Apple has announced its first mobile device to feature laser-scanning technology, which the firm says will aid augmented reality apps.
The iPad Pro's Lidar scanner will allow the shape and location of objects in a room to be detected. This should mean graphics and real-world views can be mixed together more accurately than before. The announcement came via a press release rather than a media event, as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
This is the first time that Apple has announced such a high-profile product with such little fanfare. Apple said the Lidar technology can also be used for measurement apps, to more accurately deduce a person’s height, for example, or the width of an object.
There are 11in and 12.9in versions of the new tablet, starting at $799 and $999 respectively. They claim that it has the most advanced camera they’ve ever seen on a tablet by far. He suggested consumers would see an increasing "push" for augmented reality technology in the coming months and years. Apple also unveiled a separate detachable keyboard, the Magic Keyboard, it costs $299 (£250) for the 11in version and $349 for the 12.9in version.
Apple has never shied away from charging a premium for its products. Some 10in HD tablet computers are available for a lower price than the Magic Keyboard alone, but Apple had a unique position in the market.
Apple also launched a new MacBook Air with a redesigned keyboard mechanism. The company has faced criticism in the past regarding the “uncomfortable” typing mechanism on some of its older MacBook Pro computers, and there were many complaints of keys breaking after months of use.
