New iPad Pro M2, redesigned iPad 10.9 and next-gen Apple TV 4K announced

Apple refreshes its iPads and Apple TV, tempting you right before the holidays

➡️ The Shortcut Skinny: Apple October 2022

• 🍎 3 new products: iPad 10.9, iPad Pro M2 and new Apple TV 4K

• 📱 iPad 10.9 redesign: releases Oct 26 starting at $449

  • 📐 10.9” screen (up from 10.2”); ditches home button, lots of bezel

  • ✨ All-new design closer to iPad Air, but uses A14 chip

  • 🌈 Four vibrant colors: blue, pink, yellow, and silver

  • ✏️ Uses the older non-magnetic Apple Pencil Gen 1

• 📱 iPad Pro 2022 releases Oct 26: 11” is $799; 12.9” is $1,099

  • ⚙️ Faster M2 chip

  • 📶 WiFi 6E

  • ✏️ Apple Pencil Gen 2 “hover experience”

• 📺 Apple TV 4K delivers Nov 4 starting at $129

  • ⚙️ HDR10+, A15 chip, starts at 64GB (up from 32GB), USB-C remote

• 📆 Oct 24: MacOS Venture & iPadOS 16 debut Stage Manager multi-tasking

Right before the holiday buying season, Apple has refreshed its highest-end iPad, one of its cheapest iPads and the Apple TV 4K, just in case you didn’t spend all of your money and Apple Pay Cash on a new iPhone 14 last month.

The iPad 10.9 is the biggest announcement today for multiple reasons, so let’s dive into that first.

iPad 10.9 gets a revamp fit for 2022

The iPad 10.9 is a complete revamp of the entry-level iPad 10.2 and has a price to match, going from last year’s $329 to $449 and up for pre-order today. The actual release date is October 26. Note: the iPad 10.2 remains on sale at $329 and often sees Black Friday discounts. Since the true-entry-level iPad is sticking around and has aged another year, expect to see it for $229 (it’ll sell out quickly at that price).

This new 10th-generation iPad is a big leap forward. It finally erases the home button and lots of needless bezel to look a lot like the iPad Air (also at 10.9 inches but outfitted with the more powerful M1 chip instead of the A14 Bionic). Touch ID remains. It has moved to the top button on the frame of the device as seen on the Air.

The only negative I see with the iPad 10.9 design is that it’s compatible with the Apple Pencil Gen 1 instead of Gen 2 – the latter magnetically clings to and charges on the side of higher-end iPads. This new iPad uses USB-C, you’ll have to use an adapter to pair and charge the Lightning-tipped Apple Pencil Gen 1. Apple will include an adapter in the box of new Apple Pencil Gen 1 purchases going forward and will start selling it separately if you already have a Gen 1. For some people, this hassle will be worth springing for the iPad Air at $599.

iPad 10.9 comes in vibrant colors: blue, pink, yellow, and silver and has a unique landscape ultra-wide front camera (something not seen in the Air or Pro models). Battery life seems to be the same between this iPad and the iPad Air – 9 hours for video playback – although I’ll test that out in a forthcoming iPad 10.9 review.

iPad Pro M2 gets new Apple Pencil feature

There are two sizes – 11 inches and 12.9 inches – and the look hasn’t changed since 2018. But the chipset inside has: this year’s Pros have the same M2 chip that’s inside the newest MacBook Air, a sign that the line between MacBooks and iPads is blurring. The launch of the Stage Manager multi-tasking feature in the macOS Venture and iPadOS 16 update (both launching on October 24) furthers that idea.

You can pre-order the iPad Pro M2 right now with deliveries scheduled for October 26. The 11-inch starts at $799, while the 12.9-inch starts at $1,099, both at 128GB. There are 256GB, 512GB, 1TB and 2TB options as well as Cellular models that increase the price from there. All versions support fast WiFi 6E connections.

What I’m curious to test is the Apple Pencil “hover experience” that Apple is touting. Using the Gen 2 Apple Pencil, you’ll be able to see where your Apple Pencil will touch down by simply hovering over the display up to 12mm away. This is supposed to help increase precision and allow you to preview your mark before you make it or see how watercolors in an art app will look before laying down your first paint stroke. You’ll also be able to see apps and widgets expand on the home screen by hovering.

Apple TV 4K 2022

The Apple TV 4K becomes an even more robust set-top box in its latest iteration with the support of HDR10+ (it already supported Dolby Vision). It’s pretty much the most codec and standards-friendly streaming box out there.

This year’s Apple TV has the A15 Bionic chip onboard and a Siri remote that includes USB-C for charging (this is part of the long goodbye to Lightning and another sign that the iPhone 15 next year could phase it out for USB-C).

The Apple TV 4K price is $129 for 64GB (up from 32GB in the prior generation) and $149 for the 128GB version with an Ethernet connection in addition to WiFi. Unlike the October 26-bound iPads, the new Apple TV 4K will arrive by mail (no in-store pickups at the moment) on November 4 if you pre-order it today.