iPad Pro

New iPad Pro ads highlight note-taking and other productivity features

Apple just rolled out a pair of new iPad Pro commercials via its YouTube channel, running sixteen seconds each and titled “Need Less Stuff” and “Take Better Notes”. The former positions iPad Pro as a clutter-free alternative to clunky desktop PCs.

The latter makes the bold claim that iPad Pro and Apple Pencil “revolutionized the way people take notes,” adding that users can even record voice notes. Watch the new videos, then jump into the comment section to tell us how you liked them.

New iPad Pro ad focuses on Apple Pencil

Reminiscent of Apple's legendary "I'm a Mac, I'm a PC” commercials, the latest iPad Pro ad campaign based on real tweets from real people continues with a new 16-second video posted to the company's YouTube channel Tuesday.

Titled “No More Printing,” the video is based on a 2013 tweet which reads: “When you're printing personal things at work and you have to run to the printer to get your stuff before anyone else does.”

The commercial shows off iPad Pro's ability to sign digital documents right on the device with Apple Pencil. “You wouldn’t have to print anymore, if your computer was an iPad Pro,” Apple wrote in the video's description.

10.5″ iPad Pro may sport 2,224×1,668 screen with same density as 9.7″ iPads

Rhoda Alexander, IHS Markit's director in charge of tablets and PCs, shared some interesting observations with Forbes over the weekend regarding Apple's rumored new bezel-less iPad Pro model which, according to other analysts, would house a display measuring 10.5 inches inside a body the same size as 9.7-inch iPads.

According to Rhoda, the new iPad Pro model should have a 2,224-by-1,668 display with the same pixel density as 9.7-inch iPads. For context, Apple's 12.9-inch iPad Pro has a 2,732-by-2,048 Retina display at 264 pixels per inch and its 9.7-inch counterpart has a 2,048-by-1,536 screen, also at 264 pixels per inch.

Rumor: four new iPad Pros, 128GB iPhone SE and iPhone 7 in Red to be unveiled next month

Fairly reliable website Mac Otakara is reporting that Apple will be holding a media event next month to announce hardware updates for several of its popular products. Wondering what's on tap for a refresh? According to the Japanese publication, Apple will add a new 128-gigabyte iPhone SE model to the existing 16GB and 64GB capacities.

In addition, we should also see the previously rumored Red model of iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus and four new iPad Pro models introduced at the event.

New Apple ads continue positioning iPad Pro as being better than a computer

Apple today published four new ads on its YouTube channel that continue to position its iPad Pro tablet as being better than a computer. The four new commercials, running sixteen seconds each, use the tagline “Real Problems... Answered” and appear to be based on typical PC user tweets.

The videos promote the tablet as a device that's free of wires, immune to viruses, faster than most laptops and able to run Microsoft Office apps and connect to fast LTE cellular networks.

Give the new ads a quick watch, then meet us in comments.

How to use Travel Time in Calendar on iPhone and Mac

Travel Time is a nifty addition to Apple’s Calendar app, capable of precisely estimating the duration of your upcoming trip based on parameters such as milage and traffic. Used properly, it can notably ease some of your daily scheduling woes, but paradoxically, a large contingent of regular Calendar users still routinely overlook the feature.

Formerly introduced as frequent locations and traffic conditions widgets, the service has only slowly gained traction amongst users. Travel Time today however has come of age and is now neatly integrated into one of the most popular productivity applications both on iOS and macOS. So if you didn’t get the memo on the virtues of Travel Time in Calendar, here’s what you need to know.

New iPads may not arrive until later half of 2017

A trio of new iPads that KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted for this year may not launch until the second half of 2017, according to supply chain reports cited by trade publication DigiTimes. The new 9.7, 10.5 and 12.9-inch iPads won't launch before summer because they're still in the planning stage.

The refreshed 9.7-inch model is expected to enter mass production in the first quarter while volume production of the other two models should kick off in the second quarter of this year. For what it's worth, DigiTimes said in December 2016 that lower-than-expected yield rates for TSMC’s 10-nanometer process technology could disrupt planned March 2017 debut of new iPads.

OtterBox expands uniVERSE system to iPad Air 2 & 9.7-inch iPad Pro, adds new partners

OtterBox’s popular uniVERSE modular case system for the iPhone 6 and later will soon be expanding to the iPad. The company has announced its plans to launch a new case soon for the iPad Air 2 and 9.7-inch iPad Pro specifically, along with a number of new accessories to complement them.

All uniVERSE case systems are designed so you can add or remove compatible accessories to your device, such as camera lenses, external batteries, and tripods among other kinds of things thanks to special adapters built into the back of the case.

10.9″ iPad Pro to have the same footprint as 9.7″ model thanks to skinnier bezels

A new report Monday from the fairly reliable Japanese outlet Mac Otakara claims that Apple's rumored 10.9-inch iPad Pro model (10.1/10.5-inch, depending on a source) will have the same footprint as the current 9.7-inch models thanks to a lot skinnier bezel on the left and right side.

Citing unnamed Taiwanese sources, the publication reports that the device will also be a tad thicker than the existing 9.7-inch iPads at 7.5 mm, making it thicker than the iPad Air 2 (6.1 mm) and the same thickness as the original iPad Air.

10.5-inch iPad Pro rumored to target education and enterprise markets

Apple may position its rumored new 10.5-inch iPad Pro model as the go-to tablet in the education and enterprise markets, if a report Tuesday in DigiTimes is anything to go by. The Taiwanese trade publication learned from Asian supply chain makers that the Cupertino firm's decided to add a new screen size to the lineup because existing 9.7-inch models proved too small and the 12.9-inch iPad Pro too expensive for business users and students.

iPad refresh could include a bezel-free 10.9-inch model

Apple should update both iPad Pros next year, with analysts from the banking and financial services company Barclays calling for a brand new model to be added to the lineup. Supply chain sources Barclays recently quizzed think the new iPad Pro model will have a screen measuring 10.9 inches.

And because that tablet is expected to adopt an all-new bezel-free design, its 10.9-inch screen could be fitted inside the current 9.7-inch package.