10 Huge Features On Apple's New Large-Screened iPad Pro

'The Biggest News In iPad Since iPad'

Breaking tradition with its typical October tablet launch, Apple on Wednesday took the wraps off a groundbreaking, huge iPad dubbed the iPad Pro.

Apple partners in the channel gushed over the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, which they said speaks to customers' desires for more productivity features and more cutting-edge design options.

The iPad Pro works with new accessories, such as a keyboard and a stylus, and sports an improved processor, a longer battery life and a secure Touch ID feature. The iPad Pro, available in November, will run from $799 for the 32-GB version to $1,079 for the 128-GB version. Here, 10 huge features of Apple's newest iPad.

1. Big-Screen Tablet

Apple amped up the iPad Pro screen size: While the iPad Air 2's screen was 9.7 inches, the iPad Pro has a 12.9-inch screen with Retina display. The iPad Pro is fairly lightweight given its size, at 6.9 mm thick and 1.57 pounds. The display also has 5.6 million pixels and refined Multi-Touch technology.

"The iPad is the clearest expression of our vision of the future of personal computing," stressed Apple CEO Tim Cook during Wednesday's event. "It is a simple, multi-touch piece of glass that instantly transforms into anything you want it to be."

2. Camera

Little was revealed about the iPad Pro's camera, though Apple did say that the device will have an 8-megapixel rear camera.

The tablet's display will have what Apple calls a variable refresh rate, which saves battery life through slowing down the refresh rate when users read instead of watching video, as well as a new four-speaker audio design.

3. Faster Processor

According to Apple, the iPad Pro is faster than 80 percent of the portable PCs shipped in the past 12 months, and faster in graphics tasks than 90 percent of the portable PC base shipped in the past 12 months.

The iPad Pro runs on a 64-bit third-generation A9X chip, a processor that Apple said is 1.8 times faster than Apple's A8 processor, and has a 10-hour battery life as well as a secure Touch ID.

’[iPad Pro's] A9X chip beats most portable PCs in both CPU and graphics tasks, but is thin and light enough to hold all day,’ said Philip Schiller, Apple senior vice president of worldwide marketing, in a statement.

4. Apple Pencil

Apple's new tablet can be boosted by a new $99 Apple Pencil, an accessory stylus for writing notes and drawing on the device, according to Cook. The Apple Pencil can be recharged using a Lightning connector that plugs directly into the tablet, and contains sensors for writing and drawing.

These productivity features are seen as crucial for Apple to match the popularity of Microsoft's trademark 2-in-1, the Surface Pro series, in the competitive tablet market.

5. Keyboard Accessory

The iPad Pro features a full-sized software keyboard so that users can type right on the screen, in addition to a foldable $169 Smart Keyboard, a new enhanced keyboard accessory that works with Apple's QuickType features in iOS 9.

A new Smart Connector, three circles on the side of the device, allows the iPad Pro to attach to the keyboard and eliminates the needs for a separate battery, on/off switch or Bluetooth pairing.

The keyboard is another feature that puts the iPad on the same level as Microsoft's Surface Pro tablets, which have keyboard accessories.

6. Battery And Connectivity

According to Apple, the iPad Pro can last up to 10 hours on battery with the ability to edit three streams of 4K video simultaneously.

Meanwhile, the tablet contains wireless connectivity with 802.11 ac Wi-Fi capabilities with MIMO technology and support for a range of LTE bands.

7. Productivity Apps

During the event, Apple brought rival company Microsoft on stage to show off how the Redmond, Wash.-based company's productivity apps will work on iOS. Microsoft Office is one of the few apps on the iPad Pro that will drive productivity in the enterprise.

Apple also gave a demo for three Adobe apps running simultaneously on the iPad Pro, for customers in the graphic design market. The apps included Photoshop Fix, for photo editing; drawing app Photoshop Sketch; and Comp, for jotting out quick ideas.

8. iPad Mini 4

In addition to the iPad Pro, Apple quietly revealed the iPad Mini 4 as an upgrade to its iPad Mini lineup. This tablet, which Apple said packs the power and performance of the iPad Air 2, will be available for $399, weighs 0.65 pounds, and is 18 percent thinner than its predecessor, at 6.1 mm.

The iPad Mini 4, which is available, also has a second-generation, 64-bit A8 chip and Touch ID.

9. iOS 9 On The iPad Pro

The iPad Pro will run on iOS 9 -- Apple's newest operating system, to be released Sept. 16. This operating system contains features specifically for the tablet, including multitasking features like picture-in-picture and split-view screen view.

IOS 9 also includes built-in apps, like a redesigned Notes app, a transit information Maps app and improved Siri features.

10. Shipping/Cost

The iPad Pro, available in November, will run from $799 for the 32-GB version to $1,079 for the 128-GB version.

The tablet will come in three metallic finishes, including silver, gold and space gray, and will be available through Apple Authorized Resellers in addition to at the company’s retail stores. The Apple Pencil, iPad Pro Silicone Cases and Smart Keyboard will all be available in November as well.