The new 11- and 13-inch iPad Pro models that Apple just introduced may be completely redesigned from the outside in, but they still feel a lot like their predecessors. That's not a bad thing, as the old iPad Pro design was outstanding. But there's no doubt Apple is flexing its hardware engineering muscles with these new tablets, not just with the M4 processor inside.

Both tablets are noticeably thinner and lighter than the ones they replace, something I didn't really think was possible before. It's frankly a little absurd to see such a thin and light device with such an advanced display and powerful processor. It still feels like the prior iPad Pro, just in a more refined package. My big question is around durability, something Apple mentioned during its keynote — I'd be a little worried about bending these iPads, but hopefully this is something Apple rigorously tested for. But it has had issues with thin products bending before (albeit a long time ago). 

Photo by Nathan Ingraham / Engadget

After the impressive physical specifications, the next thing you can't miss is the OLED screen. Technically, it's a "Tandem OLED" screen, a display layer that is thinner than the one in the old iPad Pro which helped Apple achieve the wild thinness here. In Apple's extremely bright demo area, the iPad Pro screen showed its quality — everything was extremely clear, blacks were pitch-black and colors really popped. After looking at the iPad Air display, it was obvious how much better these screens are. The viewing angles were particularly impressive to me, as images on the screen remained sharp, bright and clear no matter how I positioned the tablet. 

I also got a chance to check out the Apple Pencil Pro, which looks and feels nearly identical to the second-generation Apple Pencil revealed way back in 2018. That's OK, as the form factor is fine with me. It still connects to the side of the iPad Pro to charge and pair; all of its new tricks are under the hood. Squeezing the Pencil gives you a little burst of haptic feedback and pulls up a pane for selecting what brush you want to use in the FreeForm app demo I tried. But that action is customizable by third-party developers so the squeeze can do whatever is appropriate for the app you're using. The gyroscope, meanwhile, lets you spin the Pencil as you draw to change angles of your brush on the fly. 

Photo by Nathan Ingraham / Engadget

Unfortunately, we didn't get to try the new Magic Keyboard Apple is producing for the iPad Pro, but Apple says it's thinner and lighter than the old model. That older one will still be available for the iPad Air.

Between the display, the M4 processor and the new dimensions of the iPad Pro, this feels like a major update for Apple's best tablet, with a price to match. Both the 11- and 13-inch iPad Pro are $200 more than their predecessors: the 11-inch model starts at $999, while the 13-inch is a whopping $1,299. But hey, at least storage now starts at 256GB! That pricing firmly puts these iPads out of reach for normal humans, and that's OK — most people will be more than happy with a tablet like the iPad Air. If you want this wildly impressive screen, though, you're going to pay for it.

Photo by Nathan Ingraham / Engadget

Follow all of the news live from Apple's 'Let Loose' event right here.

Near the end of its “Let Loose” event that brought new versions of the iPad Pro and iPad Air, Apple made some changes to the cheaper end of its tablet lineup. The 10th-generation iPad Pro, the newest version of the budget model, now starts at $349, down from its original $449.

Alongside the price drop, Apple’s 9th-generation model (which was still rocking a Lightning port and home button) is now kaput. Its successor replaces it with a more modern design, USB-C and Touch ID on its lock button.

Apple

The 10th-generation iPad launched in 2022. Back then, Engadget’s Nathan Ingraham described it as “a complete redesign from [the 2021] model that cribs heavily from the iPad Air while also bringing a handful of compromises to upsell potential customers on Apple’s more expensive tablets.”

Although the 10th-gen model officially gets the $100 price cut, the model was already frequently discounted to that price at Apple’s retail partners. That price now gets you the 64GB base model, while the 256GB tier now costs $499, also a $100 drop from its 2022 launch.

Follow all of the news live from Apple's 'Let Loose' event right here.

Alongside its lineup of new iPads, Apple revealed an overhauled Pencil today too. The Apple Pencil Pro has a new sensor in the barrel that accepts your squeezes. This action can do things like bring up tool palettes so you don't have to manually tap into them with your free hand. Apple says you can also use the gesture to activate shortcuts or and other actions. What's more, haptic feedback lets you know when the squeeze was accepted or when something you moved has snapped into place. Apple also added a roll gesture "for precise control" of whatever tool you're using, powered by a new gyroscope.

The new Apple Pencil works with Find My, so you'll have some extra assistance when you lose it. And, as always, the new version still pairs, charges and stores magnetically on iPad Pro. Apple says developers can make their own actions with the new gestures, so you can expect to see customizations based on the iPad apps you're using. Apple Pencil Pro works with the new iPad Air in addition to the new iPad Pro, so you have multiple Pencil options for the more affordable iPad. 

Apple Pencil Pro is $129 and is up for pre-order today. It will ship next week. 

Follow all of the news live from Apple's 'Let Loose' event right here.

Apple has announced a refreshed Magic Keyboard accessory at today’s iPad event. The new keyboard is designed to specifically work with the M4 iPad Pro line, though it doesn’t integrate with the iPad Air or any other model.

When connected to the iPad Pro, it makes the tablet look like an actual laptop. Apple says “the entire experience feels just like using a MacBook.” To further assist this laptop mimicry, the keyboard boasts a larger trackpad with haptic feedback. There’s also a new function row for quick access to convenient controls, like brightness and the like.

Apple

The keyboard now features an aluminum palmrest and is available in two colors. Magic Keyboard ships with the iPad Pro next week. The keyboard costs $300 or $350, depending on which iPad Pro model it aligns with. The company also announced new iPads today, including an OLED iPad Pro and a refreshed iPad Air. 

Apple's new iPad Pro models are its most laptop-like tablets yet. They're the first devices powered by the company's M4 chip, which is said to deliver more AI capabilities. And, for the first time outside of the iPhone and Apple Watch, both the new 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Pros will sport OLED screens. That's a step up from the LCD and Mini-LED displays on the previous models, and it should lead to bolder colors, inky dark black levels, and far better contrast. 

These aren't your typical OLEDs, either: Apple says the iPad Pros feature "tandem" OLED screens for 1,000 nits of typical brightness and 1,500 nits of peak brightness. That solves the brightness issues facing earlier OLED screens, and it means you likely won't miss the extreme brightness of Mini-LED.   

Developing...

Follow all of the news live from Apple's 'Let Loose' event right here.

It's about dang time. During its Let Loose event, Apple announced it has updated the iPad Air for the first time in over two years. The latest model has an M2 chip, so it's not getting one of Apple's most recent chipsets, likely to keep costs down and differentiate it from the iPad Pro.

Perhaps more significantly, the company has introduced an iPad Air with a 13-inch screen for the first time. That means there are two variants, as the 10.9-inch format is sticking around. As such, the iPad Air and iPad Pro effectively have the same display sizes.

Rumors initially suggested that the 13-inch model would have a mini-LED display. That turned out not to be the case as it has a liquid retina display, but analyst Ross Young says Apple may unveil an updated iPad Air later this year that does have such a display.

Another of the updates isn't quite as notable, but it should be a great quality-of-life change for many folks. Apple has moved the front-facing camera to the landscape edge of the display. That means you should be more centered in the frame when your iPad is docked and you're on a video call. The placement of the front-facing camera has been one of our biggest iPad bugbears for years, and it's great to see Apple finally seeing sense and repositioning it.

Developing...

Follow all of the news live from Apple's 'Let Loose' event right here.

Amazon’s entry-level 16GB Kindle is on sale for $80, which is a discount of 20 percent. This is the latest iteration of the standard ereader, dating back to 2022. Amazon doesn’t do too many Kindle hardware updates, so we don’t know if this sale precludes a forthcoming refresh. The sale covers both the black and blue denim versions.

The Kindle is one of the most iconic brands in the ereader space, and for good reason. Amazon has been pumping them out for 17 years. This model actually made our list of the best ereaders, and we recommend it for anyone shopping for a budget-friendly reading tablet. We loved the price, which is made even more alluring by today’s sale, and the huge ebook selection via Amazon.

We also liked how easy it is to use. Even if you’ve never held an ereader in your life, you’ll be quickly turning pages in no time. There are a bunch of customization options, allowing you to fiddle with font type, font size, margins and more. You can even save a bunch of settings together as a “theme”, which is handy in households with more than one reader. The integration with audio books is also nice, as it ensures you’ll be on the same page no matter how you absorb the content.

This ereader isn’t waterproof and it lacks many of the add-ons common with more expensive models. The standard Kindle is about as basic as this tech gets, but as a one-purpose device, are extra bells and whistles really necessary? I splurged for the fancier Kindle Scribe, which comes with a stylus, but I kind of wish I didn’t. Since buying it, I’ve read like 150 books and written approximately zero notes. Simple is better, and cheaper.

As with most Kindles, there are ads on the lock-screen, which may be a dealbreaker for some. I fully understand aversion to advertisements, they generally suck, but I’ve never found them to be a problem on Kindles. I barely notice them. 

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Spring is in the air and, believe it or not, so are iPads. Apple is holding a live event tomorrow to unveil new entries in its lineup of tablets at 10AM ET. The keynote, dubbed Let Loose, will be available to watch live in a number of ways. We are popping the YouTube stream below, so you can watch right here, but the event is also available on the company’s website and on the Apple TV+ app.

So what is the company likely to announce? Tablets, as far as the eye can see. Apple’s been coy as to which iPads are getting a refresh, but rumors and reports indicate a new OLED iPad Pro and an updated iPad Air.

The rumored iPad Pro may even skip the M3 chipset, as Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman suggested there is a “strong possibility” that the tablet could feature the next-gen M4. He also indicated that Apple is going to lean heavy on some new AI branding when it comes to the iPad Pro, referring to it as the company’s “first truly AI-powered device.”

Beyond potentially having an AI onboard to confidently, yet mistakenly, answer questions, this will likely be an OLED tablet. That means a glorious display that should bring richer colors and deeper blacks to the line. OLED panels are also thinner than LCD panels, so this could be one slender gadget. There are also rumors that the iPad Pro will feature a glass back to enable MagSafe charging.

Nathan Ingraham / Engadget

It’s been two whole years since an iPad Air refresh, which is a lifetime in tech years. The updated iPad Air will likely not have a fancy next-gen chipset or an OLED display. It could, however, boast an upgrade to the M2 chip. The current models still sport the antiquated M1. Reports also suggest that the iPad Air's front-facing camera is moving to the landscape edge.

It’s also possible that the tablet has been bulking up on creatine, as rumors suggest that Apple is prepping the first 12.9-inch iPad Air. This would make it the most budget-friendly option for a large-screen iPad tablet.

The event won’t just be for iPads. It’ll also be for iPad accessories. To that end, expect Apple to reveal a revamped Magic Keyboard for the iPad Pro line, which could be made from aluminum. In addition, Apple is expected to unveil a new Apple Pencil to replace the second-gen model. Some reports have even indicated the next Apple Pencil could work with Vision Pro drawing apps, in addition to tablet apps.

We recommend Samsung's Galaxy SmartTag 2 in our Bluetooth tracker buying guide to Galaxy phone owners who want an AirTags-style device that can keep tabs on their keys, luggage and other sensitive items. If that describes you, here's a quick PSA: A four-pack of the little oblong devices is currently $30 off and down to $70 at Amazon. This discount has popped up periodically since Samsung released the tracker last October, but it nevertheless matches the four-pack's lowest price to date. If you'd rather not shop at Amazon, the same bundle is available at B&H for $2 extra.

If you don't need quite so many trackers, meanwhile, single SmartTag 2s are also on sale for $21 each. That's a dollar more than the device's all-time low but still $9 off its usual street price.

The key thing to note with the Galaxy SmartTag 2 is that it's a Samsung-only affair. You need a Samsung phone or tablet running Android 11 or later for it to fully work, and it uses the company's SmartThings Find crowd-finding network to locate items. The latter is Samsung's alternative to Apple's Find My network and Google's recently-launched Find My Device network. (Yes, the names of these things are way too similar.) It's not as large as either of those, so it'll generally be less precise at pinpointing an item that winds up outside of your tracker's Bluetooth range. Samsung hasn't confirmed any plans for the Galaxy SmartTag 2 to support Google's expanded network, either. If you're an Android user who isn't beholden to Galaxy phones, you should wait and see if it's worth buying upcoming trackers from Chipolo and Pebblebee (among others) that are designed to use the Find My Device network.

That said, because there are still a few hundred million Samsung devices that've opted into SmartThings Find out in the wild, we've found the Galaxy SmartTag 2's crowd-sourcing to be effective enough in testing. Its separation alerts — i.e., its ability to ping you when you've left a tagged item behind — worked about as reliably as any model we tested, and it does well to map out its location history over time. It's capable of tracking up to 120 meters (roughly 394 feet) directly over Bluetooth, which is on the longer side, plus it supports ultrawideband tech, which can help it more accurately direct you towards an item once you're close by.

The device itself is simple to set up, and its flat design has a built-in cutout, so it's easy to stash in a wallet or attach to a keychain. It's also IP67-rated, so it can survive a dip underwater. Samsung says the device can last up to 500 days with typical use, and you can replace the battery once it peters out. There are technically more capable options out there (with more to come), and all Bluetooth trackers carry some level of privacy issues. A device like this isn't ideal for warding off theft, either. But for forgetful Galaxy diehards who are looking to save some cash, this is a decent deal.

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The latest generation of Apple's eternally popular AirPods Pro are back down to their all-time low price of $180 at Amazon. The deal takes $10 off the typical sale price of $190 and a solid $69 off the $249 MSRP. The last time we saw this price tag was during Amazon's spring sale in March. Apple updated the charging case when the iPhone 15 came out last year to give both devices a more universal USB-C port (both can also charge wirelessly). If you have an iPhone, we think these are one of the better bits of audio gear you can stick in your ears. 

The second-generation AirPods Pro (with the Lightning case) came out towards the end of 2022 — the case refresh didn't alter the buds themselves too much, other than adding some improved dust resistance. That makes these a little older at this point, but new AirPods are not one of the things we're expecting to see announced at Apple's upcoming "Let Loose" event in May (we're mostly anticipating iPad news). A more likely time for a new AirPods reveal is during the company's annual iPhone event in September. But if you don't want to wait around to see if such a debut materializes, this deal is a decent time to get your first pair. Or replace the pair you left on the train.  

We gave the AirPods Pro a score of 88 when they came out. Engadget's Billy Steele praised the effective active noise cancellation (ANC) and called the ambient sound mode one of the best on the market. Plus they work fairly seamlessly with all your Apple devices, offering quick pairing, fast device switching and hands-free Siri support. The audio itself is richer with more depth and clarity than with previous Pro generations. 

All of that lead us to name them the best wireless earbuds for iPhones in our buying guide. Of course, they don't work with non-Apple devices. Our current top pick from our guide for Android phones are the Google Pixel Buds Pro, which are currently down to $140 at Amazon after a 30 percent discount. 

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