Apple unloaded a bunch of new products on April's "Spring Loaded" event in 2021. The 5th generation of iPad Pro saw its debut as well—and boy does it pack a punch. Now, Let's discover more about the Apple iPad Pro M1 (2021) including all its features, specs, and official price in Nepal.

Apple iPad Pro M1 (2021) Overview:

M1 Chip on an iPad

Apple ditched Intel's x86 architecture in favor of the in-house M1 chip based on Arm in its latest MacBooks. This allowed Apple to deliver a greater level of performance while also staying in charge of the niftiest optimizations possible. Now, the same M1 chip has made its way to the latest iPad Pros. According to Apple, this 8 core CPU/8 core GPU chip offers a 50% speed boost over last year's iPad Pros with A12Z Bionic chipset. Moreover, the 5th generation of iPad Pro also introduces the 5th generation of cellular connectivity—5G. Quite the coincidence. While it supports both sub-6GHz and mmWave spectrum of 5G, Apple says the faster mmWave 5G will only be available in the US. iPad Pro 2021 comes in either 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB of storage, while a 2TB has also made its debut. Similarly, you can configure your iPad Pro with either 8 or 16GB RAM, while the 1/2TB storage options will only be available with the latter.

• Also Read:
  • Apple's colorful M1-powered iMacs have finally launched in Nepal
  • Apple announces iOS 15 with multiple quality-of-life upgrades

Mini-LED, Liquid Retina XDR display

Another exciting premiere in this iteration of iPad Pro is the Mini-LED display. Compared to the standard LED-backlit screens, this allows for a brighter screen and better contrast. With over 2500 local dimming zones spread across 10,000+ mini-LEDs, the 5th gen iPad Pro can achieve up to a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio. Besides, Apple has also borrowed the display properties from the Pro Display XDR that costs around $5,000. However, all the aforementioned upgrades are restricted to the 12.9" variant under the name "Liquid Retina XDR" display whereas the smaller 11" version enjoys a relatively less capable screen. Meaning, there's no mini-LED, no local dimming zones, and no XDR-like screen on the 11" iPad Pro. Despite this, both options equip Apple's ProMotion technology with a 120Hz refresh rate, Wide color display (P3), anti-reflective coating, support for 2nd generation Apple Pencil, etc. Additionally, the 12.9" iPad Pro has 1000 nits of max full-screen brightness and 1600 nits peak brightness under HDR mode whereas the 11" version is limited to 600 nits of max brightness.

USB 4, Thunderbolt

Another fun addition to this year's iPad is the Thunderbolt and USB 4 standard. As a result, the USB-C port here can seamlessly connect to external displays, storage, and other accessories with up to 40 Gbps bandwidth.

• Also Read:
  • Apple announces MagSafe Battery Pack for iPhone 12 series
  • Apple makes employees wear police-grade cameras to prevent leaks

What about the cameras?

There's not much of an upgrade on the camera department on this year's iPad Pros. A square module on the top left edge of the device hosts a 12MP f/1.8 wide sensor, a 10MP f/2.4 ultrawide lens with a 125° Field of View (FOV), a LiDAR scanner, and the True Tone flash. Upfront, you now get an upgraded 12MP f/2.4 TrueDepth ultrawide camera with a 122° FOV. For security, this sensor also facilitates Apple's Face ID. Here, the new "Center Stage" feature utilizes the ultrawide camera to keep the human subject in the center during video calls even when they're moving. Similar to the "Auto Framing" feature on Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 2. Plus, M1's ISP should result in a drastically better image and video quality. Moreover, thanks to the M1 chip, iPad Pro 2021 also supports the "Smart HDR 3" that debuted with the iPhone 12 series, which optimizes the shot on a frame-by-frame basis for best results.

Assorted features

This year's iPad Pro comes with a quad-speaker setup as well, with support for Dolby Atmos audio. It has 5 "studio-quality" microphones too. Like its predecessor, it also supports Magic Keyboard for a greater degree of productivity. But unlike last year, it is now available in white color option as well. iPad Pro 2021 runs on iPadOS 14 out-of-the-box while it recently received iPadOS 14.5 as well. This version introduced support for Apple's AirTag tracker among other features.

Apple iPad Pro M1 (2021) Specifications:

• Display: 11/12.9-inches screen, ProMotion 120Hz, Wide Color (P3), True Tone
  • 11": LED backlit, 2388 x 1668 px, 264 PPI, 600 nits max brightness
  • 12.9": Mini-LED backlit, 2732 x 2048 px, 264 PPI, 1600 nits peak brightness (HDR)
• Chipset: Apple M1 Chip (8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine)
• Storage: 8/16GB RAM, Up to 2TB internal storage
• Rear Camera: 12MP f/1.8 wide, 10MP f/1.4 ultrawide with 125° FOV, LiDAR scanner
• Front Camera: 12MP f/2.4 ultrawide lens with 122° FOV, Face ID
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11ax (dual-band) with MIMO, Bluetooth 5.0, 5G (sub-6GHz, mmWave), Nano-SIM, eSIM
• Sensors: Accelerometer, Ambient Light, Three-axis Gyro, Barometer
• Other Features: USB-C (Thunderbolt, USB 4, USB 3.1 Gen 2), Quad-speakers, 5x microphones
• Battery: 28.65 Wh (11"), 40.88 Wh (12.9")

Apple iPad Pro M1 (2021) Price in Nepal & Availability

The 5th gen Apple iPad Pro M1 (11") is priced at Rs. 185,000 for the 512GB, WiFi-only variant. And it goes up to Rs. 310,000 for the 2TB, WiFi+ Cellular variant. The 12.9" has a starting price of Rs. 180,000 for the 256GB, WiFi-only configuration.

• Watch: Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite vs iPad 10.2 (2019)