Apple says the updated M1 iPad Pro starts at $799 for the 11-inch and $1,099 for the 12.9-inch; pre-orders open April 30, shipping in second half of May
M1 chip. 12.9‑inch Liquid Retina XDR display. 5G capabilities. Florence Ion / Gizmodo : Apple's M1 Chip Is a Cruel Reminder of What Android Users Are Missing Out On William Gallagher / AppleInsider : Apple confirms Center Stage will work with rival video conference apps Adrian Kingsley-Hughes / ZDNet : Getting a new iPad Pro or iMac? 5 OWC accessories you need Om Malik / On my Om : Apple's new hardware is built for our visual future Ben Lovejoy / 9to5Mac : AAPL fall amid wider sell-off as investors unmoved by event Federico Viticci / MacStories : Apple's April 2021 Event: All the Little Things James Rogerson / TechRadar : New iPad Pro's Center Stage camera trick can work with any video conferencing app Morgan Sung / Mashable : Tim Cook's devious grin at the Apple event is now a meme Ryan Whitwam / ExtremeTech : Apple's M1 iPad Pros Make It Even Harder to Justify an Android Tablet Bob O'Donnell / TechSpot : M1 Everywhere: Apple accelerates custom chip transition Thomas Ricker / The Verge : Any video conferencing app can use the iPad Pro's fancy zoom and pan camera Steve Vegvari / iPhone in Canada Blog : Apple's iPad Pro ‘Center Stage’ Feature Supports Third Party Video Conferencing Apps Tim Hardwick / MacRumors : iPad Pro ‘Center Stage’ Camera Feature Will Support Third-Party Apps Stephen Warwick / iMore : This major iPad Pro upgrade will also work on third-party apps Startup / DigiTimes : Apple introduces new iPad Pros featuring M1 chip and Liquid Retina XDR display Btarunr / TechPowerUp : Apple Announces 3rd Gen iPad Pro with M1 Chip, 5G, Thunderbolt 4, and mini-LED Display Tyler Lee / Ubergizmo : Apple's New iPad Pro Comes With An M1 Chipset, Mini LED Display Tweets: Brad Sams / @bdsams : Maxed out iPad Pro is $2400 lol dollars https://twitter.com/... Benedict Evans / @benedictevans : New iPad Pro: 12 megapixel camera for video calls New iMac: 1080p. 🤔 @swizec : Well shit, we're getting very close to the ideal engineer's setup being a desktop machine + iPad for laptop. The laptop form factor is looking deader and deader https://www.apple.com/... Avi Greengart / @greengart : The top spec iPad Pro is $2400, plus you'll want the Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil, so now you're at $2880. Not cheap. But a) it's crazy what you're getting, and b) the only people buying the 2TB spec are pros who need the storage for work. https://twitter.com/... @xiotex : I was wrong, the maxed out iPad Pro is $2399. https://twitter.com/... Andrew Martonik / @andrewmartonik : Apple should just stop making an 11" iPad Pro. It barely mentioned the smaller model today, and for good reason — other than upgrading to the M1 chip, there was no reason to get excited. It lacks the Mini-LED XDR display, which is *the* feature of the Pro this year. #AppleEvent Greg Joswiak / @gregjoz : This is the most outrageously capable and versatile iPad Pro we've ever made! With the breakthrough M1 chip, Thunderbolt, the Ultra Wide front camera with Center Stage, 5G, and the 12.9-in model with Liquid Retina XDR, we think you're going to love it! https://www.apple.com/...
Context & Ripple Effects
Apple had already broadened the Pro line with a 9.7-inch iPad Pro, while related coverage of its 2018 launches described a wider push toward higher starting prices. The M1 model applies that premium positioning to a two-size iPad range while adding Apple silicon, a higher-end 12.9-inch display option, and 5G.
The launch also makes Center Stage available to third-party video-conferencing apps, extending the value of the new camera beyond Apple's own software. Later Pro refreshes with M4 at $999 and $1,299 starting prices reinforce the higher-priced Pro tier that this lineup began to define.
First-order effects
- Buyers get a $799 entry point for the 11-inch M1 iPad Pro and pay a $300 premium to enter the 12.9-inch tier, with orders opening April 30 and deliveries scheduled for the second half of May.
- Third-party video-conferencing developers can support Center Stage on the new iPad Pro rather than treating it as an Apple-only camera feature.
Second-order effects
- Apple's $300 gap between the two sizes ties the larger model's appeal to its Liquid Retina XDR display and other Pro hardware, making display capability a clearer upsell within the iPad range.
- Center Stage compatibility gives rival conferencing apps a reason to add support promptly, because buyers can use the feature across their chosen meeting software.
Third-order effects
- The subsequent M4 and M5 iPad Pro launches at $999 and $1,299 starting prices suggest Apple is establishing iPad Pro as a sustained premium compute-and-display tier rather than competing primarily on entry price.
- If Apple continues to pair its newest chips with differentiated screens and connectivity, Pro-line segmentation will increasingly rest on hardware capability and software integration across Apple’s device lineup.
The trend: Apple is moving iPad Pro toward a premium tier defined by in-house chips, advanced displays, and features designed to work across third-party software.