In the footsteps of Apple announcements: new iPad Pro 2020, ultrabook Air 13 and a tandem of tablet keyboards

Tablet Apple iPad Pro 11 2018 64 GB / LTE Price from 23 579 up to 35 999 ₴ was ahead of its time and still relevant today. Therefore, the new version of the 2020 tablet has not undergone any major changes.

The device has inherited the appearance of its predecessor and has similar dimensions (247.6x178.5x5.9 mm). The face of the model is a high-resolution Liquid Retina screen (2388x1668 pixels) with DCI-P3 color space coverage and a ProMotion function for automatically adapting refresh rates up to 120 Hz. The screen also uses a proprietary True Tone receiver - “fitting” the white balance of the broadcast picture to the conditions of external lighting.

The basis of the engine compartment of the device is the powerful eight-core Apple A12Z Bionic chipset. "In the base" the tablet is equipped with 128 GB of internal memory. From the new model, the model was armed with five microphones for recording studio-quality sound and a paired main camera (“peeped” on a smartphone Apple iPhone 11 Pro 64 GB Price from 12 107 up to 63 631 ₴). The square plate on the back of the tablet also houses the "peephole" of the 3D LiDAR sensor for virtual reality. He can measure the exact distance to objects (within 5 m).

As usual for a real pro, the tablet is "friendly" with the stylus Apple Pencil 2 Price from 3 949 up to 6 899 ₴ and supports the connection of an external "magic" keyboard, which greatly expands the scope of the gadget. The owner of the gadget recognizes the face through the sensors of the Face ID system. In addition, the model was equipped with a high-speed Wi-Fi 6 module and a 28.65 Wh battery. The tablet can last up to 10 hours on a single battery charge. The Apple iPad Pro 11 2020 has been improved on all fronts compared to the 2018 version and significantly strengthened the position of the Cupertino company in the pro-class tablet arena.

Apple's larger Pro tablet is getting another facelift in 2020. And although the update of the device turned out to be generally minor, several important points of the programme can be distinguished in it.

The key visual innovation is the 11th generation iPhone style camera. Along the perimeter of the square area “under cover” of glass on the back of the tablet case, there are 12 MP (leading) and 10 MP (ultra-wide) photomodules, and their company has a LiDAR sensor that analyzes the depth of the scene for augmented reality (AR) applications. The effective operation of the 3D sensor is established at a distance of up to 5 m.

"At the helm" of the tablet is a home-grown energy-efficient Apple A12Z Bionic chipset, which does not take strength with an eye to the distant future. Apple iPad Pro 4 12.9 2020 is suitable for professional work with graphics (together with the Apple Pencil 2 pen), text documents (if you buy an external keyboard for it) and turns modern toys at maximum graphics settings.

The screen of the model with a diagonal size of 12.9 inches is framed by thin frames and shows a picture at a resolution of 2732x2048 pixels. It features an adaptive refresh rate of up to 120Hz, automatic adjustment of color temperature to lighting conditions (True Tone function), and recognizes multiple pressures with the aforementioned Apple stylus. The additional assets of the tablet include Face ID face unlock (regardless of the orientation of the device in the hands), the current set of wireless communications (including Wi-Fi 6 and LTE modules), a USB-C port and long battery life. You will only have to put up with the inhumane price tag of the device, which is fully justified by the advanced functionality of the Proshka.

As part of the traditional spring event, which took place online in 2020, the Cupertino company Apple revealed to the world an updated version of the Apple MacBook Air 13 “air” ultrabook. Externally, the newly made laptop is almost indistinguishable from the previous generation, but serious “work on the bugs” was carried out in it.

The main news for adherents of "apple" products is that the good old keyboard with a scissor mechanism was returned to the laptop(instead of the long-suffering "butterfly"). The stroke of its keys is 1 mm, and the “insides” of the keyboard are reliably protected from dust and crumbs. In the upper right corner of the keyboard block there is a Touch ID fingerprint scanner, which guards the protection of personal data from unauthorized access.

Speaking of the drive where the information is stored. Henceforth, the laptop is equipped with a 256 GB SSD drive even in the basic configuration. The amount of memory can be increased up to 2 TB. "RAM" in the onboard equipment of the Apple MacBook Air 13 2020 can be from 8 to 16 GB. The "iron heart" of the laptop is the 10th generation Intel Core processors, both i3 along with i5, and more powerful i7. Thanks to a more powerful hardware "stuffing", the laptop was "brought up" with support for connecting external displays with a resolution of up to 6K (in particular, a top-end monitor Apple Pro Display XDR 32 " silver Price from 231 286 up to 276 570 ₴).

The Retina-screen of the device is stretched diagonally by 13.3 inches and shows a picture at a resolution of 2560x1440 pixels. It uses technology to automatically adapt the color temperature of the displayed content to ambient lighting conditions (True Tone). Another pleasant surprise is the price tag of less than $1000 at the start of sales (for the junior laptop configuration). Thus, the entrance ticket to the world of Apple laptops has become even more affordable.

With the release of iPadOS 13.4, top-end Apple tablets got support for connecting mice and trackpads. The latter can be seen in the arsenal of the Apple Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro 11 "(2nd gen), released "to the people" at the dawn of spring 2020.

"Magic" keyboards are familiar to "macovods" firsthand, i.e. Apple computer users. From now on, you can buy one for the tablet. The keyboard is congenial Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2019) . It uses a scissor mechanism of buttons with a stroke of about 1 mm and uses a soft backlight. A fraction of the space in the lower segment of the keyboard block is allocated for the aforementioned trackpad. With it, it will be much more convenient to edit texts, move the cursor and enjoy the benefits of Multi-Touch gestures.

The model has a new type of hinge that makes the tablet literally float above the keyboard surface. The angle of the “landing” of the tablet on the stand can be adjusted up to a tilt of 130 °. On the side, at the base of the keyboard cover, you can see a slot for a USB-C port, which will come in handy for recharging the tablet while working or connecting external peripherals.

And now about a fly in the ointment in a barrel of honey. The cost of the "magic" keyboard is almost akin to the price tag of the classic "iPad" at the minimum ( sample 2018 or 2019). However, this is a true pro tool that is bought to “pump” the functional qualities of Pro-versions of “apple” tablets. Size 11 keyboard cover compatibility stated for 1st ( 2018) and 2nd (2020) generation iPad Pro models.

An external keyboard is one of the must-have accessories for any tablet, especially if it is used to work with texts and spreadsheets. Take, for example, the Smart Keyboard Folio model, which is offered as a companion to the flagship Apple iPad Pro 11 2020 tablet ().

When folded, the keyboard protects the body of the tablet PC from scratches and other negative environmental factors, and when unfolded, it makes typing easier, and at the same time serves as a practical stand for the tablet. The model uses a slightly narrower layout with subtle audio feedback. Those who are accustomed to "darn" texts on full-size keyboards will have to get used to the peculiarities of the key arrangement.

The keyboard does not need to be specially connected or charged separately. Power is supplied to it through the connector directly from the tablet. To switch to typing mode, you just need to place the iPad on the stand and tip it back. In total, two tablet tilt positions are available on the stand built into the keyboard.

The smart keyboard does not particularly increase the dimensions of the tablet. Cyrillic characters are tattooed on its buttons with white paint. The release of the model is adjusted in two dimensions : under the Apple iPad Pro 11 tablet of both generations, as well as under the Apple iPad Pro 3 and 4 with a screen diagonal of 12.9 inches. This accessory cannot be called especially cheap, but by the standards of Apple it is relatively inexpensive.