The A-List: Where Work Meets Play

Tablet sales might have stagnated almost ever since our smartphone displays have expanded. But lead players like Apple and Samsung have added serious productivity tools to their tabs, making them a viable work + play device

- Ashwin Rajagopalan

IPAD PRO:

The new iPad Pro represents a big performance leap for the tab. At its heart is Apple’s new A12Z Bionic chip. The eight-core GPU in the A12Z Bionic, along with an enhanced thermal architecture and tuned performance controllers, leaves many laptops in the shade. This eight-core CPU teams up with the powerful Neural Engine, which enables next-generation apps and offers speedier LTE and Wi-Fi connections. The new Pro sports an edge-to-edge Liquid Retina display (it comes in two sizes: 11 inches and 12.9 inches) that’s one of the most advanced on any portable device. Whether you’re watching videos or gaming, the 120Hz display that features P3 wide colour support adds to its immersive appeal. Other |display highlights include Apple’s proprietary True Tone high brightness and an anti-reflective coating for a stellar viewing experience.

Although cameras are not a big purchase driver for tablets, it’s good to have a capable shooter handy. The camera set-up includes a 12MP lens that also shoots 4K video and a new 10MP ultra-wide cam that zooms out two times for a much wider field of view. The device’s AR capabilities get a boost with the new LiDAR Scanner. iPad OS 13.4 adds trackpad support to iPad enhancing its productivity creds. Apple has also added a new Magic Keyboard to its suite of iPad Pro accessories.