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iPad Pro's Smart Keyboard is available in your local language
The iPad Pro's Smart Keyboard is arguably its main selling point, but it hasn't been much good if you aren't North American -- you've had to rely on a US English layout so far. Thankfully, you won't have to go through hoops to type in your native language after today. Apple has released versions of the Smart Keyboard in numerous languages, including many European languages (such as British English, French, German and Spanish) as well as Arabic, Korean, Thai and others. The keyboards you can buy depend on the store you buy from, so you can't just get one in the language of your choice. Even so, it beats having to use the on-screen keyboard to express yourself.
New in our buyer's guide: All the phones (just the good ones)
It took us a while, but now that we've reviewed the Moto Z, we think we're done testing flagship phones until the iPhone 7 or next Galaxy Note come out (whichever arrives first). With that in mind, we can now confidently say that the following phones belong in our buyer's guide: the Samsung Galaxy S7, the HTC 10 and the iPhone SE. (Sorry, LG, maybe next year.) While we were at it, we also inducted the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive VR headsets, since we likely them more or less equally. And, in the less-expensive realm, we added the Roku Streaming Stick in the A/V category. Head over to our buyer's guide hub for all the details on these and many more. That's it for now, but stay tuned -- who knows what we'll add after the next gadget-reviewing frenzy.
Razer's new keyboard turns your iPad Pro into a pseudo-laptop
If you weren't fully onboard with the iPad Pro's stock cover/smart keyboard, Razer announced its mechanical alternative on Thursday. It uses Razer's new "Ultra-Low-Profile Mechanical Switches" that provide the same acuity and responsiveness that made the company's line of full size mechanicals so popular, just in a smaller form factor.
Apple pulls update for iPad Pro after bricking reports
Apple's pulled the latest iOS update (9.3.2) for the 9.7-inch iPad Pro, following reports that this version of the software was bricking some devices. To make matters worse, the affected tablets can't be restored through iTunes, even though owners are being prompted to try that computer-based method. It's unclear what caused the issue, but Apple says it's already working on a fix.
Apple made a one-of-a-kind iPad Pro for a charity auction
Don't think the 12.9-inch iPad Pro is ostentatious enough? You'll want to book a trip to London, then. In support of a Design Museum charity auction on April 28th, Apple's Jony Ive and his team have built a unique version of the larger iPad that's nothing like the models you can find in stores. The audacious-looking yellow aluminum shell is just the start of it. The one-off tablet also comes with accessories that you might wish Apple made for everyone, including a Smart Cover in French leather and an orange Pencil case in Italian leather.
iFixit tears apart the 9.7-inch iPad Pro
The repair-it-yourself crew at iFixit isn't done prying open Apple's smaller devices. It just finished a teardown of the 9.7-inch iPad Pro that reveals exactly how Cupertino stuffed most of the tablet's larger sibling (plus a bit more) into a more compact frame. As you might have guessed, Apple had to get creative. Where the 12.9-inch model revolved around its four speakers, the 9.7-inch version centers around its 7,306mAh battery (slightly larger than that of the iPad Air 2) and pushes just about everything else to the margins. And there appears to be a good reason for the camera bump -- you're getting the same 12-megapixel optically stabilized camera as in the iPhone 6s Plus, which chews up a lot of internal space.
iPad Pro 9.7 review: Apple's best tablet, but it won't replace a laptop
The iPad Pro raised some eyebrows when it debuted last year, but it really shouldn't have. Although tablet sales as a whole have been tanking, sales of tablets with detachable keyboards have actually grown. Is it any surprise, then, that Apple built a 9.7-inch version of the Pro to try and regain some of its tablet momentum? Not at all. Whether or not this new Pro can be the "ultimate PC replacement" Apple was hyping at its launch event depends on your personal preferences, but let's get one thing straight from the start: This is one the best tablets you can buy.
Apple and the MLB team up to put iPad Pros in the dugout
When the commentators during a baseball broadcast refer to the tablets Major League Baseball coaches are holding as "iPads," unlike pro football announcers, they'll actually be correct. Apple and the MLB have signed a deal that'll put 12.9-inch iPad Pros in dugouts and bullpens around the league, offering up everything from performance stats, videos of plays from past games to pitcher-batter matchups, according to The Wall Street Journal. All that data comes from a custom app co-developed by Apple and the league, MLB Dugout.
The After Math: OK, let's try that again
There are just some weeks we'd love to Groundhog Day our way through and try again to get right. Ben Affleck knows what I'm talking about. There was Apple's snoozefest on Monday that debuted smaller versions of the same stuff you already own. A Texas duplex was razed to the ground because somebody didn't understand the core concept of Google Maps. And Microsoft hasn't had to back-peddle this hard since the police arrested Clippy at Miami International with 70 pounds of coke. Numbers, because how else would we keep track of all the superhero movies Ben Affleck ruins?
Apple offering Office 365 as an iPad Pro 'accessory'
At its recent "Loop You In" event, Apple said that its iPad Pro can replace your "sad' old PC for productivity chores, and it's now selling Office 365 directly to back that up. A Steven Sinofsky tweet spotted by the Verge notes that the "order flow for the iPad Pro includes option to add Office 365 subscription" when you check out, starting at $70 a year. The unusual move means that Microsoft joins Logitech as the only non-Apple accessories available when you order an iPad Pro.
Apple opens pre-orders for the iPhone SE and new iPad Pro
Usually, a few days after an Apple event, I log on from Europe in the morning and wonder why so many American's are still online. That day is iPhone pre-order day. That day is today, if you're after the diminutive SE, or 9.7-inch iPad Pro, both announced on Monday. If you're set on the phone, then your choices are fairly straight forward. It's only available in (much-maligned) 16GB, and more reasonable 64GB editions costing $399 and $499 respectively -- on all four main US carriers. If you're trading up from an iPhone 5s or earlier, Apple will shave a few bucks off your payment plan, but you might be better off just selling your older handset privately.
YouTube's iPad app gets Split View and Slide Over features
Productivity and YouTube don't always make a great pairing, but Google's giving iPad owners a chance to make it work. The latest version of YouTube for iOS includes support for Slide Over and Split View -- two of iOS 9's tablet-specific features. The former lets you jump into other apps temporarily, while the latter -- as the name suggests -- lets you run two side by side. Of course, the benefit of these features is all in how you use them. If you're planning on watching an Instructables video at the same time as making notes, productivity goes up. If, however, you're really just watching FailArmy while trying to rush your homework, there's no helping you.
Apple's messy iPad lineup keeps getting more complicated
Sales of iPads peaked following the holiday quarter of 2013 -- perhaps not coincidentally, that was when Apple's tablet lineup was at its most logical. Apple had just introduced the iPad Air, the first major redesign of its 9.7-inch tablet, and the iPad Mini 2, which added a sorely-needed Retina-class display. Beyond the size and price, these tablets were identical from a specs perspective, making it extremely easy to pick one. Yes, Apple still offered older iPads in both screen sizes, but trying to figure out the best iPad to buy was a simple affair. You just picked your screen size and preferred storage and could rest easy knowing you weren't missing out.
The Engadget staff on this week's Apple news
Covering a keynote from a big tech company makes for a busy day at Engadget, and yesterday's "Loop You In" event at Apple's Cupertino campus was no exception. Our fearless senior mobile editor Chris Velazco liveblogged the presentation, and then immediately got hands-on with the newly announced iPhone SE and 9.7-inch iPad Pro. The rest of the team, meanwhile, was busy writing up all the news, which also included iOS and tvOS software updates, price cuts for the iPad Air 2 and Apple Watch, and some frank remarks from Tim Cook about the company's recent fight with the FBI. Now that the madness has subsided, it's time for us to take a step back and gather our thoughts. Here's what we actually think about it all.
Everything you need to know from Apple's 'Loop You In' event
Apple squeezed a surprising amount of news into an hourlong press conference, but hey -- not everyone has time to sift through the day's events. If that's you, well, we've got a handy video recap of the new/neat/off-the-wall stuff unveiled in Cupertino earlier today.
Apple's smaller iPad Pro is the 9.7-inch iPad we've always wanted
Last year's iPad Pro was, without question, the most powerful tablet Apple had ever made, but let's be real: Its size made it a complete nonstarter for some people. That's why the folks in Cupertino took all the things that made the iPad Pro a pro and shoved them into a smaller chassis for everyone else to use. Heading into the event, I was skeptical about how well this would work, but I didn't need to be. After playing with the new, smaller Pro, I realize it's actually the iPad Air 2 sequel I was hoping for. Well, in most ways, at least.
The 9.7-inch iPad Pro vs. the competition: Which works best?
The iPad Pro is great for getting work done, but its 12.9-inch screen is a little too big for some. So now we have the new 9.7-inch iPad Pro, which takes the original Pro's souped-up internals and packs them into the same smaller form factor we're used to on the Air. But if you're looking for a petite productivity tablet, the iPad is far from the only game in town. We've stacked up the 9.7-inch iPad Pro against Microsoft's Surface 3 and Google's Pixel C to see how well each is equipped to be your daily driver.
Apple has a fast USB-C charger for your iPad Pro (updated)
One of the harsh lessons from the iPad Pro is that big batteries take a long time to charge -- forget to plug it in at night and you could be in for a hassle in the morning. Apple is finally tackling that problem today, though. Alongside the 9.7-inch Pro, it's introducing a 29W USB-C power adapter for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro that should charge your tablet much more quickly than the 12W adapter that comes in the box. You'll need a computer with a USB-C port for this to work, of course, but it could be worth the $49 to save yourself some time during every recharge. Update: As it turns out, the adapter itself is actually the same one that comes with the latest MacBook. But the Lightning to USB-C cable is certainly a new offer from Apple.
Apple introduces a smaller iPad Pro starting at $599
As rumored, Apple has been working on a smaller version of last year's iPad Pro. Today, at its "Loop you in" event, the company revealed the new 9.7-inch tablet. Similar to the 12.9-inch model, this iPad Pro comes with a Retina screen and, of course, is compatible with the Apple Pencil. The display has a resolution of 2,048 x 1,536 and features TrueTone technology, which adjusts the brightness depending on the color temperature of the light around you. Phil Schiller, senior vice president of worldwide marketing at Apple, claimed on stage today that it has the lowest reflectivity of any tablet.
We're live from Apple's 'Loop You In' event!
Nothing brightens up a dreary March day like the promise of some shiny new hardware, and Apple should have us covered there. Tune in at 1PM ET/10AM PT for some sweet liveblog action from Apple's "Loop You In" event in Cupertino, and be sure to stick around for some hands-on impressions as soon as the presentation winds down. Need a quick refresher? We expect to see a smaller iPhone and a more compact iPad Pro this morning, not to mention a series of software updates that span across Apple's hardware line-up. Our fingers are also crossed for some mention of a new Apple Watch and more juicy tidbits about Apple's ongoing fight with the FBI, but we'll just have to wait and see. Join us, won't you?
