI

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Apple Intelligence

Alongside the debut of Siri AI at WWDC26, Apple also unveiled the next generation of Apple Intelligence, bringing new AI-powered features to Photos, Safari, Messages, Shortcuts, Home, and other apps across its ecosystem.

Powered by a new privacy-focused architecture, Apple Intelligence now integrates more deeply across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, AirPods, and Apple Vision Pro. The company says the update makes everyday tasks easier with smarter editing tools, improved web browsing, more capable communication features, and expanded automation options.

New AI editing tools come to Photos

Apple is introducing several new editing features to Photos.

Spatial Reframing lets users adjust the composition of a photo after it has been taken. The feature uses AI to generate only the parts of an image needed to accommodate the new perspective while keeping the original scene intact.

The Photos app is also gaining an upgraded Extend tool, which can expand images, straighten horizons, and adjust aspect ratios without cropping out important elements. Meanwhile, the Clean Up tool now delivers more realistic results when removing unwanted objects from photos. Apple says AI-edited images will automatically include a hidden SynthID watermark.

Safari gets smarter browsing features

Apple Intelligence is also changing how Safari works.

A new feature automatically organizes tabs into topics, making it easier to manage research, trip planning, and other projects spread across multiple pages. Safari can continue grouping new tabs into existing topics as users browse.

Another feature called Notify Me can monitor webpages for changes, such as product restocks or price drops, and send notifications when updates occur. Safari can also generate custom browser extensions through a new Describe an Extension tool that builds extensions based on a user’s written instructions.

Apple is also expanding the capabilities of the Passwords app. Eligible accounts can now be automatically upgraded to stronger passwords, with Apple Intelligence handling the process on a user’s behalf.

Messages, Calendar, and Shortcuts gain AI assistance

Messages and Mail are becoming more proactive with contextual suggestions.

Users can receive one-tap recommendations to create reminders or notes based on conversations. Messages can also help locate specific photos by recognizing people, locations, and keywords mentioned in chats. Smart Reply can now adapt responses based on a user’s writing style.

Apple is also bringing AI assistance to Calendar and Shortcuts. Users can create calendar events simply by describing them, while a new Describe a Shortcut feature can automatically build automations based on natural language instructions.

The Phone app is gaining Call Context, which can surface information such as reservation numbers and confirmation codes when users contact a business. Apple says the feature runs entirely on-device and does not share information with the company.

New features for Home and accessibility

The Home app is becoming smarter with AI-generated video descriptions and improved search tools for HomeKit Secure Video cameras.

Users can search security camera footage using natural language and review automatically highlighted noteworthy events. Apple Intelligence can also group related notifications into a single activity to reduce clutter.

Accessibility features are also receiving upgrades. VoiceOver can provide richer image descriptions, while Voice Control allows users to describe onscreen controls instead of memorizing exact button names. Accessibility Reader now supports more complex documents and can provide summaries and translations on demand.

Availability

The new Apple Intelligence features are available for developer testing starting today through the Apple Developer Program. A public beta will launch next month through the Apple Beta Software Program.

Apple plans to release the features this fall as part of iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, and visionOS 27 for supported Apple Intelligence-compatible devices.

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