I got to try out the new iPad Pro, Apple’s biggest iPad update in years

Kif Leswing

NEW YORK CITY — If you want an iPad, any iPad, you can buy a new one for $329. But if you plan to run Photoshop, play advanced games, or use Apple’s stylus, called Pencil, you’ll want the iPad Pro. 

Apple updated its iPad Pro lineup on Tuesday with two new models: one with a 11-inch screen, and one with a 12.9-inch screen. 

It’s the biggest update to the iPad lineup in years. Gone is the old home button, which brought you back to the home screen. Instead, you now unlock the iPad Pro with your face — using Apple’s Face ID — and use gestures to change or quit apps. 

These changes enabled Apple to make the bezels smaller, packing the same-sized screens as previous models into tablets with a smaller overall size — the 11-inch version is about the size of a piece notebook paper, for example.

There’s also been a ton of other changes, too, like a shift from Apple’s proprietary Lightning charger to the cross-platform USB-C standard. 

With these changes comes an increase in price: now, the smaller iPad Pro costs at least $799. The bigger model starts at $999. And that price can skyrocket if you get all the bells and whistles, including a new keyboard case, more storage space, and an LTE modem.

We were able to try out Apple’s newest tablet for power users on Tuesday. Here’s what we thought: