T1#apple#consumer#launch#tablet
The First iPad Pro — A 12.9-inch iPad and the Apple Pencil
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The first iPad Pro was announced on 9 September 2015, and online orders opened on Apple's store on Wednesday 11 November 2015. It reached Apple's stores, carriers and resellers later that same week. The first wave covered more than 40 countries, including the US, UK, China and Japan, so Japan was among the first.
It cost $799 to $1,079 in the US and 94,800 to 128,800 yen in Japan. The Apple Pencil, launched with it, cost $99 (11,800 yen) and the Smart Keyboard $169 (19,800 yen). Both were sold separately.
The dates
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 9 September 2015 | iPad Pro, Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard announced in San Francisco; availability in November |
| 9 November 2015 | Apple announces online orders from 11 November and in-store sales later that week |
| 11 November 2015 | Online orders open in more than 40 countries, including the US, UK, China and Japan |
What made it "Pro"
The iPad Pro had a 12.9-inch screen, and Apple said its 5.6 million pixels were the most ever in an iOS device.
| Item | First iPad Pro (per Apple) |
|---|---|
| Display | 12.9-inch Retina, 5.6 million pixels; the multi-touch subsystem redesigned to work with the Apple Pencil |
| Chip | 64-bit A9X |
| Audio | Four speakers |
| Battery | Up to 10 hours |
| Connectors | Lightning; Smart Connector (for the Smart Keyboard) |
| Storage and colours | 32 GB / 128 GB; silver, gold, space grey |
| US price | $799 (Wi-Fi, 32 GB) to $1,079 (Wi-Fi + Cellular, 128 GB) |
| Japanese price | 94,800 to 128,800 yen |
Apple said the A9X rivalled most portable PCs. In the announcement Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing, said: "iPad Pro is the most advanced and powerful iPad we have ever made." Both are Apple's own assessments.
The Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard
The other half of the announcement was a pair of accessories sold separately.
- Apple Pencil: a stylus that senses pressure and tilt. Apple said it had redesigned the iPad Pro's multi-touch subsystem to work with the Pencil and dramatically reduce latency. It paired and charged through a Lightning connector on its end, plugged into the iPad Pro. Apple listed Mail, Notes, Procreate and Office 365 among the apps that supported it
- Smart Keyboard: a thin, fabric-covered keyboard that attached to the new Smart Connector, with no battery, power switch or Bluetooth pairing needed. It folded into a cover. At launch it came only in a US English layout
The iPad had started out as a device for the fingers. The first iPad Pro brought back the pen and the keyboard, the older ways of working a computer, as Apple's own accessories.
Later generations
| Announced | Change |
|---|---|
| 21 March 2016 | A 9.7-inch iPad Pro with a True Tone display and Apple Pencil support; from $599 in the US |
| 30 October 2018 | All-screen 11-inch and 12.9-inch models with Face ID, a USB-C connector and the A12X Bionic; 5.9 mm thin. A second-generation Apple Pencil that attaches and charges magnetically |
| 20 April 2021 | The M1, the same chip as the Mac; a mini-LED Liquid Retina XDR display on the 12.9-inch, 5G and Thunderbolt |
| 18 October 2022 | The M2, and an Apple Pencil hover experience |
| 7 May 2024 | The M4, in 11-inch and 13-inch sizes; a tandem OLED Ultra Retina XDR display, the 13-inch 5.1 mm thin; the Apple Pencil Pro |
| 15 October 2025 | The M5; the N1 chip for Wi-Fi 7 and, on cellular models, the C1X modem (available 22 October) |
For the 2024 model, Apple called the 13-inch at 5.1 mm the thinnest Apple product ever and its display the world's most advanced. Both are Apple's claims. With the M1 in 2021, the iPad Pro began using the same family of chips as the Mac (see Apple M1).
Where it sits
The first iPad Pro was the first iPad sold as a tool for drawing and typing, with a large screen and its own pen and keyboard. In 2018 it moved to an all-screen design with Face ID and USB-C, and in 2021 to the same M-series chips as the Mac, and the line between iPad and Mac hardware grew thinner. For the wider story of handheld devices see the mobile timeline; for chips, the hardware timeline; for the company, Apple.
Questions this page answers
- When was the first iPad Pro released?
- It was announced on 9 September 2015. Online orders opened on Wednesday 11 November, and it reached Apple's stores, carriers and resellers later that week. More than 40 countries got it at once, including the US, UK, China and Japan.
- How much did the first iPad Pro and Apple Pencil cost?
- In the US the iPad Pro ran from $799 for 32 GB Wi-Fi to $1,079 for 128 GB Wi-Fi + Cellular; in Japan, from 94,800 to 128,800 yen. The Apple Pencil cost $99 (11,800 yen) and the Smart Keyboard $169 (19,800 yen), both sold separately.
- How did the first Apple Pencil charge?
- It had a built-in Lightning connector that plugged into the iPad Pro to pair and charge. Magnetic attachment and charging came with the second-generation Pencil, released alongside the 2018 iPad Pro.
- When did the iPad Pro get an M-series chip?
- With the M1 iPad Pro announced on 20 April 2021. The M2 (2022), M4 (2024) and M5 (2025) followed.
Sources
PrimaryApple Introduces iPad Pro Featuring Epic 12.9-inch Retina Display — Apple Press Release, Sep 9, 2015
Announcement, 5.6 million pixels, the A9X claim, Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard, four speakers, 10 hours, US prices, November availability, Schiller's statement
Online orders on 11 November, the 40-plus launch countries, Smart Keyboard in US English layout only
Primary壮大な12.9インチのiPad Pro、水曜日にオンラインで販売開始 — Apple（日本）, 2015年11月9日
Japanese prices for the iPad Pro, Apple Pencil, Smart Keyboard and covers
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