The iPad has long been framed by Apple as a genuine option for professionals looking to take mobile computing seriously. Now, iPads have a bespoke operating system and some seriously powerful hardware propelling their capabilities far beyond tablets of the past, and recent iterations have made the office use case increasingly compelling.

With the most recent iPad Pro 11in, what Apple achieved was the most passable excuse for an office tablet ever created, but its cheaper counterpart, the iPad Air, is now also a genuine contender to take the office tablet throne. Prospective businesses looking into tablets for office use will doubtless be comparing Apple’s models across the two budget ranges, but can the iPad Air finally overthrow its pricier sibling in its ambition to reach the top of businesses’ wish lists?

Apple iPad Air (2020) review: Design

While it inherits the edge-to-edge screen and squared sides of the iPad Pro’s recent overhaul, the overall dimensions of the Air are marginally different to those of the iPad Pro 11in. The display has tightened slightly to 10.86in, a difference so small not even a well-trained eye would notice in a hurry.

As you’d expect with a near-identical chassis, the design screams ‘Pro’ from all angles. The metal housing is the same as the Pro’s and the trademark thin, barely-big-enough-to-hold bezels from the iPad Pro also feature. It’s also available in an assortment of colours should you wish to match it to your business’ branding.

For us, the dimensions are spot-on for average hands - it lacks the unwieldiness of the 12.9in iPad Pro, though the bezels may still be a little too narrow for some. Its 458g weight (on the Wi-Fi-only model, but add 2g for cellular) is also comfortable enough for prolonged use.

Like with many Apple products, it’s a joy to hold - especially for the maverick users who forgo a protective case. The squared-off edges taken from the iPad Pro in the recent design overhaul are also a massive improvement over the almost slippery rounded edges of yesteryear.

Apple iPad Air (2020) review: Display

Its design wasn’t the only area influenced by the iPad Pro; the iPad Air sports a similar 2,360 x 1,640 LED-backlit Multi-Touch IPS panel to the 11in iPad Pro, but lacks Apple’s ProMotion technology - the high refresh rate that takes an ordinary display to looking and feeling like one that’s priced much, much higher. Those accustomed to high refresh rate panels on other devices may be left wanting with this standard 60Hz display.

The peak brightness on the iPad Air also falls shorter than the iPad Pro’s score of 600 cd/m2 with a peak brightness of 394cd/m2. While that looks like quite a sizable difference on paper, the real-world performance of the iPad Air is still strong. We found ourselves sliding the brightness down far more often than upwards, and it’s still comfortably brighter than the similarly priced and newer Lenovo Tab P11 Pro.

Colour accuracy is also strong with the iPad Air which, in our tests, registered 93.6% overall coverage of the sRGB colour gamut. For reference, any score greater than 90% is considered a good standard. It also registered a near-perfect average Delta-E rating of 1.06, an excellent score for the display which means it’s more than suitable for professional image work such as graphic design.

Apple iPad Air (2020) review: Specs and performance

Apple has opted not to kit out the iPad Pro with the most premium hardware at its disposal, or offer as many configurations as some professional users may want, but the level of performance offered in relation to the price point is remarkable.

Apple’s flagship M1 processor, which catapulted the iPad Pro miles ahead of the competition, hasn’t yet made its way down to the iPad Air. Instead, this model uses the 64-bit A14 Bionic chip, coupled with a fixed 4GB of RAM with no upgrade options. That said, though, it’s a more-than-capable replacement that yielded no noticeable performance issues even when running compute-intensive apps like Adobe Photoshop and Premiere Rush. There are two options for storage, too: 64GB and 256GB.

During testing, the A14 Bionic held its own and wiped the floor with other devices in its budget range. A single-core score of 1,586 in the Geekbench 5 benchmark tests puts it comfortably ahead of the Lenovo Tab P11 Pro but still behind the 1,718 score of the iPad Pro 11in, which was equipped with an M1 chip after the iPad Air’s launch. The iPad Air lagged further behind its more expensive sibling in the multi-core testing with a score of 4,295 against the Pro’s 7,293 but still beat the Lenovo Tab P11 Pro with ease.

Apple iPad Air (2020) review: Battery life

The iPad Air comes with a 28.6 Wh lithium-polymer battery and is rated for up to 10 hours of web surfing over Wi-Fi or watching video, according to Apple’s tech specs. During our testing, however, which involves playing a low-resolution film on a long loop with airplane mode enabled, the iPad Air ran for a respectable 14hrs 27mins before depleting fully. It’s an impressive score but wasn’t quite enough to beat the Lenovo Tab P11 Pro’s result of 17 hours.

Anecdotally, we can confirm that the battery is indeed impressive, and found it difficult to completely drain the device during the course of a single day of moderate use.

Apple iPad Air (2020) review: Features

As you would expect, this mid-tier iPad doesn’t come with the same bells and whistles as Apple’s higher-end tablets. That means no Thunderbolt support, no face ID authentication, no 5G capability, and no LiDAR-enabled multi-lens camera - but you do get capabilities where it counts.

The iPad Air comes ready to work alongside the best of Apple’s iPad peripherals, including the brilliant 2nd-generation Apple Pencil for creative applications and two keyboards: the Apple Magic Keyboard and Smart Keyboard Folio for a more office-like feel to the user experience. Apple’s Touch ID is used for biometric authentication in unlocking the device and Apple Pay transactions, while it also ditches Apple’s Lightning connector in favour of USB-C which, in addition to charging, can be used for loading files onto the device, and connecting to external displays (although it’s limited to screen mirroring only).

With iPadOS 15, users can enjoy an elevated iOS experience that affords as many laptop-like capabilities as Apple is willing to allow before bleeding too far into Mac territory. Features like one-touch screen splitting and the Finder-like Files app, which can be used in conjunction with USB-C dongles, are useful for a decent experience that rivals a true laptop in the most basic of tasks.

Apple iPad Air (2020) review: Verdict

The iPad Air comes so close to being a genuine laptop replacement. However, it falls short in just enough areas - the inability to use it as a primary device across multiple external displays being a particularly frustrating example - to convince most that a MacBook is the better choice.

That said, for basic ultra-mobile work tasks, the iPad Air is a real joy to use - perfect for word processing, light video editing, multi-tasking, and corresponding with colleagues. It strips out the unnecessary features the iPad Pro brings like a LiDAR camera and delivers a supremely capable device along with a sublime user experience. Any tablet-using business would be hard pressed to find a better alternative at the price point.

Apple iPad Air (2020) specifications

Apple might very well have an M2-powered iPad Pro waiting in the wings, potentially with a released date sometime before the end of 2022. However, there are still many reasons to buy the 2021 model of 12.9in iPad Pro.

For starters, you'll be paying that little bit less; the last year's 12.9in Pro is currently £832.50 (exc VAT) direct from the Apple store and that will look like a considerable bargain when the new one is unveiled, assuming Apple sticks to its regular pricing strategies. Also, if we look at performance, Apple's M1 chip has proven itself to be an industry-leading processor in the various Mac Books its been used, and that power has translated reasonably well into tablet form.

It is worth pointing out here, that the price of the tablet doesn't include the Apple Pencil and or keyboard. However, that will be the case for any iPad and is quite normal for other tablet providers. So for those looking at this as a laptop replacement, you need to bear in mind that there is, essentially, more to actually buy.

Apple iPad Pro 12.9in (2021) review: Design

This year's iPad Pro doesn't look all too different from the previous model. The sleek 12.9in slab’s surprisingly grippy all-metal design features aggressively smoothed corners that help combat any hand fatigue you might get from its 680g heft. Its similarly rounded “Liquid Retina” LCD display still isn’t quite edge-to-edge, but there’s room to argue that it reduces the chance of accidental brush strokes, video pauses, or page-turning that can stem from having too little space between the screen and your grip. Don't go expecting to neatly slide this into your jacket pocket, either; just because it's smaller than a laptop, you’ll still need some sort of bag handy to transport it around. It’s light, but it’s not that light.

As for how it might coordinate with your wardrobe, we’re sad to report that grey and silver are your only colour options this year. If you're hoping to kit out your small business studio in a kaleidoscope of Apple-branded colours, you're going to be relying on third-party decals and cases.

Another reason to rely on after-market cases is to add some form of Surface Pro-style kickstand. Historically, the iPad range hasn’t needed this, but now that it’s explicitly geared towards professionals, this sort of versatility really should come as standard. It's much more ergonomic for artists and designers using the Apple Pencil, and it’s very handy for anyone using their iPad Pro as a second screen for their Mac via the Sidecar feature.

Apple iPad Pro 12.9in (2021) review: Display

What puts this year’s larger iPad above its smaller sibling isn’t just the size of the screen, but the tech behind it. Simply put, it gets bright enough for Apple to consider it comparable to its $6,000 Pro Display XDR monitor—at a fraction of the price. In wielding the XDR branding, Apple is marketing this particular iPad Pro as having a screen that's accurate enough for professional and colour-critical work like digital illustrations, professional photography, and cinematic filmmaking. It’s not as high-resolution, but its much smaller footprint means its 218ppi pixel density is within spitting distance of the 264ppi achieved by Apple’s best-in-class monitor.

Regardless of whether you use this to create movies or merely consume them, anything you toss at this will be more faithfully reproduced than the average television. The advertised 1,000 cd/m2 peak brightness (up to 1,600 for HDR content) trumps the 600 cd/m2 peak of the 11in model—that’s the difference between seeing the screen in direct sunlight on the beach or opting for a print magazine instead. And in keeping the ProMotion feature of past iPad Pro models, its 120Hz refresh rate has scrolling, scribbling, and even gaming feeling almost criminally smooth.

In testing, our colourimeter detected a screen brightness measurement of around 512 cd/m2. That’s a little bit off the 600 cd/m2 typical max brightness claimed by Apple, but the test can also vouch for the screen’s colour accuracy. The 12.9in M1 iPad Pro achieved a mighty impressive result of 99.8% coverage of the sRGB colour gamut and 75.3% DCI-P3 coverage, as well as a near-perfect Delta-E rating of 0.93 - all of which means it’s more than capable of handling colour accurate professional work.

The XDR display in the 2021 iPad Pro is by far the best Apple has crammed into a portable device. It’s probably the company’s most important screen refresh since the introduction of the first Retina display iPad almost a decade ago - but it isn’t without its issues. In opting for Mini-LED over OLED, its high peak brightness can lead to distracting “blooming” effects, with even 2,596 local dimming zones—there to help HDR content pop—causing unused areas of the screen to appear more gray than black as light bleeds over. This is particularly noticeable when bright UI elements like the navigation bar are visible. If you’re easily distracted by visual stimuli and plan on using the iPad Pro for major content consumption, either wait for an OLED model or grab something like the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7+ or Lenovo Tab P11.

Apple iPad Pro 12.9in (2021) review: Specs and performance

Consisting of an ARM-based 8-core CPU and GPU processor and either 8GB or 16GB of memory depending on your configuration, the iPad Pro’s M1 chip decimates the competition where benchmarks are concerned, scoring 1,713 and 7,272 in our Geekbench 5 single and multi-core test respectively. On paper, that’s a 44% improvement over the A12Z chip in last year’s model. In simulating a graphics-intensive workload with the GFXBench 5.0 “Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen” test, our 8GB configuration showed around a 37% increase in performance against the previous year’s model. That’s going to be a very noticeable improvement in stability and overall smoothness in games and 3D applications.

The aforementioned 16GB configuration is locked behind a massive 1TB storage option—which really ramps the price up—but it’s absolutely worth considering if you plan on using this to crunch big, high-quality videos and images. And with Wi-Fi 6 and 5G support on cellular models, you could really put it to work ingesting footage from your distant office server.

At launch, no app was allowed to use more than 5GB of memory regardless of configuration, diluting the reason to pay extra. But iOS 15 has relaxed that limitation, making more expensive models genuinely more useful to top-level creatives. Even beyond that hyper-specific use-case, if you want your investment to last as long as Apple’s typical five-year support cycle, spending extra now could save you from a costly upgrade in a few years’ time.

For light usage, however, 8GB is more than adequate. Apple has been mocked for skimping on memory before, but it’s never been a problem thanks to the controlled optimisations of its own operating system. Chances are, you’ll be able to come back to cell-heavy spreadsheets or a CAD project a week down the line and immediately pick up where you left off. That’s the joy of always-on devices, and the iPad Pro reigns supreme for it.

Apple iPad Pro 12.9in (2021) review: Battery life

Battery life on this particular brand of machine is rated for around 10 hours of general web usage—as iPads always have been—and tests prove this to be a realistic approximation. In testing this with a low-quality looping video on airplane mode, we found the M1 iPad lasted around 13 and a half hours before calling it a day.

It’s not the kind of powerhouse result a modern ultrabook like the LG Gram can manage at a similar cost, but it’s still leaps and bounds ahead of the average household laptop. That being said, this is an absolute best-case scenario for this device and not too indicative of real-world use—we’d typically burn through 25% per two hours of aggressive work and play—but it proves that Apple’s premium tablet can still be a competent travel buddy for long-haul flights and tireless days in the office. Browsing the web and swiping through videos will keep you on the top end of this estimate, but bright HDR highlights or complex workloads will reduce your time off the charger by a noticeable margin.

Apple iPad Pro 12.9in (2021) review: Features

Beyond the killer screen, the iPad Pro 2021 doesn't bring a massive shakeup to the iPad Pro use-case in terms of external hardware. Artists will still use the same second-generation Apple Pencil, the AR-ready LiDAR sensor isn’t new, and the tracking and panning Centre Stage feature of the front-facing camera is available on the far cheaper iPad Air—where it makes more sense. What you get from this year’s flagship tablet really depends on how you use its lightning-fast chipset and screen. It’s the definitive tablet experience out of the box, but pay extra for an attachable keyboard and trackpad combo from Logitech or Apple and it can, for some, serve as the pseudo-laptop Apple insists its software allows for.

For most, it’s a brilliantly reliable multi-tasking machine, and iOS 15 simplifies the process of getting multiple apps up at once. Browsing the web with a silky-smooth 120Hz refresh rate is just easier on the eyes, and using the new one-button process to do something like book flights on one side of the screen, browse hotels on the other, and check out local amenities on a retractable instance of your favourite travel app is a convenient and almost addictively simple way to plan your next business trip.

You’ll find three cameras here total; a practically invisible front-facing camera that’s good for FaceID unlock or purchases and auto-tracking “Centre Stage” video calls, and 4K-capable wide and ultra-wide cameras (with flash) on the back. On its slender quarter-inch sides, you’ll spot four speakers, three microphones, volume keys, the power button, a USB-C port for charging/data transfer, and smart connectors for things like keyboard docks and the latest Apple Pencil.

Apple iPad Pro 12.9in (2021) review: Verdict

Apple - and almost every other tablet maker - have tried their very best to make the tablet as good an alternative to a traditional computer as possible. And in some cases it is; ever try using a stylus with a laptop? While there are some limitations to iOS and there isn't an app for everything, as much as people think there are, the iPad Pro is a pretty brilliant bit of hardware.

It offers the ultra-portability and functionality of a tablet, but with the power of an M1 chip - more powerful than we expected, to be honest. That bright XDR display is a joy to use, particularly if you're a heavy user of Adobe and other creative apps. What's more, the battery will easily see you through a work shift.

Whether or not it can replace your laptop is very much down to the way it will be used, but with improved mouse and keyboard support, increased memory options and further advances in Apple Pencil functionality, the iPad Pro makes a more compelling argument than it has ever done before.

Apple iPad Pro 12.9in (2021) specifications

We’ve all encountered laggards. “One of those fancy new smartphones, is it?” they smirked a decade ago, nodding towards the black slab you just pulled out of your pocket. “My old Nokia 3210 does everything I need. Fancy a game of Snake?”

There’s nothing inherently wrong with this attitude. They swore by their device’s long battery life and robust nature, just as you swore when your phone fell to the floor with a sickening thud. But few companies target the laggard market.

I thought of the laggards when I heard, in mid-July, that Valve had announced a new portable handheld console designed to play PC games. Built on Linux and resembling a Nintendo Switch in many respects, the Steam Deck aims to prise PC gamers away from their computers and into the fresh air – and it sold out in minutes.

The people buying it are on the other side of the spectrum to the laggards. They’re the innovators and early adopters – folk, I suspect, who are just like you – and, as drivers of the tech industry, they are very important indeed.

Taking a risk

Imagine, if you will, that hundreds of thousands of people hadn’t laid out 99 notes on Windows 1.0 in 1985; that instead they’d listened to the critics who, two years after first catching wind of the operating system, had written it off as “vapourware”.

Or, imagine that 200 people hadn’t snapped up an Apple I assembled circuit board at a cost of $666.66 shortly after it went on sale in July 1976. Where would Jobs and Wozniak have gone next? Would they have gone on to develop the Apple II the following year, or would computer enthusiasts have been forced to look elsewhere?

In fact, the early adopters kept Apple ticking along until VisiCalc launched in mid-1979, and helped the computer leap into the professional market – to the next group along, the so-called “early majority”. Similarly, early adopters embraced Motorola’s cellphones in the US in 1983 even though some considered them to be rich people’s toys.

So we owe a debt of gratitude to these digital drivers, and the vast sums of cash they splash out. The first console to use ROM cartridges and a microprocessor, the Fairchild Channel F, cost $170 on its 1976 debut, which is the equivalent of $772 today. The first commercially successful portable computer, the Osborne 1, cost $1,795 in 1981 – that’s $5,000 adjusted for inflation.

Sometimes it pays off; often it doesn’t. More than 50,000 people bought the first Macintosh within eight weeks of its going on sale in February 1984, perhaps thanks to the lavish $1.5 million television advert directed by Ridley Scott. But by January 1986 the Macintosh Plus had appeared with double the memory and a price tag some $700 cheaper.

Later, in August 1998, Apple released the iMac G3. It had its first revision just a month later, upping the amount of video RAM from 2MB to 6MB. Further tweaks came in January and April of the following year, introducing new colours and faster processors.

It sounds like the early adopters get a raw deal – yet a good number of Apple fans still like to get in first, even today. The secret is the product has to be one that will quickly assimilate into the buyer’s lives. Otherwise, that the prestige of getting in early soon wears off.

Spreading the word

There can be a backlash from time to time. Apple caused an outcry when it reduced the price of the original iPhone by $200 two months after it went on sale; Steve Jobs responded by issuing a $100 credit to those who’d paid the higher price. Amazon upset early adopters when it released the Kindle 2 in 2009 without mentioning that the Kindle DX was on its way – and then lopping a good chunk off the former’s price once it arrived. The Nintendo 3DS also had its price slashed from £270 to £170 within five months of launch, though that was to kickstart sluggish sales.

In the main though companies work hard to keep early adopters onside, and not just for goodwill. “Early adopters of a technology are often evangelists and influencers for later adopters,” said JP Eggers, associate professor of management at New York University. “They’re more valuable than a comparable number of later adopters.”

Academic researchers James C Brancheau and James C Wetherbe have long agreed. In their 1990 paper “The Adoption of Spreadsheet Software”, they noted that early adopters were not only highly educated, but “more attuned to mass media, more involved in interpersonal communication and more likely to be opinion leaders”. Without them, the tech landscape would be very different.

Indeed, good early adopters don’t just advertise to others: they play around, tweak settings and push their new devices to the limits, providing feedback that helps new products grow into the mainstream.

“As customers, early adopters are vital, otherwise many products simply wouldn’t get to version 2.0,” said Amstrad’s former group technology consultant Roland Perry. “I’m a strong believer that the best way to create a product with a hope of a future is to employ early adopters, with experience in similar technologies, on the team.”

Perry is well aware of what happens to products that don’t benefit from early adopter investment. In 1990, Amstrad upgraded its personal computer range with new 464 and 6128 Plus computers, focusing on affordability rather than trying to compete with the new generation 16-bit Commodore Amiga and Atari ST systems. “The end user doesn’t know whether it’s 16-bit, 8-bit, or if it’s working with gas or steam or with elastic bands,” declared boss Alan Sugar at the time.

Unfortunately, the end user did know – or at least the early adopters did. There were few early sales and little excited chatter from anyone who did buy. Instead, customers moaned that there were too few games, and that the benefit of the enhanced hardware wasn’t immediately visible. “There’s was nothing ‘early adopter-ish’ about it,” reflected Perry, who also worked on the hugely successful PCW range. “If anything it was at the other end of the spectrum.”

Kickstarting new tech

It’s fair to say that a lack of early adoption points towards a flop. But there are also cases of tech failing to catch on despite being snapped up in the initial weeks – or even before it’s been made. The game console Ouya is a prime example: it was financed by 63,416 backers to the tune of £8.6 million on Kickstarter in 2013, yet discontinued two years later.

In this case, the problem was partly due to the console being technically flawed, but also came down to a lack of emotional investment. “Kickstarter is a bit odd, because people make adoption decisions without knowing what the product is,” explained Professor Eggers. “So there often are products that sound really cool, but then when people get them they actually suck. Kickstarter is also rife with the fear of missing out, so adoption decisions aren’t always very rational.”

This makes attracting the “early majority” even harder. “Early adopters are really different from later adopters in terms of demographics and their preferences,” said Eggers. “This is why we get phenomena like the challenge of ‘crossing the chasm’, where early successful firms struggle to gain traction with the mainstream market.”

Pointing the way

Failure doesn’t have to be a dirty word. While it’s desirable to cross over into the mainstream and make a huge impact, there are still benefits to manufacturers having a bash if things don’t work out. Just look at Apple’s Newton MessagePad – a product that was, with hindsight, years ahead of its time – as proof of that.

Launched in 1993, it sold 50,000 units to early adopters and became one of the firm’s fastest-selling products. Unfortunately, despite its promise to make computing truly portable, its signature handwriting recognition feature was woeful – making it the butt of jokes to such an extent that it was even lampooned in an episode of The Simpsons.

Apple stuck with it through various iterations before giving up on the Newton in 1998. But when the company came back 12 years later with the iPad, it was able to draw on the experience and feedback from early adopters to finally perfect the product.

There are other examples where early adopters have helped manufacturers recognise the potential of an idea. The 68,929 backers who stumped up a total of £10.2 million for the Pebble smartwatch on Kickstarter in 2012 showed the likes of Apple and Samsung that there was an appetite for wearables – particularly given how engaged developers were in creating apps and watch faces.

Similarly, when Sega launched the Dreamcast in 1998, early adopters bought more than 200,000 units in 24 hours and 500,000 within two weeks. Though the console subsequently faltered, its built-in modem ushered the dawn of online console games. Within a month of the launch of SegaNet, 1.55 million Dreamcasts were registered online. Such popularity didn’t go unnoticed.

Being an early adopter comes with hazards. Buying tech within days or weeks of its introduction can feel like a voyage of discovery, particularly if features are poorly documented or not yet entirely stable. You may find that a new device isn’t compatible with the old, forcing you into more tech upgrades, and of course you’ll almost always be buying at the highest price.

But that’s part of the excitement of being ahead of the curve. It’s what allows innovation to continue, monopolies to be broken and tech to move on. That Nokia 3210 was once exciting, and lots of retro tech continues to be. Early adopters have made a big impact in the past, and they’ll no doubt continue to do so for as long as companies keep coming up with new technologies.

When the iPad made its debut, grumpy pundits griped that no-one needed a giant iPhone, while detractors claimed you’d never be able to do real work on one. Many still do. But Apple’s focus on quality hardware and ambitious apps have long flown in the face of lofty opinions, to the point we now have this ninth generation of the hardware.

These days, the vanilla iPad is Apple’s take on entry level. It’s not cheap – this device isn’t in a scrap with low-end Android fare. Instead, it aims to offer broadly compromise-free performance in a relatively affordable package.

Apple iPad (2021) review: Design

To say the new iPad looks like a classic iPad might sound obvious, but this is now the only tablet in Apple’s line-up that echoes the original. The rest of the line has shifted to the iPad Pro’s modern all-screen design. By contrast, this 9th-gen model sticks with a Home button and chunky bezels.

Depending on how charitable you’re feeling, you can either think of this as familiar or dated. Regardless, it feels premium – not to the level of an iPad Pro nor even an iPad Air, but still some ways beyond other tablets at this price point.

The 7.5mm thickness feels great in the hand – a good thing too, since tablets are intended as handheld devices – and at a shade under 500g, it won’t make your arms hurt after extended use.

Apple iPad (2021) review: Display

Apple’s screens are a regular highlight of its devices, and the iPad’s 10.2in display offers a 2,160×1,620 pixel resolution at 264 ppi. It’s responsive and bright, and although it lacks P3 wide colour, everything from web pages to video footage looks great. The addition of True Tone is welcome, improving colours under varied lighting.

Brightness ramps up to 483cd/m2, which borders on eye-searing under normal conditions. But it’s necessary outside, because this iPad lacks a laminated display and anti-reflective coating. If the sun’s out, you might need to ramp up the brightness to see what’s on the screen.

Inside, it’s better, if more mirror-like than other iPads. Size-wise, the display’s big enough for productive work – if you’re armed with the right apps and hardware. That said, Apple’s stubborn refusal to allow full external display support limits you if you fancy working on a larger screen.

On the other hand, the quality is good enough that you may not need to. We measured an average Delta-E of 1 in our tests, as well as a contrast ratio of 1,105:1 and an sRGB colour gamut coverage of 91.4%. That’s not quite as flawless as the newer iPad Pros, but it’s certainly good enough to undertake professional-grade visual design and graphics work with zero qualms.

Apple iPad (2021) review: Specs and performance

The A13 chip that powers this iPad was cutting edge in 2019 when it debuted as part of the iPhone 11 line. Since then, we’ve had an A14 in the iPad Air, an A15 in the iPad mini, and desktop/laptop-grade M1 chips inside the iPad Pro.

But the A13 is no slouch. In our Geekbench tests, it scored 1,330 for single core operations and 3,336 for multi-core. On GFXBench, it scored 4,374 in the Car Chase (offscreen) graphics test. Pretty good for an entry-level iPad. And in real-world tests, this tablet handled every app we threw at it, including music and video editors. On that basis, it should be fine for any typical work use; and even though this iPad packs only 3GB RAM, iPadOS’s efficient RAM use ensures you can deftly run apps two-up in Split View.

Be mindful, though, that storage can’t be upgraded later. Although the base level of 64GB is double what you got with the 8th-gen iPad, that might be limiting if you work with a lot of images or video and don’t rely on cloud storage.

Apple iPad (2021) review: Battery life

Apple reckons you’ll get up to ten hours of web surfing on Wi-Fi before the iPad will need recharging – or nine hours on cellular. Real-world numbers will vary and depend on the apps you’re using.

In our standardised battery test that plays a looping video in airplane mode, the 9th-gen lasted 13hrs 11mins, making it the longest-lasting iPad we’ve tested, and beating its predecessor by almost half an hour. In broader use cases, it fared well during days of office-oriented tasks, with music playing in the background, and rarely needed plugging in. However, be aware the battery can take a noticeable hit when using Zoom or procrastinating with a graphics-intense game.

Apple iPad (2021) review: Features

There’s a lot of tech packed into the 9th-gen iPad, but some is showing its age. You get a Lightning port, when other iPads have moved to faster USB-C; and this also leaves you with the original Apple Pencil – still impressive, but less so than its successor and absurdly charged by having it stick out of the iPad’s port.

Authorisation is by Touch ID, which is fine. The “twin-speaker audio” is less so, blasting sound from one side when using the tablet in landscape. There’s no Wi-Fi 6 (you get 802.11a/b/g/n/ac dual band) and Bluetooth is 4.2 rather than 5, although that’s unlikely to impact your day-to-day.

The 8MP rear camera is also serviceable, but you won’t use it for anything important. The new front camera is impressive, though – a 12MP ultra wide with a 122° field of view that supports Center Stage, a new iPadOS feature that keeps you in-frame during video chats. It’s a big upgrade and great to see.

As with the last generation, this device support’s Apple’s Smart Connector pins for attaching keyboard covers and the like. This is absolutely essential for anyone looking to use the device for work; the iPad’s virtual keyboard is fine for occasional text input, but in landscape mode covers half of the display and is no good for extended typing sessions.

Sadly, using Apple’s Smart Keyboard for iPad (£159) is a miserable experience akin to typing on a rubber-keyed ZX Spectrum. Fortunately, there are alternatives, such as the Logitech Combo Touch (£119.95), with its Smart Connector support and built-in trackpad, or a standard external Bluetooth keyboard and trackpad/mouse if you prop your iPad up on a stand. Factor in these additional costs if you intend to regularly use the iPad for a lot of work that involves typing.

Apple iPad (2021) review: Verdict

Parts of this review might read like a laundry list of gripes, but that’s to be expected when faced with an iPad that’s now an outlier in terms of technology. But it must be considered in context as well.

If you’re keen on an iPad for work (and play) and are on a budget, this 9th-gen model will last you for years. It’s powerful, the screen is great, and the unit feels robust and premium. For £319, it’s solid value.

It’s often said that the standard iPad remains the best option for most people, and we’d agree. Even so, if you want to go all-in with the platform and you have the funds, instead consider the more powerful iPad Air or iPad Pro, which have superior displays, speakers, performance and better external keyboard options.

Apple iPad (2021) specifications

Apple is working on a new feature that will help your device conserve battery life if you are not paying attention to it, according to Apple Insider,

Current Apple devices already have a feature that sort of handles this, although the current system works more like a countdown since you last interacted with the device. The new system will reportedly focus more on if you are paying attention to certain functions the device is engaging by monitoring peripheral devices and various sensors.

Say you are listening to Apple Music via your AirPods and set the phone on your desk. The newly patented “attention detection service” will use a gaze sensor to detect you are not looking at the screen and shut down the screen to cut battery consumption. However, it will not impact your Apple Music session because it knows you are actively listening via the AirPods.

The device will reportedly use multiple sensors, such as detection and touch detection, to determine which unnecessary functions to shut down.

Other functions could spread to Apple TV 4K, which currently uses a timer to decide when to shut down. With Apple TV 4K, the “attention detection service” could theoretically sense when you’re in the car via Apple CarPlay or in the kitchen getting a snack via the location sensor on your Apple Watch and pause the show you are watching or shut down the device altogether.

According to the report, this feature will be active whether the device is running only on the battery or plugged in. While it may not make sense to shut down functions when a device is not running on battery alone, shutting down unnecessary functions when you leave the device plugged in will conserve energy and reduce heat.

There is no timeline for this new feature’s release, as it was just granted its patent on August 31.

With the next Apple smartphone right around the corner, it makes sense to align the function’s release with the new iPhone 13’s unveiling. The latest iPhone will reportedly have a 120Hz ProMotion screen, so the screen deactivation alone could be instrumental in boosting the device’s battery life.

Over the past few years, the iPad Pro has slowly matured into quite the powerhouse, but it’s taken a giant leap forward in 2021. Adopting the much-lauded Apple M1 processor – the same chip found inside this year’s 24in iMac, Mac mini, MacBook Pro and MacBook Air – it has finally drawn level with its more “serious” counterparts when it comes to raw power.

The M1 chip isn’t the only big upgrade for the 2021 iPad Pro, either, despite the fact that it looks pretty much identical to the previous model. Next on the list of upgrades is the new “Liquid Retina XDR” display, which employs Mini-LED technology to boost its HDR capabilities, improving the visuals without the cost to peak brightness and battery life that OLED often brings with it. It’s also available in the same two sizes as before – 12.9in and 11in – although take note: the smaller iPad Pro does not come with the revolutionary Mini-LED display.

Coupled with the advances that Apple has made to iPadOS, the latest iPad Pro more closely resembles a full-blown laptop alternative than it ever has before.

Apple iPad Pro 12.9in (Apple M1, 2021) review: Design

Despite all of the upgrades, the physical design of the new iPad is no different from last year’s model. It’s still available in Space Grey or Silver, measures 5.9mm thick and weighs 682g – or 1.4kg with the Magic Keyboard attached to it. For reference, the smaller 11in model weighs 468g for the tablet and 1.1kg with the Magic Keyboard.

You have a pair of cameras on the rear in the corner, in a square, raised housing like the one on Apple’s iPhone 12 range of smartphones. Beside it is the tablet’s LiDAR scanner, which is used to measure objects with the iOS Measure app and by some apps that use AR (augmented reality).

Also on the rear are three metal contacts for all-but-essential keyboard attachment, while around the edges you’ll find a single Thunderbolt 3 port, the volume and power buttons (in the upper left corner if you have the tablet in landscape orientation) plus four speaker grilles for the iPad Pro’s quad speaker array. The audio output of the iPad Pro’s speakers, incidentally, remains among the best we’ve heard on any device.

Apple iPad Pro 12.9in (Apple M1, 2021) review: Display

There are no such caveats with the new “Liquid Retina XDR display”, which is quite frankly bonkers. It measures 12.9in across the diagonal and has a resolution of 2,732 x 2,048, the same as last year, but this time it uses Mini-LED technology. It’s similar to the IPS LED screen in last year’s iPad Pro but with many more of those LEDs in the backlight. The result is blindingly bright highlights and inky dark black level response.

So why has Apple chosen not to go OLED? We can only assume that battery life and brightness each play a significant part. Most of the OLED displays we’ve seen on laptops have negatively impacted battery life, with the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro’s 1080p OLED screen proving the only exception.

Peak brightness also rarely reaches the same levels as it does with backlit LCD screens. You can compensate for that indoors by drawing the curtains but you can’t do that when you’re out and about, and that generally makes OLED displays an inferior choice in bright environments.

The iPad Pro 12.9in’s Mini-LED display strikes the perfect compromise. The contrast ratio isn’t perfect as it is on OLED screens – we were able to observe the black level rising up to 0.17cd/m2 in some circumstances – but combined with a peak brightness of up to 1,600cd/m2 with Dolby Vision HDR material and 1,000cd/m2 at full-screen (that’s genuinely, blindingly bright, by the way) it delivers a contrast ratio that’s very nearly as good.

Alas, we don’t have the facilities at hand to test the display’s Dolby Vision capabilities but we were able to run tests in SDR and HDR10 on the screen and the results were very impressive. First up, in the standard dynamic range tests, we found that, as per Apple’s claims, the display reached around 1,000cd/m2, making it comfortably the brightest display we’ve ever come across on any portable computer. Colour accuracy is fabulous, too, with the average Delta E (or colour difference from the colour intended) at a staggering 0.32. That’s essentially as good as it gets.

As for HDR10 material, that measures up well, too. Peak brightness again reached just over 1,000cd/m2 and the colour accuracy was a solid 2.33. This translates to wondrously impactful playback of HDR movies and TV.

Sat side by side with the previous model, the differences aren’t night and day but the images do have noticeably more solidity on the new iPad and those black bars at the top and bottom of the screen fade into darker inconsequence. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the twilight world of Apple TV+’s Earth at Night in Colour series. Scenes shot in the dark have more impact, appear more luminous and pack more contrast than on the older tablet. The action simply looks more real and more present on the Mini-LED display.

And it compares favourably with the OLED panels that rivals are beginning to install on their premium laptops and tablets, too. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+’s OLED screen, for example, may look glorious indoors but only reached a peak 367cd/m2 in our tests. The iPad Pro 12.9in is nearly three times as bright and, as a result, is much more practical for working in bright conditions.

Apple iPad Pro 12.9in (Apple M1, 2021) review: Battery life and performance

It’s also good to see that improvements to the display do not come at the expense of battery life, as they might have done had Apple chosen to go with OLED instead of Mini-LED. In our video rundown test, the M1 iPad Pro 12.9in lasted 11hrs 35mins before giving up the ghost.

It isn’t as good as the MacBook Air, which lasted 14hrs 40mins in the same test, but that’s hardly surprising given that the iPad’s battery is 40.9Whr versus the MacBook Air’s 49.9Whr. Indeed, given the disparity in battery size, the M1 iPad Pro 12.9 performs pretty much as you’d expect; perhaps even a mite better.

So the M1 processor is efficient; the question is, how much more powerful is it than the outgoing Apple A12X from 2020’s iPad Pro? The answer is a lot. We already know from the MacBooks and Mac mini that the M1 is powerful enough to drive MacOS and full-blown desktop software – a leap forward only seen once in a generation – and it’s the same here, although there’s no big switch in architecture.

Let’s put that into perspective: Geekbench 5 scores of 1,713 for single-core operations and 7,274 for multi-core put it roughly on a par with the MacBook Air but, compared with the previous iPad Pro 12.9in’s scores of 1,125 and 4,539, it’s much, much quicker. It achieved a 56% higher score on average in the Geekbench 5 benchmark and a 45% higher frame rate in the demanding Car Chase GFXbench (offscreen) graphics test. The previous iPad was no slouch but the M1 machine is, quite simply, in a different league.

Apple iPad Pro 12.9in (Apple M1, 2021) review: Features

Apple has made a few tweaks to the iPad Pro’s feature-set as well. Support for 5G and Wi-Fi 6 is present and correct, as is a Thunderbolt 3 port for both charging and connecting various peripherals (more on that shortly).

As before, the iPad Pro employs Face ID as its primary means of biometric authentication, which works as well as it ever did. The camera itself, however, has had an upgrade with the introduction of a feature called Centre Stage.

Simply put, Centre Stage uses the new 10.8MP 105-degree ultrawide front camera to keep your face centred in the frame during video calls. It works pretty well, panning left, right, up and down as you move about and the range of movement it is able to track is impressive. It’s surprising how far off-centre you can move and still stay in frame.

That’s great, but unfortunately, the actual image quality is disappointing. Colours look good and the camera’s HDR capabilities help it cope well with extremes of bright and dark in frame but there’s plenty of image noise, no doubt amplified by the fact that the Centre Stage tracking only makes use of part of the sensor at any particular time.

Apple iPad Pro 12.9in (Apple M1, 2021) review: Software

So do all these upgrades and additions mean the M1 iPad Pro should be viewed in the same category as the M1 MacBook Air? After all, despite the difference in form factor, the hardware inside is, effectively, the same.

The answer is complicated.

Apple has certainly made big strides with iPadOS in the past few years and it’s no longer the pain it once was to do serious work on. With the Files app, you can now perform simple file transfer operations and copy and paste stuff back and forth from external storage.

There are plenty of heavyweight apps available on the platform, too, from pro photo editing apps like Photoshop and Affinity Photo to high-end video-editing packages like Luma Fusion. You can even connect a mouse and keyboard and use it like a regular PC.

The main issue that would prevent us from using an iPad for work full time is that it still doesn’t have proper external monitor support. While you can connect a second screen to the iPad’s Thunderbolt 3 port, the only display option open to you currently is to duplicate what’s shown on the screen of the iPad.

There’s no option to extend the space available and spread apps across two screens as you can with a MacBook or a Windows 10 laptop. And the fact that the Sidecar feature in MacOS allows MacBooks and iMacs to use an iPad as a second monitor simply rubs salt into the wound.

This may change, of course, as Apple updates iPadOS over the coming months and years but, right now, it’s a serious hurdle to iPadOS’ – and, by extension, the iPad’s – professional aspirations.

Apple iPad Pro 12.9in (Apple M1, 2021) review: Verdict

Putting that aside for one moment, however, it’s quite clear that the iPad Pro 12.9in is a fabulous piece of hardware and categorically the best tablet you can buy. It’s as powerful as the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, it has great battery life for a device this compact and the new Mini-LED display tech puts it in a different league.

As we’ve already intimated, the iPad Pro should primarily be seen as a laptop alternative and, as such, that’s the context in which we’ve viewed it while sizing up the competition. This is a tablet you buy for work first, not pleasure.

The price dictates this approach as much as anything else and the iPad Pro sits firmly in premium laptop territory. Prices start at £999 for the 12.9in Wi-Fi model with 128GB of storage; the Smart Keyboard Folio adds a further £199 while the Magic Keyboard with touchpad adds £329. That brings the price of the 12.9in iPad pro up to £1,328 if you want the full laptop alternative experience.

In many ways, it’s as good as a traditional laptop - if not better. However, it’s being held back by silly restrictions like the inability to make full use of a second display and its eye-watering price. If you buy both the tablet and keyboard, it’s considerably more expensive than the equivalent Apple MacBook Air, although the iPad does, admittedly, have a touchscreen and a far nicer display.

This is the dilemma that Apple must contend with now that it has brought the iPad to full parity with its laptop and desktop machines. It’s fabulous hardware, no doubt, but it’s being held back from true greatness by the limitations of its software.

Apple iPad Pro 12.9in (Apple M1, 2021) specifications

Apple has unveiled a number of new products at its April 2021 'Spring Loaded' event, including a new purple iPhone 12 and an upgraded Apple TV. However, the biggest announcements of the event came in the form of an all-new M1-powered iPad Pro and iMac, as Apple shifts more of its products to its custom Arm-based silicon.

M1-powered iMac with 4.5K Retina display

Apple's all-new iMac is the first to pack an M1 chip, which not only makes it faster but also allows the consolidation of the logic board and thermals, reducing it to just 11.5mm (0.45in) thick. With its smaller footprint, the new iMac takes up 50% less volume than the last generation.

The all-new iMac also gains a 24in 4.5K Retina display that boasts 11.3 million pixels, a stated 500cd/m2 of brightness, over a billion colors, and an anti-reflective coating. The screen also automatically changes the color temperature with the environment to ensure viewer comfort.

Apple has also equipped the 2021 iMac with a 1080p webcam and an upgraded audio system. The input now comes from studio quality mics - the “best ever in a Mac,” according to Apple - and it also includes a six-speaker sound system that helps bring videos and music to life.

The iMac will be available in a range of colors: green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, blue, and silver. It includes a two-meter magnetic cable in the same color as the machine.

In addition to its M1 chip, the new iMac will feature an 8-core GPU (a 7-core GPU comes as standard), which Apple claims is the fastest integrated graphics on a PC with up to 200% faster graphics performance. Under the hood you'll also find 8GB of unified memory architecture and a 16-core Apple Neural Engine that promises 300% faster machine learning performance.

The new iMac also gets Touch ID for the first time. Integrated on its wireless keyboard, Touch ID communicates directly with the Secure Enclave in M1 to create an encrypted channel to send the fingerprint through. With Touch ID, users can log in and even pay using just their fingers.

As for connectivity, the new iMac features two Thunderbolt 4 ports that support up to 6K displays and a pair of USB-C ports. On the power adaptor, you’ll find an optional 1Gb/sec Ethernet port to allow a hardwired internet connection without running a cable up to your desk.

The all-new iMac lineup will be available from April 30 via Apple's online store, and it’ll ship to customers and Apple Stores in the second half of May.

The 7-core iMac will start from $1,299/£1,249 for consumers and $1,249/£1,124 for education customers. It’ll come with an 8-core CPU, 8GB of unified memory, 256GB SSD, two Thunderbolt ports, Magic Keyboard, and Magic Mouse. Available colors will include green, pink, blue, and silver.

The 8-core GPU iMac will start from $1,499/£1,499 for consumers and $1,399/£1,304 for education. It’ll feature an 8-core CPU, 8GB of unified memory, 256GB SSD, two Thunderbolt ports, two extra USB 3 ports, Magic Keyboard with Touch ID, Magic Mouse, and Ethernet. This model will be available in green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, blue, and silver.

iPad Pro with M1 and Liquid Retina XDR display

Apple also revealed the “most powerful and advanced iPad Pro ever", which is again thanks to the M1 chip inside.

This custom 8-core processor delivers enhanced performance and helps the iPad Pro deliver a promised all-day battery life while keeping it thin and lightweight. Apple claims the CPU boasts the “world’s fastest” cores in low-power silicon, which deliver 50% faster CPU performance than the A12Z Bionic. Handling graphics is an 8-core GPU that’s supposedly 40% faster than its predecessor.

Rounding out the internals is a 16-core Apple Neural Engine, up to 16GB of memory, and up to 2TB of storage.

The new iPad Pro comes in 11in and 12.9in sizes. The larger size features a Liquid Retina XDR panel that uses a mini-LED design with 10,000 LEDs across the back of the display. The screen has a claimed 1,000cd/m2 of full-screen brightness, 1,600cd/m2 of peak brightness, and 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio. This screen will also share other technology with the smaller 11in iPad Pro, including ProMotion, True Tone, and DCI-P3 wide color support.

The new 12.9in iPad Pro will also be the first iPad to gain 5G support, that promises speeds of up to 4Gb/sec. Another first is the arrival of Thunderbolt and USB 4 ports for up to 40Gb/sec of wired bandwidth. Thanks to the Thunderbolt connection’s 10Gb/sec Ethernet, it can connect to a wide range of peripherals, including Apple's Pro Display XDR and 6K external displays.

The new iPad Pro will be available from Apple.com on April 30, and shipments will start in the second half of May. The 11in will start from $799/£749 for the Wi-Fi model and $999/£899 for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model, and the 12.9in iPad Pro starts at $1,099/£999 for the Wi-Fi model and $1,299/£1,149 for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model. Educational pricing in the US starts from $749 for the 11in model and $999 for the 12.9in model. UK education pricing has yet to be announced.

New purple iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini

Apple also unveiled the latest color option in the iPhone 12 lineup: purple. This new hue will be available on the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini starting April 23, 2021. Other than the new color, the purple iPhone 12 is the same as the current model.

New chip and remote for Apple TV 4K

Apple 's 4K TV also received an upgrade at the April 2021 Event. It gains a new A12 Bionic chip that delivers improved graphics, including high-frame-rate HDR and Dolby Vision video, enabling smooth playback of 60fps video.

Rounding out the Apple TV 4K changes is a new remote that adds a clickpad with five-way navigation for improved accuracy. It’s also touch-enabled for fast directional swipes and a circular touch-enabled ring that controls a slick jog feature.

Apple Air Tag

Apple also launched the long-rumored Air Tag, which you can attach to your keys, purse, backpack, and other items. If you lose the item it’s attached to, you can use your iPhone to find it via the Find My Network. If the Air Tag is out of the Bluetooth range, you can still use it thanks to Apple’s network of nearly a billion devices that can detect your Air Tag and anonymously send you its location.

Microsoft has announced updates to its Office suite that brings mouse and trackpad support to its Word, Excel and PowerPoint apps on the iPad.

The updates will arrive in a phased rollout over the next few weeks, but some users may have already received the added functionality.

“We know the Office experience on iPad is an important tool for the many people who use it to work, learn and create," said Bill Doll, a senior product marketing manager at Microsoft.

"The latest iPad Pro, iPad Air and iPad models have introduced powerful new features and capabilities to enable people to be productive in more ways. Accordingly, we have made several updates to the Office apps to take advantage of these enhancements and make it even easier to work on iPad."

This past spring, Apple took steps to give its 2020 iPad the mouse and trackpad capabilities, making it a more viable option to replace business laptops. Unfortunately, Microsoft's Office app users had to wait for this user-friendly update before they could take advantage of the new capabilities.

Microsoft says the new updates will also include new start screens and a new ribbon of feature menus and build on the MS fluent design language across the apps.

Doll adds: “These enhancements provide a cleaner and more modern user experience which has proven to help people more easily find what they need and focus on the task at hand.”

Microsoft claims that it’s not done there. The company will also release more updates over the next few months to improve the iPad app user experience, including document support in Excel, offline file support for cloud files and powerful contextual menus.

Apple unveiled its eighth-generation iPad outfitted with a powerful A12 Bionic chip that brings the Neural Engine to Apple’s entry-level iPad for the first time.

The eighth-generation iPad with A12 Bionic chip makes nary a compromise when it comes to impressive performance. Not only does it provide 40% faster performance than the previous chip, but it also boasts twice the graphics capability of the previous iPad.

Apple also claims the A12 Bionic Chip makes the new iPad up to two times faster than the top-selling Windows laptop, up to three times faster than the top-selling Android tablet, and up to six times faster than the top-selling Chromebook.

The A12 Bionic Chip also includes the Neural Engine - a first for the iPad - for improved machine learning capabilities, including motion tracking in augmented reality (AR) apps, enhanced photo editing, increased Siri performance and more.

“We’re excited to offer customers an even faster and more powerful experience with the eighth-generation iPad,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing.

Joswiak added: “With its beautiful 10.2-inch Retina display, the performance boost from the A12 Bionic, great cameras, and so much more, the new iPad is an incredible value at a time when, more than ever, our customers need powerful and versatile ways to work, play, learn, and connect with loved ones.”

Apple also announced that iPadOS 14 will be available for all iPad models, including the eighth-generation iPad, on September 16. The updated operating system brings new features to the iPad, including Universal Search, sidebars for apps like Photos and Files and a more compact design for incoming FaceTime and phone calls and Siri interactions.

The eighth-generation iPad can be ordered today, and deliveries will start on September 18. Pricing starts from $329 for the Wi-Fi model and $459 for the Wi-Fi and cellular model. You can choose from three color options, silver, space gray or gold, and two internal memory configurations, 32GB or 128GB.

Apple has announced the all-new iPad Air, calling it “the most powerful, versatile and colorful iPad Air ever.”

Available in five finishes, the all-new iPad Air boasts a bezel-free design and houses a larger 10.9in Liquid Retina display that includes full lamination, P3 wide color support, True Tone, and an anti-reflective coating.

The new iPad Air also gets serious camera upgrades, including a 7MP front-facing FaceTime HD camera and a 12MP rear camera for higher-resolution photos and 4K video capture. It also includes a magnetic side for attaching and charging the optional Apple Pencil, and the next-generation Touch ID sensor built into the top button.

Of all the news, perhaps the most exciting is that the new iPad Air comes with Apple’s most advanced chip, the A14 Bionic.

“Today we’re excited to introduce a completely redesigned and far more powerful iPad Air, debuting Apple’s most powerful chip ever made, the A14 Bionic,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing.

“With its gorgeous new all-screen design, larger 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display, next-generation Touch ID, and a massive boost in performance with A14 Bionic, the new iPad Air brings customers powerful pro features at an even more affordable price,” Joswiak added.

The A14 Bionic chip is packed with 11.8 billion transistors for increased performance and efficiency. Its new six-core design boosts CPU performance by 40% while a fresh four-core graphics architecture delivers a 30% improvement in graphics.

The A14 Bionic also includes a new 16-core neural engine that can perform up to 11 trillion operations per second. Plus, second-generation machine learning accelerators in the CPU deliver 10 times faster machine learning calculations.

The new iPad Air comes outfitted with a USB-C port for up to 5Gbps data transfers too, which Apple says is 10 times faster for connecting to cameras, hard drives and external monitors.

The new iPad Air will also come with the newest iPadOS 14, which better integrates the Apple Pencil by automatically detecting handwriting, shapes, phone numbers and more. It also includes Scribble, which lets the user handwrite into any text field and converts it to typed text.

The iPad Air is currently available for purchase and will begin shipping in October. The base model starts from $599, and the Wi-Fi and cellular iPad Air starts from $729.

If you believe the hype, the new iPad Pro is utterly magical. It redefines what you can do with a tablet, with a portable computer and probably with your life too. That’s a lot of hype to live up to - but the question is, does the reality come anywhere close?

First, let’s cover the basics. The 2020 iPad Pro is available in two sizes: 11in and 12.9in. You can buy it any colour (as long as it’s silver or Space Grey) and you can choose between 128GB, 256GB, 512GB or 1TB of storage, with the option of upgrading to 4G cellular support in addition to Wi-Fi. Pick and choose between these options to fit your needs, with no lockout combinations to avoid.

In terms of price, the 11in model with 128GB of storage and Wi–Fi is £769. Go to the other end of the scale, and the 12.9in iPad Pro with 1TB and cellular will cost you £1,619. Or £1,748 with AppleCare+. This, naturally, is the version we went for.

Of course, this price doesn’t include all of the optional accessories, with the most important being the new Magic Keyboard. Again, this comes in two sizes: an 11in version costs £299, and the larger 12.9in model is £349. And let’s not forget the Apple Pencil, which is £119.

Tick all the boxes and the bill comes to £2,219 inc. VAT, but you’ll be relieved to know that the AppleCare+ covers the Magic Keyboard too. It’s an awful lot of money to spend on a tablet, however hard you crank the numbers. So the obvious question is whether it’s madness, or whether there’s a justifiable investment here.

Apple iPad Pro 12.9in (2020) review: Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil

First, let’s concentrate on the new Magic Keyboard. As you’d expect for the price, this is a beautiful piece of engineering. The iPad Pro mounts into the keyboard using strong magnets, but removing it is a simple (albeit two–handed) operation.

Unlike typical tablet keyboards, the Magic Keyboard raises the iPad Pro up and away from the keyboard. The range of adjustment is adequate, but we’d have liked more tilt. However, that would have exacerbated one of the niggles of this combination: if you do much work using the numeric key row at the top of the keyboard, you’ll find your fingertips tapping onto the bottom edge of the iPad Pro itself. We got used to it after a while, but it was disconcerting at first.

This issue explains why the iPad Pro can’t be tilted back further – the finger interference problem would become a real issue. It also explains why there isn’t a function key row above the numeric row. The Esc key is also notable by its absence, although Cmd+full stop has the same function.

What’s it like to type on? When the keyboard is flat on a table, the key action is positive, with a solid bottom stop and a pleasant action. We’ve had no problems typing on this for hours at a time, and indeed have largely used it to write this review.

Then there’s the touchpad, a new feature for Apple on the iPad Pro platform. This introduces significant changes to iPadOS, bringing a seamless automatic switching between pointer and touch mode. The pad is a reasonable size, although no match for that on a MacBook Pro. Still, what it lacks in size it makes up for in responsiveness, and if it starts to annoy, then you can always pair an Apple Bluetooth mouse to the iPad Pro.

Application support for the touchpad is spotty at the moment. Apple’s own apps work well, but Microsoft’s Office apps are currently less successful. We found Word to be sufficiently annoying and clunky that we switched to Apple’s Pages app, which runs very smoothly indeed.

The Pencil, should you buy it, sits on the top edge of the iPad Pro with strong magnets, and it automatically charges inductively. In appropriately updated apps, moving between touchscreen, keyboard, touchpad, mouse and Pencil is seamless and just works. Using the right tool for the task is something we just don’t think about anymore.

Want to fold up the iPad Pro and keyboard? Just pull on the top of the iPad Pro, and it folds down in one smooth action. Take the iPad Pro off the keyboard? Easy, with no fiddly cables or latches. You’ll soon start doing it without thinking.

This is helped by the location of a USB–C socket on the left-hand side of the keyboard hinge, which can power the iPad Pro through the connector pins built into the keyboard. However, it doesn’t support data, so any interface dongles will still need to connect to the iPad Pro’s USB–C socket.

The combination isn’t small or particularly light, but it’s built like a tank. Carry it around and you know the combination is more than just a tablet. If you want to use the thinner lightweight iPad Pro by itself, just lift it from the keyboard. We’ve been using it this way since it arrived, and it’s a natural operating mode.

It’s worth noting that the new Magic Keyboard works just fine with the 2018 iPad Pro too. So if you want the benefits, you’re not forced into upgrading to this year’s model – just buy the appropriately sized Magic Keyboard, update to the latest iPadOS version and it’ll seamlessly work.

Apple iPad Pro 12.9in (2020) review: Hardware and performance

In terms of the iPad’s history, the big change came in 2018. This took out the Lightning port and moved to USB–C, along with a host of other tweaks. It was a complete re–engineering. The 2020 version takes this further, albeit in a more evolutionary way – the CPU enjoys a modest update, but the bigger shift is to 802.11ax, or Wi-Fi 6. There’s also a Lidar depth sensor, which uses laser light to measure 3D depth. More of that later.

The next obvious question is performance. Apple has updated the core hardware but the changes aren’t profound if you’re coming from the 2018 model. The results of our standard Geekbench 5 benchmark tests show modest improvements - with the 2020 model scoring 1,125 and 4,671 for single and multi-core operations versus 1,119 and 4,539 respectively for the earlier model - but we couldn’t feel any significant differences in daily operation. Our 2016 iPad Pro, however, definitely feels less snappy and responsive.

The change to 802.11ax, also known as Wi-Fi 6, is significant: the 2020 iPad Pro screams on a Wi-Fi 6 network. But you will need the latest Wi–Fi 6 router, and this arena is currently somewhat of a Wild West. However, in our testing against just about every Wi-Fi 6 router and access point on the market, it’s clear that Apple’s Wi-Fi 6 implementation in the 2020 iPad Pro matches that in the iPhone 11 Pro Max, and is damn fast and reliable too.

Battery life, on the other hand, is… strange. In various runs on our 1TB model, we saw runtimes of anything from 6hrs 15mins to 14hrs 29mins – and pretty much anything in between. None of this was repeatable, nor predictable, despite controlling everything from the screen brightness to the wireless radio configuration.

We’ve seen this before on new Apple hardware on a new operating system, and we expect it to stabilise over the next couple of releases. Nevertheless, we haven’t had any issues with battery life in real-world use.

Apple iPad Pro 12.9in (2020) review: Display

Predictably, the display is superb. We measured around 520cd/m2 at maximum brightness (lower than Apple’s claimed 600cd/m2), with good evenness across the display. The colour performance is also excellent, with an average Delta E of only 2.2, a consistently strong performance that is typical for the iPad Pro. This, of course, requires you turn off the stupid True Tone and Night Shift nonsense, but if you care about colour accuracy, this won’t be an issue.

With no home button to worry about, the screen stretches from edge to edge. The explosive colours mean images look fantastic, and note the 120Hz refresh rate for an added dollop of smoothness.

Audio performance is good, but it won’t replace your hi-fi system. It’s at its weakest when handling bass, with the weedy sound you would expect from such a small device, but the voice clarity is strong and it works well for its intended operation. We use it with the AirPod Pro noise cancelling in-ear headphones, and the quality there is superb. As with the 2018 iteration, there’s no 3.5mm headphone socket.

Apple iPad Pro 12.9in (2020) review: Camera

Camera performance is definitely an improvement over the 2018 model, with the arrival of some of the camera technology from the iPhone 11 family. Images look natural, with good colour balance, and don’t suffer from that nasty artificial and over-processed look that some vendors prefer. It even had no issues shooting directly into bright sunshine, with the sun in the shot – there was a remarkable lack of flare, but we mean that in a good way.

All of this is good, and part of the improvement package from the 2018 model. But the dark horse here is the Lidar scanner. This is essentially the same as radar, except that it uses reflected light to measure distance rather than radio. Apple claims that it works from up to 5m away, “both indoors and out”, and we’ve seen nothing to suggest otherwise.

Lidar really comes into its own with augmented reality (AR) applications because it allows the AR platform to accurately measure the 3D space far more quickly, and with more precision, than can be done with a standard optical camera image.

It works well on the few apps that currently support it. The downside is that those apps are rarer than Dominic Cummings fans in the Labour party. However, developers have only had access to this technology, and its support with the development toolset, for a limited time. We expect to see a lot more AR apps taking advantage of Lidar over the coming months, and the rumoured inclusion of the Lidar sensor in the next iPhone will be a key tipping point for wider support.

Apple iPad Pro 12.9in (2020) review: Software and UI

Over the history of the iPad Pro product line, we’ve tried hard to justify the “Pro” tag. This implies serious work, and most definitely means “content creation”, rather than just “content consumption”. It has sometimes worked, in a variety of niches, but we’ve never felt comfortable that the iPad Pro, even with the additional keyboard, really delivered. There were too many compromises, too many gotchas and too many occasions where we really needed a proper laptop.

Today, though, things are very different. The Magic Keyboard is transformative for the iPad Pro. The key action, trackpad operation and the iPadOS integration is a huge leap forward. Then consider the mouse capabilities and the superb Apple Pencil, and this is a UI experience that frankly leads the world.

App developers have moved on too. There’s a wide range of funky apps out there, including incredible packages that can do 3D CAD modelling through to serious photo and video editing, and thence to Pencil-driven music page notation. And we haven’t even begun to see the impact of Lidar yet.

With this new release, encompassing the iPad Pro itself, the Magic Keyboard, iPadOS and the maturity in the application base, we have a device that we really can use day to day. It’s the most versatile computer we’ve ever owned. If we need hardcore OS capabilities, Parallels Access gives us immediate remote access to a 27in iMac or Windows desktop in the lab. Firing up a VPN gets us straight into the internal network, and we can access any of the NAS stores via the Files app. The built-in LTE option is a must too, even if you don’t enable it initially.

We confess that we tend to run apps in full-screen mode, but the multi-window drag and drop works just fine, especially if you have the larger 12.9in display.

The downsides? The range of swipes and operating controls can be confusing because they’re not in total alignment with our MacBook Pro or a conventional Windows 10 desktop. There are new actions to be learned, but this doesn’t take long and they have their own logic and structure.

Apple iPad Pro 12.9in (2020) review: Verdict

We’ve followed the iPad Pro since its launch some four years ago, buying each new model as they came along. With the 2020 version, there are significant changes to the platform. The big question, however, is whether it’s worth it: is this a good inflection point for an upgrade, and does it deliver sufficient capability and value for money? In short, should the new iPad Pro be on your Lidar?

Yes, with some caveats. If you need to run a line-of-business Windows app, then the iPad Pro is not for you (unless you have a VDI infrastructure in place). Remote access works, but should always be a fallback emergency position.

Where the iPad Pro shines is in the range of its capabilities, the way you can switch between the various modes of operation, and the sheer quality of the OS integration. Windows 10 on a tablet can work well, but we would cheerfully never see that awful onscreen keyboard ever again, especially when battling with a ten-year-old 32–bit Windows app being dragged screaming into the modern touch world. By contrast, serious content creation isn’t a problem on this new iPad Pro platform – and some of the tools out there are genuinely breathtaking.

Is it worth upgrading from the original 2016 version with its weak “folding octopus” keyboard? Absolutely: our 2016 version is now relegated to second-screen operation. Upgrade from the 2018 version? We’re not so sure – you can have all the goodness of the Magic Keyboard, and the Pencil and mouse support too. Upgrading is worth it if you want the Lidar unit or the 802.11ax/Wi–Fi 6 support, but for most customers with the 2018 unit, that’s not really a big draw today. You might be wise to await the arrival of a 5G version of the iPad Pro in 2021/2022.

However, don’t even consider the iPad Pro without the new Magic Keyboard. It’s truly transformative for the platform, and despite the wallet-shredding price, you won’t regret it. The Pencil is rather more niche, but it has a place even in mundane mainstream apps such as the word processor. We wouldn’t give consideration to the 11in model at all – for us, the smaller version is an irrelevance. You’ll want the bigger screen, and you’ll want the bigger keyboard.

Is it worth so much more than an iPad, or a competitor running Android? Absolutely yes, but only if you’re prepared to explore the professional aspects. Using the iPad Pro to mostly read on the train, or simply to browse Facebook, is a criminal waste of its capabilities.

For once, Apple is justified in its hyperbole. While we can’t force ourselves to say that it is “utterly magical”, it’s the best all-round computing platform we’ve used in the past decade. Maybe even longer.

Apple iPad Pro 12.9in (2020) specifications

Apple’s iOS 13.5 boasts a number of new features, including those targeting coronavirus-related iPhone issues. It also includes a patch for a serious bug in Apple Mail. However, the update contains several serious bugs affecting iPad and iPhone users. In addition to high battery drain, iPadOS can cause boot loops on the iPad Pro, while media playback of the MP4/MPEG-4 container format doesn’t work for iPads or iPhones.

The bug in iOS 13.5 causes the 10.5-inch iPad Pro to reboot between 30 and 45 seconds after logging in. Full factory resets and putting devices into DFU mode haven’t fixed the problem across all devices. Some iPhones have had the same problem, and the issue also affects iPadOS / iOS 13.4.1 and 13.5.

The MP4 playback issue, which also affects iOS 13.4.1 and 13.5, causes users to lose access to their video libraries with native and third-party apps, such as NPlayer or InFuse. Although Apple switched default video recording to HEVC in iOS 11, this option has mixed support. Switching to MP4 is the most popular option, as it is the most popular format.

One affected user said, “I reported this to Apple and the only suggestion they gave me that I hadn’t already tried was to delete and reinstall the TV app. But that did not help. Good luck to all of us!”

Apple released iOS 13.5.1 as an update, but it doesn’t address either problem. As of now, there is no timeline for a fix. This update patches a zero-day vulnerability in all iOS 11 and later devices.

After nearly a decade of joint development alongside the iPhone, Apple has finally given the iPad its own operating system.

The predictably-named iPadOS builds on the strategy of making the iPad a true flagship product in its own right that sits at the midpoint between smartphone and laptop.

On the more mobile-flavour side, this means a new Home screen layout with Today View option and more apps displayed per page. It also means more functionality for the Apple Pencil, with users able to mark up and send webpages, documents and emails by swiping the stylus from the corner of the screen. The latency of the Apple Pencil has also been cut down from 20ms to just 9ms.

On the more desktop-feel side, there are features like an enhanced Files app with support for iCloud Drive and external drives, such as USB-C drives, memory cards and SMB file servers, to facilitate document sharing and collaboration. It also brings better Safari performance - includingthe ability to autom-optimise web pages for iPad - and improved text editing thanks to increased gesture support, with new shortcuts for common tasks like cut, copy and paste.

Other features include the popular Dark Mode, which is also being introduced with iOS 13, custom fonts, a floating keyboard with support for QuickPath, and Sign In with Apple.

"iPad transforms how people work and express their creativity, and with iPadOS, we're taking it even further by delivering exciting capabilities that take advantage of its large canvas and versatility," said Craig Federighi, Apple's SVP of software engineering.

iPadOS is compatible with iPad Air 2 and later, all iPad Pro models, iPad 5th generation and later and iPad mini 4 and later. It's available to developers immediately in beta and there will be a public beta starting at the end of June. Those who wish to wait and receive the fully formed OS will be able to get it as a free update in autumn.

All images: Apple

It's been four long, hard years since the last time Apple bestowed a new iPad mini on the public, and fans (including us) have been crying out for an update to the much-beloved range. Finally, Tim Cook has heard our pleas and released an all-new 5th-generation iPad mini.

Well, we say 'all-new' - in reality, there's actually not much that's changed about the new mini. It's visually identical, with only a handful of new features and a hardware refresh to distinguish itself from its predecessor.

So what has Apple changed, exactly, and does it make the new model a worthy investment if you've already got a functioning iPad mini 4?

Apple iPad mini 5 (2019) review: Design

Apple hasn't changed much about the new mini's design; it's still around 6mm thick, with a weight of just over 300g. In fact, aside from a very slightly sharper bevelled edge around the edge of the display, it's the exact same chassis as the old 4th-generation mini - and frankly, we couldn't be happier.

We'd forgotten how much we liked iPad mini form factor - no other 8in tablet has come close to the iPad Mini's blend of convenience and productivity. Apple's smallest tablet is, for our money, the perfect size and shape for a personal business device. The 8in screen is big enough to comfortably read dense text and view large images without feeling cramped, but it's still small enough that you can slip it in your bag or take it into a meeting without feeling like you're toting around the Rosetta Stone. Unbelievably, it's even small enough to slip into the pocket of our jeans - if only just.

It's also as gorgeous as ever, stamped with Apple's trademark minimalist style. It's still using the rounded edges of the classic design scheme, rather than the newer, more angular aesthetic favoured by the redesigned iPad Pro models but hey - if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Apple iPad mini 5 (2019) review: Display

The iPad mini's 7.9in display is also top quality, but if that's a surprise to you then you've probably been hiding under a rock for the past five years. Apple's Retina display (which in this case translates to a 2048 x 1536 resolution with a 326ppi density) is on peak form, and now includes support for Apple's True Tone display technology - a new addition since the mini's last outing.

The display's brightness has been bumped up to a blinding 513cd/m2, and we clocked coverage of the sRGB colour gamut at 91.3%. That's a very slight drop compared to the last model's score, but not enough to make a difference. If you wanted to create or proof colour-sensitive creative projects on the iPad mini, the display certainly isn't going to let you down.

Indeed, it's still an absolute joy to watch movies and other forms of video content on. Colours erupt out of the screen and, while contrast leaves a little to be desired, it still delivers a captivating experience. The Retina resolution also means that even fine-print text is still perfectly readable, so editing documents and reports is equally pleasant.

Apple iPad mini 5 (2019) review: Hardware and performance

While the display improvements are welcome, they're not a huge leap forward compared to the mini 4. The same, however, cannot be said of the performance. This is where Apple has put some serious effort into upgrading the new device, fitting it with a dual-core A12 Bionic processor - the same chip that powers the mighty iPhone Xs Max. It's also sporting 3GB of RAM - in other words, triple the memory of the previous machine.

So have these changes made much difference? In short, yes. When we ran it through the GeekBench 4 CPU tests, the new mini proved almost 200% faster than its predecessor for single-core tasks, and more than 300% better for multi-core tasks, with scores of 4,814 and 11,551, respectively.

To put that into context, that's noticeably quicker than both the Google Pixel Slate and - even more impressively - Apple's own MacBook Air, released mere months ago, and let's not forget that both of those devices used Intel Core processors. Admittedly, they use less powerful Y-Series chips, but still, Apple should be rightly proud of itself - the new iPad Mini can comfortably beat the pants off all comers when it comes to raw speed.

Whether all of this power is necessary, though, is a different question. Currently, there's not much outside of 3D games that can really stretch the iPad to its full potential. Unless you're wading through seriously hardcore spreadsheets or absolutely hammering it with multi-tasking, there's likely not going to be much that stretches the mini in day-to-day life. That being said, however, we think the iPad mini is powerful enough to run Adobe Photoshop - if, that is, the company ever deigns to release a full version of the software for iPads.

Apple iPad mini 5 (2019) review: Battery

We hope you haven't thrown out all those old chargers after the iPad Pro moved to USB-C, because the mini is still very much on board the Lightning bandwagon. It's not surprising, given that it's using basically the same chassis as the previous generation, but it's still a little disappointing. The inclusion of USB-C with the new Pro felt like a genuine step towards progress for Apple, whereas this feels like a return to its worst closed-ecosystem instincts.

Sadly, the battery life itself didn't set our world on fire, either. Once again, this isn't surprising, and it's likely the result of sticking with the same chassis design. If, as we suspect, Apple has used the same battery as the mini 4, then the new tablet will have to drive a much more powerful processor using the same battery capacity.

With that in mind, a score of 8hrs 21mins in our battery benchmarks is rather credible, considering the performance gains on show. While that score is just shy of two and a half hours less than its predecessor, it's still enough to get you through a full day - although you may have to be somewhat frugal with your usage.

Apple iPad mini 5 (2019) review: Features

Speaking of usage, the iPad mini is now more suited than ever to work tasks, thanks to the improvements made to recent iterations of iOS. Apple has made all kinds of improvements to the iPad's software since the mini 4 launched in 2015, but the most significant are the inclusion of a desktop-style dock and the ability to have multiple apps open on screen at once.

Although the iPad's smaller screen size means that the split-screen feature isn't quite as useful as it is on the larger iPad Pro, the support for multiple apps is still incredibly handy. For example, as we type this, we're also using iOS' 'slide over' feature to keep an eye on our Slack notifications. The dock is more useful still, allowing you to switch between your most commonly used applications with a single swipe, rather than constantly having to use the app switcher or go back to the home screen.

The big new addition for this latest iPad, however, is support for the Apple Pencil. Unfortunately, it's only compatible with the older 1st-gen stylus, rather than the swish new model which debuted last year alongside the redesigned iPad Pro. The newer model uses wireless charging (which may well be why it's not supported), but the old one still has to be awkwardly plugged in to the iPad itself in order to charge. It also lacks the capacitive function button that was introduced with the 2nd-generation Pencil, which feels like a slight step backwards.

On the other hand, the Apple Pencil still offers an outstanding writing and drawing experience for those that prefer that kind of input. It obviously feels a little more cramped than any previous iPad has when writing on it, but the responsiveness and pressure-sensitivity is still excellent. One complaint we did have with it, however, was that it got distinctly hot while we were drawing with it - to the point where we actually had to put it aside to cool down for a minute before we started using it again.

One feature that the mini is crying out for - and which we gladly would have taken over Pencil support - is support for a iPad Pro-style Smart Keyboard. As it stands, you'll have to use a third-party keyboard case which, while doable, gives the mini's main rival the Microsoft Surface Go a pretty hefty advantage over it.

Apple iPad mini 5 (2019) review: Verdict

The new 5th-generation iPad mini, then, is pretty much the definition of a mixed bag; on the one hand, the performance improvements are absolutely staggering compared to the previous generation, and the addition of Apple Pencil support will please note-takers, sketchers and digital artists alike.

On the other hand, aside from a couple of neat features like the True Tone display, that's really all it has going for it. The battery life is slightly worse than its predecessor, and there's not really any extra features worth mentioning.

So where does this leave us?

Well, if you have a fourth-gen iPad mini that's still in good condition, there's no real reason to upgrade, unless you're burning to use the Apple Pencil with an 8in tablet. You're unlikely to be feeling any serious pinch in terms of processing power, and that's the only other reason to trade up.

In any other case, however, the new iPad mini is an absolute must-have. Sure, it doesn't do much differently to its forebears, but it doesn't need to - the iPad mini 4 was basically the perfect tablet, with a portable, convenient size mixed with a stunning display and excellent internals.

At £400, the price isn't to be sniffed at (especially given that the larger standard iPad is cheaper and also supports the Pencil) but it's worth the money for the added portability of the mini. It really is hard to overstate how much we love it as a device category. If you're in the market for a do-it-all tablet, make no mistake - this is the one to buy.

Apple iPad mini 5 (2019) specifications

After the success of the iPhone, rumours quickly started circulating that Apple could have a tablet up its sleeve. Marketed as a rival to netbooks, which were still things people bought at the time, the iPad took the iPhone's multi-touch display and took it to the big screen - of mobile devices.

In 2010, the iPad hit shelves, but it didn't stay there for long. Over 19 million of the devices were sold in the first year of its release because people loved the familiar user interface and enjoyed it as a fresh new take on a laptop.

For the casual user, it was an exciting new way to browse the web, take pictures, send email, read e-books, play games, watch films and so much more. It made the experience far more interactive and intimate and was a revelation for commuters and travellers looking for fun on the move.

It wasn't just the entertainment market they were targeting, Apple knew it would be picked up and loved by businesses around the world which is why they designed it with that in mind too. They created a bespoke productivity suite of apps, Pages, Keynote and Numbers, specifically designed for iPad functionality. But, it doesn't end there. There are a wealth of amazing apps from which businesses can benefit for myriad purposes and we've collated the best ones here.

When it first launched in 2010, there were over 140,000 apps available for the iPad, now there are 2 million. To save you sifting through them all, below are the best ones. Whether you're managing money, delivering a presentation to your company's directors or just want to edit some photos, we've chosen the right app for you.

Communication

Microsoft Outlook

Developer: Microsoft Corporation

Price: Free

Outlook is Microsoft's own mail app that combines contacts, email and calendars in one app place. It determines which of your messages are most important and places other emails into a separate folder to be viewed later. You can schedule meetings, set reminders, attach files and more.

Main Idea: If you find yourself missing things because of a cluttered inbox, this app can help thin the herd and surface what's most important.

Design

Enlight

Developer: Enlight

Price: 3.99

Lightricks' Enlight is a formidable photo editing suite that's about as close to a full-fat desktop package as you're likely to get for under a fiver. Touch-up images with intuitive and precise controls, overlay photos, swap filters and gradients to generate artistic effects recreating the style of classic photography and more.

Main Idea: Enlight offers a comprehensive toolset aimed at Instagramers, amateur photographers and photo enthusiasts after greater power from a mobile image editor.

Paper Notes, Photo Annotation, and Sketches

Developer: FiftyThree

Price: Free (in-app purchases, all free)

Artists will know that they should never be without their pencil or sketchbook. Paper, by New York app developer FiftyThree, is a drawing and productivity app aimed at those who like to express their ideas visually. You can sketch images and notes onto the app, and combine them with written text, photos, or checklists. It also comes with features for sharing your drafts with colleagues as PDF, Keynote or Powerpoint files.

Main Idea: Paper wants to be the most effective app for you to capture and connect your notes, photos and sketches.

uMake

Developer: uMake

Price: Free (in-app purchases, subscriptions)

uMake featured during Apple's reveal of the iPad Pro last October, and the app has already proved to be a big hit with users of Apple's enterprise-focused tablet. The app couples the accuracy of a graphics tablet with the clarity of a 3D visualizer. Using an Apple Pencil, users can sketch 2D planes in a 3D space, controlling the weight and colour of their stokes, to create anything from rapid sketches to complex, layered 3D objects.

Main Idea: uMake is targeted at discerning professionals with experience of using 3D design software. A free subscription is available, with pro tiers starting from 14.99 per month.

Money

Invoice 2go Invoice & Estimate

Developer: Chris Strode

Price: Free

An app designed to create invoices, estimates, credit memos, and purchase orders straight from your device, as well as keeping track of money owed, taxes, and totals. With templates to choose from and the option to include PayPal buttons for convenience, Invoice2go Plus allows users to track and manage invoices before sending them directly to customers and clients.

Main Idea: Although many features must be purchased in the app, this is the perfect tool for freelancers and businesses that have trouble keeping track of money owed, money paid, and money received.

Mint: Personal Finance & Money

Developer: Intuit

Price: Free

Mint is a free personal finance app that allows you to track spending across multiple accounts and investments using nifty graphs and charts. You can create budgets and customised bill reminders to help manage your income, and get the most out of what you spend.

It can be especially useful for when you're planning on saving money for a big buy, building up funds to launch a business. The app works by syncing with your accounts to provide a real-time transaction feed. Intuit, the makers of the app, has taken great steps to ensure user details are kept safe, offering the same security provided by banks to prevent fraud or theft.

Main Idea: An effective money management app with a gorgeous UI.

PayPal

Developer: PayPal Inc

Price: Free

PayPal is an affordable app for accepting payments that's especially useful for small and medium businesses. Service users can accept credit and debit cards, send invoices, track cash, and check payments. It also supports Apple Pay. Charges for the service are 3.4%, plus 20p for swipe card payments.

PayPal's big selling point for using its payment service and app is that there's no long-term contracts, commitments or monthly fees. User reviews, many of whom describe themselves as small business owners, have very good things to say about it.

Main Idea: A payments app with no long-term contracts, commitments or monthly fees.

Productivity

Adobe Acrobat Reader

Developer: Adobe

Price: Free

Reading and interacting with PDF files is so much easier with this app on your iPad, and you can also use it to manage, convert, and share files at your leisure. Open up documents in Adobe Reader directly from emails, the web or an app, search the file for words and phrases, convert them to a variety of different file types and access password-protected forms.

Main Idea: The most popular app for reading, editing, and converting PDF files on your tablet, Adobe Acrobat Reader allows professionals to use all of the tools and functions they need to deal with PDFs from wherever they are.

Dropbox

Developer: Dropbox

Price: Free

Dropbox has quickly become the most popular cloud storage app for storing videos, photos, and documents, and the app's iteration for iPad is just another tool for keeping your files together in one easy-to-access location. With 2GB of free space given to you just for signing up, it couldn't be easier to create an account for an entire team to use, making collaboration much easier, as well as allowing you to work remotely.

Main Idea: There are a lot of cloud storage options out there. If you're not sure which is best for you, check out our more in-depth look at the most popular services.

Fantastical 2

Developer: Flexibits

Price: 2.99

Microsoft has sadly taken the decision to axe the much-loved Sunrise calendar app, but thankfully its spirit lives on in Fantastical 2. Support is included for iCloud, Exchange and Google Calendar, and the interface has the same clean, uncluttered appeal as Sunrise.

The downside is that it's not free Fantastical 2 costs 3.99. However, that's a price well worth paying if you're feeling Sunrise's absence. It's got integrations with iOS reminders and the notification center, and there's also a natural language engine to make adding events an absolute breeze.

Main Idea: If you need a calendar app to replace Sunrise, Fantastical's the one for you. Simple and well laid out, it's got heaps of productivity-boosting features.

FileMaster-Privacy Protection

Developer: Shenzhen Youmi Information Technology Co. Ltd

Price: Free

If you use your tablet for business, it's easy to end up with a mass of jumbled files on your device. Easily organize and view files using this manager that allows you to transfer files from your computer, create new folders, move and copy documents, rename files, and more. In addition to having all of the features of a useful file manager, the app also serves as a media player, music player, and document viewer. Everything is secure with passwords, hidden folders, wifi authentication, and remote access.

Main Idea: If you're in the habit of downloading and storing files on your device, you need some way to sort through them all. This app offers all of the features you need while keeping your information secure.

LiquidText

Developer: LiquidText

Price: Free

Note-taking apps, such as Microsoft OneNote and Evernote, have put many document viewing apps into the shade. The feature-rich LiquidText, however, allows you to mark and annotate documents with speed, sort and retrieve those annotations, and export them by type. All of which means it should be easier to find the note you need, whether you're using this app for meeting minutes, coursework notes, and more besides.

Main Idea: LiquidText offers gesture-based reading and annotation for documents including PDF, DOC, PPT and web pages.

Microsoft Word

Developer: Microsoft Corporation

Price: Free

Create and edit Microsoft Word documents on your tablet in exactly the way you're used to with the same layout and functionality that you'd find on your Mac or PC. That means images, charts, footnotes, tables, and everything else you might need are at your fingertips with the option to view email attachments and access documents from the cloud via OneDrive, Dropbox, and more.

Main Idea: Most people are already well-versed in how to use Microsoft Word, making it the perfect app to keep you working across multiple devices.

MindNode

Developer: IdeasOnCanvas GmbH

Price: 7.99

MindNode uses mind mapsvisual representations of ideas branching off of a central ideato help your brainstorm better. The intuitive approach to organisation helps you focus on your content rather than the layout, and your ideas will never be limited, with an infinite canvas that grows with your map. Be more creative with less effort and access your mind map from any of your Apple devices thanks to iCloud Drive.

Main Idea: If conventional note-taking apps aren't suited to your creative process, mind mapping may help flesh out ideas and make you more productive. MindNode makes it easy to export your maps to PDF, text outline, PNG, and a number other formats.

OfficeTime Time Keeper Pro

Developer: Productive Monkey Ltd.

Price: 7.99

Where does all of the time in your day go? OfficeTime is here to help you answer that question, equipped to track and categorize the minutes and hours spent working and log expenses to make sure you're still on budget. Improve your productivity and increase your billables by recording and reviewing the exact time dedicated to individual projects. Perfect for freelancers and small teams, the app syncs across platforms, works offline, and makes invoicing easier.

Main Idea: This app is designed with freelancers, small businesses, and groups in mind. Not only does the app track your time in the background, it allows you to run multiple timers and easily switch tasks, conscious of the way that many people work on multiple projects.

SAP Analytics Cloud Raombi

Developer: SAP SE

Price: Free

Spreadsheets are useful and essential for business, but they don't always display information in the most presentable way. Roambi Analytics allows you to take data from Microsoft Excel, Google Spreadsheets, Box, databases, and a number of other sources and convert them into colourful charts and diagrams. This app is a useful companion for anyone who needs to show visualisations as part of presentations or discussions.

Main Idea: A simple and speedy way to turn spreadsheets into attractive visualisations.

Security

NordVPN

Developer: NordVPN

Price: From 2.34 per month

While iOS is widely known for being one of the most secure operating systems around, sometimes you need the added assurance that your internet connection is safe from unwanted snooping.

NordVPN bills itself as one of the most advanced virtual private networks on the market. You're able to connect to 1,000 different servers across 61 different countries, which offer some of the most robust VPN protections available. For those who take security particularly seriously, you're also able to connect to the Tor network without the need for additional software.

It's also incredibly easy to install and use, as it's a simple case of running the .exe and selecting what services you'd like to turn on, including anti-virus shield with malware protection built in.

There's also a variety of pricing options available, the cheapest of which is 2.50 per month on a two-year plan. True to its ideal of anonymity, you can even pay in Bitcoin if you prefer.

Main Idea: An added layer of security for when you're connecting to a dodgy public WiFi

1Password

Developer: AgileBits Inc.

Price: Free

1Password's encryption means you can keep all your credentials and financial data in the password manager. Furthermore, it's able to generate hard-to-break passwords for your accounts, to stop you having to remember various passwords you have for all your accounts - or from re-using the same one everywhere. It doesn't just work on your tablet, either: you can sync it across all your Mac, Windows, iOS and Android devices. If the free version doesn't quite provide what you need, consider upgrading to Pro for additional features.

Main Idea: Let's be honest, it's a pain trying to keep track of all of your passwordsyour log-in information is safe but accessible with 1Password.

Tools

Intelligent Hub

Developer: AirWatch, LLC

Price: Free

A device tool for mobility management, this app can be used with the Intelligent Hub console to monitor and manage all devices in your company. For organisations that rely on communication and collaborate with teams and employees, having a single app keeping track of everything can be very useful, and it couldn't be easier to set up and use.

Main Idea: With the rise of BYOD in business, it's already true that pretty much everyone works with a mobile device. This app helps to control and manage this, improving security at the same time.

Coda

Developer: Panic

Price: 23.99

Coda is a combination of text editor and FTP client for iPad and iPhone. The main display shows all sites that a user has configured to use with the app. These display a thumbnail of the homepage. Sites can be sorted into folders. It supports syntax highlighting for a wide range of code languages.

The file manager supports FTP, SFTP, FTP with Implicit SSL, FTP with TLS/SSL, as well as with WebDAV & WebDAV via HTTPS. It also connects to services such as Amazon's S3.

Main Idea: A portable text editor and file manager.

Notability

Developer: Ginger Labs

Price: 9.99

The iPhone is the perfect device for note-taking, but you need a good app to really take advantage of that. Notability allows users to add images, illustrations and more to notes, making random thoughts more visual and dynamic or just making it easier to brainstorm ideas. The app is also great for working across teams, as you can sync notes through cloud services or share over social media.

Main Idea: Since you can easily sync your notes across devices, it's incredibly simple to go back to your thoughts at another time, editing it from wherever you happen to be.

Printer Pro

Developer: Readdle

Price: 6.99

The fastest and easiest way to print documents directly from your device without worrying about transferring files or email attachments. With Printer Pro you can print straight from within an email or other application with the Open In' function. Wirelessly print attachments, documents, web pages, photos, and more, for real mobile printing.

Main Idea: Whether you're in another office for a meeting or you're using your device for work, printing from your iPad means that you have the convenience even when away from your PC.

Scanner Pro

Developer: Readdle

Category: Business

Price: 3.99

Scanning paper documents to be used on our PCs used to be relatively arduous and time-consuming task, but Scanner Pro allows you to reach the same end with your phone. After scanning, PDF files can be emailed, printed, shared, or uploaded to tools like Dropbox. The app also has automatic edge detection to ensure high-quality scans, and you can also manually crop pages afterwards.

Main Idea: As well as providing high-quality scanning to send electronically, a good portable scanner allows you to back up and store important information to access at your convenience.

Alternatives: Tiny Scanner, CamScanner, ScanBot

Splashtop Enterprise

Developer: Splashtop Inc.

Price: Free

As mobile as smartphones and tablets have made us, sometimes we need our computers and are miles away from our desks. This would be a problem if not for remote desktop apps, which allow users to access their PC or Mac straight from their phones, allowing them to stream video, browse the web and more. For professionals, remote access to PowerPoint, Excel, and other applications can be a lifesaver.

Main Idea: Access to your desktop from anywhere gives you more options, and instantly increases the value of your devices for on-the-move work.

Travel

TripIt: Travel Planner

Developer: Tripit

Price: Free (in-app purchases)

TripIt organises the lion's share of your travel plans and involves minimal effort on your part. Forget copying long customer IDs and boarding pass details, TripIt automatically creates an itinerary for you from forwarded hotel, airline, car rental and restaurant confirmation emails. Travel plans can be accessed at any time including offline. It also provides directions and maps, syncs with your Apple, Outlook or Google calendars, and allows you to share your travel plans with friends and colleagues. Owned by business travel and expense management company, Concur, TripIt also offers a premium service for frequent flyers.

Main Idea: Get your travel plans organised in one place using TripIt's automation technology.

Apple has finally given in to fans' demands, releasing a slew of new updates to some of its most beloved products including the Mac mini and the MacBook Air.

The company took the wraps off its new devices at an event in Brooklyn, New York. The bulk of the event was dedicated to the new iPad Pro models, but many old-school Apple fans will be more excited by the re-launch of fan-favourite Mac devices. The MacBook Air, for example, was first revealed in 2008, but hasn't had a significant update for several years despite remaining one of the company's most popular notebooks.

Apple MacBook Air

The company has refreshed the MacBook Air at long last, adding some heavily requested features like a high-resolution Retina display and current-gen processing hardware. The new MacBook Air features a dual-core Intel Core i5 processor clocked at 6GHz, with a maximum RAM capacity of 16GB and up to 1.5TB of SSD storage. Like its other laptops, Apple has gone all-in on USB-C for the newest MacBook Air, and the redesigned chassis features two Thunderbolt 3 ports in place of the previous USB Type-A connector.

Apple has also borrowed features from its newer MacBooks, like the excellent butterfly keyboard and Touch ID support (enabled by Apple's T2 security chip) from the most recent MacBook Pro redesign. The speakers have been beefed up too.

One of the original MacBook Air's defining features was that it was unbelievably thin and light, so it's unsurprising that Apple has trimmed some of the fat from the MacBook Air. What is surprising is the fact that it hasn't trimmed all that much.

The newer MacBook Air weighs in at 1.25kg and 15.6mm thick - not all that much smaller than the 1.34kg and 17mm thickness of the previous model, despite the fact that this particular design has been around since 2010. In fact, the MacBook Air is ever-so-slightly thicker than the MacBook Pro - at its widest edge, at least.

The biggest difference is the retina screen, which now has a 2,560 x 1,600 resolution (up from 1,440 x 900) and a higher-quality panel, which supposedly features almost 50% more colour. The bezels have also been massively reduced compared to the last version, meaning the same 13.3in display can be fit into a smaller footprint. The new MacBook Air will start at 1199 inc. VAT, and is available for pre-order now, with shipping starting from next week.

Apple Mac mini

Elsewhere, the Mac mini has also had an update for the first time since 2014, adding desktop-grade Intel processors starting at four cores and moving up to six cores, with support for a maximum 64GB of memory. It has a brand new cooling system to maintain thermal efficiency and it even comes in a new Space Grey finish.

Connectivity has been boosted too, courtesy of four Thunderbolt 3 ports, 2 USB Type-A ports and an ethernet port configurable up to 10Gbe. The new Mac mini starts from 799 inc. VAT and will also begin shipping next week.

Apple iPad Pro

The biggest portion of Apple's event was devoted to the new iPad Pro. The company's flagship tablet has been totally redesigned; as with the iPhone X, Apple has ditched the home button and added an edge-to-edge display, although it sadly isn't an OLED panel.

Like the last generation, the new iPad Pro comes in two sizes. There's an 11in version, which maintains the same physical footprint as the previous generation but ups the size of the display, and the 12.9in version which does the reverse, keeping the same screen size but reducing its footprint. The thickness has also been fractionally reduced to 5.9mm on both models.

Amazingly, the seemingly less likely pre-release rumours were true as well: Apple has indeed switched from a Lightning port on the iPad Pro to a USB-C connection, allowing users to connect the iPad to storage devices, external displays, docking solutions and third-party chargers. This will likely make the iPad Pro much more attractive to businesses, although the question of whether the lack of a trackpad will prove to be a barrier still remains.

Unsurprisingly, specs have received an upgrade too, with Apple moving to its A12X Bionic chip as expected. This 7nm octa-core chip supposedly offers 90% faster multi-core performance over last year's A10X Fusion processor along with 35% better single core speeds and more capable graphics performance. The new models go up to a massive maximum capacity of 1TB too.

Creative tasks are still high on the list, and the Apple Pencil has been refreshed along with the iPad Pro. It now attaches magnetically to the side of the device (just like the Surface Pen) and charges wirelessly whenever it's attached. It also includes a new interaction method, where contextual actions can be performed by double-tapping the side of the device.

These upgrades will come in handy for designers, as Adobe Photoshop and Autodesk's AutoCAD software is coming to iPad. These aren't stripped back mobile versions, either - it's supposedly the full desktop experience, including all of the regular features.

The 11in version starts from 769, and the 12.9in model starts at 969. As with the other devices launched at the event, both models will be available next week.

Apple and GE have united their enterprise resources to offer businesses a wide range of tools and services to help field workers carry out their jobs more effectively.

GE will use Apple's resources to create new, innovative apps for businesses, while Apple's sales team will try and sell the GE Predix platform to its industry customers. GE will also roll out iPhones and iPads for its 330,000 employees and give them the option of using Macs as their work computers.

Apple's iOS SDK will become an integral part of GE's Predix Platform, which has been designed to help industry businesses, such as manufacturing plants, track their equipment and detect failures before it becomes too serious. This is particularly useful for the company's fleet of transportation equipment such as jet engines, turbines and trains.

"For the first time, we're unlocking incredible new potential for industrial workers by giving them access to native apps that tap the functionality of iOS devices in exciting ways. Now employees can make better informed decisions through the native capabilities of the apps right at their fingertips," Susan Prescott, vice president for apps, markets and services at Apple told TechCrunch.

Prescott explained that, for example, a technician at GE could use the iPhone's camera to view a thermal image of a piece of equipment in order to find a fault. They could also use iBeacons or location services to send information to a worker's iPhone or iPad if there is a problem or the engineer needs further information.

We're essentially closing the feedback loop between the employee in the industrial environment and the analytics and data that's stored in the cloud," she said.

With the iPad Pro, Apple has spent years trying to convince the world that a tablet can act as a genuine replacement for your laptop. Previous iterations never quite managed to convince us that an iPad could function as well as a laptop, particularly for business users.

That may have changed with the latest generation of iPad Pro, however. Apple has overhauled the display, fitted it with a powerful new processor and promised some seriously impressive productivity and functionality upgrades when iOS 11 hits devices. But can the new and improved iPad Pro family really cut it as a fully-fledged laptop replacement?

Who uses the iPad Pro?

Before we delve into the details of the product, it's worth thinking about how the iPad range has been deployed in the enterprise. There's essentially two scenarios: one where an iPad acts as a secondary device - a 'carry around' - when the user has a bigger laptop or desktop computer; and one where the iPad acts as the user's sole device. This latter scenario sounds like it's less common, but Apple has actually had some success in pitching the iPad Pro as a device for field workers and certain office-based employees.

As a secondary device, the iPad Pro's main competition is probably from high-end Android tablets like the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3. However, in the latter scenario the competition is mainly from Windows convertibles like Microsoft's own Surface Pro series.

So with this in mind, how does the latest iPad Pro fare against both these kinds of competition, and in both scenarios? Let's look at how the device shapes up.

iPad Pro: Design, display and specs

If you're expecting a radical redesign of the iPad with the latest models in the Pro range, you'll be disappointed. They're very much still iPads, and follow the same design formula that we're all familiar with. The iPad design is iconic, which is partly why it hasn't really changed since the iPad Air.

The only slight variations to the previous generation of iPad Pro are some minor adjustments to weight, thickness and the size of the screen bezels - all of which are practically negligible. The 10.5in model is a couple of millimetres thicker and around 30g heavier than the 9.7in version it replaces (which is to be expected, given the larger footprint and screen size), while the bigger 12.9in version is around 30g lighter than its predecessor.

Both devices still feel light and comfortable to use, and are excellently-balanced in the hand. The 12.9in version can be slightly unwieldy due to the sheer size of it, but this is easily fixed by pairing it with a stand or folio case.

The real improvements aren't cosmetic though - they're under the hood. Apple has updated all the key elements of the tablet, starting with the screen. The TrueTone display on the iPad Pro 9.7in was already the best screen we'd seen on any device, but Apple hasn't been content to rest on its laurels. Instead, it's ramped up the refresh rate to a maximum of 120Hz, which makes things like scrolling much more responsive. It's also introduced a feature that it's calling ProMotion, which allows it to run the screen at a lower refresh rate if fast motion isn't happening on screen.

ProMotion sounds a little gimmicky, but it's not: it's probably the best thing to happen to mobile screens since the dawn of the retina era. It makes that much difference to how smooth everything looks on screen. There's none of the lag you associate with swiping around on cheaper screens.

This faster refresh rate also contributes to a more responsive experience with the Apple Pencil, which now has a response time of just 20ms - a whole millisecond less than the latest iteration of the Surface Pen. Also contributing to this is some smart code behind the scenes which uses machine learning to predict where the Pencil will move next, and literally "draw ahead" by a millisecond or two. A trained artist we asked for an opinion described the Pencil as easily the most responsive on-screen drawing experience they had ever used, and the first which came close to paper.

If that was all Apple had done, it would be a decent upgrade. But there's more: a lot more. The processor has been updated to the new Apple A10X Fusion ARM chip, which, as we'll see, pushes performance even further. The 32GB configuration is gone, with the range now running 64GB, 256GB, and 512GB, something which sounds crazy for a tablet but which makes complete sense if you're considering the iPad as a genuine laptop replacement.

And of course, Apple being Apple, it had to update the camera too, which is now the same 12MP unit as on the current iPhone 7, widely regarded as amongst the best phone cameras in the world. You might only ever use this for scanning documents - and in conjunction with apps like Office Lens the iPad makes a great document scanner - but you'll get some really good results.

iPad Pro: Performance and battery life

The iPad Pro series were already the fastest tablets we've seen, and the introduction of the A10X Fusion chip pushes this even further. Our Geekbench 4 CPU test delivered scores of 9380 for multi-core and 3,930 for single core. That's just under double the multi-core performance of the device the 10.5in iPad Pro replaces, and more than double the 4,208 scored by the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3. Effectively, the iPad Pro now offers more than twice the multi-core performance of its nearest Android competitor.

Put that into a wider context and it's even more impressive. The Core m3 version of the new Surface Pro scores 5,342 on the same Geekbench multi-core test. The Core i5 version scores 7,544. The iPad Pro 10.5in isn't just scoring "good for a tablet" numbers: it's outperforming the latest desktop processors.

And it's doing this without compromising on the all-day battery life which iPad users want. In our tests, the 10.5in model delivered 12hrs 59mins, which is a significant improvement on the iPad Pro 9.7in's 8hrs 56mins, and easily beats the Galaxy Tab S3's 11hrs 43mins. The larger 12.9in model saw this score drop slightly to 12hrs 18mins, but considering the mammoth size of the display, this is neither a surprise nor a disappointment.

iPad Pro: Pricing and comparison

If you're expecting low-cost tablet prices from the iPad Pro, you can look away now: these devices are priced to compete at the high end, not the low end. When they were first launched, the cheapest iPad Pro - the 10.5in version with 256GB of storage and no 4G connectivity - cost 709 including VAT, with the most expensive configuration setting you back more than 1,100.

However, Apple has now increased the prices, it would seem and now the 256GB Wi-Fi-only iPad Pro costs 769, while other iPad Pros have seen a price increase of around 60 too according to Ars Technica.

Although Apple hasn't officially said why it has increased prices or in fact issued a formal statement highlighting the price shift, 9to5Mac has speculated the company has been forced to increase its prices because of the rising cost of NAND storage. According to analysts, the type of storage the iPad Pro uses is in short supply and as a result suppliers have had to up their prices. This gets filtered down to the customer - you - and unfortunately means the iPad Pro is a lot more expensive to buy.

"Average contract prices of client-grade SSDs in the PC-OEM market are rising this first quarter because not only PC clients are aggressively stocking up their inventories, smartphone clients are also maintaining strong demand for storage components," senior research manager of DRAMeXchange Alan Chen said back in March.

"At the same time, the industry-wide transition to 3D-NAND and 2D-NAND TLC production has sharply reduced the supply of Flash memory of the 2D-NAND MLC type. Thus, the price increase of MLC-based SSDs is outpacing that of TLC-based SSDs."

This was referenced by Apple CFO Luca Maestri on an earnings call in its second quarter earnings call, although he didn't specify the company would need to put its prices up.

But this does make the iPad Pro eye-wateringly expensive. It's worth remembering though that the iPad Pro is outperforming most high-end laptops in terms of display quality, battery life and performance. Considering that Microsoft's latest Surface Pro range starts at almost 800, the iPad actually isn't all that expensive for what you're getting.

iPad Pro: Software

Of course, there's an objection to that point: the iPad Pro runs iOS 10, where the Surface Pro runs Windows 10. And there's no doubt that Windows 10 is, at present, a much more powerful operating system in terms of the richness of applications built on top of it and what you can do with it.

However, Apple is releasing iOS 11 in the autumn and this will add features which some enterprise users will welcome. First, multi-tasking support has been extended and cleaned up, making it easier to have persistent workspaces with two or three applications on screen. Second, drag and drop support has been added, making what you can do with multiple apps on screen more powerful. And finally there's a single Files app which houses all your documents, local and in Apple and third-party cloud services, which is going to make the iPad a much more PC-like' experience.

Conclusions

Apple is to be congratulated for continuing to push the iPad forward. It would have been easy for the company to rest on its laurels and carry on making tablets in the same way as everyone else, as relatively simple devices with lower performance than PCs.

With the iPad Pro series, Apple is demonstrating that it's determined to create tablets which get ever-closer to laptop performance, and under some circumstances exceed it.

From an enterprise perspective, whether the iPad is right for you depends on your workforce. For anyone in the field, particularly those whose primary application is some kind of SaaS system accessed through a dashboard (Salesforce, Oracle, and so on), giving them an iPad rather than a laptop increases agility, delivers better ease of use and deployment, and they're getting a high-end machine which will make them happier and last between four and five years.

For office-bound workers who spend all day staring at their screens, this iPad is less of a good fit - at least until iOS 11 is released, at which point it may be appropriate for more types of user. For these staff, the laptop is still king of the hill - but with this iPad Pro, Apple has definitely made a much more compelling argument for the tablet as your only business machine.

Verdict

A screen upgrade would have been enough to net the new iPad Pro a perfect score, but the fact that Apple has stuffed in a host of additional upgrades means it's impossible not to recommend it. It's definitely top of the tree, easily the best product in its category and arguably one of the best products all-round that Apple has ever made.

iOS 10 was announced at WWC in June 2016, with an immediate developer beta release, followed by a public beta release in July. The first completed version was released in September 2016, with several updates having been made since then.

Here we round up all of the latest news about Apple's latest mobile OS and break down its key features.

At-a-glance

• iOS 10 was released on 13 September
• iOS 10.3 available for users to download now
• It has 10 key features revamped, with the user experience front of mind
• Much of the functionality has been opened up to developers

iOS 10 news

10/08/2017: iOS 10 users no longer allowed to upgrade or downgrade to iOS 10.3.2

Following the release of iOS 10.3.3 last month, Apple has stopped 'signing' iOS 10.3.2, meaning if anyone wants to downgrade to the previous iteration of the platform for any reason (for example if their device is playing up after installing the new update), they won't be able to.

It also means users running version 10.3.1 will have to jump straight to 10.3.3 rather than incrementally upgrading their device to iOS 10.3.2.

Although it's a rather rough tactic by Apple to encourage iPhone and iPad users to upgrade to the latest firmware, it's always a good idea to upgrade to the most current version, which will include all the latest bug and security fixes, making it less likely your phone will behave erratically.

Preventing users from running version 10.3.2 will also stop jailbreakers, by fixing the vulnerabilities often found in older versions that are commonly used for jailbreaking. This is why users who like tinkering with their device often hold back from upgrading the firmware. If they do make the jump, they'll then have to wait for the next jailbreak to be released before hacking their device again.

Aside from these reasons, it's also pretty likely Apple has stopped signing iOS 10.3.2 because it's prepping for the release of iOS 11, due to happen in September.

iOS 10 release date

iOS 10 was made available as a developer preview following the Apple WWDC keynote on 13th June, with a public beta launched in July. The final, or Golden Master, was made available from 9 September through Apple's Beta Program. The free upgrade for general users was released on 13 September 2016, following the iPhone 7's reveal on 7 September.

iOS 10 price

Available as a free upgrade, iOS 10 will work on iPhone 5 and later devices, all iPad Air and iPad Pro models, in addition to fourth generation iPad and later models, iPad mini 2 and later and iPod touch sixth generation onwards. More information is available atApple's iOS 10 preview site.

iOS 10 features

Apple spent a great deal of time going through key iOS 10 features during its WWDC keynote, covering a range of use cases and pleasing developers and end users alike.

"iOS 10 is our biggest release ever, with delightful new ways to express yourself in Messages, a native app for home automation and beautifully redesigned apps for Music, Maps, andNews that are more intuitive and more powerful, making everything you love about your iPhone and iPad even better," said Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice president of SoftwareEngineering.

"iOS 10 adds Siri intelligence into QuickType and Photos, automates your home with the new Home app and opens up Siri, Maps, Phone and Messages to developers - whileincreasing security and privacy with powerful technologies like Differential Privacy."

Messaging

The most frequently used iOS app is messages, according to Apple. So it's no surprise it has gone to town in revamping this element in iOS 10. New elements here include powerful animations, features to better reflect tone and more extensive use of and support for Emojis.

Siri

By openingSiri up to developers in iOS 10, Apple is ensuring that users will benefit from an even better experience. SiriKit means developers can work across a broad range of features, harnessing the intelligence and power Siri offers and making apps even better for the people who use them the most.

Maps reimagined

Maps have been given more than a lick of paint in iOS 10. They are also much easier and more intuitive to use. OpenTable and Uber, to pick just two examples, become much more advanced apps with iOS 10 as users can book services directly from withing Maps rather than having to exit and return. Maps will then learn from that experience to proactively deliver guidance based on where you might want or need to go next.

Photos app

AI will again be utilised heavily here to ensure the memories that matter most to users are at their fingertips. Memories will scan all the pics and videos you've taken and present them in a way that makes you think back to that time fondly. It can do this thanks to advanced computer vision, which connects the dots between people, places and things inside your device's albums.

Smarter home with HomeKit

Users can more effectively control their home environments with advanced controls that add smart elements at the touch of a button or voice command. Almost 100 home automation products have already adopted HomeKit in 2016, proving the appeal of this kind of technological innovation.

Apple Music and News

Music and News have also been given a makeover in iOS 10. Both are designed to offer the user more but without the need to get to grips with something new. In particular, Apple Music's Browse, For You and Library features are designed to connect users with the tunes that matter most and will most impact them.

Other features

There is also a range of other tweaks to excite users. These include:

• Ability to set a regular sleep schedule with the Bedtime Alarm
• Apple Pay support for purchases on select websites, which can be authenticated via Apple Watch or iPhone
• Integration for third-party VoIP calls, voicemail transcription and caller ID extension to avoid spam
• Safari split-view for iPad, Notes collaboration and Live Photos editing
• QuickType features such as contextual predictions that harness power of Siri's intelligence

Previous news

12/04/2017:Apple fixes iOS 10 beta problems, but could kill support

Apple has begun rolling out the second beta of iOS 10.3.2, the operating system's forthcoming update, after spending two weeks in its first beta period.

The adjustments made by the tech giant include bug fixes to both third-party virtual private network (VPN) apps and SiriKit car commands. Both should be working properly in the second beta. iOS devices will also send Apple diagnostic and usage data automatically, although users will have the option to opt out of this feature.

There might not be much else at the moment, as the build only comes out to129MB. It's expected, however, that the new beta will feature security enhancements.

While Apple has fixed the initial iOS beta problems, it could potentially present an even bigger issue for certain iPhone users.

According to Forbes, iOS 10.3.2 could potentially be cutting support for iPhone 5 and 5C models. The idea is based off the fact that these phones were both built on 32-bit architecture, where iOS 10.3.2 has only supported 64-bit iOS devices thus far. Previous update betas from Apple haven't skipped support for 32-bit devices.

Participators in Apple's Beta Software program can currently trial the update for free afterinstalling the proper certificate on their iOS devices.

Those not affiliated with the Beta Software program will just have to wait until the update is released in the coming weeks.

28/03/2017:Apple has released the latest update to its mobile operating system, iOS 10.3. Built on iOS 10, it's not a radical overhaul (we'll have to wait until at leastWWDC in Junefor that), but does contain some notable new features.

First up is an addition to Find My iPhone Find my AirPods. Using the built-in app, owners of Apple's tiny, wireless earphones can view their current or last known location and play a sound on one or both of them to help locate the dinky devices.

Siri has a number of new features too, including support for paying and checking the status of bills with payment apps, ride app support for help with scheduling, and cricket scores for Indian Premier League and International Cricket Council games.

There's also Siri support for apps from car manufacturers to find out whether the car is locked or not, turning on the lights and checking the vehicle's fuel level.

Speaking of cars, there are also a number of updates to CarPlay in iOS 10.3. These include shortcuts in the status bar to the most recently used apps for easy access, as well as two changes to Apple Music: the Now Playing screen gives access to both Up Next and the currently playing song's album, while a daily curated playlist and new music categories are also available.

There are also a number of smaller tweaks to the Home and Calendar apps, as well as Podcasts.

As is normal with an operating system update, iOS 10.3 also introduces a number of security patches, the details of which can be foundhere.

17/02/2017:The iPhone's next operating system, iOS 11, may lead to a cull of tens of thousands of older apps, according to reports.

With WWDC 2017 taking place in early June, we could be just a few months away from a brand new operating system for Apple's flagship device.

Its release could create havoc for app developers, and users of older apps, however, if Apple drops support for 32-bit apps, as speculated by9to5mac.

The website found that the beta for iOS 10.3 warned users opening 32-bit apps that "This app will not work with future versions of iOS". It said the app's developers must upgrade it to make it more compatible.

Apple switched from 32-bit apps to 64-bit apps with the release of the 5s in 2013, andMashablereports that "the data we have suggests tens of thousands of apps could be affected" if older apps are blocked.

It also refers to an autumn 2016 report from app analytics firm Sensor Tower that found 28% of App Store apps hadn't been updated in the previous two years.

25/01/2017:Apple has released an update for iOS 10 that will prevent hackers from accessing devices.

iOS 10.2.1 will prevent criminals from unlocking a device remotely or accessing the kernel, which could allow them to "execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges," for iPhone 5 and later, iPad 4th generation and later and iPod touch 6th generation and later.

It will also fix flaws in WebKit, Wi-Fi and Contacts to stop anyone using security holes to access the device remotely.

"[The flaw] can add files, delete files, or execute any actions," Malwarebytes senior security researcher JP Taggart toldWired. "Want to record conversations and forward them to someone else? It can do that. Want to install additional malicious software? It can do that. Want to uninstall programs on the affected phone? It can do that. Want to hide these actions, programs and files from the user? It can do that too."

Reassuringly for Apple fans, the security flaw doesn't appear to have actually been used by any malicious actors, so those who haven't applied the update yet are probably not at risk. However, as its existance is now out in the open, they should update as soon as possible.

The same flaw could be used via other Apple apps including iTunes, Safari, macOS Sierra, plus the operating system used for Apple TV and Apple Watch, which have all now been updated as well, meaning it was probably quite a widespread problem.

09/01/2017:Three quarters of iPhones and iPads now run on iOS 10, according to Apple's latest official figures - a significant jump on November's figures, which showed it running on 63% of iPhones and iPads.

They also showed that 18% of devices are still running iOS 9 with the remaining 6% stuck on older versions of the operating system.

The reason behind this increase is thought to be due to the Christmas season, with people buying others a shiny new iPhone or iPad replacement, as well as existing customers having time between Christmas and New Year to sit down and upgrade their device.

Although the metrics seem to be encouraging for Apple, they're only 1% higher than iOS 9 was at this point last year, showing people aren't necessarily jumping at the chance of getting their hands on iOS 10.

Independent company Mixpanel showed iOS 10 adoption running at just over 50% back in October, although more recent figures are yet to be released.

13/12/2016:Apple has released the latest version of iPhone software; iOS 10.2, packed with new features and some welcome bug fixes.

The update brings a host of new additions to the platform, including an expanded emoji set and the Apple TV app. iOS 10.2 is a free download available to iPhone 5 or later models, iPad 4th generation or later, and iPod touch 6th generation or later.

The update can be downloaded by connecting your device to iTunes or manually updating through the 'Software Update' menu in 'Settings'. The download should begin and restart your phone automatically.

Emojis:

Over 100 new emojis have been added with iOS 10.2, according to Apple, including a facepalm, a selfie symbol, and male and female variants of professions like firefighters and judges. The new symbols can't be sent to users on Android, although they do work on web versions of Facebook and Twitter.

Apple TV:

The new Apple TV app, currently only available in the US, provides a home for all your live and on-demand TV content, bringing together a number of apps such as Netflix, into one viewing platform. The app shows recommendations for new TV shows and movies, and highlights upcoming releases available in the 'Store'.

Camera improvements:

Additions to camera software have also been made, including improved stablisation and a fix to an iPhone 7 plus bug that would cause the zoom function to stop working. Some changes have been made to the way albums are curated, providing greater accuracy of grouped photos in 'People' and 'Memories' folders.

New message effects:

Two new full screen message effects have been added to iMessage, adding to those already included in iOS 10 such as 'send with balloons'. The new effects are 'Send with Love', which creates a big heart on screen, and 'Celebrate', which causes an explosion of sparks.

New wallpapers:

Three new wallpapers have been added for iPhone 7 and 7 Plus customers, known as Droplet Blue, Droplet Red and Droplet Yellow.

There are also a host of other smaller improvements such as better Bluetooth performance across third party devices, easier to use controls in the Music app, and a range of bug fixes.

Users have reported a range of battery issues on 10.1.1, including inaccurate remaining percentages and phones suddenly dropping from 30% to 0%. IT Pro has reached out to Apple to clarify whether the new update fixes these issues, and we will update you when we hear more.

Picture courtesy of Apple

30/11/2016:iOS 10.1.1 is causing massive battery drain issues

Users of the recently released iOS 10.1.1 are reporting severe battery problems as a result of the update, in some cases displaying incorrect charge percentages or devices shutting down at random.

Applesupport forumsare awash with angry customers, who claim that iPhones running the latest iOS 10 update are suddenly dropping from 30% charge to 1% in an instant. Users are able to turn the device back on, which then functions as normal for a few hours.

"Shutting the phone down at night with a good 80% charge, it won't reboot in the morning due to no battery charge," said one forum user. "I plug it in and its back to 30% in a few seconds."

Other users have reported batteries suddenly giving out despite the device showing a 50% remaining charge. Most users are citing a recent update to iOS 10.1.1 as the culprit.

"Last year I bought an iPhone 6S, currently updated with iOS 10.1.1," said another user. "The battery fails between 20 and 40% of capability. Apple support answers that I have to wait for the next iOS version."

The issue appears to be affecting a range of iPhone models, from the iPhone 4 through to the newest iPhone 7 Plus.

Although a beta version for iOS 10.2 is now available, it seems updating to this has not resolved the issue for some users. Apple has yet to offer an explanation or a solution to the battery problem, and there is no guarantee that rolling back to iOS 10 will fix the issue.

IT Pro has reached out to Apple for comment but has yet to receive a reply.

This latest fault comes just a week after Apple offered replacement batteries to customers after reports that iPhone 6S devices were shutting down at random.

01/11/2016:Apple releases first iOS 10.2 beta to developers

Apple is now releasing the beta for iOS 10.2 to developers, just a month after the launch of iOS 10.

The update should include bug fixes, new tools and general improvements as well as new emojis, wallpapers, camera settings, video widgets and an emergency contacts feature.

The new camera settingincludes a Preserve Settings option, through which users will be able to maintain their last camera mode or photo filter, and decide whether to keep Live Photos on or off.

The new beta also allows Apple Music users sort their playlists by type, title or recently added.

The previous update, 10.1, also introduced several new features, such as a new Portrait photography mode for the iPhone 8's dual-camera system.

Registered developers can download the new beta for iOS 10.2 from the Apple Developer Center.

28/10/2016:Apple tried to embarrass Google at its 'Hello Again' event yesterday, by comparing the percentage of iOS users and Android users on the latest versions of the respective operating systems.

Apple's pie charts (included below) suggested that 60% of iPhone and iPad owners are on iOS 10, while less than 1% of Android users are on Nougat (Android 7).

Moreover, it reported that 32% of iOS users are running iOS 9 on their phone, while only 8% are using earlier iOS versions.

This was compared to 19% of Android users using Android 6, and 80% running even older versions of the operating system.

Apple meant to highlight how iOS updates are perceived as more reliable by Apple device users, while users with a phone that runs on Android are less eager to update their software.

Statistics from Netmarketshare comparing the total market share of different versions of Android, as well as other mobile OSes' shares, seem to report similar numbers.

The stats show Android 7, included in the pie chart in the 'Other' segment, runs on a small minority of users' smartphones, representing 0.12% of the total share market.

However, not all smartphone makers have brought Android 7 to their devices yet, meaning many users don't have access to it.

20/10/2016:Today, Apple released the fifth iOS 10.1 beta to developers and beta testers. This is the second beta released in one week.

In future, 10.1 for iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus should include a feature called Portrait camera, which applies a DSLR-like special effect over photos. This tool should only work on iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, as it requires the dual camera system.

This feature was introduced at Apple's keynote this month, but has only been released for developer betas and has not yet been made available to the public.

Apple's iOS 10.1 beta 5 weighs 1.95GB and is one of the largest iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 plus betas released so far. Similarly to the few previous 10.1 betas, the fifth beta does not appear to contain any fixes. However, it should include some considerable changes.

Along with the fifth iOS 10.1 beta, Apple also released the fifth macOS Sierra 12.1 beta.

20/09/2016:Since iOS 10 was launched, enterprise networked traffic has increased significantly, demonstrating the operating system has proven a popular choice for business users.

Exponential-e's analysis revealed the Apple originating traffic running over corporate networks was five times its usual levels on Wednesday 14th September, the day after the update was revealed.

The company suggested business users were rushing to install and try out the platform's new features. In total, enterprise network traffic increased by 30 per cent, which put extra demand on cloud services and data centres.

This trend continued the days after iOS 10 was released, with three times the normal Apple traffic on September 15th and double traffic coming from Apple devices on September 16th.

"As Apple seeks to defend its dominance in the smartphone market, it continues to set the rhythm of the industry,"Andrew Chant, head of networks at Exponential-esaid. "With the rise of mobile employees that are connecting their own devices to the workplace WiFi, organisations and carriers need to be prepared and expect to see a significant increase in network activity when Apple releases the latest iOS update."

Despite some people installing iOS 10 reporting the update destroyed their iPhones, this doesn't seem to have deterred business users. However, this extra traffic put pressure on many companies' networks and demonstrates the need for robust infrastructure to support spikes.

"While it's inevitable that accessing and downloading services on the same underlying infrastructure will spark an increase in data traffic, organisations need to be prepared with a scalable foundation that provides low latency and low-jitter connectivity to avoid any significant impact."

14/09/2016:It's the curse of early adopters: many people who updated to iOS 10 yesterday over Wi-Fi were hit with a series of confusing warning messages, though Apple has already addressed them.

Users reported that after they updated, their iPhone told them to connect it to a PC to update with iTunes, which simply brought another error message saying "There is a problem with the iPhone... that requires it to be updated or restored." To avoid the issue, make sure you have the latest version of iTunes installed.

If you are hit by the problem, you'll see a message on your iPhone telling you to plug it in to a PC so it can connect to iTunes. Your phone will then ask you to update or restore; clicking update will run the iOS 10 installation again.

Apple has already addressed the issue. "We experienced a brief issue with the software update process, affecting a small number of users during the first hour of availability," Apple said in a statement. "The problem was quickly resolved and we apologise to those customers. Anyone who was affected should connect to iTunes to complete the update or contact AppleCare for help."

13/09/2016:iOS 10 will finally be released to iPhone and iPad users at 6pm GMT this evening, just ahead of the iPhone 7's official retail launch this Friday.

As usual, device owners will be able to download the new operating system as a free software update from the iOS settings menu.

Fans are warned that they may face a long wait, however, as day-one demand for Apple's latest OS has historically outstripped the company's server capacity. Waiting until Thursday or Friday may lead to shorter overall download times.

09/09/2016:Beta users of iOS 10 can now get their hands on the final version of the operating system.

Apple has released the golden master (GM) to users on its Beta program, less than a week before the official release ends up in the hands of consumers.

The GM build should be the same software that will download to user's Mac, barring any last minute critical flaws. That version will be available from 13 September.

To get your hands on this version you need to sign up to Apple's beta testing program to receive the OS as an over-the-air update.

07/09/2016 UPDATE:iOS 10 will be available to download from 13 September, Apple has announced. The new OS will also come pre-loaded on the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, which are available themselves for pre-order on 9 September and hit shelves one week later on 16 September.

07/09/2016:Today could finally be the day the world gets to experience a full, finished version of iOS 10. The operating system is expected to launch alongside the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, both of which should make their debut at Apple's Special Event in San Francisco, which starts at 6.00pm UK time.

At this point, the features of the new operating system are largely established -you can read more about the 10 most important updates here- but this will be the first time people get to experience the new OS on their own devices as a stable release.

To find out iOS 10's general release date, as well as all the news about the iPhone 7, Apple Watch 2 and macOS Sierra,follow our Apple Event Live Blog from 5.30pmBST.

06/09/2016:Despite the final version not yet being released, iOS 10 has already been jailbroken.

Luca Todesco, also known as qwertyoruiop, has uploaded avideoshowing a jailbreak of iOS 10 Beta 8. The jailbreak is known as yaluX and it works on iOS devices with an A7 and higher processor.

According to a report byiClarified, this is not the first jailbreak of iOS 10, as Pangu Team and iH8Sn0w have also demoed their jailbreaks too.

It is not known if the jailbreak is publicly available but the publication speculated that this would be released shortly after the operating system becomes available.

29/08/2016:Apple has confirmed its2016 Special Eventwill take place on 7 September. The event is expected to herald the launch of theiPhone 7,Apple Watch 2and a number of other devices. It could also be when the final release date of iOS 10 is announced.

The new mobile operating system is normally released at the same time as Apple's new flagship iPhone. For 2016 and iOS 10, this could mean either 7 September at the Apple keynote or 16 September when, according to reliable leaker Evan Blass, the iPhone 7 will go on sale - typically, the new versions iOS have become available at the same time as a new flagship iPhone is released.

IT Prowill be covering the Apple Special Event live on 7 September.

22/08/2016:The rapid release cycle for iOS 10 betas continues, with Developer Beta 7 and Public Beta 6 dropping over the weekend.

The betas feature "bug fixes and improvements", according to the release notes, but no major new features. This is not entirely surprising given the OS is set for release this autumn.

Indeed, if rumours are to be believed, the final version could be with us within two-to-three weeks, whenthe iPhone 7launches. Traditionally, Apple has launched the new mobile OS to the general public alongside its new flagship phone, which comes pre-loaded with the software.

It is generally expectedthis year's Special Eventwill take place in the second week of September, potentially Tuesday 13. The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus areanticipated to launch, alongside the Apple Watch 2 and a number of other devices.

iOS will work with iPhones and iPads, although the extent ofbackward compatibility is uncertain. With theiPhone 5shaving been superceded bythe iPhone SEthis spring, it's possible the stalwart 4in smartphone won't receive this latest update. Similarly, older iPad Minis and iPad Airs may also miss out.

10/08/2016:Just days after the release of the fourth Developer Beta, Apple has seeded Developer Beta 5 and Public Beta 4 within hours of each other. As with previous rounds, Beta 5 is a set of updates, rather than a single release for iOS 10 and applies tomacOS Sierra,watchOS 3andtvOS 10as well.

For iOS Developer Beta 5, Apple has introduced a number of new features for iPad and iPhone, the most notable of which are a significant overhaul of the Music app, with Control Center, Notification Center and Lock Screen all receiving a refresh as well.

According to9to5Mac, these changes include a new input icon in Apple Music and the rest of the iOS 10 interface, darker backgrounds for third-party widgets in the Notification Center (Apple's own widgets still have a translucent white background), and the locking sound for the device sounds "kind of like a door closing".

The release of iOS Developer Beta 5 is somewhat ahead of schedule, arriving just one week after the release of Developer Beta 4, whereas Apple normally leaves two weeks between releases. Public Beta 4 is even further ahead of schedule, in relative terms, arriving just a few hours after Developer Beta 5, rather than a full day.

iOS 10 is expected to launch in its final form in September, alongside theiPhone 7.

08/08/2016:With anticipation for theiPhone 7reaching fever pitch ahead of its September release date, plenty of people will be queuing to buy Apple's new flagship device as soon as it hits the shops.

But what about those of us who are stuck on older versions of the iPhone, or indeed the iPad? Will we still be able to take advantage of some of the smartphone's new features?

The answer is yes if you've got a device that will support iOS 10, the latest operating system that will run on the iPhone 7.

While plenty of the iPhone 7's expected benefits come from the hardware itself (such as the wireless headphones and improved battery life), many others come from iOS 10.

The OS includes 100 new emojis (currently available in its developer preview) and a much smarter Siri, as well as the ability to use a stylus or even your finger to handwrite messages to your friends.

There's just one catch -- you must have a compatible device. With operating systems becoming far chunkier and advanced, your phone must have the memory to run the OS and the hardware to support it.

The good news is, most iPhones and iPads do support iOS 10. Every iPhone from the iPhone 5 and upwards can run it, while iPad mini 2, 3 and 4 support it, as do the iPad Air and the iPad Air 2, as well as both iPad Pro models. Even the iPod touch 6thgeneration can run it.

Those with devices older than that, sadly you're going to have to upgrade in order to run iOS 10.

When Apple revealed it would be releasing a new 9.7in tablet in March last year, it was generally expected that we'd get a glimpse at the new iPad Air 3. Instead Apple revealed the 9.7in iPad Pro, and since then the future of the iPad Air 3 has been in serious doubt. With the launch of Apple's latest tablet (simply called 'the iPad'), it's safe to say Apple has killed off the iPad Air range altogether.

On first glance, Apple appears to have made some odd choices with its newest device. What we have now is a hybrid of the original iPad Air and Air 2 that is both thicker and heavier than the previous models, with a screen that isn't as fancy. In other words, it should have been a disaster.

Price and competition

However, it seems Apple has attempted to deliver an attractive alternative to the rather pricey iPad Pro 9.7. Instead of packing in more expensive tech and bumping the price up, the new iPad is Apple's cheapest tablet on the market. At 339, it's by no means a budget device, but it's a full 60 cheaper than the iPad Air 2, and even offers twice the storage capacity at 32GB.

There is also a 128GB version available for 429, and 32GB and 128GB models that include 4G connectivity, priced at 469 and 559 respectively.

Even against competing Android tablets, the new iPad's price holds up well. The recently released Samsung Galaxy Tab S3, which is gloriously slim and slight and has a fantastic AMOLED display, is rather pricey at 599. Even the equally fantastic Tab S2 has held its price well at 329.

Features and design

Designs within the iPad range never seem to deviate too much from Apple's distinct look, and this time is no different. The visual appearance of the new device may look similar to that of its predecessors, but Apple's nailed one of the most popular designs ever - hey, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

You will find the home button, lightning connector, and headphone jack in all the typical places, and it even features the same 8MP iSight HDR camera on the rear and 720p 1.2MP front-facing camera found on the iPad Air 2. Apple has once again chosen the familiar aluminium casing, and offers the same colour variations as the iPad Pro 9.7: gold, silver, and 'space grey'.

Instead of the 'smart' keyboard connector found on the iPad Pro range, Apple has chosen to fit the new iPad with a series of magnets for the attaching of folding cases or compatible type covers, although for the latter you will need to use bluetooth. The downside to this change is that there's no officially supported keyboard cover from Apple, and it also doesn't support the Apple Pencil - but given the price of the tablet these are forgivable omissions.

The only tangible change we could see was the added weight and size of the newer model: 7.5mm and 478g over the iPad Air 2's 6.1mm and 437g. However, this is so slight you're unlikely to notice unless you're comparing them side-by-side, and it certainly won't make any difference when thrown into a bag.

Display

Sadly, the new iPad's display doesn't quite reach the standards of the iPad Air 2 or the iPad Pro 9.7. The anti-reflective coating found on older devices is missing, and there is a visible gap between the LCD panel and the surface glass, whereas this has traditionally been laminated. Screen vibrancy suffers as a result, and the presence of screen reflections and a poor contrast make on-screen images less impactful.

However, it is important to remember that this is not a pricier successor to the iPad Air 2, and for its price you are getting a very capable screen with some impressive features. The 4:3 Retina-class 2,048 x 1,536, 264ppi display has a superb maximum brightness that peaks at 520cd/m2, far superior to the 390cd/m2 on the iPad Air 2. The contrast ratio is a fairly average 861:1, almost identical to the original iPad Air, but the screen is able to cover more of the sRGB colour space, providing colours that are vibrant and highly accurate.

Apple has also included its Night Shift tech, which helps to reduce the amount of blue light generated by the screen. Unfortunately the iPad lacks the 'True Tone' feature found on the iPad Pro 9.7, which helps the screen adapt colour temperatures to match ambient conditions.

Performance and battery life

In terms of hardware, the big change is the move to an Apple A9 processor, the same used in the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. While on paper it's not as powerful as the A8X processor found in the iPad Air 2, it's superior to the original iPad Air's 1.3GHz A7 chip.

Despite the apparent downgrade, the new iPad feels surprisingly nippy. Pinch-zoom and swipe gestures respond perfectly, and there is very little slowdown when running demanding apps.

Surprisingly, the new iPad also outperformed both the iPad Air and Air 2 in benchmark tests. It scored higher than both devices in the Geekbench 4 CPU test, reaching 2490 using single-core, over scores of 1803 from the iPad Air 2 and 1321 from the iPad Air.

It's also massively more power efficient than previous generations. During our video-playback test, with the screen brightness calibrated to 170cd/m2, the iPad lasted 14 hours 47 minutes in one charge. That's four hours longer than the iPad Air 2, and two hours longer than the iPad Air.

Verdict

Apple's move to rein in the price of the lower-end iPad is a very savvy one. The iOS software is far better suited to devices of this kind than Android, and offering a more powerful, longer-lasting and more competitively-priced replacement to the previous iPad generation will doubtless help secure the company's place at the top of the pile.

Of course, there's a bittersweet element to all this, as it's pretty much the final nail in the coffin for anyone who was hoping to see an iPad Air 3. If you can get over your disappointment, however, you'll find that Apple has produced one of the best tablets on the market once again. If you can't quite stomach the price of an iPad Pro, this is the tablet to buy.

Verdict

Apple has taken a sensible approach with the new iPad, sacrificing a fancy screen for a more attractive price point and some meaningful performance upgrades.

Last year Apple, it would seem, decided to drop the iPad Air brand and go for a new name to accompany the substantial revamp to its flagship 10in tablet. The iPad Pro 9.7in, which was launched in March 2016, as its name suggests, is a smaller version of the original 12.9in iPad Pro. This makes the new Pro Mini (if you will) a tablet that's both similar to and very different from the now two-and-a-half-year-oldiPad Air 2.

Casing and screen

There are many, many physical similarities between the iPad Pro 9.7in and the iPad Air 2. They have exactly the same dimensions, for example and both weigh 437g in their WiFi-only configurations. There are some minor cosmetic differences, though.

Most of these new differences relate to the Pro-specific features. The rear camera lens now protrudes slightly, while there's a smart connector for connecting keyboards and four speaker grilles rather than just two for the increased number of speakers.

One of the most notable physical changes to the new smaller iPad Pro is an unseen enhancement to its Lightning port. It can supply enough power to USB devices plugged into the optional full-size USB to Lightning adapter so that previously non-functional USB devices will now work.

This includes microphones and, most notably, USB to Ethernet adapters. For a company that has slowly been shunning built-in Ethernet in its computers, this is a notable move and a godsend for anyone who has ever struggled with woefully inadequate hotel or convention centre WiFi.

While both tablets have 9.7in screens with a resolution of 2048x1536 pixels, the Pro's screen has a sensor so it can automatically adjust its screen temperature to suit the ambient lighting around you. It also allegedly has a 25% greater colour gamut and is less reflective too.

There may be another iPad Pro (or even two) coming to market this year, which will sit alongside the others in the range and could edge the Air 2 into retirement.

A rumoured 10.5in version with2,224 x 1,668 resolution screen could be appearing in March or April, according toForbes, although with a smaller bezel it would be the same physical size as the existing 9.7in iPad Pro.

The website also suggests there could be a "value" 9.7in iPad Pro, which would undercut the iPad Air 2 in terms of price by about $100 (80). Specs for this version are not just scant, but non-existant, but if it does make an appearance, whether this year or in the future, it will almost certainly spell the end of the iPad Air 2.

Camera

The rear-facing camera lens now protrudes slightly as the 9.7in iPad Pro appears to have a completely different rear-facing camera compared to the Air 2. While the older tablet has a merely adequate eight-megapixel f2.4 camera of a quality comparable to the smartphones of a few years ago, the Pro has a 12-megapixel snapper.

It has the f2.2 aperture with the faster autofocussing, 4K video recording and slow motion video capabilities ofthe iPhone 6scamera it isthe 6s camera. This marks a major step forwards for tablet photography and a long overdue one too. Although we still think tablet photography is still too conspicuous, intrusive and just plain naff looking (with the possible exception of mini tablets), a lot of people clearly love taking photos with their tablet judging from what we've seen on the streets of the world's major cities.

Pencil and keyboard

Apple's official accessories for the iPad Pro 9.7in also immediately set this new tablet apart from its predecessor. The excellent Apple Pencil will be a boon to graphic design artists and CAD/CAM workers with its top-notch pressure-sensitivity, accuracy and palm rejection.

We were less enthused bythe 12.9 version of Apple's official keyboard case and the 9.7in official keyboard case is very similar with many of the same design trade-offs and drawbacks. We'll likely see third party keyboards and keyboard cases taking advantage of the magnetic smart connector on the smaller Pro.

Performance and battery life

Naturally, the Pro has an A9X processor, like its bigger brother, instead of the A8X processor of the Air 2. It is clocked slightly slower than the chip in the larger Pro at 2.16GHz, but it still runs circles around the Air 2 the A9X is still one of the fastest tablet processors we've ever seen.

The 9.7in Pro has 2GB of RAM instead of 3GB like the Air 2, but this was still more than enough for buttery smooth multitasking and a good measure of future proofing.

Apple claims ten hours of battery life for the 9.7in Pro, as it did for the Air 2. In our tests, the iPad Pro 9.7 lasted 11 hours when playing video on a loop, half an hour longer than the iPad Air 2. It's pleasing that battery life is no shorter despite the increase in performance and interior space given over to the new speakers, but other 10in tablets can last even longer.

Apple claims ten hours of battery life for the 9.7in Pro, as it did for the Air 2. This almost certainly refers to video playback and while we're confident that the new iPad Pro can match this, other tablets can last even longer.

This head-to-head was first published on 29/3/2016 and has since been updated, most recently on 20/03/2017.

All image credits: Apple.

Apple has launched two new MacBook Pros, a 13in and 15in, which are on sale in the UK now. The big new feature is the touchbar, which has replaced the function buttons, but battery life and graphics capabilities have also been increased, as has memory capacity.

Here we round up everything you need to know about the new MacBook Pro 2016.

MacBook Pro 2016 at a glance

• New MacBook Pro is on sale in the UK now
• Three options, 13in MacBook Pro, 13in MacBook Pro with Touch Bar and 15in MacBook Pro with Touch Bar
• Intel core i7 processor on 15in version, core i5 on 13in
• 15in MacBook Pro has up to 2TB storage, 13in MacBook Pro has up to 1TB storage
• 13in Touch Bar MacBook Pro UK price from 1,749
• 15in Touch Bar MacBook Pro UK price from 2,349

Apple MacBook Pro 2016 news

07/11/2016: Apple released its new MacBook Pro earlier this month, with some changes in its basic design and the introduction of a USB-C port.

The company faced criticisms due to this latter new feature, particularly due to the need for most users to buy adapters and carry them around, as the new port is not yet widely used.

While the previous MacBook Pro had a variety of ports, such as USB type-A, HDMI, and Thunderbolt 2 ports as well as an SD card slot, the new model only offers users the USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 ports, meaning that users will have to buy adapters to use existing peripherals.

This has led to an outcry from disgruntled users and has forced Apple to drop the price of USB-C adapters, to stem the flow of criticisms and encourage customers to purchase the new MacBook Pro.

The prices of adapters have been dropped by up to half price, while third-party peripherals such as the 4K and 5K LG screens introduced last month, have seen a 25% drop, while SanDisk's SD card reader has seen a 40% price cut.

The new ports are not the only complaint relative to the new MacBook, which some users claimed is underpowered and has too little RAM (16GB).

Apple said in a statement: "We recognise that many users, especially pros, rely on legacy connectors to get work done today and they face a transition. We want to help them move to the latest technology and peripherals, as well as accelerate the growth of this new ecosystem. Through the end of the year, we are reducing prices on all USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 peripherals we sell, as well as the prices on Apple's USB-C adapters and cables."

The new MacBook Pro was launched at an Apple event called "Hello Again", which took place on Thursday 27 October.

31/10/2016: The classic Mac startup chime, which has been a feature of both dasktop and laptop Apple Macs for over 30 years, has been removed on the new MacBook Pros.

The chime is an indicator to the user that the computer has finished its initial hardware and software diagnostic tests successfully and is starting up. However, website Pingie first noted that it is missing from the latest MacBook Pros.

But, where one feature dies a new one is born. In this case, the MacBook Pros will start up upon opening the device's lid, whether or not it's connected to a power source. It will also start up when it's connected to a power adaptor either if the lid's open or if it's connected to an external display.

All three MacBook Pros 13in, 13in with Touch Bar and 15in with Touch Bar are available to buy immediately from 1,449.

Apple Hello Again: Live Blog

19:25: Out now!

Cook finishes up by saying that the MacBook Pro is out now!

Apple's releasing three models; a 13in Pro with no Touch Bar, and a 13in and 15in with the Touch Bar.

The non-Touch Bar model is available from Saturday, and the other two ship in three to four weeks, according to Apple's UK site.

Here's the UK pricing: 13in MacBook Pro (without Touch Bar) 1,449; 13in MacBook Pro 1,749; 15in MacBook Pro 2,349

And with that, the event is over. Thanks for following our live blog!

19:16: 10 hours battery life

Both the MacBook Pro 13in and 15in models have up to 10 hours of battery life, according to Phil Schiller. It's also 6.8 million times faster than the original Pro, he points out - it can do a year of the 25-year-old golden oldie's computing in less than five seconds.

18:52: 67% brighter MacBook Pro

The new MacBook Pro is 67% brighter and offers 67% higher contrast ratio than its predecessor, while offering 25% more colours.

Its SSD storage is 50% faster, and holds up to 2TB.

18:40: Apple scraps function keys for OLED Touch Bar

It adapts to the software you're using, for instance, letting you straighten photos, or offering a search bar when you land on a website.

It also comes up with typing suggestions:

18:40: New MacBook Pro

Here it is:

It comes in two models - 13in and 15in, and boasts a ForceTouch trackpad that's two times larger than previous generations.

18:30: MacBook 25th anniversary

This week amrks the 25th anniversary of Apple's first notebook - the Power Book.

Wanna have a look? Oh go on then...

18:28: Search Mac files with Siri

On MacOS Sierra, you can search for files with Siri, Cook reminds us.

18:23: Siri voice commands

Siri on Apple TV is getting better, too: it can understand questions like 'what other football games are on?' and will know what show to bring up if you say 'let's watch the Louisville game'.

18:16: Apple TV

"The future of TV is apps," says Cook, boasting Apple now has 8,000 TV apps.

But even more important is, Cook wants it to be the one place to discover TV shows and watch anything.

To do that, it's announcing a new app caled 'TV' (er, Tim, I think that one's been taken).

In TV's Watch Now, ou can browse by category - TV shows, movies, and more. It looks like Apple wants TV to be the new Netflix.

It lets you download iTunes movies or head to the Store for more content.

18:11: Apple Watch Nike Plus

Cook says the Nike version of the Watch 2 comes out tomorrow, which is great for sporty types (I wouldn't know).

18:05: Updates

Tim Cook starts out by detailing some new updates, beginning with the iPhone.

He says the "customer response has been very strong" to the iPhone 7 - important, considering Apple just experienced its first decline in 15 years.

Memories

A new feature on the iPhone 7 will pull out new photos everyday from your collection to remind you of cool memories, says Cook.

iOS 10

Cook says 60% of iPhone users are now on iOS 10, as compared to 1% of Android users on Nougat...

18:04: And here's Tim Cook! He says he spots "a few iPhones out there" in the audience.

17.57: After an accidental leak, Apple rather gave the game away yesterday when it posted images of its new MacBook Pro, all but confirming it will feature an OLED bar above the keyboard that replaces its normal function keys.

It's also very likely to feature Touch ID and will replace the USB port with a USB Type-C.

But we're about to find out a lot more... stay tuned!

Apple seems to have accidentally leaked pictures of its newest Macbook Pro, confirming that the laptop update will be announced later today.

The images were released on MacRumours and appear to have been inadvertently added to a page about Apple's latest operating system.

The pictures show the new Macbook Pro's keyboard, with an additional panel that seemingly replaces the physical function keys on a standard keyboard.

It would also include a fingerprint sensor - presumably so people can log into the computer without a username and password - and a touchpad that suggests it would use gestures or sweeps as is the case with the touchpad rather than keys to carry out actions such as lightening the screen, turning the volume up and down or controlling music with iTunes.

Although there's some speculation that Apple may have released the pictures on purpose to promote its new line on Macbook Pros, one analyst doubts this is the case with the Macbook Pro.

"The leaks are massively damaging as these companies want to have their 'wow moments' when products are unveiled, and an explosion of media coverage, rather than a more tepid response because the details are known in advance," said Ben Wood from CCS Insight told the BBC.

"But it seems to have become virtually impossible for any large company to keep new tech products under wraps."

24/10/2016: Hello Again: iMac won't launch at Apple Event

Apple' is expected to present its new series of Macbooks at an event on Thursday, 27 October.

Ming-Chi Kuo, of KGI Securities analyst, predicts that at Thursday's "Hello Again" event, Apple will introduce its new MacBook series, but not the new iMac, according to MacRumors.

Kuo's report suggested Apple will present a redesigned MacBook Pro and a 13-inch MacBook, which could be a MacBook Air.

He also believes Apple will place Intel's Skylake processor on Apple's MacBook Pro, as well as an oxide panel that ensures better display quality and energy efficiency.

The new MacBook series should also come with substantial changes in design, including an OLED touch bar, Touch ID sensor and the substitution of a traditional USB port with a USB-C port. According to the analyst, Apple could include a Type-C and MagSafe-like adapter.

Although Thursday could be the time at which Apple releases new MacBook models, iMacs might not be included in the event.

Although Apple is developing iMacs and Cinema Display, their shipping schedule is not imminent, hence Kuo is uncertain whether these products will be introduced this week.

The analyst believes interested users might have to wait until the first half of 2017 for these devices to be announced.

20/10/2016: Apple sends out invites for possible MacBook Pro launch

Apple's colourful invite to the upcoming Cupertino event on 27 October, sent out to press on Wednesday, may suggest something more significant than it first appears.

The word "Hello" has become a significant call sign for Apple since the release of the original Apple II in 1977. The 'hello' program was a feature on Apple DOS 3.1, which would automatically launch on boot and allow for program selection if the disk contained more than one title.

Fast forward to 1984, the cursive "Hello" featured in marketing materials, painted across the black and white screen of the Macintosh 128k. It was not until the release of the iMac that saw the use of 'Hello, (again)' featured once more in marketing campaigns, evoking nostalgia of the original Macintosh.

Importantly, Apple, who is particularly savvy when it comes to marketing, has used the word 'Hello' during significant shifts of company focus. With the recent press invite, users are once again expecting something big at the event in Cupertino.

Rumours are suggesting we will get to see the new MacBook Pro, but it may feature some significant changes, including a shift to USB-C and the scrapping of physical function keys above the keyboard in favour of an OLED touch bar.

Whatever Apple has planned, it is certainly creating some excitment.

19/10/16: Apple may launch a new MacBook Pro at a Cupertino event on 27 October, according to Recode, but another model pegged for release further in the future might not feature a USB port.

The new laptop to be unveiled later this month is rumoured to include an OLED touch bar above its keyboard, replacing the existing physical keys there.

It will be thinner and lighter, with Touch ID support to unlock the laptop with a fingerprint, according to 9To5Mac.

It may also swap traditional USB ports for USB Type-C ports. This is a smaller USB plug that could make the new MacBook thinner and easier to carry.

The OLED bar's functions could change according to what the user is currently using the laptop for, hence making the next MacBook Pro even more user friendly.

These drastic changes would come in the same year in which the company introduced the EarPods, headphones that work with the iPhone 7 by connecting through the Lightning port, removing the traditional headphone jack.

Apple might present a new MacBook Air and iPad Pro at the same event, and if so, it would come one day after an event at which Microsoft is expected to be introducing updated versions of its Surface Book and Surface Pro 4.

The iPad Air 2 is without a doubt one of the finest tablets currently on the market, but it is facing surprising competition from the device it was destined to replace, the original iPad Air.

Many customers, whether existing owners or new buyers, are understandably sceptical about the worth of upgrading to the second iteration iPad Air 2.

Here is a list of five reasons why we'd take the original over the newer iPad Air 2.

Price

The biggest consideration for most customers will be the price.

The iPad Air 2 is currently available at 379 for a 32GB Wi-Fi only model, rising to 469 if you want 128GB. If you're after a 4G version, expect to pay 499 for the basic model, and a mean 589 for the larger size.

Though the entry-level iPad Air 2 offers plenty for a pretty affordable price, the original iPad Air can be picked up brand new for 100 less. Many independent online sellers list the 16GB Wi-Fi only iPad Air for around 250, and you may even see the occasional 32GB model for the same price.

There isn't that great of a leap up from the original iPad Air to the Air 2, at least not a 100 leap. So if you're looking to save cash, stick with the first-gen model.

Display

The iPad Air 2's display is, to all intents and purposes, identical to its predecessor. They both use a 9.7in LED display, with a 2048 x 1536 resolution and a pixel density of 264ppi.

The newer model has a very slightly higher maximum brightness, and claims to have a more responsive touch-screen, but other than that, they're mirror images of one another.

In fact, Apple's so ahead of the curve with its displays that even older generations are often more than capable of keeping up with the current competition. With that in mind, there's little reason to upgrade from a display point of view.

Performance and battery life

Although Apple reduced the battery capacity of the second iPad Air by over 1,000mAh compared to the original, the difference in real-world battery life is negligible at best.

In our tests, the original Air lasted just five minutes longer, despite the larger battery. The same is also true of the new iPad Air's performance, more or less.

The iPad Air 2 is one of the fastest 8in tablets on the market, but its predecessor was no slouch either. The fact is, unless you're using it for seriously intensive media editing tasks, the original Air is still plenty fast enough to handle day-to-day multitasking.

Storage

As with all Apple products, the iPad Air range operates on a tiered storage model. The iPad Air and the Air 2 offer a fixed amount of disk space, starting at 16GB and moving up.

However, a 16GB allowance can fill up quickly, especially if you're using your iPad to store photos, movies and music, as well as apps. Sadly, while the original Air had a 32GB storage tier, Apple has axed this amount from the Air 2, moving straight to 64GB.

64GB is a tad excessive, especially for a device that is unlikely to be used as a heavy-duty work device. A 32GB allocation is enough to ensure that you're unlikely to run out, but not so much that you'll be paying Apple through the nose for space you don't need.

iPad Air 3

The iPad Air 3 is, by all accounts, just around the corner. If the rumours surrounding it are accurate, the third-generation Air will be a substantially bigger upgrade from the Air 2 than the Air 2 was from the original.

If you're looking to upgrade, therefore, you're frankly much better off simply waiting until the iPad Air 3 hits store shelves.

Even if you don't want to jump straight to the newest Air itself, the Air 2 will doubtless receive the customary price cut, meaning you can save yourself some money by waiting.

...And why we would upgrade

Even with all the reasons listed above, upgrading to the iPad Air 2 is still an attractive prospect. For starters, it's slimmer and lighter than its predecessor, managing to shave off 1.4mm and 52g respectively. That may not sound like much, but in the case of a device as svelte as the iPad Air, it counts.

There's also the addition of TouchID, which is a nice (if non-essential) bonus, particularly since the introduction of Apple Pay. The cameras have been improved too, which is great for video calling - although tablets should never be used for actual photography.

And finally, the iPad Air 2 gets to take advantage of all the new bells and whistles included with iOS 9. Most notable is the Split View multitasking feature, which the original Air is not compatible with.

iPad Air vs. iPad Air 2 specifications

Original iPad Air

Display: 9.7-inch 20481536 pixel colour IGZO display at 264 pixels per inchColours: Silver, Space GreyStorage: 16, 32, 64, and 128GBProcessors: 64-bit A7 and M7RAM: 1GBTouch ID: noCameras: front 1.2MP 720p HD camera and a rear 5MP 1080p HD cameraConnectivity: 802.11a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, optional 4GSize: 240 mm (9.4 in) (h) x 169.5 mm (6.67 in) (w) x 7.5 mm (0.30 in) (d)Weight: 469 grams

iPad Air 2

Display: 9.7-inch 20481536 pixel colour IGZO display at 264 pixels per inchColours: Silver, Space Grey, GoldStorage: 16, 64, and 128GBProcessors: 64-bit A8X and M8RAM: 2GBTouch ID: yesCameras: front 1.2MP 720p HD camera and a rear 8MP 1080p HD cameraConnectivity: 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, optional 4GSize: 240 mm (9.4 in) (h) x 169.5 mm (6.67 in) (w) x 6.1 mm (0.24 in) (d)Weight: 437 grams

iOS 9 introduced a swathe of new features for both iPhones and iPads and the latest major update, iOS 9.3, brought even more options. Here are our top tips and tricks for iOS 9.3's new features on iPhone and iPad.

Schedule Night Shift mode

Looking at a tablet or phone's screen late in the evening can lead to a disturbed night's sleep because of the amount of blue light it emits. Night Shift mode in iOS 9.3 limits the amount of blue light produced by your device by applying an orange tint to your iPad or iPhone's screen.

You can set Night Shift to switch on and off at certain times by tapping Settings, Display & Brightness, Night Shift then sliding the Schedule slider to the right. Tap the From/To field, Custom Schedule, then select a time under Turn On At and another under Turn Off At (see screenshot below left). Alternatively, set it to automatically activate when it starts getting dark and switch off when the sun comes up by tapping Sunset to Sunrise'. You can also adjust the intensity of the effect using the Colour Temperature slider.

Switch on Night Shift mode instantly

To activate the Night Shift effect instantly, tap Settings, Display & Brightness, Night Shift and slide the Manually Enable Until Tomorrow slider to the right. Alternatively, swipe up from the bottom of the screen to open the Control Center, then tap the Night Shift button (the sun-and-moon icon at the bottom left).

Duplicate images in the Photos app

iOS 9.3 has added a quick way to duplicate photos ideal if you want to create backups of an image you intend to edit, for example. Open the Photos app, tap the photo, then tap the share button (arrow icon at the top right). On the next screen you'll see the photo you selected at the top of the screen, marked with a blue tick (see screenshot above). Next tap the Duplicate' icon at the bottom-left of the screen (see screenshot above), and tap Camera Roll at the top left. The images will be added to your Camera Roll library as the most recent additions.

Use new 3D Touch submenus

The 3D Touch shortcuts function (which lets you long-press the screen for a menu of options) now works on more apps, including Weather, App Store, Stocks, Health, Compass and Settings the App Store app shortcut lets you update your apps, for example. On the homescreen, hold your finger down on one of these apps to open its submenu, then select the option you want.

Customise your News app

Apple has improved how it selects which articles appear in the For You section in its News app. To customise articles, open the News app, tap Explore on the menu bar at the bottom of the screen and browse the categories, tapping the +' symbol on any that interest you.

To remove any of these, tap Favourites, Edit then tap the X' symbol on those you want to delete.

Password-protect your Notes app

Apple has added password-protection to notes you create in the Notes app, which means you can feel more confident about using them to store sensitive information (PINs and passwords, for example). Tap Settings on the homescreen, Notes in the left-hand panel, then Password and follow the instructions to add one (if your device has a Touch ID fingerprint scanner, you can use that instead).

Open the Notes app, then select the note you want to password-protect (this must be contained in your iCloud or On my iPad' folder). Tap the share button (the arrow icon at the top right) and select Lock Note. Enter the password you just created when prompted and you'll see an unlocked padlock icon appear next to the note's title on the left (see screenshot). Repeat this process for any other note you want to secure. To lock all password-protected notes, tap the padlock icon at the top right of the screen (it will change to show it's locked).

Even though Apple's iPad rebranding was rumoured in the weeks leading up to its unveiling, many people were still caught off-guard by Cupertino dumping the iPad Air brand for its flagship 10in tablet. The newly christened iPad Pro 9.7 is both a smaller version of the iPad Pro 12.9 and a successor to the standard-setting iPad Air 2.

The iPad Pro 9.7 isn't just a tablet though - it's now a hybrid that Apple claims can replace your laptop. Whereas Apple was relatively circumspect in this claim when it came to the iPad Pro 12.9, this message is front and centre for the iPad Pro 9.7. As with Apple's 13in tablet, the basis for this claims lies in two accessories that don't even come with this 10in tablet as standard - a keyboard cover and the Apple Pencil.

Pencil and Smart Keyboard

The Apple Pencil is the tablet stylus that puts other styli to shame. It's accuracy, sensitivity, pressure-sensing and angle detection are almost unmatched. It makes for a very natural drawing experience and the only comparable competition are the Surface Pro 4 stylus and Wacom graphics tablets for laptops and desktop PCs.

Even so, we were sceptical about the Apple Pencil's utility on the iPad Pro 9.7 as its screen is notably smaller than the more expensive iPad Pro 12.9. Although Apple's larger tablet is still the best fit for painting and drawing, whether you're a professional artist or a budding one, this iPad's 10in screen was still just sufficiently roomy for precise and detailed artistry. This was due both to the ability to manipulate the canvas and other tools with our fingers while using the Pencil and the Pencil's spot-on precision.

Apple's Smart Keyboard was a less resounding success. By attempting to make a keyboard screen cover that doesn't add too much weight or bulk to the tablet like other efforts, compromises were inevitable - and these compromises inevitably mean it's an ill-fitting replacement for a laptop.

For a start, the screen is locked at a single angle when docked with the keyboard cover. Although we found this to be more comfortable than the same angle on the iPad Pro 12.9, largely due to the iPad Pro 9.7's lower screen height, it's still awkward enough that it won't suit everyone in all situations.

The smaller size of the iPad Pro 9.7 means that the keyboard cover isn't as deep as other tablet keyboard screen cover, so we were able to use it on our lap without it feeling unstable - unless we crossed our legs in which case the comparatively narrow width of the entire computer meant it felt so precarious as to be unusable.

The nylon-feeling keys are almost identical to those on the 12.9 Smart Keyboard and also feel quite similar to the keys on the 12in MacBook Retina. The keys give enough feedback when pressed, but have less travel and require less force than most good laptop keyboards. A few of the keys are smaller than others, notably the Tab key. This keyboard therefore requires some adjustment time, especially if you have a very heavy, pounding typing style.

The smaller-than-usual tab key is an annoyance, as is the lack of dedicated shortcut keys. Changes in iOS 9.3 mean that there is better support for keyboard shortcuts, such as Command-H to go back to the home screen and the ability to navigate menus and lists using the cursor keys. As with its bigger counterpart, the keyboard attaches magnetically to the iPad and adds relatively little bulk and weight to the tablet when not in use.

Update 27/7/16 -Apple's Smart Keyboard attaches, charges and communicates with the iPad Pro 9.7 using the magnetic Smart Connector on the left hand side of the tablet (when held in portrait mode). Given the deluge of accessories for other Apple products and that the 12.9 iPad Pro, which has been on sale for almost a year now and also has a Smart Connector, it's surprising that there are still so few third-party Smart Connector accessories available.

One of the very few that are available is the 90 (inc VAT) Logitech Base. Compatible with both sizes of iPad Pro, this single angle charging dock is attractive, looks as if it's made out of the same aluminium as the iPad, feels sturdy and does the job. You'll have to supply your own Lightning cable though as it doesn't come with one of its own. Its single viewing angle and the lack of both Lightning and Smart Connector pass throughs means it's not ideal for converting the iPad Pro into an ad-hoc desktop computer since you won't be able to use your keyboard and Pencil. This makes the Logitech Base a nice but ultimately rather pricey and non-essential luxury rather than a must-have accessory.

Screen and apps

The inherent limitations of the Smart Keyboard aren't the only reason why the iPad Pro 9.7 is an ill-fitting laptop replacement (there's always the possibility that a third party might design a better alternative). There's iOS itself - a brilliant smartphone and tablet operating system, but lacking in the flexibility that most of us have come to expect from a laptop.

The multitasking features in iOS 9 go a long way, even on the smaller 9.7in screen which inevitably feels more cramped when using multiple apps than the 12.9in iPad Pro. Even so, the lack of a user-accessible file system and the inevitable absence of some complex and truly desktop-class apps from the otherwise deep and diverse app store selection hold this iPad Pro back.

Even with those limitations aside, iOS itself could be better suited for use on the iPad Pro. Autocorrect may be invaluable on a touchscreen keyboard, but it's a frequently intrusive annoyance when used with the Smart Keyboard if you're a proficient touch typist. Annoyingly, iOS doesn't have the option to have autocorrect only apply to the onscreen keyboard and not the hardware keyboard. Having to manually turn it off everytime when switching between the two keyboards is a real pain.

The multitasking features in iOS 9 need refinement too. The most obvious is the vertically scrolling app picker that appears when opening a second app for Split View use. Unlike the paltry selection of compatible apps for the comparable feature on Samsung Galaxy Tab tablets, the selection of Split View-compatible iOS apps is so broad that scrolling through the app picker to find the one you want is a long-winded and tedious process.

For general tablet use though, the iPad Pro 9.7 is well served by its software. As it shares the same 10in screen and 2048x1536 resolution as its immediate predecessors, there's no shortage of optimised apps which isn't the case with the still nascent selection of optimised apps for the new iPad Pro 12.9in.

Image quality is superb thanks to great contrast, razor sharp text and spot-on colour accuracy. It's also notably less reflective under overhead office lighting than other tablets we've seen. The screen doesn't have the pressure sensitive 3D Touch technology of the iPhone 6s Plus' screen though, a convenience that we miss.

The screen also has a new feature called 'True Tone'. This uses sensors to judge the ambient lighting - this then adjusts the colour of the screen's backlighting to match and complement it. This is supposed to create a more paper-like experience, as paper tends to absorb light and take on its colour rather than reflect it and doesn't emit light, but we weren't terribly convinced. The difference wasn't dramatic enough that we felt we were missing out when we returned to the True Tone-less iPad Air 2. Thankfully, you can turn True Tone off if you want to.

Performance and battery life

Like its bigger cousin, this iPad is powered by an Apple A9X processor. It's clocked slightly lower at 2.16GHz though and has less RAM at 2GB instead of 4GB. Even so, it's very fast making the iPad Pro one of the most powerful tablets we've seen.

Comparing the ARM A9X against the Intel x86 chips in laptops and competing Windows hybrids is notoriously difficult, especially given the differences in the operating system and apps running on each. It's safe to say that it's comparable to most Atom and some Core 2 Duo and Core m processors - it's faster than those chips in some tasks, but not others. That such a feat is even possible says a lot about how far ARM-based processors have come, but says just as much about the continuing advantages of Intel processors in the laptops that the iPad Pro 9.7 is attempting to displace.

Apple iPads have a reputation for long battery life. The iPad Pro 9.7 certainly matches Apple's claims for ten hour battery life - it lasted just under 11 hours when playing H.264 video on a loop. It lasted 12 hours and 35 minutes when browsing the web continuously. These are lengthy results, but other tablets, such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2, can last even longer.

Camera and speakers

Although tablets haven't historically had great cameras, that hasn't stopped some people from adopting them as their main camera. Although we would still feel like a plonker using the iPad Pro 9.7 as our primary camera, it is at least up to the job. It has the same high quality 12 megapixel camera as the iPhone SE and 6s for great looking shots in both broad daylight and more dimly lit conditions.

Although the eight-megapixel camera on the iPad Air 2 was already good enough to act as a basic document scanner, the even better camera in the iPad Pro 9.7 is even more capable for such a role. If its low light capabilities aren't quite good enough for your needs, there's a flash to fall back on - the iPad Pro 9.7 is one of very, very few tablets to have a flash. The catch is that the camera lens protrudes from the iPad's casing, but this is a small price to pay.

The iPad Air 2 has louder sounding speakers than its predecessors, but headphones are still required for serious enjoyment of media files or for video conferencing when using that tablet. That's no longer the case with the iPad Pro 9.7, as this tablet has considerably louder and clearing sounding speakers. There are also now four speakers, instead of two, for clear and balanced sounding audio no what orientation the tablet is in. Despite the better sounding speakers, this iPad is no thicker, heavier, chunkier or any less sturdy than its predecessors - a fine achievement.

Conclusions

There is no doubting that the iPad Pro 9.7 is a superb tablet thanks to its excellent quality screen, lengthy battery life, loud and clear speakers, high quality selection of apps and incredibly precise Pencil. It's not a good enough all-rounder to serve as a laptop replacement for everyone though, due to compromises in the design of both of iOS and its optional keyboard cover.

If you're tempted by either the Pencil and/or Apple's official keyboard cover, bear in mind that they can add a lot to the total overall price - especially if you opt for a high capacity model with 4G - going all in for all the various extras can push the price over 1000.

In short, Apple's latest 10in tablet isn't without its quirks, limitations and flaws. While we wouldn't take an iPad Pro 9.7 over a proper laptop for most tasks involving large amounts of typing, it otherwise has a lot going for it - there are very, very few other tablets we'd prefer over this one.

This review was originally published on 19/4/2016 and has since been updated, most recently on 18/5/2016.

Verdict

An excellent tablet, but it’s compromised enough that it won’t suit everyone as a laptop replacement

The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus are fantastic devices, which are largely without fault. However, nothing in life is perfect all of the time, so here are our handy tips and tricks for making your experience with either device as well as the latest iPads that little bit better.

Apple tablets and smartphones now ship with iOS 9 as their default operating system, and the latest OS offers plenty of opportunities to play around with the screen display, device security, and your input settings.

One useful inclusion in iOS 9 is the 'Search Settings' field in the Settings menu. This tool lets you search for a specific setting instead of scrolling through endless menus on your device.

A good way to avoid annoying your friends in the pub, or co-workers at lunch, is to turn off the click sound on your keyboard via Settings > Sounds > Keyboard Clicks this is something we'd strongly advise you do.

Before we really get started, we wanted to drop in a little bonus tip for when you're trying to send large attachments via email on the iPhone - something that's tricky to do but that has a very easy fix.

iPhone 6/6 Plus tips: sending large emails

If you're on version iOS 9.2 or later, OS X's Mail Drop feature is now availabe on your mobile device, meaning you can send huge attachments (up to 5GB) via iCloud.

Don't worry about trying to search this function on your iPhone or iPad - it comes up as an option automatically when you try to attach a very large file to your email. A pop-up window simply asks you if you'd prefer to send the file in Mail Drop.

iPhone 6/6 Plus tips: top five essential apps

Apps are arguably the most important part of any smartphone. Naturally, the first thing you'll want to do with a new handset is fill it up with Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat and the like, but once you've done that, here are the five apps we think are absolutely essential.

Google Maps

One of the biggest benefits of the smartphone revolution is never having to get lost again. Thanks to GPS, we can find out exactly where we are at any given moment. However, Apple's Maps service pales in comparison to Google's far superior offering. As well as walking and driving directions, it'll even do public transport! Ace.

Dropbox

Dropbox's internet file-sharing service has proved invaluable to many users, both in business spaces and at home. With Dropbox also beefing up its feature-set for iOS 8, there's really no reason not to get on board with cloud storage. Dropbox is currently the most popular consumer service, but rivals like Box and Google Drive are also equally slick.

Silent Phone and Text

Data privacy is an increasing concern among those who use their smartphones for business. If you're handling sensitive information, we'd recommend outfitting your device with encryption apps. We're fans of Silent Circle's Silent Phone and Silent Text apps, for secure voice, video and SMS communication.

Feedly

No one wants to be the last to know about the latest news, and Feedly is a great way to keep on top of developments. Add your favourite sites, and all their latest news and articles will be displayed for you in the app. You can read them at your leisure, share or save them, and divide them into specific categories.

Evernote

When it comes list-making, quick memos and sharing projects with colleagues or friends, Evernote is among the finest note-taking apps you'll find. Using its sturdy iOS app on its basic (free) plan gives you access to cross-device syncing, the ability to share notes and store your web clippings. It's plus and premium tiers offer much, but you can do some much with the service in its basic form from storing helpful templates to managing entire projects that this digital notebook is an essential app.

iPhone 6/6 Plus tips: security and privacy

1) Setup Touch ID and a strong password

Everyone wants their device to be as secure as possible. When you're setting up the iPhone 6 it will ask you if you want to enable Touch ID we recommend doing this as it's simple and effective.

You'll also be prompted to set up a 4-digit passcode as default but you should take steps to beef this up.

Let's put it into context. Say you're on a train and the person looking over your shoulder sees you tap in your 4-digit pin. Now if this unscrupulous so-and-so happens to be a thief, you'll have a problem as they'll know the passcode to access your device once they pinch it.

To make it harder for people to access your device Go to Settings > Touch ID & Passcode and then switch off Simple Passcode'. You'll be prompted to enter a longer 6-digit password with the ability to use alphanumeric characters. We recommend using three memorable words as a long password is a strong password (Click here for more tips on a secure password).

Using a long password may seem like a drag but, with Touch ID enabled, most of the time you'll be unlocking the device or paying for apps via a thumbprint. The strong password is there to give you peace of mind if the device ever goes missing.

There's also another option for users who carry around sensitive information on the device. You can set the device to wipe all data if the passcode is entered incorrectly 10 times. This is a nice failsafe and can be activated via Settings > Touch ID & Passcode > Erase Data.

2) Stop your iPhone (or iPad) from tracking you

Ever wondered where your phone gets that handy navigation and road condition information when you glance at the Notifications Center at different times of the day? It gets it by tracking your movements whenever you go provided you are connected to a Wi-Fi hotspot, such as at home, work, a coffee shop or even the Tube network.

Though this can have benefits, if you'd prefer to stop your phone tracking your frequently visited locations, go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services > System Services and then Frequent Locations. From there, turn the option Off. For added privacy, hit the Clear History button, too.

3) Enable backup

The ability to backup your device is useful if you ever lose it as you can sync the new device and pick up where you left off.

Go to Settings > iCloud > Backup to enable it. When your phone is plugged into a power supply and connected to Wi-Fi, all documents, accounts, photos and settings will be backed up.

4) Hide photos

We've all had that awkward moment. Showing a friend or relative a few pictures in our camera roll and then suddenly swiping to an embarrassing picture. In iOS 9 it's possible to hide those private photos by pressing and holding it and then tapping Hide'. This means it will no longer show up in your camera roll and will be in its own Hidden folder'.

iPhone 6/6 Plus tips: accessibility and customisation

5) Get a new keyboard

Apple introduced its own QuickType' predictive text keyboard, but this takes time to adjust to your usage pattern. It's possible to download a third-party keyboard and our personal favourite is Swype (99p). This lets you drag your finger across the screen to type out words and has a great prediction feature.

SwiftKey is also a popular keyboard on Android, but so far its reviews aren't quite as good as Swype on iOS 9.

If you want to use a third-party keyboard as your primary form of input you need to go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Edit and then drag it to the top of the list.

6) Minimise email message

It's possible to minimise an email you're composing by swiping down from the top of the message. This allows you to check other emails for any important information or to copy an address. Once you're ready to continue with your message just tap on the "New Message" tab at the bottom of the screen.

7) Multitasking with videos or FaceTime on iPad

In our modern reality of multiple screens, multiple email accounts and multiple jobs, multitasking is pretty much de facto for us all. One of the new additions to iOS 9 on iPad is the ability to view another app while simultaneously seeing a FaceTime call or video in a smaller picture-in-picture screen.

To activate the feature, while holding a FaceTime call or viewing a video press the Home button or tap the Picture-in-Picture button to resize the viewing window. From here, you can then flick the smaller screen to move it about the main screen.

Currently, this feature is only available on iPad Air, Air 2, iPad Mini 2, 3 and 4, and iPad Pro. Great for when you need to finish that work email be can't resist watching the last 10 minutes of your favourite TV programme.

8) Get out of a group iMessage thread

iPhone 6 users can now opt out of iMessage threads in group chat. To do this, launch the iMessage app, select the group you want to opt out of. Then tap on Details in the top right-hand corner and choose "Leave this conversation". The only drawback is this only works when all people on the thread are iMessage users.

9) Use Siri-hands free

Up to now Siri has always had to be activated by pressing and holding the Home button. To make it easier to use iPhone in a car, Apple now lets you interact with Siri hands-free when the device is plugged into a power source.

Go to Settings > General > Siri > Allow Hey Siri' to activate this.

10) Train Siri

Siri is able to learn who your contacts are so - for example - you can tell her "Jeff is my dad" and then ask her to "send a message to dad".

It's also possible to correct any pronunciations - by saying "that's not how you pronounce it", ask Siri to identify songs as well as search the web.

11) Speak Screen

A useful option to have when your hands are tied. It's possible to get Siri to read back things on the screen.

To activate this mode go to Settings > General > Accessibility > Speech and turn on Speak Screen.

Then tell Siri to "Speak screen."

12) Optimise the display

The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus are bigger handsets, so there's an option to enlarge the icons and bold the text.

To do this go to Go to Settings > Display & Brightness and toggle the relevant options.

We also like the option to bold text - Settings > Accessibility > Bold.

13) Use Spotlight

iOS 9 has an excellent universal search feature. Swipe down from halfway on the home screen to activate Spotlight.

This searches your device, Maps, the web and the App Store.

14) Access the top of the screen

All iPhones were designed to be used with one hand. But as the screen sizes have increased, Apple has introduced its Reachability feature. Top reach the top of the screen, simply tap the home button twice (not press it twice) and the screen shifts down. You can make a selection and the screen will then pop back up afterwards.

iPhone 6/6 Plus tips: notifications

15) Setup emails/notifications

Adding accounts on the iPhone is simple, with all the popular services from Gmail to Exchange accepted. Go to Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars to configure them.

Don't forget to fine-tune alerts. It's possible to choose how many lines of a message are previewed in notifications - personally, I like 4 lines - but you can play around and see what suits you. It's also useful to enabled the Show To/Cc label' if you're used to sending emails to multiple recipients.

Going to Settings > Notifications > Mail allows you to choose how you are alerted about messages. You can choose none, banners or alerts and also whether you want messages to appear on your lock screen.

16) Email thread alert

Keeping on top of emails can be a headache at the best of times especially when you're on the move.

The Mail app has a handy Notify Me' feature to help make sure you don't miss the most important emails. This is particularly useful when you're collaborating on a project to deadline or trying to organise meetings.

To activate this go into the email, click on the Flag at the bottom then Notify Me. The email thread will then have an orange blob next to it and a little bell. Every time someone responds to the thread you get a notification.

If you want to be absolutely sure you never miss a notification from Notify Me' threads go to Settings > Notifications > Mail > Thread Notifications and change the notification type to Alerts'. This way the message will remain on screen until you dismiss it so you won't overlook it accidentally.

17) Change vibration settings

The vibration on the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus is so forceful, it verges on the annoying.

It's possible to change the vibration alert or even create a customised version. Go to Settings > Sounds > Ringtone > Vibration. From here you can choose another alert or tap out your own, less aggressive tone.

18) Reply to texts from any app

It's possible to respond to text messages from any app when you get a banner notification. If you swipe down from the top it's possible to tap out a reply and send it.

You have to be quick though because the ability to send a quick reply disappears along with the banner notification.

19) Turn off repeat alerts

On the iPhone, Message alerts are configured to repeat after two minutes. This can trick you into thinking you have a new message. Go to Settings > Notifications > Messages and turn 'Repeat Alerts' to never.

20) Use the flash as notification light

As there is no notification light on the iPhone, sometimes if can be difficult to tell if you have a message. It's possible to get the camera flash to blink when you have messages. To activate this, go to Settings > Accessibility > LED flash for Alerts.

iPhone 6/6 Plus tips: data and networks

21) Keep on top of Location settings

iOS 9 makes it easier to keep track of your privacy/location settings. When you open an app like weather or maps for the first time, it will ask permission to "use your location" in the background. It's best to click 'not allow' as you don't want apps sucking up battery life unnecessarily.

To check which apps are able to access your whereabouts - go to Settings > Privacy. From here it's possible to see which apps have access to information such as Contacts, Calendar info, photos etc.

The best thing about the Location settings is the ability to switch it off - and that's what we'd recommend. This will save battery and you can always turn on GPS for the times when you need turn-by-turn directions.

22) Find your iPhone

You can check whether this is activated by going to Settings > iCloud > Find my iPhone. The beautiful (and slightly worrying) thing is that even if your Location setting is Off' you can override the setting through 'Lost Mode' from iCloud.com.

Activating this automatically switches on Location tracking and also allows you to lock the phone and display a message on the screen along with a contact number.

It's also worth turning on the Send Last Location' setting, as this will tell you the last known whereabouts of the device before the battery died.

23) Use Safari's settings

Safari has plenty of new features. You can now request desktop websites by tapping on the URL, and then flicking down to see an option to Request Desktop site'.

If you accidentally close a tab it's possible to reopen it by pressing and holding the +' button. This brings up a list of recently closed windows.

Apple has also added Private browsing mode, but be careful. If you don't close individual tabs, the next time Safari is opened you could be embarrassed as the web pages will automatically load.

24) Limit background data downloads

This is a pretty simple setting, which can help to save battery life, especially if you've got dozens of apps. Go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh and make sure non-critical apps are not pulling through data.

Most users won't need Stocks, Weather and Podcasts running in the background - whereas Mail and instant messages are vital. Remember to check back here periodically once you've downloaded a few apps to make sure nothing unnecessary is sucking the battery.

iPhone 6/6 Plus tips: battery

25) Charge your iPhone 6/6 Plus faster

Both iLounge and MacRumours have corroborated that it's possible to charge the latest iPhones faster with an iPad adaptor. The iPhones ship with 1 Amp chargers whereas the iPads double the capacity (2.1 Amps).

This doesn't appear to cause any damage (unlike the false report last year that microwaving an iPhone 6 would rapidly return it to full charge), but just make sure you don't do any intensive tasks while charging as you'll generate a lot of heat.

According to estimates, the iPhone 6 can get to full charge in approximately two hours with the iPad adaptor.

26) Check battery usage

The battery percentage is off by default and we'd recommend keeping it this way as this can create a sense of paranoia as you constantly keep checking battery life.

A useful feature is the ability to check which apps are draining battery life. Go to Settings > General > Usage > Battery Usage and you'll see a list. You can then close anything sucking up too much power.

27) What to do when you have a low battery?

There is no "power saving mode" to activate in iOS. But when you are running low on juice there are things you can do to conserve energy.

The display is usually the source of power drain so go to Settings > General > Accessibility and either Invert Colours' or choose Greyscale'. It also helps to turn down the brightness.

Using 4G also sucks up power - so this can be temporarily disabled via Settings > Mobile > Enable 4G. And don't forget you can also switch off Background refresh' completely until you are fully charged.

iPhone 6/6 Plus tips: camera

28) Burst Mode & Time Lapse

Holding down the shutter button will trigger burst mode and give you a running count of how many pictures you're taking.

It's also possible to record a time-lapse video within iOS 9 - handy if you want to check who's been pitching cookies from the jar.

29) Manually adjust exposure

Tapping on the screen to take a picture will not only refocus, it will also bring up a little bar allowing you to increase or decrease the exposure levels.

30) Record smoother video

The iPhone 6 has some impressive video recording chops, more so when a high frame rate is used. This doubles the number of frames per second from 30 to 60. To enable this, tap on the Photos and Camera option within the main Settings, and set Record video at 60 FPS.

31) Easily select multiple photos

Selecting more than one photo in the Photos app involves a tedious amount of tapping tapping on each individual photo, over and over again, until you've selected all the ones you want to share or delete.

It doesn't have to be this way though. Tap the Select button in the upper right hand corner of the Photos app. Then simply slide your finger over the photos you want in a single smooth motion to select them. This even works non-contiguously so you can slide your finger over one block of photos to select them, then scroll through to another part of your camera roll or album to select another bunch.

This slick new interface method is making its way to other apps the same trick also works in Google Photos, for example. The selection action and reaction animations aren't as smooth in Google Photos as they are in the stock Apple photos app, but it's still a worthwhile trick to know.

This article was originally published on the 24/09/2014 (related to iOS 8) and has been updated multiple times (most recently on the 30/6/2016, with tweaks to reflect iOS 9's changes).

Apple has slowly decommissioned the iPad Air 2 and it will no longer receive the latest iPadOS, but that doesn't mean it can't serve as a perfectly functional tablet for you and your business.

Along with the iPad Mini 2, the Air 2 was discontinued in 2017, with both replaced by entry-level models. The Air 2 was supported by eight different versions of the OS, from iOS 8 to iPadOS 15, but hardware limitations have meant it isn't eligible for iPadOS 16.

However, with refurbished models as low as £120 on Amazon the iPad Air 2 is potentially a good option for creative businesses with tight budgets.

iPad Air 2 review: Build quality, display and battery

The Air 2 looks almost identical to its predecessor, but it’s 1mm thinner than before and just over 30g lighter. We scoffed at such small changes in dimensions on paper, but they’re surprisingly noticeable in the flesh. With its lighter, more evenly distributed weight and thinner profile the Air 2 is much more comfortable to hold than its already slender predecessor - especially for long periods of time.

We were also sceptical about Apple's claims that the 10in screen is less reflective, but once again the difference was noticeable. Compared to other tablet screens, it was considerably less reflective under both domestic halogen lighting and fluorescent office lighting strips. This means it's less likely you'll have to change your seating position or turn down the lights just to avoid seeing your reflection while attempting to read or watch a video. Contrast and colour accuracy are both excellent -the only tablet display that's as goodis the one found on the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5 which has more vibrant colours.

It doesn't have the True Tone display of the iPad Pro 9.7in, which actively adjusts the colour depending on lighting conditions. However, it's still a very good screen, and it does take advantage of the Night Shift feature, first introduced in iOS 9, which automatically changes the colour temperature depending on time of day.

The Air 2's thinner build means that the battery is a little smaller than before, which we feared would result in noticeably shorter battery life. This wasn't the casethough, with the battery lasting ten and a half hours when playing videos - the same lengthy score achieved by the original iPad Air. However, rival tablets can last even longer - the Tab S 10.5 lasted 14 hours and 20 minutes for example, while the SonyXperiaZ2 Tablet lasted a staggering 16 hours.

iPad Air 2 review: Hardware, performance and connectivity

Part of the reason for the Air 2's lengthy battery life is its power-efficient triple-core processor, the 1.4GHz A8X.It's also very fast,excellingin our 3D graphics tests as well as our app and webpage loading benchmarks. Paired with 2GB of memory, it makes the Air 2 one of the fastest tablets we've seen so it should have no trouble running demanding apps for some time to come.

We suspect most people will opt for theWiFi-only version of the Air 2, but if you do opt for the 4G variant then there's a potentially handy new feature called Apple SIM. This SIM card can, in theory, be used with any mobile network so you can take advantage of the best mobile broadband deals by simply selecting the network and package you want in the Settings app instead having to order, wait for and swap SIM cards.

However, for now the only UK network that works with Apple SIM is EE, whereas Americans have their choice of almost all the major nationwide mobile networks in the US. Hopefully, the other UK networks will become compatible with Apple SIM soon. You can of course use a standardnanoSIM with a 4G Air 2 and the Apple SIM is still useful if you're travelling in the US and want to have mobile broadband as British visitors can sign up for one month plans with T-Mobile US.

Although the new fingerprint reader isn't as useful here as it is on an iPhone, which is more likely to be lost or stolen due to its smaller size, it's still a useful feature to have on an iPad. Whether you're worried about data security or simply want a more convenient way to unlock your tablet, the fingerprint reader worked flawlessly.

iPad Air 2 review: Camera, iCloud and iOS 8.1

We feel very conspicuoustaking photosusing a tablet, but many other people share no such inhibitions. We've seen tablets used as cameras from the streets of London and Rome to the Jordanian desert. The Air 2's camera coped well in brightly lit conditions, capturing surprisingly sharp and detailed photos. It's not as good as the iPhone 6 or 6 Plus for low light photography where its photos aren't as sharpor well-litand have more noise, but the Air 2 is still a respectable camera to fall back on.

There are lots of new features on the Air 2 that came embedded at launch with iOS 8, Apple's latest mobile operating system at the time of release, and one of our favourites is Continuity. This lets you use different iOS devices together more efficiently and now work with Macs too. For example, you can now instantly share the Air 2's 4G connection with your Mac without fiddling aboutwithsettings andyou canreply toiMessagesusing your Mac's keyboard.

You can even start tasks on your iPad, such as writing a long document or working on a spreadsheet, and finish them on your Mac picking up right where you left off. It's a shame but unsurprising that these useful features aren't available for Windows, but even if you do have a Mac most of the Continuity features rely on your Mac having built-in Bluetooth 4.0 or require apps to specifically support them.

One feature which does work with Windows is iCloud Drive, Apple's equivalent to online storage services such as Dropbox and is used for sharing files betweenthe Air 2 and your othercomputers. You get 5GB free, but this is shared with any other iCloud services you use such as iCloudemail. Extra storage is reasonably priced starting at 79p per month for an extra 20GB.

However, iCloud Drive does have some odd limitations. While it works with Windows 7 and 8, it only works with Mac OS X Yosemite and not any older versions of Apple's own desktop operating system. Plus, there's no currently no way to share a large file with non-iCloud Drive users by creating a link as you can with Dropbox. In any case there's little reason to use it if you already use other storage services as apps updated for iOS 8 can now access other storage services more easily than ever before.Plus, if you want to share files between your iOS 8 devices and Macs without using the internet you can do so using the revampedAirDropwireless file sharing feature.

iPad Air 2 review: Conclusions

Each of the iPad Air 2's new features seem minor on paper, but taken together they all add up to help make itone of the best tablets available it'ssimplya joy to use. If youwantthe longest possible battery lifethoughorifyou want waterproofingthen theSonyXperiaZ2Tabletis a better pickdespite its inferior screen and camera.

Should you buy a 9.7in iPad Pro instead? The cheapest iPad Air 2 a 16Gb WiFi-only model can be had for as little as £30 on eBay or Amazon, which is a big drop compared to the cheapest iPad Pro – £499 – though the latter includes 32GB of storage and will have much better performance all round. A refurbished iPad Air will be more than £100 but it will be more than good enough for everyday use.

Not a must-have for owners of the original iPad Air, but a great buy for owners of older iPads and first-timers.

FAQs

iPad Air 2 specs

No matter what your smartphone operating system loyalties and preferences are, you have to admit that Apple's iOS is never boring. iOS 7 introduced a dramatic visual refresh, while iOS 8 introduced more Android-style flexibility with features such as third-party keyboards and extensions. iOS 9 continues iOS 8's theme of giving users more flexibility and does so with several new features first introduced by its competitors.

Despite the cavalcade of new features, iOS 9 is, generally speaking, an incremental and iterative update for iPhone and iPod Touch users. It's a different story for iPad users though - iOS 9 brings significant changes to the way you use your Apple tablet.

Latest news

07/04/2016: One week after the general release of iOS 9.3.1, Apple has seeded the beta of iOS 9.3.2 to developers. Being an update to 9.3, it doesn't make any radical changes, but rather fixes a handful of bugs and introduces some minor new features.

In terms of bug fixes, the release notes indicate these addresses known issues in the built-in Dictionary, iBooks, Safari and Simulator, although there isn't much detail as to what these are.

It also deals with an issue in Quick Actions that caused stuttering and lag when used.

iOS 9.3.2 is only available to registered Apple developers, with no current indicated schedule for a public release.

08/03/2016:An iOS bug has caused iOS owners to receive 'ghost emails' from 1970.

The emails appear in the stock Mail app on iPhone and iPad dated 1 January 1970 with no sender, users have reported on Reddit.

Although Apple has yet to issue an official explanation, common consensus appears to be that the issue is down to an error in iOS that causes the app to download the email's information incorrectly.

The error can be fixed by closing the app and hard-resetting the device.

The perplexing '70s date stamp - a clear 30 years before the invention of the iPhone - can be easily explained, too.

UNIX-based operating systems like iOS use 1 January 1970 as the start date for their clocks, meaning that to an iPhone, it's effectively the beginning of time.

This is also the cause of an error that surfaced last month, in which some iPhones could be bricked by setting them to this date.

For certain timezones, setting the devices to this date fools the phone into thinking that its internal clock is below zero, meaning it will fail to boot.

Naturally, users are discouraged from attempting to replicate this bug, as they may have to take their phone in for repair.

09/02/2016:Virtual reality (VR) could feature on iOS within the next two years, an analyst research note has indicated.

The note, obtained by AppleInsider, comes from Piper Jaffrey analyst Gene Munster, and charts some of Apple's recent acquisitions and hires in the VR space.

At least 141 Apple employees have a background in augmented reality (AR), according to Munster,and the IP gained through acquisitions such as PrimeSense indicate that the company is looking to explore "mixed reality" applications for future devices.

Apple secured a patent for "head-mounted display apparatus for retaining a portable electronic device with display" last February, and made several acquisitions including AR start-up Mataioduring 2015.

08/02/2016: Apple has defended the Error 53' security update that has been destroying thousands of users' iPhones.

After upgrading to iOS 9, many unsuspecting iPhone owners have found that the error has completely locked their phones, with no way to unlock them, and no way to recover the data.

The error arises as a result of tampering with the iPhone's TouchID sensor. Unfortunately, it can also be triggered by replacing the device's screen, if users do not take it to an official Apple engineer.

Taking an Apple device device anywhere other than an Apple Authorised Service Provider for repair automatically voids the warranty, and thishas left unwitting customers with a useless handset after a simple screen repair.

The company says this is for security reasons, suggesting that stolen iPhones could be installed with compromised fingerprint readers to allow criminals to gain access.

"We take customer security very seriously and Error 53 is the result of security checks designed to protect our customers,"a spokesperson for the company said.

"This security measure is necessary to protect your device and prevent a fraudulent Touch ID sensor from being used. If a customer encounters Error 53, we encourage them to contact Apple Support."

System requirements, performance and battery life

iOS 9 is unique among all the major mobile operating systems in supporting very old hardware - it's officially supported on the iPad 2 and the iPhone 4s, which both came out in 2011, although iPod Touch support only goes back to the 5th generation model.

Just because you can install iOS 9 on four year old devices doesn't mean you should though. As our in-depth testing of iOS 9 on an iPhone 4s and an original iPad mini (which has almost identical specifications to the iPad 2) revealed, iOS 9 only brings, at best, very uneven responsiveness and battery life improvements to these older devices.

It's a different story on newer, more up to date devices though. We only saw modest improvements in Apple's already class-leading JavaScript rendering performance on an iPhone 6 Plus and iPad Air 2. There was no improvement in 3D rendering performance, although our 3D graphics tests have yet to be updated for Metal, Apple's new alternative to the OpenGL API which allegedly brings performance improvements.

There were notable increases in battery life though. When running iOS 8, our iPhone 6 Plus lasted seven hours and 41 minutes in our web browsing and music playback test. Under iOS 9, this increased by over half an hour to eight hours and 15 minutes.

The difference was more dramatic on our iPad Air 2 which went from seven hours and 47 minutes to nine hours and 10 minutes after the OS upgrade. This exceeds Apple's claims of one hour improvement in battery life for iOS 9. These improvements were repeated when we reran the tests, with minor differences of five minutes either way, so they weren't one-offs.

Interface

As expected, iOS 9 keeps the same minimalist interface first introduced in iOS 7 but with some subtle changes. The new system font, San Francisco, replaces Helvetica Neue. Although it didn't improve legibility on the non-Retina original iPad mini or the small 3.5in iPhone 4s, we found that the subtle differences in weighting and spacing did improve legibility on the iPad Air 2 and iPhone 6 Plus. Unfortunately, you can't change it back if you don't like it.

The app switcher has changed from a series of small, clearly separated and free-standing cards representing each app to a series of larger, overlapping cards. Although this seems like a trivial change at first, we found the larger cards easier to swipe through single-handed on large screen phones such as the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. Plus, the new large card design discourages endless browsing through the carousel of apps, emphasising its use for quickly switching between recently used apps rather than as an alternative to the home screen which it had become for some people.

iOS 9's new app switcher

It's easy to overlook the changes to Apple's default keyboard, especially if you've long switched to a third party alternative, but they're useful enough that they may tempt you to switch back - especially on the iPad.

A small but very welcome change is that the key caps now switch back and forth between lower-case and upper-case labelling depending on whether or not you've engaged the caps lock. It's therefore much more obvious which case you've selected, unlike in iOS 7 and 8 where the only hint was an ambiguously highlighted shift key.

On the iPad, the keyboard gets a Shortcuts Bar which flanks either side of the QuickType autocorrect suggestions field first introduced in iOS 8. Filled with useful buttons such as undo, redo, paste and text formatting options, it makes working on even small blocks of text much easier than before. Windows Phone has a similar, but far more basic shortcuts bar accompanying its on-screen keyboard.

Holding two fingers down on the keyboard turns it into a giant touchpad for moving the text caret. This iPad-only feature makes text editing even easier, making this clever feature an immediate favourite.

The keyboard turns transparent in touchpad mode

Reminders may not be as feature-packed as third-party to-do list apps, but it does have one feature those apps don't. Reminders in Apple's app can now include links to other apps. So you can set a reminder to read an email later and include a link that will take you direct to the email in question. This clever little feature still needs some work though. For example, setting a reminder to call a particular contact included a link that opened the Phone app, but this just took us to the call list and not to the details for the specific contact.

Reminders can now include links to other apps, although they don't always work quite right

A much smaller, but no less useful new feature available on iPads as well as iPhones and iPod Touches is a context-sensitive back button that appears in the top left hand corner of the screen when you click a link in an app that opens another app. Tapping the back button takes you back to the first app. It's a small touch, but helps make multitasking just that bit smoother.

Built-in apps

Of all of Apple's built-in apps, Notes gets the biggest makeover. It's now a serious alternative to rival notetaking apps, with features such as freehand drawing using your finger, automatically numbered lists, checklists as well as the ability to add photos, file attachments and even links to other apps (where supported) in a note.

There are some odd quirks with Notes though, such as the almost non-existent ability to edit your drawings after you've drawn them and the requirement that you enable iCloud syncing for your notes just to use the freehand tools.

iCloud syncing is a departure from previous versions of the Notes app which used an IMAP mailbox in one of your email accounts to sync notes between multiple devices. Once switched over to iCloud, you can't switch back so notes will only be synchronised between iCloud-enabled devices.

Unless you object to iCloud-centric notes syncing, the revamped Notes app means it's less likely you'll go hunting for a third-party notetaking app if you don't already use one. But you're less likely to be won over if you're already a dedicated fan of Evernote, OneNote or SimpleNote.

iCloud Drive, the Dropbox-like online storage component of Apple's cloud services, finally gets its own dedicated file manager app. Oddly though, it's hidden by default and has to be enabled in the Settings app before it will appear on your homescreen. In any case, there's nothing special about it and certainly nothing that will tempt you over if you're already a dedicated user of another cloud storage service.

There's no real need to use iCloud's online storage service as Apple continues to make it easier for third party services to integrate more closely with iOS apps. The default Mail app finally gains the ability to add attachments to emails, including files stored on OneDrive, Dropbox and Box.net from a straightforward file picker window. Previously you had to delve into, say, the Microsoft Word app and email the files you wanted from there. This wasn't very intuitive.

You can now add attachments to emails from cloud storage services such as Box

Apple's new News app filled with curated content from the likes of The New York Times, The Guardian, Vanity Fair and CNN, isn't actually available for British iOS users yet. We suspect Apple is still stocking the app with UK-specific news providers and content before becoming available on this side of the pond.

Apple's homegrown Google-less Maps app was an unmitigated disaster when it launched with iOS 6. Missing landmarks and addresses as well as incorrect routing and directions made it a laughing stock. The data underlying the app is now much improved, at least in our experience in London and the South East and in many cases Apple's map labels and symbols are more legible than those in Google Maps with the notable exception of public transport stops and stations. Google Maps, while not perfect either, still has the edge though when it comes to the most accurate and up-to-date location and routing information.

Maps now regains the ability to give you public transport directions that it lost when Apple moved away from Google as its backend. In our experience it worked well, but there's a major catch. It's currently only available in a handful of cities worldwide - the only British city with public transport directions in Apple Maps is London. All of this means that Apple Maps is likely to continue as an adjunct to Google Maps, rather than replace it outright.

Apple Maps once again has built-in public transport directions, but the only British city it supports at the moment is London

The Photos app gains a few useful smart albums for selfies, panoramas, videos and, in a godsend for software reviewers, screenshots. We're a little disappointed that other apps haven't received some love and attention though.

An example is the Calendar app. You can add events to the Calendar app on OS X by typing details in natural language, such as lunch with Kat at 2pm on Friday the 25th' rather than fiddling about with a time-consuming dialogue box. It doesn't always parse the details correctly, but it's good enough that we wish the iOS Calendar app had the same time-saving feature.

Behind the scenes

A small but useful benefit is the ability of third-party apps to use a far faster HTML renderer than the one in previous versions of iOS. Previously, apps that needed to display web content, such as a social networking app with statuses containing a web link, rendered that content using an engine that was noticeably slower than Safari - especially JavaScript-heavy pages. Third-party developers have to opt into this feature though, which we hope they will do as soon as possible.

Third-party apps can now use a far faster built-in HTML renderer for showing web content

The most controversial new feature in iOS 9 by far is the ability to add content blockers to the Safari web browser. Downloaded as apps from the App Store, almost all of the content blockers released to date have been ad-blockers. Other types of content blockers, such as adult content filters, are also in the works from various developers.

We won't delve in-depth into the arguments for and against ad blockers on mobile devices here, but we welcome their inclusion in iOS 9. Badly designed ads can make it hard or impossible to read and navigate mobile websites, slow down rendering speeds and hog bandwidth - all of which can be especially aggravating if you're on a slow network and/or have a data usage cap. With all this in mind, giving users more control using content blockers is, overall, a good thing.

iPad multitasking

Multitasking on the iPad is now a lot easier thanks to iOS 9. There is a trio of new multitasking features, but they are not available on the iPhone (even the huge 5.5in 6 Plus and 6s Plus) and only some iPads will be able to take advantage of them. To use the new Picture-in-Picture and Slide Over features, you'll need an iPad Mini 2, an iPad Air or later. To use Split View, you'll need an iPad Air 2, iPad Mini 4 or later. All three of these features are of course supported on the upcoming iPad Pro.

These new multitasking features in iOS 9 will be instantly familiar to users of Windows 8 and 10 tablets as well as owners of recent Samsung Galaxy Tabs. Picture-in-Picture lets you watch video in a small resizeable window while using other apps. You can only stick this window in one of the four corners of the screen, rather than anywhere you wish, but it's still useful to have. Video apps that already support Picture-in-Picture include BBC iPlayer, DailyMotion and, of course, Apple's own FaceTime video chat service.

When using an app, swipe in from the right hand side of the screen and you can use another app on top of it. The second app occupies around of the screen and you can't use your original app while using the second app. Apple calls this Slide Over and it works well for quick tasks such as checking emails or Tweets without completely disrupting your workflow.

Whether you want to use Slide Over or Split View, they're both activated the same way

The second app in Slide Over on an iPad essentially looks and works much like an iPhone app

Split View lets you use two apps on-screen, side-by-side, simultaneously. It's activated very similarly to Slide Over, but the second app can occupy up to half of the screen. It works well and makes complex workflows easier to accomplish on an iPad.

Picture-in-Picture and Split View working together

All this may be old hat to Galaxy Tab and Windows users, but Split View is already better than the similar feature on Samsung tablets purely because of more widespread developer support. Microsoft Office, Slack, Scanner Pro and PDF Expert are some of our favourite and most frequently used apps and all have already been updated to support Split View (Apple's iWork apps are conspicuous by their lack of support).

This is all the more impressive given that iOS 9 has only been publicly available for a few days compared to Samsung's years-long head start. Plus, in a neat touch, you can use Split View and Picture-in-Picture together.

Search and Siri

Siri has quietly and quickly grown into one of the best feature on iOS. Overall, we find the transcription accuracy of this voice-activated personal assistant to be very good. We use it everyday for setting alarms, entering reminders and calendar events and transcribing texts and short emails.

Siri has been overshadowed though by the similar-but-different Google Now, the personal assistant built into recent versions of Android. Using data in apps such as GMail, Google Calendar and Google Maps, Now is much more proactive. It can reminding you to leave in time to get to your next appointment, even taking into consideration traffic or public transport conditions. It can show the status of upcoming flights or the shipping status of online shopping orders. It's all very clever.

Siri tries to do something similar, but without harvesting your data and having it processed by cloud-based servers. Siri Proactive apparently does all its data processing on-device which will be reassuring whether for corporate compliance reasons or just because you're concerned about your privacy and big data overreach.

It's early days for Siri Proactive, but so far it hasn't been as helpful as Google Now on Android. It offered to add appointments to our calendar based on restaurant reservation confirmation emails and it offered to open our favourite music app when we plugged in our headphones. It remains to be seen whether Apple's more privacy-sensitive approach will be able to match Google's cloud-based machine learning strategy in making a better personal assistant.

Siri's Proactive feature automatically offered to create new calendar events based on reservation confirmations emails in our inbox

We're not definitely not fans of the Siri suggestions screen, which sits to the left of your first home screen. The list of recently accessed contacts sits here, moved from its previous home in the app switcher on iOS 8. But it's joined by app suggestions, news headlines and suggestions for things to do in your local area. Apart from being cluttered, the headlines and locality-based suggestions weren't as tailored to our preferences compared to Google Now's similar feature.

So far, we haven't found the new Siri suggestions screen to be especially helpful

Siri does at least get a few additions to its core remit of voice control. For example, you can search through the Photos app by giving commands such as show me photos of Turkey'. But without cloud-based machine learning, the accuracy of the search results is dependent on how anal you've been in tagging your photos with the correct metadata. So the results for our search showed snaps of a trip to Istanbul, which had all been correctly tagged, but not those of a trip to Cappadocia which hadn't.

We do like the ability to search for files and data across all the apps installed on your device from the main iOS search field, accessed either from the Siri screen or by swiping down from the middle of any home screen. Some third-party apps have already been updated to support this universal search, with DropBox, Scanner Pro and PDF Expert among the first. The level of support varies though - for example DropBox only supports searching among your recently accessed and offline files, rather than amongst all your files, which is disappointing.

Another somewhat variable search feature is the new ability to search in the Settings app. This should be a godsend given the increasingly complex, nested nature of the Settings app, but it's not as smart as it could be. To find the battery settings, for example, you have to search for the keyword battery' - the synonymous energy' and power' didn't work. Shame.

You'll need to use exactly the right keywords when searching the Settings app

Security and enterprise

iOS 9 contains fewer new enterprise-specific features compared to previous versions of Apple's mobile operating system, although that's a sign of the operating system's growing maturity. Almost all of the new enterprise features here are focussed on security and mobile device management (MDM).

Security passcodes can now be up to six digits long, increased from four, making them just that bit more secure. Two-factor authentication is now supported, but only when a device is being set up for the first time - sadly an iOS device still can't be configured to require both a fingerprint and a passcode when unlocking for that extra layer of security.

There are several new fine-grained MDM controls, all of which have been long awaited and thus very welcome. Apps bought from the public-facing consumer App Store can now be converted into managed apps under your control. Apps bought under the Volume Purchase Program (VPP) can now be assigned to devices even if they don't have an Apple ID. VPP apps can be installed on any device your company owns, no matter where in the world it is. bypassing the annoying geographical restrictions sometimes found on the public App Store. You can even restrict access to the public app store entirely, ensuring that only managed apps that you approve can be installed. You can now managed VPN settings on an app-by-app basis and even restrict apps from using cellular networks.

Conclusions

For iPhone and iPod Touch users, iOS 9 is an evolutionary update full of small, neat little touches that make your everyday mobile experience that little bit smoother, easier and more convenient. The full utility of Siri Proactive remains to be seen, but it faces tough competition from Android Marshmallow's improved version of Google Now which is due out soon.

The effect is far more dramatic on the iPad, or at least iPads that can take advantage of the new multitasking features. We've never bought into the specious argument that iPads can't be used for work - they're certainly not a great fit for professional writers or spreadsheet jockeys, at least not without an external keyboard, but non-office workplaces such as warehouses, hospitals, studios and schools make use of them in other more lateral uses.

But prior to iOS 9, there were plenty of situations where an iPad wasn't quite the right fit. The new multitasking features and the revamped onscreen keyboard means the iPad is a more viable business computer in more workplaces than ever before.

iOS 9 really is good. (So good, in fact, it got 5/5 and a recommended award in a review by our sister title Expert Reviews).The only thing that should stop you from upgrading is the age of your devices - older devices will get less out of it and may even run more slowly. It may borrow ideas quite liberally from its competitors, but iOS 9 raises the bar again for mobile operating systems.

If you need any further convincing, our sister title Alphr.com runs down the five reasons to upgrade to iOS 9 today here. It's well worth a read.

Verdict

For most users, it will be a case of when they upgrade to iOS 9 not if

Requires iPhone 4s, iPad 2, iPad mini, iPod Touch fifth generation or later

Tablets aren't for real work' is a common refrain uttered by double-chinned stuffed shirts who don't know any better. It's a complete fallacy, an argument that only holds water if you equate work' to offices'. We've seen plenty of iPads and other tablets in workplaces as diverse as cafes, restaurants, hospitals, airports, warehouses, graphic design studios and delivery vans.

They're being used for a huge range of workplace tasks from point of sale terminals and taking customer surveys, to accessing patient records and even for prototyping apps and websites. Only the most obstinate spreadsheet shuffler would deny that these are real workplace tasks but they are also jobs best suited for iPads and other tablets.

This is why we're confident that the new 9.7in iPad Pro will eventually succeed in both the workplace and the home, just as its Air predecessors have done. It's just as powerful as the larger 12.9in iPad Pro, but no heavier or thicker than the iPad Air 2.

We're far less confident, though, that the 9.7in iPad Pro will spur a dramatic rise in iPad sales, reversing the general, gradual decline in iPad slices that has bedevilled Apple in recent years.

The first problem, and hardly a new revelation, is that older iPads have incredibly long lives we still see the elderly iPad 2 being put to productive use. Plus, the still eminently capable iPad Air 2 remains on sale now at a reduced price of 349 for the 16GB model, which is 150 less than the cheapest iPad Pro. It's an attractive option if you don't need the sheer power or accessories of the Pro.

That 499 pricing for the cheapest 32GB 9.7in iPad Pro doesn't include any of the accessories which set it apart, either the Apple Pencil or the official keyboard case. While this keeps the 9.7in Pro's price as low as can be and doubtless helps buoy Apple's accessory sales and profit margins, it probably does some harm too.

Some 9.7in Pro customers will definitely want those distinctive accessories and snap them up. Others definitely won't. A lot of those sitting on the fence, and we think there will be many of these potential customers, will err on the side of caution and skip them entirely. They might even plough on with an older iPad or opt for a cheaper Android tablet.

After all, those accessories set the iPad Pro apart from the competition. If you don't buy them, why buy a Pro at all?

Bundling those distinctive accessories in, perhaps at an attractive enough discounted price, could not only charm those fence sitters, but help provide app developers with a bigger market for their Pencil and keyboard-tailored apps. Those kinds of apps increase stickiness, loyalty and eventually future iPad sales.

Apple has launched a new 4in iPhone and new 9.7in iPad Pro, as well as the general availability of iOS 9.3, new Apple Watch bands and new features for Apple TV.

Here we round up the key points of each of the announcements made, for the last time, at the Town Hall theatre at its Infinite Loop campus in Cupertino.

iPhone SE

The iPhone SE was the most widely rumoured device to appear at the 21 March event, and Apple didn't disappoint.

The 4in device was the first hardware announcement of the night and is, aesthetically, quite similar to the iPhone 5s that it replaces, except it is available in rose gold and gold as well as silver and "space gray". It retains the 5s' circular volume buttons and appeared to have roughly the same dimensions.

But it's what's on the inside that's interesting. The device has many of the same specifications as its larger siblings, the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, including the flagship Live Photos feature, A9 chip, 12-egapixel camera, and NFC for Apple Pay.

The iPhone SE is available to pre-order from 24 March. More details of the new iPhone's specs, features, price and availability can be read here.

iPad Pro

No, you're not experiencing dj vu, Apple really did announce the iPad Pro again this evening - only this time, it's a 9.7in screen rather than the 12.9in behemoth that launched last year.

Other than the size difference, there's not a lot to say about the new iPad Pro: it's the same as the original, but smaller. The one notable exception is the True Tone display. This means the screen of the iPad Pro 9.7in will adapt not just to the brightness of ambient light, but to its warmth too, behaving more like objects such as paper, which reflect light, and reducing eye strain.

It will also work with Night Shift, the new feature in iOS 9 that adjusts the amount of blue light emitted by the device's screen after sundown. Exposure to blue light from the screens of electronic devices has been blamed for causing sleep disruption, although the evidence for this is far from conclusive.

As for the fate of the long-rumoured iPad Air 3, your guess is as good as ours. The iPad Air 2 remains on the market for the time being, so the 9.7in iPad Pro isn't a replacement for that, but with a new iPad just announced it seems that this may be the end of the line for the Air range.

New Apple Watch straps

As predicted, new straps for the Apple Watch made an appearance at the event on 21 March. As well as additions to the existing Sport, leather and Milanese Loop band ranges, Apple also introduced a new Woven Nylon range. While strictly speaking nylon is a plastic, this range is effectively the fabric band option without being made of natural textiles.

iOS 9.3 general release

After months of beta testing, the latest version of Apple's mobile operating system, iOS 9.3, is now generally available for all users with a compatible device to download. More information on iOS 9.3 is available here.

Apple TV tvOS

Having once been the poor relation of the Apple device family, Cook once again lavished some attention on Apple TV, introducing an updated tvOS for the set top box.

The latest version of the operating system, tvOS 9.2, makes Siri the default mode for text input, including dictating sign-in credentials, introduces folders for grouping apps - handy if you have a long list - and provides better input control for the Apple TV remote, so it is less likely to accidentally register accidental inputs as commands.

Apple vs FBI

Apple's event comes just one day before the company's mammoth legal showdown with the FBI, and CEO Tim Cook didn't let the opportunity pass him by to make a comment about the case.

Opening the event on the topic, Cook said Apple has "a responsibility" to oppose the US government, adding that the company's executives "owe it to our customers, and ... to our country" to fight for encryption.

The end of 1 Infinite Loop

This, Tim Cook confirmed, is the last event to be held at Apple's Infinite Loop campus in Cupertino. The company is building a new headquarters in San Jose, which will be completed and ready to move into in 2017. You can read more about the new building and see some amazing drone footage of the site at our sister site, Alphr.

Apple 21 March event Live Blog: as it happened

Apple and Microsoft go up against each other with their own takes on what a tablet should be. Can Apple hold off the challenge of its rival?

Apple iPad Pro vs Microsoft Surface Pro 4: Latest News

19/02/2016:Power management problems bugging the Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book have led to Microsoft issuing a patch to fix things.

In a blog post, Surface chiefPanos Panay said that customer feedback has lead to the firm releasing a set of Microsoft and Intel driver and firmware updates to help users "get the most of the power management options that Surface is designed to offer and continue to make your Surface more productive.

"We are committed to continuing to improve Surface to keep pushing out updates to make your device more awesome," he said."And to continue to help all our customers realise the full benefits of the latest silicon and Windows 10.With that in mind, one of the most important steps you can take is to ensure your Surface is up-to-date with the fixes we post on Windows Update."

Apple iPad Pro vs Microsoft Surface Pro 4: The comparison

Competition between computer software and hardware makers is more intense than it ever has been. Ironically though the products they make are, at least on the surface, increasingly similar. The Apple iPad Pro and the Microsoft Surface Pro 4 have some striking similarities - big screen tablets with styli for drawing and keyboards that could potentially enable these tablets to take the place of a laptop.

Then there's the marketing and intended usage cases. Microsoft has proclaimed the Surface Pro 4 to be the tablet that can replace your laptop'. While Apple's marketing hasn't been as strident, Tim Cook, the company's CEO, has been less reticent. He declared, with only a small qualification, that the iPad Pro is a replacement for a notebook or a desktop for many, many people' in an interview with the Telegraph.

Of course, Apple and Microsoft have approached their big screen tablets from two very different sets of design assumptions. The iPad is of course based on iOS, a touchscreen, mobile-first operating system. Apple's software and hardware are minimalist with features taken for granted on the desktop only added in slowly, if at all, in an effort to maximise simplicity. The Surface Pro comes equipped with Windows 10 which, despite Microsoft's efforts, still has a very obvious desktop heritage. Microsoft doesn't believe you should have to compromise on anything in your tablet.

This makes this head-to-head one of the most interesting we've had in a long time. It's not just a case of pitting the two big screen tablets against one another, but also seeing whether either can truly take the place of your trusty laptop.

Tablet Ergonomics

The Surface Pro 4 and iPad Pro have similar dimensions and weight due to their similarly sized screens - the former has a 12.3in screen with a 3:2 aspect ratio while the latter has a 12.9in screen with a 4:3 aspect ratio. The iPad Pro is thus a little taller and wider than the Surface Pro 4, but with little difference in weight between the WiFi-only versions of both tablets - 713g for the iPad Pro and 800g for the Surface Pro 4.

While around 800g is light enough to carry around in a bag all day, it's so hefty in your hand that you'll need to rest either tablet against a table, your torso or something else during use rather than holding them. Two-handed use might be possible, but only for relatively short periods of time. Both tablets are evenly weighted, although the iPad Pro is a little thinner which makes it a bit easier to handle.

With this in mind, the Surface Pro 4 has an immediate advantage - its built-in multi-angle stand should allow you to find a comfortable viewing angle in all but the trickiest of usage scenarios. As it's made out of the same sturdy metal as the rest of the tablet, it's highly unlikely to buckle or give way.

The same can't be said for the iPad Pro. You'll need to buy a case with a kickstand built-in, such as Apple's official Smart Cover, as the iPad Pro lacks an integrated stand of its own. However, not only is it restricted to one viewing angle, which won't be comfortable for everyone, it's not as sturdy as the Microsoft tablet's integrated stand.

The Smart Cover stand is formed by folding Apple's screen cover back in on itself. While the stiffened rubber or leather-clad material is sturdy enough in the vast majority of situations for the smaller and lighter iPad Airs and Minis, the Pro version can collapse in on itself in some circumstances - ones which wouldn't faze the Surface Pro 4 stand. Apple's official keyboard cover (more on this later) also doubles as a stand of course and feels much more rigid, albeit not to the same standard as the Surface Pro 4.

Winner: Surface Pro 4. Although its sturdy built-in stand adds a little extra weight, its sheer convenience is worth it for most people so Microsoft's tablet wins this round.

Screen

When it comes to the screens themselves, there's little to separate these two tablets. When it comes to colour accuracy, contrast and brightness, both tablet screens are excellent. Both screens have very high resolutions - 2736x1824 for the Surface Pro 4 and 2732x2048 for the iPad Pro.

The Surface Pro 4's very high resolution can be a liability as a surprising number of Windows programs, especially older ones not specifically designed for touchscreen use, still haven't been upgraded to make use of very high resolutions. Unreadably small text, fuzzy graphics and other odd graphics scaling problems are thus still annoyingly common.

While high resolution optimised iPad apps are common, most of these have been optimised for the smaller displays of the iPad Air and Mini. They can look a little fuzzy when run on the far larger iPad Pro, although the effect isn't quite as coarse and amateurish looking as the scaling problems on the Surface Pro 4.

Even when apps have been specifically updated for the iPad Pro, a surprisingly large number of them seem to have been rushed with large expanses of unused space. If the situation with previous iPads is any indication then these issues will likely become less common over the coming months although there is, of course, no guarantee.

Winner: Tie. Both tablets have great looking screens, but also problems in software support for those screens.

The pen is mightier than the keyboard

Both the Surface Pro 4 and the iPad Pro have aspect ratios that are noticeably squarer than the 16:9 standard on laptops - both are close to the size and shape of an A4 sheet, although the iPad Pro comes closest. This not only makes reading feel more natural but also makes them better suited for stylus use.

Only the Surface Pro 4 comes with its stylus in the box. If you want the Apple Pencil, as Cupertino calls its stylus for the iPad Pro, then you'll need to pay 79 extra for it. Although this might seem like a lot, in general, it's a premium well worth paying.

The Surface Pro 4's bundled stylus is far from bad. It's pressure sensitive and it has a virtual eraser on its end. You can also double press the eraser to quickly launch OneNote, no matter if you're using another app or even if the tablet is asleep. It's accurate with generally good palm rejection and it works reasonably accurately with Windows' built-in handwriting recognition.

The Apple Pencil is in a different league, though. There's almost no lag when using the Pencil to sketch, draw or paint, whereas there's always a small but noticeable amount of lag with Microsoft's stylus. This high level of responsiveness combined with the Pencil's superb angle, tilt and pressure sensitivity meant that using the Pencil felt far more accurate, precise and natural than Redmond's competitor. Plus, its palm rejection is close to flawless.

The Pencil doesn't have an eraser nor are there any iOS apps with handwriting recognition as good as Microsoft's. Even so, the superb precision and responsiveness of the Apple Pencil hands this round to the iPad Pro.

Winner: iPad Pro. If you have even a modest artistic bent, the Apple Pencil will stand you in far better stead than the Surface Pro's pen.

Typing

Neither tablet here comes with its accompanying combined screen cover and keyboard. Both Microsoft's Type Cover and Apple's Smart Keyboard are costly extras - 109 for the former and 139 for the latter. Both connect magnetically to their tablets, obviating the need for fiddly-to-pair Bluetooth connections.

Microsoft has had four generations of Surfaces to refine its tablet keyboard cover, so it's no surprise that its keys feel the best. They are big and have plenty of travel and feedback for fast, accurate, error-free typing with almost no adjustment time needed.

Apple's keyboard uses keys similar to those found on the divisive keyboard of the 12in Retina MacBook. Although large, the keys here have very shallow feedback. Although they still give plenty of feedback when pressed so accurate and fast typing is possible, it still takes getting used to - especially as the keys are coated in an odd sports bag nylon-like material as opposed to the Type Cover's familiar plastic.

Microsoft's keyboard also has the advantage of height adjustability, even if it is only by a few millimetres. Keyboard shortcut support is unsurprisingly more widespread in Windows than iOS and the Type Cover also has a touchpad so you can avoid straining your arm forward as you would have to do with the iPad Pro's Smart Keyboard.

However, typing on both the Surface Pro 4 and iPad Pro when using either tablet on your lap can be awkward, uncomfortable or impossible. Whereas a laptop is rigidly, almost immovably stable, the tablets' keyboard covers are far more flexible and thus more unstable. The Type Cover is more rigid than the Smart Keyboard, giving it an edge, but it's still not ideal. Third party keyboard covers are on their way for the iPad Pro, offering a sliver of hope for Apple's tablet, but if you want the best typing experience now then it's the Surface Pro 4 you want.

Winner: Surface Pro 4, but bear in mind it's still not as good as a proper laptop.

Multitasking & Flexibility

iOS 9 added several welcome multitasking features to Apple's mobile operating system. These unsurprisingly work best on the iPad Pro which has a far bigger screen than any other iOS tablet. Almost all of those features will be eerily familiar to Windows 8 and 10 users. While very useful, they're not as refined as the equivalent features in Windows. Not only because Windows has had desktop-level multitasking for far longer, but also because more apps support them. Many iOS apps are still being updated to support iOS 9's new multitasking options.

The Surface Pro 4 not only has this multitasking advantage built-in but also has the flexibility afforded by a full-size USB3 port, a micro SD slot and a Mini DisplayPort. Although you can buy an external micro SD adapter for the iPad Pro, this is only for importing photos and not for adding more storage space.

The Surface Pro's additional connectivity probably explains its extra thickness, but it's worth it given the flexibility to use local storage and peripherals instead of currently dearer cloud and wireless equivalents. Wireless displays and cloud storage may be the way of the future, but the Surface Pro 4's ability to use wired peripherals and local storage give it an additional edge here.

Winner: Surface Pro 4. Multitasking-enhanced iPad apps will become more widespread while wireless peripherals and cloud storage may become ubiquitous in future. But in the here and now, the Surface Pro 4's software and hardware flexibility are serious advantages that can't be overlooked.

Performance

It's notoriously difficult to compare the performance of iPads against Windows tablets as they use completely different processor architectures. The iPad Pro uses an ARM-based dual-core 2.26GHz A9X processor. The Surface Pro 4 we tested used a more familiar Skylake 2.4GHz Core i5 6300U dual core chip, although both slower and faster versions using different Core chips are available. The A9X is paired with 4GB of memory while the Surface variant we saw was equipped with 8GB.

On their own terms, each processor was very impressive. The A9X is easily the fastest ARM-based processor we've ever seen, topping every benchmark from web page and JavaScript rendering to 3D graphics. The 6300U is easily powerful enough to run most Windows programs you can throw at it - only workstation-level tasks such as CADCAM or intensive 3D modelling and rendering would be beyond it.

Based on the few comparable benchmarks that will run on both tablets, the 6300U is clearly more powerful than the A9X, but Apple's custom-designed chip is as fast as low-voltage Core processors from a few years ago and faster than any Atom. Outside of benchmarks, it's unlikely most users will hit the limits of performance on either tablet - at least for a couple of years.

It's worth bearing in mind that while the 6300U is very powerful, this performance exacts a mild cost in heat and fan noise. On demanding tasks, such as video editing or running lots of applications simultaneously, the back of the Surface Pro 4 did become noticeably warm with lots of fan noise too. Although uncommon (especially compared to other Windows tablets), excess heat was even rarer on the iPad Pro performing similar tasks rare enough that Apple's tablet doesn't have a cooling fan at all.

Winner: Tie. This will be a controversial decision given that the 6300U is faster than the A9X, but for many use cases the difference doesn't matter and those users that do care will have to put up with the Surface Pro 4's potential heat and noise issues.

Battery Life

Intel's processors have become remarkably more power efficient ever since the fourth-generation Haswell chips, but you wouldn't know it from the Surface Pro 4. Microsoft's tablet lasted seven and a half hours when browsing the web and playing music in the background. It lasted just over eight and a half hours when playing H.264 video on a loop.

While those scores aren't bad, the iPad Pro lasted noticeably longer in both tests. In the web browsing test, it lasted nine hours and 18 minutes, while in the video playback test it lasted nine hours and 44 minutes.

Winner: iPad Pro. No surprises here - the iPad Pro upheld Apple's reputation for lengthy battery life with the Surface Pro 4 putting in a merely satisfactory showing.

Security

Both tablets have fast and accurate biometric security authentication systems. The iPad Pro has the Touch ID fingerprint reader which works very well. The Surface Pro 4 makes use of the Windows Hello feature in Windows 10. Based on facial recognition, simply looking at the forward facing webcam is enough to log you into Windows.

As the forward facing webcam uses Intel's RealSense depth perception technology, it can't be fooled by something as simple as a photograph of your face. Touch ID can be fooled by a detailed cast of your finger, so if you're important enough to be a potential target of such a non-trivial exploit then it's probably best to stick to a password.

Both Microsoft and Apple claim the tokenised biometric data never leaves your tablet. Apple goes further, stating that your data is stored in a secure area of the A9X that not even it can access. Disappointingly, though, Touch ID can only be used instead of a password and not in addition to one as part of two-factor authentication. Windows Hello can allegedly work as a second factor in tandem with Windows Passport, but setting this up is non-trivial.

Winner: Tie. Both Touch ID and Windows Hello work really well. It's just a shame that using either as part of a two-factor authentication scheme is out of reach.

Conclusions

This head-to-head was fiercely and tightly fought. Overall, we don't think either tablet is totally ideal as a laptop replacement if only because of issues when used on your lap. For the best mobile typing experience bar none, it's hard to beat a proper laptop.

That said, if you can live with a compromised typing experience, then the Surface Pro 4 comes closest to laptop replacement status if only because of its desktop-class OS and selection of ports. It doesn't win this head-to-head outright, though - for sheer battery life and a superlative stylus experience, the iPad Pro is hard to beat.

In the end, this head-to-head is a tie overall as both tablets are currently niche devices that work very well in certain use cases, but not all. This won't please fanboys on either side of the aisle, but that's the way it is. For a jack-of-all-trades tablet, the Surface Pro 4 is a good bet. If sheer stamina and artistic capability are more important, then the iPad Pro and Apple Pencil should be at the top of your shopping and deployment list.

This article was originally published on 09/11/2015. It was last updated on 19/02/2016.

You would think that if you were the CEO of a mega-successful company that just announced record-breaking profits and revenues, then the market would repay that good news with a rise in your firm's stock price.

That's not the case for Apple.

Despite pulling in revenues of $75.9 billion and profits of $18.4 billion, the market looked at other figures and promptly Apple saw its share price fall. So why did this happen, and what should Apple do about it?

Device woes

Those figures mentioned above were the highest Apple has ever recorded for one quarter, but what worries the market and financial analysts is the lack of growth in iPhone revenues.

These were $51.65 billion from 74.7 million units shipped, an increase of one solitary per cent on the same quarter last year, when Apple managed to flog 74.4 million handsets with $51.18bn of revenues.

Meanwhile, Macs are down on last year, with revenues of $6.74 billion from 5.3 million units, down from 5.5 million units a year ago.

So too are iPads, with tablet revenues having dropped by over a fifth (21 per cent) to $7 billion. Only 16.1 million units shipped compared with 21.4 million the previous year.

The glimmers of hope for the firm lie in its various stores and that mysterious "Other Products" category. Its iTunes, iCloud and App Stores registered $6.05 billion of revenues for the quarter, up 26 per cent on the previous year's quarter. Meanwhile, "Other Products", which include Apple Watch and Apple TV among others, reported revenues of $4.35 billion, a jump of 62 per cent over the first quarter of 2015.

You could read the results and react to them in a number of ways.

Either you can punish Apple for not selling enough iPhones and iPads or punish them for not selling enough of the other things to make up the shortfall.

It would seem the markets are hitting on Apple for the former, rather than the latter. The Apple Watch has just come on stream for the firm and judging by its inclusion in the Other Products category, this hasn't been the success Apple hoped it would have been. Still we would guess that it has easily sold more smartwatches than the competition combined though just how many, admittedly, is anyone's guess.

iPhone issues

Also, the main focus here is still on the iPhone. While the iPhone 6 was a runaway hit, and the iPhone 6s also got people out to upgrade, the reason the latter beat the former in terms of sales was because of its debut in China.

It was expected that the iPhone 6s party would go on and on in China, and that sales would reflect this. But it now looks like the party may have fizzled out rather early, leaving Apple with a strange hangover.

Now it must wait for the iPhone 7 to come out and wow customers again, especially in China.

But Apple needs to do more than simply perform its rinse and repeat method of bringing out another new iPhone in a year's time.

To keep the figures going the right way for the market, Apple needs to get a few more products selling better. The iPhone can't keep delivering record-breaking sales and shipments, sooner or later (sooner, I think) we will reach 'peak iPhone'. Then what?

It's time to diversify

Apple needs to get on with developing those other products. The Apple Watch was a good start but it wasn't quite what people were expecting, and somehow it fell short of those expectations. The next Apple Watch needs to address the perceived flaws of its predecessor. These would be better battery life, a simpler interface and a hardware redesign, for a start.

It also needs to show what its killer use case really is; a sidekick to the iPhone? Or a device that takes its place for most of your day? A glorified fitness tracker? At the moment it is hard to say.

Sadly, a killer app for the smartwatch seems as far away as ever. There doesn't seem to be anything on the horizon apps-wise that would make customers turn out in their droves to buy the device. And people buying it are seemingly leaving them in the drawer to gather dust.

The company also needs to take its Apple TV device more seriously than its "hobby" tag would suggest. Google's Chromecast and Amazon's Fire TV Stick show a lot of promise, with both of these flying off the shelves. This is an area Apple could dominate if it wanted to, but it just doesn't seem to have the heart to try. A more rounded proposition here could knock the competition out of the park. Apple is taking steps to rectify this with more apps and games but it seems there is a long way to go here.

Finally, we need to know whether or not Apple will actually produce its long-rumoured car. Tesla's Elon Musk called it an "open secret" that something was in development (possibly he was annoyed at his engineers being poached by Cupertino), but the rumour-to-fact ratio here is high and needs to decrease in order for the market to know if this will ever see the light of day and, more importantly, whether it will make money for the company.

Diversification is a must if iPhone shipments continue to fall alongside those of the iPad and Mac. Whether Apple can get these products out to market quickly enough remains to be seen.

Apple’s iPad Air 3 could be arriving this year, if rumours are to be believed. A follow-up to the wildly successful iPad Airs 1 and 2, the third edition is hotly anticipated by fans.

Release date

Apple released the original iPad Air back in 2013, following it swiftly with the iPad Air 2 the next year. This apparently yearly upgrade cycle was thrown off, however, when the company failed to deliver a new version in 2015.

Rumours suggest that this year will see the latest model being unveiled, though. One theory is that Apple is now switching to an alternate update cycle, switching between the iPad Pro and the iPad Air.

This would make sense given the plateauing of iPad sales and the increasing difficulty of making measurable improvements. Not releasing multiple tablets at the same time would also maximise potential sales for the company.

Current estimates have pegged the launch date for the device as March, including an investor’s note seen by AppleInsider. The note came from Ming-Chi Kuo, a KGI Securities analyst who has previously been proved accurate.

This would be somewhat out of character for the company, as major tablet launches have historically taken place in Autumn. The two preceding generations of iPad Air launched in October and November, as did the iPad Pro.

Earlier reports suggested the iPad Air 3 would launch at a September event, which may still prove the most likely. It would certainly be in-keeping with Apple’s previous form, but the company has also been known to buck trends.

Price and storage

Apple launched the last two generations of the iPad Air at £399 for the basic 16GB model, and generally likes to keep pricing consistent between iterations.

However, if the company chooses to axe the 16GB version and just start with 32GB – as it has with the iPad Pro – the starting cost will likely jump by around £40.

Another spanner is thrown in the works by the fact that the iPad Air 2 axed the 32GB storage option altogether, jumping straight from 16GB to 64GB.

All signs point to the 16GB tier going the way of the dodo, but opinion is divided over whether 32GB or 64GB will replace it as the entry level.

64GB is a lot of storage, and a lot more than most people need, especially considering that the iPad Air is mainly used as a consumer device for surfing and streaming. With that in mind, 32GB seems the most likely starting point.

Specs and features

The iPad Air’s primary selling point is its razor-thin chassis, which is a mere 6.1mm thick on the latest model. A new model would almost certainly have to improve on this even further, which may well lead to a slight sacrifice in battery capacity.

In terms of performance, a new iPad Air is unlikely to be bleeding-edge. This is partly because it will have to make concessions to achieve the aforementioned space savings, but also because Apple won’t want to outclass the iPad Pro, as it’s meant to be their new heavy hitter.

Current iPad Air models are outfitted with A8X processors, so expect a new version to come with the iPad Pro’s A9X. It may well up the RAM allocation to 3GB as well, bettering the 2GB found in the last generation, but not quite equaling the iPad Pro.

Naturally, it’ll come with the latest version of iOS – most likely iOS 10. However, the 3D Touch technology introduced with the iPhone 6s looks like it won’t be included.

Ming-Chi Kuo stated that supply chain issues have plagued the technology, and there have been no hints that it will be included in the new iPad Air.

What may make an appearance is support for the Apple Pencil. Although it was principally designed as a companion for the iPad Pro, making it compatible with multiple devices would allow the company to vastly increase the stylus’ usefulness.

Over 100 new MobileFirst apps for iOS have been released by Apple and IBM following their partnership on made-for-business apps back in 2014.

The apps were designed to transform how people work across 14 industries and 65 professions, including healthcare, aviation, finance and retail. The collaboration allows each app to make use of IBM's big data and analytics software and Apple's customer-focus, the companies claimed.

Fred Balboni, general manager of the Apple partnership at IBM, said: "Our apps which currently represent an exclusive level of business value are evolving to deliver cognitive capability that refines insights to the most relevant information, enhancing the quality of decision making.

"Marrying the simplicity of Apple's product design with IBM's unmatched security, analytic and cognitive expertise is the leading edge of mobile-led business transformation."

In the future, IBM wants to integrate capabilities from its Watson AI program, allowing the apps to learn over time from how employees and customers make use of them. In addition, the company is working on apps designed specifically for the iPad Pro, which make use of the expanded power and screen size as well as iOS 9's split-screen functionality.

Companies currently making use of the MobileFirst apps include Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, Bosch BSH, Air Canada, AXA, Coca-Cola Amatil, Japan Post, Rimac, Vodafone Netherlands and Scandinavian Airlines (SAS).

"We see the transformation of our customers' experience as a strategic differentiator for our insurance and financial advice business," said Nicolas Moreau, Chairman and CEO of AXA and member of the AXA management committee. "We're going to combine the sleek experience of an Apple Genius Bar with the expertise of our advisors to not only give our customers the experience they want, but an experience that dramatically exceeds their expectations."

Apple is rumoured to have set up a secret laboratory in Taiwan to work on new display technologies.

According to reports from Bloomberg, the firm has opened up a facility in a few miles outside the capital Taipei in Longtan and has 50 engineers already working on projects.

Apple is said to have recruited people from AU Optronics and Qualcomm, the latter company used to own the building.

Among the projects are said to be new screens for upcoming iPads and iPhones that are thinner, lighter, brighter and more energy-efficient. It is speculated that the lab is part of Apple's move away from LCD displays towards OLED technology that might see the light of day in an upcoming iPhone 7 or iPad Air 3. Such a move could take place as early as 2018.

Another benefit for Apple would be less reliance on third party companies for iPhone screen components. Apple relies on companies such as Sharp, LG and Samsung to make displays. If Apple does most of the development work, it can outsource production to other smaller companies more cheaply.

The report said that Apple is already looking to hire more engineers to work at the facility and is placed not too far away from Foxconn, which makes a lot of iOS devices for Apple.

The news comes a couple of weeks after LG announced it was to invest $8.7bn in a new manufacturing facility that will produce OLED display panels.

The plant, called P10, will start construction in Paju, South Korea next year and will make panels, not just for large TVs, but also smartwatches and in-car displays. Displays are expected to roll off the new production lines sometime in 2018.

Update:iOS 9.2 is now available to download with enhancements and bug fixes to the OS and a host of apps. For more details head over this article here. It brings improvements toApple Music, iBooks and iOS Mail apps as well as a number of bug fixes.

iOS 9 is unquestionably a great piece of software, but don't go hurrying to update your devices just yet.

As with any operating system, the more iOS is updated to accommodate new devices, the more troublesome it is on older technology, and iOS 9 is no different.

In our tests, we found that the benefits and features introduced by the update were generally outweighed by the negative impact.

For starters, the vast majority of new features were incompatible with the older hardware. The new twin-column notification centre for the iPad Mini and Low Power Mode for the iPhone 4s are among the only headline additions that are actually available to earlier devices.

On top of this, iOS 9 actually introduces noticeable performance hits, with a measurable decrease in app response times.

As such, iPhone 4s and iPad Mini users would be advised to stick to iOS 8, and avoid iOS 9 altogether.

The big reveal

Apple revealed iOS 9 at WWDC earlier this year, well ahead of a public release, so developers could start getting their apps ready. iOS 9 might arguably be more of an iterative update compared to iOS 8, but it still brings big revisions to many default apps, upgrades to Siri and Search, and finally, iPad-specific multitasking features that have the potential to make the tablet an even more invaluable business tool than it is today.

Side-by-side

We've put iOS 9 side-by-side with iOS 8 to see what features are being introduced, what changes have been made, and what quirks you can expect when your update finally completes its arduous download.

Built-in apps and interface

Almost every new version of iOS has introduced or redesigned an important of the overall interface and a built-in app, giving upgraders something new and fresh to try out as soon as their iPhone or iPad has rebooted from the install.

For iOS 8, this included Reachability, Apple's one-handed mode that brings the top half of the screen closer to your thumb. Double-tapping the home button without actually pressing it in fully activates the mode, and tapping it twice a second time restores the app to full-screen.

A series of new gestures were introduced in iOS 8, letting you swipe down from anywhere on the middle of the homescreen to display Spotlight search. You could also swipe left or right on an email message to mark it as unread, flag it, file it or trash it. Interactive notifications finally arrived too, letting you quickly reply to a text message directly from the notification, for example, rather than forcing you to open the Messages app.

Apple's larger iPhones are only usable for small hands thanks to features like Reachability

It was the redesigned Photos app that marked the biggest change, however. The new-look gallery app was divided into three sections; Collections, Albums and Shared. In Collections view, photos are sorted by location, but you can also alternately see them organised by years. Albums view is self-explanatory. Sharing lets you see exactly which photos you've shared with other iCloud users, or which are currently synced to your iCloud account.

With the latest build of iOS, several more apps get complete makeovers. Passbook has been renamed to Wallet, and now contains both credit and debit cards registered with Apple Pay, plus boarding passes, coupons and reward cards. It can be accessed with a double-tap of the home button when your iPhone is locked, making it very quick for accessing boarding passes when you're queuing at the airport.

Passbook has been overhauled into Wallet, mostly to make Apple Pay easier to use

Apple's homegrown Maps app finally gets public transport directions for the first time, helping it better compete with Google Maps. With Siri integration you can now ask for a route, rather than typing in a location, and as long as your locality supports online travel disruption information, you'll get warned about delays when planning your route.

You can also change the preferred mode of transport, limiting yourself to buses rather than swapping onto a train, for example, and change the leave by or arrive by times to suit your schedule. Unfortunately the only British city currently supported by Apple Maps' transit directions is London and there's still no option for cycle directions yet either.

Transit directions fill a gap in the Apple Maps feature set, although it's still limited

The big new addition is the News app, a curated destination for articles and content from a wide range of publications, displayed in an easy-to-read format. It's a lot like existing third party app Flipboard, except Apple is in charge of what content appears

Currently, big name news providers like the New York Times, CNN, the Telegraph and Bloomberg are all featured heavily, but so are more independent titles such as Vice and Buzzfeed. During setup you can choose some of your favourite publications and topics, which will be pushed to the front page when you open the app.

Some articles open in a full-page layout, with carefully laid-out and designed in-line images and flowing text that let you read the whole thing within News, but others simply show a preview and force you into a web browser to read the full story. In this way News is similar to a RSS reader, so it remains to be seen what Apple will do to make it stand out from the competition.

News doesn't really do anything new, with third party apps already nailing curated content

It's the Notes app which has seen the biggest upgrades. A toolbar above the keyboard finally adds formatting options, letting you choose between bold, italicised and underlined text as well as different font sizes. You can also add bulleted, dashed, numbered or check lists for the first time.

Rich content additions make Notes far more useful, especially now that you can add photos or video from the camera roll or take cuttings from websites. You can also add links to notes that, when tapped, open another app to display a specific bit of content although this depends on third-party apps supporting this.

Notes is now much more useful, especially once you start adding photos and links

You can also add sketches using the new drawing tools. These sketches are added to your notes as images, though, so you can't annotate around your text. Oddly, you can only use these sketching features if you're signed in with your iCloud account.

Keyboards

Apple is famously restrictive when it comes to customisation on iOS, refusing to allow the wild kinds of tweaks and modifications available on Android [node/24620] in favour of a consistent design and familiar features across all devices. This changed with iOS 8, when custom keyboards were allowed in the App Store for the first time.

Swipe to type and intelligent suggested type finally arrived with iOS 8, thanks to third party apps

If you did go down the custom keyboard route in iOS 8, iOS 9's new default keyboard could tempt you back. For starters, the entire keyboard now changes to show whether or not Caps Lock is engaged - a godsend for anyone that struggled to remember whether the illuminated shift key on Apple's iOS 8 default keyboard meant you would be typing in caps or not. Now the entire keyboard changes to lower case until you press the shift key.

Two iPad-specific additions are the shortcut bar and easy text selection. The shortcut bar places an extra row of icons above the keyboard, alongside the improved autocorrect suggestions that arrived in iOS 8. It's the buttons either side of this that make all the difference, however; undo, redo and cut/copy/paste, bold/italic/underline, photo and attachment buttons make it much more convenient to work on text documents. The bar can also be customised by third party app developers, putting important shortcuts within easy reach.

Certain shortcuts only appear in certain apps - text formatting doesn't appear in Safari, for instance

Easy text selection is a major improvement over the old magnifying glass text selection method, letting you swipe anywhere onscreen, including on the keyboard, with two fingers to move the text cursor. A tap will highlight the currently selected word, and dragging will move the selection. You can then use the shortcut bar icons to cut or copy text.

The entire keyboard turns transparent when using easy text selection

It's not just the onscreen keyboard that got tweaks; you can finally use keyboard shortcuts with external, physical keyboards. There are shortcuts for switching between apps, bringing up search, and custom shortcuts designed for individual apps and will be very familiar to Mac OS X users.

Multi-tasking on iPad

Ever since the first iPhone, iOS devices have concentrated on one task at a time, but as screens have got bigger (and some Android tablets started letting you run multiple apps at once) it has made more and more sense for Apple to add multi-tasking to iOS.

The company started sowing these seeds way back in iOS 4 which allowed a limited, very specific selection of tasks to run in the background. iOS 5 added multi-finger app switching. Rather than double-tapping the home button to see the list of currently running apps, you could now swipe up with four fingers. Swiping left or right with four fingers would jump directly from one app to another, which made things a little faster when working across multiple apps at once. Pinching inwards with all five fingers would also take you straight back to the home screen.

A lot of apps don't yet support Slide Over view, but most of Apple's default apps do

iOS 9 takes multi-tasking to the next level, making it possible to use two apps simultaneously on an iPad for the first time. There are three different multitasking modes, although to use all three you'll need an iPad Mini 4, iPad Air 2 or iPad Pro. When using any app in landscape mode, a swipe from the right edge of the screen will pop out a new menu filled with a list of other available apps. Choose one and it will open to fill a third of the screen, leaving the original app running in the background. Apple calls this Slide Over and it's the only mode available on older iPads going back to the iPad Mini 2.

The Slide Over version of the app automatically adjusts to fill the smaller space and works and feels much like an iPhone app. Tapping anywhere else onscreen will return you to your original app. If you want to change which app appears in Slide Over view, swiping down from the top of the screen will bring back the app selection menu, and swiping to the right will hide the Slide Over app altogether.

Slide Over is great for quickly replying to mails or messages, or making notes without losing your place in a webpage or document

Split View goes a step further, letting you run two apps on-screen simultaneously. It works as an extension of Slide Over, adding a small slider to the edge of the window that you can drag to fill half the screen. The two apps then work side-by-side, letting you reference something while writing a document, for example. There are several different split possibilities, depending on the app, with 50/50 and 70/30 being the most common; dragging the dividing line will let you reposition the split, with both apps redrawing to correctly fill the space.

Working in two apps simultaneously could be a major boon for iPad productivity

Finally, Picture-in-Picture (PiP) lets you take a full-screen video or Facetime call and shrink it down, making it possible to work on other apps while the video keeps playing. You can then move the PiP video to any of the four corners of the screen, and expand or shrink it so it takes up more or less space, providing a better view of the app underneath. Tapping the video window will display playback controls.

Working on a document during a Facetime call is finally possible in iOS 9

Search and Siri

Apple also redesigned search in iOS 8, replacing it with Spotlight. Swiping down from the middle of the screen would then display a full screen search window, which could look up things on the web, the iTunes Store and the App Store, as well as what's saved locally on your device.

Spotlight Search gets a big makeover in iOS 9 with a more detailed screen pre-populated with your most frequently opened apps, top contacts and nearby amenities, as well as local news based on your location.

Quick access to frequently-opened apps makes Spotlight Search potentially useful if your homescreen is packed with apps and folders

Siri, Apple's virtual assistant, has been getting progressively more useful in every new version of iOS with better app integration, improved voice recognition and new search abilities.

Siri is now far more contextual, and works with photos and videos for the first time. You can say "show me photos from last year" and Siri will jump straight into the relevant part of the Photos app. Search within the Photos app has been made contextual as well, displaying a list of previous searches and using your location to show photos taken from the nearby area. As you use Photos, the number of suggestions increases, including One Year Ago flashbacks and Favourites.

Contextual search and Siri integration makes it much easier to find specific photos

Contextual reminders can now be set, meaning you'll get a notification to close the garage door when you get in your car, for example. If you're half-way through an email, saying "remind me to finish this tonight" will create a reminder with a shortcut straight into that specific email.

iOS 9's Siri is now proactive too, meaning it can create reminders, calendar appointments and warn you of traffic delays ahead of meetings automatically. It scans emails for dates, events and flight times, then offers to add them to your calendar. When creating group emails or calendar invites, you'll now get suggestions for the people you usually include.

You'll get a notification letting you know when it's time to leave for the next appointment in your calendar if you also included a location in the entry, and directions will be ready when you walk out the door. Finally, calls from unknown numbers will be cross-referenced with your emails, and if there's a match the most likely name will be displayed underneath the number.

iOS 9 Proactive should take out a lot of the hassle typically associated with calendar invites and group emails

Security and enterprise features

iOS 8 was more business-friendly in a number of ways, most notably through S/MIME encryption for individual emails and giving administrators wider ranging MDM tools. For example, companies could restrict files downloaded from corporate domains using Safari, remotely set device names, and block the device wipe feature. Password locks for mail, third-party apps, calendar, contacts, reminders, notes, messages and all user credentials after a reboot were another welcome addition.

The Mail app also gained tabbed messages and new VIP contacts, which sends you an alert when a specific contact sent you an email. This meant you could disable general email alerts but still get notified when important messages come through - ideal for anyone who gets hundreds or thousands of emails a day.

iOS 9 devices should be more secure thanks to stronger passcodes and two-factor authentication

With all the major enterprise features now in place, iOS 9 instead focuses on device security, enabling six-digit passcodes, rather than just four-digits, for Touch ID-enabled iPhones and iPads for the first time. With one million combinations instead of 10,000, passcodes should be a lot tougher for thieves to crack with brute force. Six digits is now the default, rather than four, so if you disable Touch ID on an older device then re-enable it later after upgrading to iOS 9, you'll need to come up with a six digit combination.

iOS 9 also gets support for two-factor authentication. This works similarly to the existing two-step verification process, but according to Apple uses "different methods" to trust devices and deliver verification codes. You have to enable the feature on Apple's websiteusing an Apple ID, but once enrolled, you'll get a prompt when signing in from a new device or web browser. This code is automatically displayed on your other Apple devices, or sent as an SMS message to your phone. The notification even shows you where in the world the new device is trying to sign in from.

Update: our full iPad Pro review is here and Apple's latest tablet is not only its biggest yet, but also its strangest

Apple claims its latest iPad is the biggest news in iPad since iPad'. As was heavily leaked before its launch, the iPad Pro is the biggest iPad yet with a 12.9in screen. The iPad Pro will arrive in November with prices starting at $799 with UK pricing yet to be confirmed.

Naturally, Apple claims the iPad Pro is the most capable and powerful iPad we've ever created' and, looking at specifications on paper, this appears to be the case.

Screen

The iPad Air 2, which hasn't been replaced by a newer model, has a 9.7in screen with a 2048x1536 resolution with a pixel density of 264ppi.

The iPad Pro's 12.9in screen doesn't sound that much bigger, but it is its width is the same height of the iPad Air 2's screen. This is no accident as the iPad Pro's screen and iOS 9's new multitasking features were apparently designed in tandem. It's supposed to allow you to run two iPad apps side-by-side simultaneously in portrait mode without having to resize them.

Interestingly, the iPad Pro's touchscreen doesn't appear to have the much rumoured Force Touch feature from the Apple Watch and the MacBook, but it is apparently even more sensitive than it was before. It also apparently has variable refresh technology so parts of the screen only refresh when something actually changes on screen which should help with conserving battery power.

The iPad Pro has a much higher resolution of 2732x2048 pixels which means it has the same pixel density of the iPad Air 2 at 264ppi.

Weight and casing

Apple's iPads have been growing lighter and lighter with the iPad Air 2 coming in at 437g (the WiFi-only model). The iPad Pro appears to be a hefty porker at first glance, weighing 712g, although this is around the same weight as the original iPad and similarly-sized Android and Windows tablets.

Despite its increased weight, the iPad Pro isn't that much chunkier than its smaller counterpart. It's 6.9mm thick compared to the Air 2's 6.1mm. There aren't any new colours though all iPads are available in the same grey, white or gold.

Extra features

Both the iPad Air 2 and iPad Pro share the same wireless connectivity options and Touch ID fingerprint reader. They also share the same new multitasking features coming in iOS 9, although the iPad Pro gains a couple extra features not found on the Air 2.

Unsurprisingly, the iPad Pro's onscreen keyboard is the same size as an actual physical keyboard. Plus, as mentioned above, its bigger screen means two iPad apps can be shown side-by-side at full size in portrait mode.

The iPad Pro does have plenty of new extra hardware features not found in its smaller counterpart though. There's a four-speaker stereo sound system which not only means it's louder than the somewhat tinny Air 2, but should have a bigger sound stage and a more balanced sound too.

As rumoured, the iPad Pro gains a new keyboard case accessory there hasn't been an official external keyboard for the iPad since the very first, original Apple tablet. The case has a woven fabric cover and connects to the iPad Pro using a Smart Connector that's only found on the 12.9in tablet. Surface Pro fans will get a sense of dj vu - it attaches magnetically and carries both power and data. It will cost an extra $169 though which isn't cheap (UK pricing to be confirmed).

Another optional extra for the iPad Pro is Apple Pencil or stylus. Apple claims it's pressure, angle and orientation sensitive with very low latency. According to Cupertino, the Pencil has precision that gives you the ability to touch a single pixel' and can be used simultaneously with your fingers. Interstingly, it charges via the iPad Pro's Lightning port which raises the question of how you charge both your iPad and its stylus simultaneously. The Apple Pencil will cost an extra $99 separately (British pricing to be determined).

Third-party developers are apparently already working on Apple Pencil compatibility, with stylus support coming in Microsoft Office apps and various Adobe apps.

Processor and ports

The iPad Air 2 was the first iOS device to have a triple-core processor the 1.5GHz Apple A8X. It was paired with 2GB of memory.

As expected, Apple didn't disclose how much memory comes in the iPad Pro or how many cores its processor has, but the new A9X processor is apparently twice as fast as the A8X. It's allegedly powerful enough to edit three streams of 4K video simultaneously which is quite a feat.

Both the Air 2 and Pro have a Lightning port, but there's no sign of the USB-C port which was rumoured to be coming to the iPad Pro.

Battery life

Somewhat surprisingly, Apple claims that the iPad Air 2 and iPad Pro will have the same battery life 10 hours of internet usage. Naturally, we'll run the iPad Pro through our full suite of battery life tests as soon as it's available this November.

This article was first published on 09/09/2015 and has since been updated.

South Korean tech giant LG is planning to spend $8.7 billion on a new manufacturing facility that will produce OLED display panels.

The plant, called P10, will start construction in Paju, South Korea next year and will make panels, not just for large TVs, but also smartwatches and in-car displays. Displays are expected to roll off the new production lines sometime in 2018.

Dr. Sang Beom Han, CEO and President of LG Display said the plant would "not only help expand the OLED market but also accelerate the development of future display technologies."

"With the active support of the Korean government, we believe the P10 plant will become the centre of the global OLED industry."

According to Japan's Nikkei Asian Review, the new plant is also being built with the expectation that Apple will adopt OLED technology in its iPhones and iPads. The report said that Apple was consulting with display manufacturers in order to find stable and secure sources of OLED screens for its products. Currently, only the Apple Watch has an OLED screen. The publication failed to give any details on the source of the claims.

Another report from the same publication also said that rival Samsung is in negotiations with Apple over supplying OLED panels. The technology offers better power efficiency, contrast and deeper blacks as each pixel doesn't need to be backlit.

According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities, Apple won't adopt the technology until 2018, according to a report by Apple Insider.

The tablet market in the UK has plateaued, but hybrid devices incorporating keyboards appear to be gaining ground, according to a YouGov survey.

The research found that 55 per cent of the adult population owns a tablet and that figure has stalled over the last year. The study also found that 10 per cent of the public plan to buy a tablet in the future, most of them (57 per cent) are people who already own one of the devices and are either looking to buy a replacement one or an additional one.

While tablet sales appear to have stagnated, the research found that hybrid devices that combine a tablet screen and removable keyboard are getting more popular. While just two per cent of the adult population (around one million) currently owns a 2-in1, the study shows that 8 per cent (around 4 million) are now in the market for one. This means that new devices, such as the iPad Pro and Google's Pixel C tablets which sport keyboards, stand to benefit from the trend.

The research firm said that these hybrid devices were holding their own against the iPad and Android tablets among so-called "tablet virgins" first-time buyers those that own neither a 2-in-1 nor a tablet.

This group (that own neither device) accounts for 44 per cent of the population and represents the territory into which device manufacturers have to make inroads if they are to increase market share, according to the research outfit. YouGov's latest research shows that 8 per cent of this group plans to get a 2-in-1, the same proportion that plan to get a tablet.

Russell Feldman, Director of Digital, Media and Technology at YouGov said: "Our research has shown a continued stagnation in the tablet market over the past year. While the number of tablets in circulation continues to increase this is because multiple device ownership means that the pool is getting deeper without ever getting any wider. Laptops do things such as edit documents that most tablet owners don't do on their devices meaning they are never going to end the laptop's market dominance.

"Instead, I believe tablets are a stop-gap technology, like the minidisc, and should eventually be overtaken by a more comprehensive and feature rich-device like the 2-in-1. We spotted this trend last year when we noticed an increasing number of people creating "home-made hybrids" creating 2-in-1s by adding a keyboard to a tablet and using it as they would a laptop. As more brands launch and market 2-in-1s to market I would expect the device's market share to grow steadily over the next few years."

Microsoft fans will feel a curious sense of dj vu when looking at the iPad Pro. From the multitasking features in iOS 9 to the stylus and the keyboard case, Apple's upcoming 12.9in tablet bears an uncanny resemblance to the Surface Pro 3. Taking a look at the specifications and other on-paper details reveals just as many differences as similarities though.

Screen

Both the iPad Pro and the Surface Pro 3 eschew the 16:9 aspect ratio adopted by most other tablets in favour of squarer aspect ratios that are better suited for reading and working on documents than for movie watching. The iPad Pro inherits the 4:3 aspect ratio of its smaller stablemates, while the Surface Pro 3 has a 3:2 aspect ratio. Both are very similar with very close widths, but 4:3 is slightly taller than 3:2.

The physical screen sizes are also similar, but the iPad Pro's screen is a little bigger measuring 12.9in diagonally compared to 12in for the Surface Pro 3. This is reflected in the tablets' respective screen resolutions 2732x2048 pixels for the iPad Pro and 2160x1440 pixels for the Surface Pro 3. Although we can't say for certain until we get our hands on an actual iPad Pro, we suspect there won't be a huge amount of actual difference between the two when it comes to working space due to the way iOS and Windows scale at very high pixel densities.

Weight, casing and ports

The iPad Pro is made out of aluminium like previous Apple tablets, while the Surface Pro 3 uses a magnesium alloy casing. Both are classy-looking and, if smaller iPads are any indication, very sturdy. Apple's pro tablet weighs a little less though at 713g compared to 800g for the Surface Pro 3.

It's not quite comparing apples-to-apples though as Microsoft's tablet has a built-in kickstand whereas Apple's big tablet does not. The iPad Pro is instead dependent on cases for stands, but more on this below.

The iPad Pro is a fair bit thinner than the Surface Pro 3, at 6.9mm compared to 9.1mm. Again though, this is due to extra versatility built into Microsoft's tablet - namely a full-size USB3 port, a Mini DisplayPort connector and a micro SD slot.

The iPad Pro has just a Lightning port. It should be compatible with Apple's existing Lightning to USB and full-size SD adapters, but these are restricted to importing photos rather than for general storage. There are also Lightning-to-HDMI adapters, but as far as we know these are limited to video mirroring. The two tablets are more evenly matched wirelessly 802.11ac and Bluetooth LE are standard on both.

Extra features

The Surface Pro 3's built-in kickstand is much more flexible than those on other Surfaces, including the cheaper Surface 3, as it can be positioned at various viewing angles rather than just one or two. Combined with its optional keyboard screen cover (an extra 110), it can be used as a laptop although we've found that it's not always comfortable to do so especially when used on a lap. Still, the keys are on par with those of a good laptop keyboard.

Apple has taken a similar tack with the optional Smart Keyboard Cover (US$169 with UK pricing to be confirmed) which is not only a screen cover and external keyboard, but a kickstand too. Like the Surface Pro 3's keyboard, it attaches to the tablet magnetically via a proprietary connector. From the information that Apple has released so far though, it looks like the stand is stuck at just one viewing angle. The lack of a wrist rest is another ergonomic concern. The only saving potential grace is that third parties will be able to make compatible keyboard covers of their own, but we'll reserve full judgment until the Smart Keyboard Cover is actually available.

Another similar extra feature that the two pro tablets share is that you can use a stylus with both of them. The Surface Pen is pressure sensitive, as is the Apple Pencil. We found the Surface Pen to be a not-quite-perfect but still surprisingly good stylus for jotting down quick notes and drawing sketches. It's not quite good enough for artists, with a small but noticeable latency. Still, we especially like the Surface Pen's integration with OneNote. Press the button at the end of the pen and it opens OneNote ready for your thoughts even when the Surface Pro is asleep.

Apple claims the angle and orientation sensors in the Pencil make it ideal for artists due to its very low latency and accuracy, but these claims are of course unverified prior to the iPad Pro's November release. The Pencil, unlike the Surface Pen, needs to be recharged. You do this by plugging it into the iPad Pro's Lightning port, but this then raises the question of how your charge both simultaneously.

There are of course plenty of Windows programs that work with styli, but relatively few for the iPad and even fewer designed specifically for the Apple Pencil. Apple has shown off compatible apps that are coming soon from Adobe and Microsoft itself and we'd be surprised if more didn't arrive in time for the iPad Pro's November release date.

Software

One of the biggest differences between the two tablets is of course in software. Windows is the desktop and laptop operating system we're all familiar with. Windows 10 improves the transition between laptop and tablet modes on the Surface Pro 3 and Windows is of course very flexible you can load almost any program or driver that you need.

Apple's iOS started out on the iPhone and is much more locked down. It's less customisable and while there is a far bigger, deeper selection of apps available on the iOS App Store compared to the paltry selection of touchscreen-specific apps in the Windows Store, Apple's often draconian and arbitrary app store rules constrain the features of some apps. Still, there's a lot to be said for the slick foolproofness of iOS and its almost entirely touchscreen-focussed design.

Processor and ports

Apple claims the A9X processor in the iPad Pro has desktop class' performance capable of editing three 4K videos simultaneously. Rumours say it will come with as much as 4GB of memory twice as much as the 2GB in the iPad Air 2. Without further information, and of course benchmarking it, we're unable to verify these claims.

Comparing the performance of the ARM-based processors in iPads with the x86 processors in Windows tablets has always been difficult. There are few common benchmark tools and ensuring that they're optimised for both platforms is very tricky.

On paper, the Core i3, i5 and i7 processors are more powerful than Apple's custom A-series ARM chips in previous iPads. However, the difficulties of keeping such powerful Intel processors cool in a thin metal casing over long, strenuous jobs means they won't be as consistently fast as the same processors in a Windows laptop or desktop. It's therefore likely that the iPad Pro's A9X will be able to holds its own against the Core processors in the Surface Pro 3, at least for most typical use cases, especially given the surprisingly sophisticated and highly optimised state of many iOS apps.

Battery life

The Surface Pro 3's battery life in our tests was a little less than what we'd expect from a computer equipped with Haswell fourth-generation Core processors. It lasted just over nine hours when playing H.264 video on a loop. For comparison tablet-wise, the iPad Air 2 lasted ten and a half hours in the same test.

Apple claims battery life of up to 10 hours of surng the web on WiFi, watching video or listening to music'. Since Apple's claims tend to be on the conservative side, we're expecting lengthy battery life results from the iPad Pro.

Apple's product launches and keynote presentations have become the template for the rest of the IT industry, but by-and-large Apple continues to show everyone else how they're done. Dense yet concise, casual yet rigidly controlled, full of showmanship yet rarely showy, Apple's press events usually make for surprisingly light, easy going viewing. Like Noel's House Party, but without Mr. Blobby.

The Special Event begins streaming today at 18.00 UK time, and you can follow our live blog here. But how can you watch the stream?

How to watch using a Mac or iOS device

If you have a recent-ish Apple computer then watching the Special Event is easy. You'll need a Mac running OS X 10.8.5 and Safari 6.0.5 or later. Alternatively you can use an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch running iOS 7 or later.

Simply visit Apple's streaming video page in Safari and click the Play button.

Yes, Safari. No other browser is officially supported.

How to watch using an Apple TV

If you have a second-generation or later Apple TV set-top box (i.e. the black hockey puck version, not the original white-and-silver pizza box model) then you'll need to ensure it's running the latest firmware.

Once this is done, an Apple Events app should be on your home screen. Click on it, then click on the icon for today's event. Sit back and enjoy.

How to watch using a Windows PC or Android device

Officially, you can't watch the Special Event on an Android device and there's only one Apple-sanctioned way to watch it on Windows. For the latter, you'll need Windows 10. You can then visit Apple's streaming video page in the Microsoft Edge browser and simply click play to watch it

If you're not using Windows 10 or want to watch on Android, then you'll need to use VLC. Bear in mind this method won't work if Apple decides to block it.

Windows

1. Open the VLC program.
2. Select the File menu, then select Open Network Stream
3. Copy and paste http://t.co/cI51dZk61yinto the dialogue box
4. Click Play and enjoy.
5. Based on our own previous experiences, VLC will sometimes drop the stream. The only way to restart it is to close the program and repeat Steps 1-4.

Android

The method here is very similar to one for Windows:

1. Open the VLC app.
2. Tap on the menu there's only one and is marked with three dots
3. Tap the Stream option
4. Copy and paste http://t.co/cI51dZk61yinto the dialogue box
5. You may need repeat steps 1-4 if the stream stops working.

Now let's hope Apple doesn't have a repeat of the streaming melt-down that occurred during the Apple Watch unveiling.

Apple has teamed up with Cisco to build a "fast lane" on its networks for iOS business users.

Engineers are working on managing the network so in the future companies can prioritise business-critical traffic, such as teleconferencing, over employees watching YouTube videos at lunch,Rowan Trollope, Cisco's senior vice president for collaboration, toldFortune.

Additionally, Cisco's networks and collaboration tools will be optimised for iOS devices and app, making it easier for enterprises to use its video and conferencing software on iPads and iPhones. For example, iPhone and Cisco contact lists will be integrated, rather than having separate directories for your mobile and your desk phone.

Patrick Moorhead, analyst at Moor Insights and Strategy, toldForbesthat Apple and Cisco may be hoping to kill off the desk phone entirely in favour of employees using iPhones."This could truly mean one phone, not two," he told the publication.

The duo haven't yet created any new products, but Trollope saidthat Apple and Cisco planned to meet with potential customers to come up with ideas they could develop together.The two companies will also team up on selling to businesses.

Apple CEO Tim Cook said "nearly every" Fortune 500 companies had iOS devices "at the centre of their mobile strategy", while Cisco executive chairman John Chambers said 95 per cent of such firms use Cisco collaboration or networking."Through this engineering and go-to-market partnership, we're offering our joint customers the ability to seamlessly extend that awesome Cisco environment to their favorite iOS devices," Chambers said in a statement.

The move may come as a surprise for those who remember that Cisco sued Apple in 2007 over the iPhone trademark, but the networking firm has clearly forgiven the iOS maker.

Apple in the enterprise

The Cisco deal is Apple's latest step in its ongoing push into businesses. Last year, Apple teamed up with IBM to make it easier to use iOS devices in enterprises, with IBM selling iPads and iPhones to its corporate customers complete with enterprise software pre-installed. They've also been working on apps together for specific business verticals, including a big data analytics platform.

Apple needs to partner with enterprise tech suppliers because the workplace isn't its strong point, suggested Moorhead. "Apple has mastered consumer, but not enterprise, and Apple is partnering in the enterprise on technologies and experiences that aren't their core competency," saidhe told Forbes. "Long-term, I think Apple is trying to completely rethink enterprise work and workflow."

Apple is expected to unveil the next iPhone at an event in September.

Update:The beta version of iOS 9 has been available to everyone in July if they had enrolled in Apple's free public beta program. It features many re-designed built-in apps and a couple of new ones to boot. It also manages to wedge a few more features into the iPad.

Among the new features iOS 9 brings are intelligent search and an improved version of Siri. There are performance improvements and transit directions in Apple Maps. The OS is slated for release in September.

iOS 8was released alongside an update to OS X (10.10.3). Among the changes, updates and bug fixes are; improved performance to app launches, responsiveness, messages, Wi-Fi and Control Center.

It also fixes a number of issues releateding to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth such as where a user could be continuously prompted for login credentials, intermittant disconnection from Wi-Fi and audio playback not working for some Bluetooth speakers.

There is also the introduction of aredesigned Emoji keyboard with over 300 new characters and an optimised version of the iCloud Photo Library that works with the new Photos app in OS X 10.10.3.

The update has also quietly introduced WI-Fi calling. This will currently work for users on EE, othermobile operators are set to follow over the next few months.

The iOS 8.2 update introduced a host of tweaks and bug fixes from previous updates, including stability fixes for Mail, Music and Maps Flyovers. It also features fixes for iTunes syncing errors, problems with Exchange accounts, and various improvements to Apple's Health app.

Those anxiously awaiting the arrival of Apple's first wearable later next month will also be gratified to know that iOS 8.2 includes support for the Apple Watch. This means that right out of the box, fully-updated devices should be able to integrate with the watch with no problems.

In case you missed it, the earlier iOS 8.1 update also returned a much-missed feature to the iPhone and iPad stable. The Camera Roll is now back, available in the Photos app and the My Photo Stream album if you haven't enabled iCloud Photo Library. For those new to iOS, Camera Roll is a continuous, scrolling list of every image and video in your Apple device's library, and was a favourite feature of selfie enthusiasts everywhere.

For tips on getting to grips with iOS 8, the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, or just iPhones in general, check out our list of the 25 top tips and essential apps.

Let's get the bad news out of the way. Despite Apple claiming iOS 8 works on the iPhone 4s, iPad 2 and iPad mini (1st gen) we don't advise updating them.

These devices use the aging A5 processor and are limited to 512MB of RAM. After updating our 4s we found tasks like typing and switching between apps became sluggish. Plus Apple has had to axe Handoff for apps and AirDrop to get iOS 8 working on the older models, so you won't get the best experience.

If you've got an iOS device released in 2013 or beyond there shouldn't be any problems as these products have 1GB RAM and faster processors.

Once you've got your hands on a device capable of running iOS 8 without stuttering, you're in for a treat. Here's what you can expect...

Dropbox problems fixed?There have been numerous problems with Dropbox in iOS 8, including crashing, and duplicate photo uploads. However, the latest update seems to have remedied these as we didn't experience any problem.

1) Default iOS keyboard is revamped

The iOS keyboard has always seemed primitive when compared the multitude of options on Android. iOS 8 introduces QuickType' - a keyboard with predictive text capabilities.

As you type, a small bar at the top of the keyboard displays three word suggestions you can tap in order to select the appropriate word. Initially, we found ourselves typing words out in full out of habit but using the predictive text option started to feel natural.

QuickType is intelligent and context-sensitive. So if you're typing an email to your boss it'll suggest formal words, and recommend words like awesome', when you're typing messages to friends . This is a learning process, so isn't something we can assess so soon after release.

A massive change is the ability to install third-party keyboard apps on iOS 8. Popular Android apps such as SwiftKey and Swype are already in the App Store. The ability to pick a different keyboard will be welcomed by many users and should help to cut down the infamous iPhone autocorrect memes.

2) MDM is beefed up

Celebrities may be worried about storing compromising photos on their iPhones, but iOS 8 provides good security features for business users. The mobile device management (MDM) features in iOS 8 now allow admins to specify which apps are used to open documents downloaded via the Safari browser or the new iCloud Drive. They cannow check the date of the most recent back-up to avoid overwriting important data or files, too.

S/MIME encryption is available for individual messages, and it's also possible to highlight emails from addresses outside your organisation.

3) Mail app gets swipe gestures

The Mail app has been modified, with swiping gestures now allowing you to organise messages. Swiping right on a message marks it as unread, whereas a flick left allows you to flag an important message or delete it. We did find these gestures to be a sensitive, accidentally deleting emails when left-swiping too quickly.

Another useful option is the ability to organise messages into VIP threads'. These messages can be stored in a special VIP inbox for quick access, and it's possible to flag important emails so you automatically receive an on-screen notification as soon as a reply is received. Mail can also recognise date and time information within emails and provides an option for quickly adding this to the iOS Calendar app.

At long last, Mail can even help you set up out of office' messages too.

4) Notifications are interactive

The introduction of interactive notifications was overdue.

Notify Me' tells iOS to display a notification as soon as you receive a reply to a particular email, and when you pull-down to display the notification you'll see options allowing you to reply, or delete a message without needing to open the app.

Apple also includes options to Accept/Decline when you receive a calendar invitation. These options work directly from the lockscreen as well, so it's quick and easy to respond to emails and messages as soon as they arrive.

5) Messages includes features from Whatsapp & Snapchat

The 'Tap-to-talk' option in the Messages app allows you to send an audio recording, much like you can via Whatsapp.If the recipient is also using an iPhone they can listen to the recording by holding the iPhone up to their ear. The motion sensors within the iPhone recognise this movement and play the recording as though it were an ordinary voice call.

You can take photos and videos in a similar fashion, by tapping on the camera icon within the app. Apple now makes it possible to set audio and video messages to expire' after two minutes an idea borrowed from the popular Snapchat app and useful if you plan on sharing sensitive information.

We also like the inclusion of Instant Contacts, which works in conjunction with Messages and other apps. When you double-tap on the Home button to switch between apps, you now see a list of up to eight recent contacts. You can tap the person's name to quickly send them a new message or start a phone call.

6) iCloud Drive look promising

Apple's iCloud service works well for syncing photos, video and emails across multiple Apple devices. But it's never been able to upload and sync other types of files such as Microsoft Office documents in the same way as rival services such as Dropbox. Until now

iCloud Drive will now allow you to upload and store any files you choose, whilst syncing them across multiple Macs, iOS devices or PCs. You'll get 5GB of storage free, and Apple has cut its prices for additional storage, starting at just 0.79 per month for 20GB.

iCloud Drive on the Mac requires the forthcoming OS X Yosemite update, which still doesn't have a release date. Andthird-party apps for iPhones and iPads will need to be updated by developers in order to work with iCloud Drive.

Ironically, Apple has released a new version of its iCloud software for Windows, allowing PC users to make full use of iCloud Drive before Mac users.

7) Continuity will allows devices to talk to each other

Also waiting for the arrival of Yosemite is Continuity a set of features increasing integration between the Mac and iOS operating systems.

The HandOff feature is the main attraction - allowing you to switch from one device to another as you work. If you're writing an email on your iPhone or iPad and you want to use your Mac's keyboard to type faster then you'll be able to switch over to Mail on your Mac and carry on typing from where you left off.

You can even receive text messages or phone calls on your Mac, or start a Pages document on the Mac and then switch to an iPhone or iPad when you leave your office.

But, as with iCloud Drive, iOS 8 is half of the story, and we'll have to wait for Yosemite before we can assess how well Continuity works.

8) HealthKit gets postponed

The most high-profile casualty of the launch of iOS 8 was HealthKit, a set of tools and APIs designed to allow developers to create apps to monitor data like heart rate and blood sugar.

The discovery of a last-minute bug in HealthKit led to a number of health-related apps being withdrawn from the App Store on the day of the iOS 8 launch. Apple hopes to release an update for HealthKit by the end of this month, and this delay is unlikely to hinder its plans for the health industry in the long term but it's still an embarrassingly high-profile hiccup.

9) Safari gets cleaner look and more functions

The Safari browser gets an interface makeover too. The address bar and tabs are now hidden when on a page to give you an uncluttered view. You can restore the address bar and tabs whenever you want to by stroking down the page with a finger, and Safari on iOS now includes a sidebar similar to the OS X version of Safari. This displays your reading list of stored articles and pages.

The overview option is a nice touch, showing smaller previews of all your open web pages, and even grouping together multiple pages from the same web site. However, our favourite addition to Safari is the ability to press and hold on the Tab button to see a list of recently closed tabs perfect for the times when you accidentally close an important webpage.

Apple also seems to laying the groundwork for a battle with Google over privacy. You can choose the DuckDuckGo search engine as your default tool for scouring the web.

Safari also "borrows" a couple of features from Google's Chrome browser, such as the ability to view the desktop version of a web site, and create individual private' tabs.

We remain unconvinced by the option to take a photo of your credit card in order to autofill the card number for online purchases. It's simple enough to use, but taking photos of your credit card doesn't seem like a good idea, especially after the iCloud leak.

10) Photos are easier to manage

The iPhone and iPad are responsible for countless billions of photos being uploaded to the internet on a daily basis, so the Photos app has been updated with improved search tools for managing large collections of photos.

As soon as you tap on the Search tool in the top-right corner of the screen you'll see a list of photos taken close to your current location. You can also search by location name, date or album name. The last version of Photos was ideal for dealing with large photo libraries going back several years, so the improved search tools make a huge difference.

Perhaps even more significant is the fact that iOS 8 effectively kills off Apple's long-running iPhoto editing program. It's no longer available on the App Store, but a number of its editing tools have now been rolled into Photos. These include features such as a crop tool, various colour adjustments and filter effects, all of which are straightforward and easy to use.

However, some iPhoto users have reported problems when their edited photos are opened in the new version of Photos and, annoyingly, Apple's support documents state that you may not be able to make further edits unless you revert to the original photo and start all over again.

11) Will Apple Pay take off?

The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus are the first iOS devices to include NFC chips and these will be used exclusively with the Apple Pay system. PayPal has taken a potshot at this potential rival with wise-cracking ads referencing the nude celebrity photo security scandal.

However, many analysts predict that Apple's entrance into the mobile payment market will help to kickstart usage. This is due to the sheer popularity of iPhones and with Apple using end-to-end encryption and promising not to store credit card details. At present Apple Pay is available in the US only - and it is expected to roll out in UK during 2015.

Overall

iOS 8 brings much needed improvements to the keyboard, notifications and web browsing. With Continuity, iCloud Drive and HealthKit all to look forward too, this will be the best iOS update to-date.

Of course, with iOS being such a big update, teething problems are expected. Many of these should be ironed out quickly. But it is disappointing that older devices such as the iPhone 4 and iPad 2 will struggle.

iOS 8 now installed on 68 per cent of Apple devices

Originally published on 08/01/15 by Caroline Preece

The majority of Apple devices are now running on iOS 8

It has been revealed by Apple on itsApp Store Distributionpage that iOS 8 is now installed on 68 per cent of devices, including iPhones, iPads and iPod Touches.

iOS 7 now runs on 29 per cent of devices, which is three per cent down from previous figures, with four per cent of Apple device owners are still using older iterations of the iOS.

The number of people using iOS 8 has risen by four per cent since numbers were last released on 22 December.

It waspreviously reportedthat Apple was disappointed with adoption rates of the new operating system, with just 47 per cent of iDevice users having downloaded iOS 8 by the beginning of October. By theend ofthe month, this had jumped to 52 per cent.

Apple's latest operating system was released on 17 September, when there were various complaints about bugs and problems. One major issue experienced by users was about the size of the update, for which Apple is now being sued.

The argumentis that on devices such as the 16GB iPhone 6, the size of the iOS 8 update diminishes the amount of storage space the phone is advertised for by around 3GB (19 per cent).

Shortly after the release, Apple withdrew the ability to downgrade to iOS 7 after installing iOS 8, releasing subsequent updates in order to addressongoing teething problems.

iOS 8 now on over half of Apple devices

Originally published on 29/10/14 by Caroline Preece

iOS 8 has now been installed on more than half of Apple devices, up four per cent in two weeks

iOS 8 is now installed on more than half of Apple devices, it has been revealed via a new report on Apple's App Storedevelopers support page.

As reported byMacRumours, Apple's newest operating system has been downloaded on 52 per cent of iOS devices, which is up by four per cent from numbers announced during Apple'sOctober 16 event. At that point, CEO Tim Cook said that iOS 8 had been installed on 48 per cent of Apple devices.

This pushes iOS 7's share down to 43 per cent, with just five per cent using earlier operating systems on their phone, phablet or tablet.

iOS 8.1, designed to fix some of the bugs that had been widely reported by users, was released on October 20, which could explain the steady increase of adopters for the OS over a relatively short amount of time.

The upgrade included support for Apple Pay, the Camera Roll's return and more. Bugs plaguing Wi-Fi connection and screen rotation were also fixed with the update.

At the beginning of October,we reportedthat download figures for iOS 8 had been disappointing, as adoption rates appeared to have paused at just fewer than 50 per cent. At the same point in iOS 7's history, installation figures stood at 60 per cent, a milestone the new OS has yet to meet.

One of the major barriers seemed to be the sheer size of the update, which caused users to complain that they had had to wipe their devices before being able to install the update.

iOS 8 download rate disappoints

Originally published on 08/10/14 by Clare Hopping

Apple's own download stats have shown upgrades have slowed to a crawl

Apple's iOS 8 download statistics have shown that people have not taken up the operating system as fast as expected.

In fact, data displayed on the company's developer portal indicates just 47 per cent of iDevice users have downloaded and installed the update, which is only one per cent more than it was a week ago when Apple last reported download figures.

In comparison, three weeks after iOS 7 rolled out last year, the official installation figures stood at 60 per cent, with a much faster rate of adoption than reported this year.

iOS 8 launched on September 17, but, like any iOS update, it was plagued by customer complaints and problems. Most of these were related to the size of the update, with thousands of users flocking to Twitter and Facebook reporting they had to wipe their devices in order to install the 5.6GB update.

A number of bugs have since come to light in the update, includingincompatibility with Dropboxforcing the company to roll out a second update (iOS 8.0.1) just week after the initial rollout.

Apple was scheduled to includeHealthKit in the first iOS 8 updatetoo, but that had to be pulled before the operating system saw its public release because it wasn't ready for public use - but it was added in iOS 8.0.1. However, after installing the bug fixes, other users reported phone service and TouchID stopped working.

Apple has now rolled out a second update - taking the software up to version iOS 8.0.2 and although that seems to have fixed most of the problems, it probably won't be too long until the company decides to release another tweak.

The company measures the number of people downloading and installing its software updates using by measuring App Store visits over a period of time.

This article was originally published on 23/09/14 and has been updated multiple times (most recently on 12/08/15)

Verdict

iOS 8 adds much needed features to core apps like Mail, Safari and also makes notifications more interactive. With HealthKit, iCloud Drive and Continuity on the horizon there's much to look forward too as well.

More than half of UK households now use tablets, up from just two per cent in 2011.

This is according to Ofcom, which hailed the influence of Apple's iPad since its launch five years ago in changing the way we connect to the web, saying two-thirds of people aged 35-54 now own tablets.

Meanwhile, almost three-quarters (71 per cent) of children aged five to 15-years-old had access to a tablet at home by the end of 2014, compared to just over half (51 per cent) at the end of 2013, the regulator's research found.

Kate Reeve, director of consumer research at Ofcom, said: "In just five years, tablets have become a must-have device for millions of UK households.

"We're using them to catch up with the news, watch our favourite soaps and keep the kids entertained."

In fact, around one in three five to 15-year-olds have their very own tablet, as do 11 per cent of toddlers, according to the study, which was conducted in February but which was only released this week.

But security expert Marta Janus, from Kaspersky Lab, warned that parents must educate children about the risks of cyber bullying as they use tablets more and more.

"The problem is that many parents assume that cyber-bullying only becomes a problem when children start using social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter," said Janus.

"However, the reality is that children as young as five are in fact using platforms where they can receive messages and interact with others, such as shared school platforms, social games, and even photo-sharing sites such as Instagram."

Apps and games

While smartphones remain the dominant device for gaming, with 26 per cent playing games at least one a week, tablets aren't far behind.

A total 15 per cent of adults play games like Angry Birds, Halo and Candy Crush on their tablets, compared to 17 per cent who still use dedicated gaming consoles.

Almost one in four 16-24-year-olds regularly play games on their tablets.

Apps are the most popular interface on tablets, with 86 per cent using them, according to Ofcom.

Of these, 48 per cent use news apps, compared to 37 per cent who access news sites via their browsers.

But 61 per cent browse the web for general information enquiries, as opposed to 25 per cent who use apps.

More than one in three adults use their tablets at home, and just 15 per cent take their tablet when they're not at home, work or a place of study.

By 2016, Ofcom predicts 74 per cent of 16-54-year-olds will use tablets, as well as 44 per cent of those aged over 55.

This is a huge rise on 2011, the second year of tablet computing, when just two per cent of 16-54-year-olds and one per cent of those aged over 55 used the devices.

The Metropolitan police has deployed more than 1,000 Windows 8.1 devices, but still has no official deadline to move off Microsoft's out-of-support operating system, XP.

London's central police force is still running XP on 35,000 computers despite support expiring in April 2014, according to a Freedom of Information request from Motherboard last month.

As a result, it's had to purchase custom support from Redmond to keep the software patched against security bugs, but with analysts estimating the cost of doing so at $200 per PC, the organisation is keen to upgrade as soon as possible.

The Met's interim CTO, Stephen Deakin, admitted he didn't know when the organisation would dump XP entirely, but said he is currently migrating the body's mission-critical applications onto 8.1.

"The Windows 8.1 deployment is happening now," he said. "We've got over 1,000 deployed, we're still getting some of our core apps upgraded to 8.1, which is quite challenging but we're getting there."

Before it can leave XP behind, the organisation must wait for the budget and strategy to be set for its new SIAM (service integration and management) tower outsourcing model, in which it would buy in services from suppliers to support its technology.

Deakin said: "We'd like to get rid of it as quickly as possible. We can't do too much before the SIAM budget comes in, but part of the SIAM mission is they've got to upgrade the infrastructure available for us."

When the migration is complete, however, it would position the Met to more quickly adopt new technology - namely Windows 10.

"Once we're on 8.1, the great thing is we can do an in-place upgrade to Windows 10 because it's not a new kernel," Deakin said. "We can start using Windows 10 tablets, if we so choose. It's a huge amount of effort to leapfrog the Met from Windows XP to Windows 10.

"With 10 we can run stuff on tablets, Surface hubs, or all sorts of things. But it's taken two years' worth of planning and execution to get there."

Tablets

Speaking of tablets, the Met is currently running a pilot of 850 4G-connected iPad minis, which Deakin claims have transformed frontline policing.

The trial has seen police collect more than 10,000 victim and witness statements on the devices, and only two tablets have broken.Now officers can submit those statements from the crime scene, compile crime reports including photographs - and give victims their crime reference number immediately.

Deakin said: "It's revolutionary to go from paper and pen to actually being able to provide victim care and operation intelligence on the street.What the victim wants is tea, sympathy and that crime reference number because they want to get onto their insurance company."

Despite the trial's success, Deakin is yet to pick Apple as its partner."We chose the iPad originally because it met our security requirements and because of the form factor," he said, hinting officers may have a say in the device they eventually use."We're now taking a pause to work out how can we make things better. The success has been [because] we've worked with officers who've worked out the best system."

In fact, the deployment of 30,000 devices could see a mix of platforms, with the Met debating whether to have one ecosystem or a blend of a few including Windows and Android.

Body cameras

Tablets are just part of Deakin's agenda to modernise the Met, however.The organisation has just completed a pilot of 1,000 body cameras in a bid to improve transparency after the controversial shooting of Mark Duggan in 2011, which sparked rioting across the UK.

While the trial raises issues regarding privacy, Deakin said the technology has benefits "for both sides".

"The vision is to be the world's most transparent police force," he said. "The officers prove their professional conduct, there's less disputes, there's improved interaction.You just have to tap the cameras to remind everybody you're being monitored here. In the same way you're monitored in an interview suite as well."

He added that it's already helped police fend off accusations of wrongdoing from the public but that monitoring goes both ways.

Deakin acknowledged as much in light of the public storm created by the police's facial recognition database, which holds 18 million mugshots, many of whom are innocent.

The police insist it complies with the Data Protection Act, but officers have stopped uploading images to the database following a High Court ruling in 2012 to force the Met to delete two people's pictures from it.

"That's where the public consultation comes in, understanding not just the law but also what's acceptable," said Deakin."That's something we need to work with the public at large in terms of their acceptance."

With the Met now ready to procure between 20,000 and 30,000 body cameras, Deakin said the best place for the data is likely to be a private cloud.

"There would need to be lots of access control, and audit is absolutely key - making sure all the access is audited, all the uses are audited, what we're using it for," he said.

A benefit of the private cloud would be less need to encrypt the data as would be likely in the public cloud, he added."Encrypted data in the cloud is not useful. You can't scan it, it's a pain. If we went public cloud we'd probably go for Skyscape or somebody like that because we wouldn't need encryption [Skyscape is certified to store IL3-level data], but of course on-premise we don't need encryption anyway."

Scrapping aged systems

The modernisation process started after Deakin's appointment in 2013, when a London Assembly committee deemed the Met's technology as "out-of-date, ineffective and overly expensive".

The interim CTO's job was to overhaul its IT, and he's starting by scrapping hundreds of systems to cut the Met's infratsurtcure from 520 systems to around 200.

Much of the sprawling IT estate is to blame on departments buying IT to solve a single specific problem, resulting in a piecemeal procurement process leaving them with numerous similar systems, he said.

To tackle this, Deakin is hunting out shadow IT deployments."I have a team looking at all the shadow IT systems, whether they be under poeple's desks, in storage cupboards or in comms rooms - we're doing a big audit," he said.

And Deakin's replacing this withan 'Enterprise Bus', which will put a focus on applications which can be outsourced and which can be easily integrated into the Met's IT."All the systems will lead into the bus," he said. "We can build applications that plug and play like Lego."

He added: "We buy stuff off the shelf and the vendor says we have to use their database their app server, and it only works on Windows 6. It's really crazy.Instead, we want to buy a component, say a mapping service, that we can share with my management control system, share with my techies' system and stick in front of the cars as well."

Apple beat analyst forecasts on revenues and profit in its second quarter as the firm sold more iPhones in China that the US for the first time in its history.

Apple iPhone revenues in China increased by 71 per cent to $16.8 billion for the quarter, helped by people buying presents for the Chinese New Year. According to Apple chief executive Tim Cook, a burgeoning middle class in the country fuelled iPhone purchases, making up the bulk of its sales.

Around 61 million smartphones were sold in the quarter, an increase of 40 per cent on the same time last year but down from Q1.

Overall, the firm reported revenues of $58 billion and a net profit of $13.6 billion - an increase of 27 per cent and 33 per cent compared to the same period last year.

Cook said its best ever March results were due to the "continued strength" of the iPhone, Mac and App Store. The latter was said by Apple to have an "all-time record performance".

"We're seeing a higher rate of people switching to iPhone than we've experienced in previous cycles, and we're off to an exciting start to the June quarter with the launch of Apple Watch," Cook said in a statement.

However, sales of the Apple iPad were pegged at 12.6 million, a decrease of 23 per cent from a year ago - around $5.43 billion in sales. The larger screen of the iPhone 6 Plus was blamed for declining sales of the iPad.

Apple sold 4.6 million Macs in the last quarter, up from 4 million in the second quarter of 2014 but down from 5.5 million in the first quarter.

The firm did not break out Apple Watch sales but Cook said he was "thrilled" by the launch and said in a conference call with financial analysts that the response had been "overwhelming positive" and that "demand is greater than supply".

"We're working hard to remedy that. We've made progress over the last week or so, and we were able to deliver more customers an Apple Watch over the weekend than we had initially anticipated," said Cook.

Cook said that Apple would make the watch available in more countries by late June, but demand was difficult to gauge as Apple was taking orders online only and not selling through its stores.

All MPs are to be offered brand new iPad Air 2 tablets and laptops after the general election, the House of Commons Commission has confirmed.

The taxpayer-funded Apple devices will be distributed to MPs after the general election on May 7, and will cost the public 200,000 every year for the next five years.

Apple iPads have been in use in Parliament since 2012, with more than 200 MPs already using one, but the commission now wants to offer them to all representatives.

While the tablets are supposed to help MPs carry out parliamentary business, Tory MP Nigel Mills was forced to apologise after spending two hours playing Candy Crush during a select committee meeting on pension reforms.

Even Prime Minister David Cameron has admitted to an addiction to Angry Birds, while Liberal Democrat John Thurso, who represents the commission behind the iPads move in Parliament, said the shift from paper to tablets has saved more than 3 million annually.

In a reply to a parliamentary question over what assessments the commission made of the functionality and price of other devices and platforms before deciding to offer free iPads to all MPs, Thurso said that since 2012, iPads have been "integrated with current business processes and infrastructure."

"A move away from the Apple operating system (iOS) at this time would incur costs to change these processes," he said.

"Given the established nature of iOS in the Houses' IT service offering, access to parliamentary digital services on iPads is mature, offering greater access than on other mobile devices.

"Members are able to access the intranet and intranet-hosted services via their iPads, they are able to access and annotate committee papers and can download a number of Office apps to access any content held within Office 365," added Thurso.

But Newcastle MP and Shadow Cabinet Office minister Chi Onwurah told ComputerworldUK that a "device agnostic policy" would have been preferable.

"As we saw with Nigel Mills and Candy Crush, MPs will be using the games, and the iTunes and other features on the iPad," she said.

Onwurah added that it was wrong that MPs would be using a device that many of her constituents could not afford.

Plugging your Apple device into the mains could soon be a thing of the past, as a new patent filing by the company has suggested the iPad could soon come with wireless charging capabilities.

The filing is for "Integrated Inductive Charging in Protective Cover," indicating that a tablet cover for wireless charging could be on its way. When the iPad's protective cover is closed, the device would detect it and begin charging via the inductive mat.

This is a first for Apple, and might also mean that wireless charging for the iPhone or other Apple devices may be in the works. As GeekWire points out, the move would mean that Apple could make their products even thinner than the current line-up.

The Apple Watch, set to be launched on Monday, will come with its own inductive charger, which connects via the watch's back and charges it without traditional wires. Because of this, speculation that the same system could be introduced for the iPad and iPhone doesn't seem so far off the mark.

Earlier this week, IKEA announced its own range of wireless charging furniture as part of the Home Smart Initiative. Using the lamps and bedside tables with charging capabilities, battery for devices such as the Nexus 5, Samsung Galaxy S5 and LG G3 could be topped up wirelessly.

"Through research and home visits, we know that people hate cable mess," Jeanette Skjelmose, business area manager Lighting and Wireless Charing, said in a statement. "They worry about not finding the charger and running out of power. Our new innovative solutions, which integrate wireless charging into home furnishings, will make life at home simpler.

"We have created smart wireless solutions so you don't need to see the cables anymore. Many products can be charged at the same time, but you still have a beautiful wireless home."

Last year, Microsoft and Nokia revealed a pair of trousers that could charge the wearer's phone using the same method. Admitting the venture was "a bit of a hack," Nokia Devices' head of marketing Adam Johnson said. "We don't see a mass-market opportunity for wireless-charging trousers."

Shropshire Council is modernising its IT estate with Microsoft to support a one user, one device strategy.

Like all local authorities, Shropshire Council is facing large budget cuts but it's taking advantage of its enterprise agreement with Redmond to update its technology in a bid to help staff work more efficiently.

ICT manager Barry Wilkinson tells IT Pro his first move after starting 18 months ago was to replace 800 BlackBerrys with Windows Phone-running Lumias.

An Orange Mobile contract was about to expire, and Wilkinson discovered that a deal with Vodafone would prove 5 per user cheaper per month.

After looking at Android, iOS and Windows Phone, Wilkinson opted for Microsoft's operating system.

"I was quite excited with Windows Phone because there was a lot of talk in the media at that point around how that single level ecosystem now exists so it doesn't matter if it was your PC, tablet or your phone, it's that familiarity," he says.

The BlackBerrys required an extra security wrapper to support email, and were supported on a Sophos mobile device management (MDM) solution Wilkinson found fell short of expectations, taking a long time to enroll new devices and losing ones already registered.

Meanwhile the Lumias came with Exchange installed, and were easy to use for the Windows-literate council employees, so Wilkinson ditched Sophos for Microsoft's own Intune MDM tool, which he worked on with Redmond to make it enroll devices faster.

Now Intune supports all the Lumia phones as well as 400 iPads "knocking around", said Wilkinson, though these are slowly being replaced by Surface Pro 3s, which offer more functionality and fit into the Windows ecosystem, he adds.

The difference in how staff were able to work was enormous.

"Not only did Windows Phone give us things like Office 365 for Word, Excel and PowerPoint, it also means I can deliver Windows-based apps into a phone environment," says Wilkinson.

With the council already able to use Office 365 under its enterprise agreement, the authority also delivered an app for social workers called Care First, that they could use out in the field when visiting people.

That gives them not only the addresses of people they're scheduled to see, but relevant information about them too, while they can write up notes in 365, cutting out the need to spend time travelling back to the office between appointments.

"Typically they used to be able to see two people a day," says Wilkinson. "Having access to proper mobile kit and devices that access not only Wi-Fi but 3G services means we can get job requests to them immediately."

They now visit far more people a day, and have better access to information out in the field.

"It's a big, big step," confirms Wilkinson. It also helps the council with its drive to reduce its premises as much as possible, encouraging remote working as way to reduce costs.

That requires a change in how staff work, one which Wilkinson hopes his one user, one device strategy will help.

CYOD

He has implemented a Choose-Your-Own-Device (CYOD) policy, allowing staff to choose from between up to seven devices, depending on their job role.

"For example a social care worker has the choice of two, a full laptop or a Lenovo Yoga," he says.

"The majority go for Yoga, some still like the laptop. Senior managers go for anything but it's still one user one device. We don't encourage users to have more than one device."

Some staff simply use Lumia phones, typically workers who drive to traffic incidents like bridge crashes to take pictures for council surveyors who then decide whether or not to close the road.

For multiple device users, Wilkinson says having a single ecosystem makes a lot of sense, with Shropshire Council running a mixture of Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 desktops and Windows Phone 8 and 8.1 on the Lumias.

"Windows Phone 8 It literally does look and feel the same way as the desktop," he says. "Even when Word opens it has the same splashscreen [as the desktop]. It makes that transition to a mobile workforce easier."

Windows 10

However, Wilkinson believes the council will make the move to Microsoft's incoming Windows 10 operating system, seeing it as the perfect mix between Windows 7 and Windows 8.1.

"For me Windows 10 brings some of the funky bits of Windows 8 to a recognisable Windows 7," he states.

"We might not need to go to Windows 8.1. It is quite exciting. Windows 8 is different, it's the whole tiles and desktop, whereas Windows 10 is tiles if you want them, start menu if you'd rather. For me that's an easier step."

Savings

Wilkinson estimates the council should save 500,000 from its IT modernisation strategy in 2015-16, mainly due to retiring its Sophos and BlackBerry licensing costs, while introducing a self-service password reset ability will save hours in IT helpdesk calls.

He says: "All of a sudden IT's becoming fun again. No longer is it a blocker, it's more of an enabler, it's all about making not only your life easier, but other people's lives easier."

iPad and iPhone users are being warned about the discovery of the Masque Attack II iOS hack, which could potentially leave their data open to theft.

FireEye researchers Hui Xue, Zhaofeng Chen, Song Jin, Yulong Zhang and Tao Wei discovered the first edition of the Masque flaw last November, which could allow malicious apps to replace existing enterprise ones on devices. Now the researchers have discovered a sequel.

The group explained in a blog post: "We find that when calling an iOS URL scheme, iOS launches the enterprise-signed app registered to handle the URL scheme without prompting for trust. It doesn't matter whether the user has launched that enterprise-signed app before."

FireEye said even if the user always clicks Don't Trust' to such apps, iOS still launches that enterprise-signed app directly on calling its URL scheme, meaning it could cause unexpected results.

"In other words, when the user clicks on a link in SMS, iOS Mail or Google Inbox, iOS launches the target enterprise-signed app without asking for the user's Trust' or even ignoring the user's Don't Trust'," they continued.

This could enforce a malicious version of a real, safe enterprise app to launch instead, potentially causing the hackers to steal confidential data or corrupt the device.

FireEye is urging iOS users be cautious when clicking on unknown links, especially if they are sent to their device by SMS, email or MMS.

"Users should update devices to 8.1.3 as soon as possible to mitigate the risk as much as possible," the company said. "Apple suggested defending against Masque Attack by the aid of the 'Don't Trust' prompt. We notified Apple that this was inadequate."