iPad Pro 9.7: release date, price and specs

Apple has released a smaller version of the iPad Pro, aimed at everybody from business users to artists.

iPad Pro 9.7 at a glance:

• Apple announced the device at a special event on 21 March 2016
• The new tablet measures three inches smaller than the larger 12.9in iPad Pro
• Apple has sold 200 million 9.7in tablets before releasing the new Pro
• Prices for the iPad Pro 9.7 start from 499
• It has been available in shops since 31 March
• Check out the original iPad Pro review here

Latest news

31/03/2016:The iPad Pro 9.7 has now started shipping to users across the world alongside the iPhone SE.

Those who ordered the tablet on March 24 following Apple's launch event will now begin receiving their 9.7-inch iPad Pros, reports MacRumours. The slightly smaller device, which was unveiled on 21 March, is priced from 499 in the UK and has sold 200 million units ahead of release.

iPad Pro 9.7 UK release date

The latest iPad Pro was available for pre-order from 24 March, and shipping began a week later, on 31 March.

iPad Pro 9.7 price

Pricing depends on how much storage you want, but Apple's inc VAT UK pricing for Wi-Fi models stands as follows:

32GB - 499

128GB - 619

256GB - 739

You can get broadband connectivity on each of these models for another 100 each.

iPad Pro 9.7 features and accessories

iPad Pro 9.7 screen

The screen is one of the iPad Pro 9.7's greatest selling points, with the 9.7in display a more manageable size than the larger, heavier 12.9in Pro, but also featuring some new colour technology.

First of all the display is the brightest ever, according to Apple CEO Tim Cook. It's 25 per cent brighter than the iPad Air 2, thanks to its Oxide TFT display.

But the screen also features something called True Tone, which means the colour and brightness adapt to the tablet's surroundings, to make for easier viewing.

iPad Pro 9.7 operating system

Apple's latest Pro tablet will run iOS 9, the current version of the operating system at the time of release. More specifically, it will ship with iOS 9.3, introducing new features like Night Shift, which adjusts the lighting to help you get to sleep, and private, password-protected Notes. A revamped Apple News will also feature on the operating system.

iPad Pro 9.7 camera

While the 9.7 is really a smaller version of Apple's last tablet release, its real innovation lies in its new camera. The standard Pro comes with an impressive eight-megapixel front-facing camera, but the Pro 9.7 packs a seriously powerful 12-megapixel camera.

It lets you take 4k videos, as well as super-detailed panoramas, while its True Tone Flash ensures skin tones look great no matter the lighting.

iPad Pro 9.7 accessories

Keyboard

Calling the Pro 9.7 the "ultimate PC replacement" tells you exactly where Apple is pitching this device - to Windows users who are still attached to their laptops, and who are looking for a cheaper option than Microsoft's Surface tablets.

While the Smart Keyboard must be bought separately, there's no need to plug it in. Instead, the Smart Connector lets you simply attach the keyboard and begin typing. It folds up and acts as a cover when you're not using it.

Apple Pencil

Just like the larger Pro, the Pro 9.7 works with the Apple Pencil, which lets you draw lines of varying weight by using Multi-Touch to judge how much pressure you're placing on the stylus.

iPad Pro 9.7 specs

iPad Pro 9.7 storage

You get three different storage sizes to choose from with the Pro 9.7. Starting at just 32GB, it then jumps to a 128GB model, but there's a 256GB model for people who need a lot of space.

iPad Pro 9.7 processor

The tablet's 64-bit A9X is the chip powering this device, coupled with an M9 processor.

iPad Pro 9.7 battery

Apple boasts that the Pro 9.7 has a battery life of up to 10 hours, though we are yet to put this to the test - as usual, you can expect this to be significantly less with heavy use.