Apple’s October 2022 update brought new iPads and a refreshed Apple TV 4K

Apple announced new versions of its 11- and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models in a press release, alongside a new Apple TV 4K with more storage and a redesigned iPad with a higher-than-usual price (and a horizontally oriented selfie cam). The new iPad Pro features the M2 processor that has found its way into just a few of Apple’s other devices (so far, at least), the redesigned MacBook Air and the 13.3-inch MacBook Pro. The 2022 iPad Pro also supports Wi-Fi 6E, which could be all the reason you need to get a 6E-compatible router. Here’s Chris Welch with many more details on the new models.

The iPad Pro for 2022 will arrive soon, on Wednesday, October 26th (just two days after iPadOS 16 launches), but you can preorder one now to ensure that you’ll get one on launch day. We’re going to walk you through the configurations, their prices, and where you can get one right now.

Apple announced the 10th-gen iPad today, which launches on October 26th alongside a new M2 iPad Pro and brings with it a slew of new features. Falling in line with its pricier brethren, this new iPad does away with the 3.5mm headphone jack and home button in favor of a fuller 10.9-inch display. It’s still got a fingerprint reader for Touch ID, but like the newer iPad Air and Mini, it’s located in the power button on the side. It also matches those models with a USB-C port for some added convenience when it comes to charging. This big redesign comes at a significantly steeper price, however, as the 10th-gen iPad now starts at $449 with 64GB of storage.

Thankfully, last year’s ninth-generation iPad seems to be sticking around for those that prefer its $329 (and often discounted) price. But the new 2022 iPad has a few tricks of its own that are new to the whole line, including a landscape-oriented front camera and an optional magnetically attaching keyboard folio case — complete with a 14-key function row.

Logitech has released an updated version of its Crayon stylus to coincide with the announcement of Apple’s new iPads. The new stylus costs the same as the old model, $69.95, but now features a USB-C charging port rather than Lightning — a helpful change given the 10th-generation iPad’s switch from Lightning to USB-C. 

The change means that the Logitech Crayon arguably has a much more elegant charging mechanism than Apple’s first-party $99 Pencil when used with the base-level iPad. Logitech’s new stylus can charge using just the USB-C cable that comes with the tablet — no fiddly USB-C-to-Lightning adapter required. The wirelessly-charging second-generation Apple Pencil isn’t compatible with Apple’s new entry-level iPad.

Apple appears to no longer be selling the Apple TV HD, a less expensive alternative to its 4K streaming boxes, in its store (via MacRumors). The HD was a long-standing product in Apple’s lineup, originally announced in 2015 as the fourth-generation Apple TV and becoming the budget option as Apple rolled out 4K models — such as the one it announced today.

In 2022, the HD didn’t make a ton of sense; starting last year, it came with Apple’s new remote, which was nice, but it was $149 and used Apple’s A8 processor from the iPhone 6. Meanwhile, the new Apple TV 4K starts at $129, has the much newer A15, double the storage, and of course, supports much higher resolution content (not to mention HDR). The HD maybe kind of sort of (but not really) made sense in a world where the 4K started at $179 like the 2021 model did, but there’s just no way it would’ve been a good buy after today.

Apple has a new keyboard case for its redesigned lower-end iPad, the Magic Keyboard Folio, and unlike the company’s other keyboard covers for its tablets, this case has an entire row of 14 dedicated function keys.

The order of the cover’s function keys largely mirrors what you might already be familiar with from Apple’s computer and laptop keyboards. On the left, you have access to keys like escape and brightness changers, and on the right, there are keys for things such as media playback and volume.

The base model iPad’s switch to USB-C has made using an Apple Pencil with the tablet... complicated. The new 10.9-inch tablet only works with Apple’s first-generation Pencil, which requires a Lightning port to charge. That’s a little bit of a problem when the new iPad uses USB-C.

Apple’s solution, naturally, is a dongle. A “USB-C to Apple Pencil Adapter,” to be precise, although from what I can tell, it’s technically a USB-C to Lightning port adapter. Apple’s press release notes that the adapter will be included in the box with new Apple Pencils for $99 and will be available separately for $9 for existing Pencil owners. “A new USB-C to Apple Pencil Adapter is required for pairing and charging,” Apple’s press release unequivocally states.

Alongside the redesigned iPad and the iPad Pro with the M2 processor, Apple announced a new and improved version of the Apple TV 4K. The big news with the third-gen Apple TV 4K is that it has a faster A15 Bionic chip (the previous model has the A12) and support for HDR10 Plus. The accompanying Siri Remote has also been updated, with Apple adding a USB-C port instead of Lightning. The streaming box starts at $129, which is even cheaper than its predecessor, and it will be able for purchase in stores on November 4th. We have yet to test the new model but will soon, so keep an eye out for our review.

While the Apple TV 4K won’t be available until November, you can preorder the streaming device from the Apple Store right now. The Wi-Fi-enabled streaming device starts at $129 and comes with 64GB of storage. For the most amount of features and storage, you’ll want to get the model with 128GB of storage for $149. It supports Wi-Fi and also has a Gigabit Ethernet port, plus support for the Thread mesh networking protocol.

Apple’s just-announced Apple TV 4K comes with a new Siri Remote that has a USB-C port instead of a Lightning port, but if you want to buy the remote separately for the Apple TV device you already own, you can order one for $59 from Apple’s website. As I write this, I can order it today for delivery on Thursday or pickup at a local Apple Store on Friday.

Beyond the changed charging port, the design of this third-generation Siri Remote is the same as the last generation, which itself was a significant redesign and a massive improvement. Apple says the new remote is compatible with “all generations” of the Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD.

Apple has announced a new Apple TV 4K, which includes its A15 Bionic chip, HDR10 Plus support, a USB-C powered remote, and a lower starting price of $129. The streaming box now also gets a storage bump compared to its 2021 predecessor, with the entry-level model including 64GB and the $149 step-up model including 128GB.

The new price point definitely puts Apple’s box, which used to start at $179, more in line with competitors from Roku and Amazon (though it’s definitely still a premium option).

Apple has taken the wraps off a new iPad, and it comes with some pretty major design changes. The device has a larger 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display with flatter edges, giving it a much sleeker look and, for the first time on an iPad, moves the webcam to the longer side of the display.

The new model uses USB-C connectivity instead of a Lightning port this time around, making it the last modern iPad model to make the switch. The company also ditched the headphone jack on this device (which is a pretty big bummer) as well as the home button. Apple has instead chosen to put Touch ID on the power button, bringing the device in line with newer models of the iPad Air and iPad Mini (while the iPad Pro uses Face ID). The device comes with support for Wi-Fi 6, and the cellular version now supports 5G.

Apple has just announced the new sixth-generation iPad Pro. The company’s latest flagship tablet is powered by the M2 chip that first debuted in the MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro earlier this year. It’ll be available in the same two screen sizes as before: you can choose between 12.9-inch and 11-inch sizes. Preorders open today and it’ll be in stores on October 26th starting at $799 for the 11-inch and $1,099 for the 12.9-inch model.

As with the 2021 refresh, the 12.9-inch iPad Pro features Mini LED display technology for improved black levels, better contrast, and more impactful HDR performance, while the smaller model sticks with a more basic screen. Both support Apple’s ProMotion feature for refresh rates up to 120Hz.