News
iPad Pro with M4 chip now official
Apple Pencil Pro also announced
We knew it was gonna be new iPads and we weren’t disappointed. Top billing Apple’s May event is the iPad Pro powered by the M4 chip. It also comes with an advanced display and can be accompanied by the new Apple Pencil Pro.
Thin for the win
The new iPad Pro is the company’s thinnest product ever. The 11-inch model is just 5.3 mm thin, and the 13-inch model is even thinner at a striking 5.1 mm. The 11-inch model weighs less than a pound, and the 13-inch model is nearly a quarter pound lighter than its predecessor. Now that’s portable.
Most advanced display
A headline feature if the new iPad Pro is its Ultra Retina XDR display. It uses two OLED panels and combines the light from both to provide phenomenal full-screen brightness. The new iPad Pro supports an incredible 1000 nits of full-screen brightness for SDR and HDR content, and 1600 nits peak for HDR. That’s virtually unheard of.
For pro users, the new iPad Pro comes with new nano-texture glass options. It’s great for people in high-end, color-managed workflows or challenging lighting conditions.
Powered by the new M4 chip
Huge performance leap? Yessir. The M4 is built on second-generation 3-nanometer technology that’s even more power efficient. It’s perfect for the new iPad Pro.
M4 introduces pioneering technology for the stunning precision, color, and brightness of the Ultra Retina XDR display. The new CPU offers up to four performance cores and now six efficiency cores, with next-generation machine learning (ML) accelerators, to deliver up to 1.5x faster CPU performance over M2 in the previous-generation iPad Pro. M4 builds on the GPU architecture of M3 — the 10-core GPU includes powerful features like Dynamic Caching, and hardware-accelerated mesh shading and ray tracing, which come to iPad for the first time.
In simpler terms, that’s four times faster performance than the M2.
AI. Yes, AI
Like most devices these days, the new iPad Pro is also equipped with a Neural Engine for AI tasks. It’s capable of 38 trillion operations per second, which is 60x faster than Apple’s first Neural Engine in the A11 Bionic chip. The Neural Engine makes the new iPad Pro an outrageously powerful device for AI.
With iPad Pro with M4, users can perform AI-enabled tasks even faster, like easily isolate a subject from its background in 4K video with just a tap with Scene Removal Mask in Final Cut Pro.
Apple Pencil Pro
A Pro tablet deserves a pro stylus. Say hello to the Apple Pencil Pro.
A new sensor in the barrel can sense a user’s squeeze, bringing up a tool palette to quickly switch tools, line weights, and colors. It does all that without interrupting the creative process. There’s also a custom haptic engine delivers a light tap. It provides confirmation when users squeeze, use double-tap, or snap to a Smart Shape for a remarkably intuitive experience.
There’s a gyroscope allows users to roll Apple Pencil Pro for precise control of the tool they’re using. Rotating the barrel changes the orientation of shaped pen and brush tools, just like pen and paper. And with Apple Pencil hover, users can visualize the exact orientation of a tool before making a mark.
Price and availability
Customers can order the new iPad Pro with M4 starting today, May 7, at apple.com/store, and in the Apple Store app in 29 countries and regions. It includes the U.S. and Singapore, with availability in stores beginning Wednesday, May 15.
The new 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Pro will be available in silver and space black finishes in 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB configurations.
The 11-inch iPad Pro starts at $999 (U.S.)/ S$1,499 (Singapore)/ PhP 72,990 (Philippines) for the Wi-Fi model, and $1,199 (U.S.) for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model.
The 13-inch iPad Pro starts at $1,299 (U.S.)/ S$1,999 (Singapore)/ PhP 94,990 (Philippines) for the Wi-Fi model, and $1,499 (U.S.) for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model. Additional technical specifications, including nano-texture glass options, are available at apple.com/store.
News
Asia to get its own D23; tickets on sale this November
Singapore to host The Ultimate Disney Fan Event tailored for Asia next year
Asia is getting its own D23 with Singapore hosting the first ever edition of The Ultimate Disney Fan Event next year.
The Walt Disney Company announced the milestone, with D23 Asia taking over the iconic Marina Bay Sands and parts of Sands Expo & Convention Center from June 25 to 27, 2027.
Fans will be able to purchase tickets by November 2026.
The first-ever D23 Asia will bring together Disney fans from across Asia Pacific and beyond in a three-day celebration of Disney storytelling, creativity, and innovation.
It will feature immersive experiences, exclusive showcases, special announcements, shopping, entertainment and more.
Building on the legacy of D23 fan events in Anaheim and around the world, the Singapore edition will offer a uniquely Asian experience while staying true to the scale, excitement and fan-first spirit that defines D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event.
News
Smart showcases cloud gaming platform in partnership with Blacknut
Play over 1,000 titles straight on your smartphones
Philippines mobile service provider Smart showcased the country’s first cloud gaming platform in partnership with Blacknut at the recent Philippine GameDev Expo (PGDX) 2026.
As the event’s main presenter, Smart highlighted its collaboration with the cloud gaming subscription service. Together with its value-packed Power All offers, the network provider is highlighting what the future of gaming can look like.
Smart and TNT subscribers can conveniently access Blacknut Cloud Gaming through a dedicated site. Here, they can play more than 1,000 premium console and PC-quality games on their smartphones.
That’s without the need for expensive gaming hardware or lengthy downloads. Weekly subscriptions start at just PhP 145 and can be conveniently charged to prepaid load following a simple OTP verification process.
To make the experience better, Smart also has Power All offers, which provide generous open-access data for today’s digital lifestyles. There’s a package for cloud and mobile gaming, streaming, content sharing, and productivity.
Gaming
Ghost of Yotei gets a story expansion in October
The Complete Edition comes with the expansion and a roguelike mode.
Ghost of Yotei is a classic RPG experience set in the same universe as its predecessor, Ghost of Tsushima. In my opinion, Atsu’s journey of revenge feels a lot more fun than Jin’s battle to save his homeland. If you’re in the same boat, Ghost of Yotei is coming back on October 1 with brand-new content.
Without delving too much into spoiler territory, Ghost of Yotei has a conclusive ending. Rather than shoehorning a forced epilogue, Echoes of Sekigahara, the title of the upcoming story expansion, explores Atsu’s past.
As with Tsushima’s expansion, Echoes of Sekigahara features a new map with new enemies, weapons, and collectibles. It will be set in two different time periods.
Besides the story expansion, the upcoming update also has a new mode called Most Wanted, which Sucker Punch Production describes as their “spin on a roguelike.” The mode explores Atsu’s experience as a headhunter, feeding her with bounties and earnable perks.
The two new content expansions will come with in the upcoming Ghost of Yotei Complete Edition. The new edition, coming on October 1, will also come with the co-op Legends mode. It also has a few perks and customization options. The edition will sell for US$ 70.
If you already have the base edition, you can grab an upgrade for only US$ 15. If you don’t want to pay for the upgrade, the game is still getting a few minor tweaks.
SEE ALSO: Ghost of Yotei review: A tale sharpened by vengeance
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