The third generation of iPad Pro was announced on October 30, 2018, and was made available in two screen sizes: and. They feature full-screen displays, with the 11-inch model replacing the 10.5-inch model of the previous generation. They also feature up to 1 TB of storage and Face ID using a sensor array on the top bezel which, unlike iPhone models featuring Face ID, can unlock the iPad in any orientation. Due to not having Touch ID, these devices are the first iPads to lack a physical button on the front.
Features
The third generation of iPad Pro was announced on October 30, 2018, during an Apple Special Event at the Howard Gilman Opera House in Brooklyn, New York. The redesigned 2018 models feature new edge-to-edge Liquid Retina displays, Face ID, improved 12MP and 7MP cameras, USB-C connector, and Apple A12X Bionic processors. The tablets are offered in 11-inch and 12.9-inch sizes, and are the first iPad models to offer tap-to-wake LCD displays, and up to 1 TB of internal storage. Additionally, the third-generation tablets lack both Touch ID and a headphone jack, the former having been superseded by Face ID. The tablets were released on November 7, 2018 and are only available in silver and space gray. It is notably the thinnest iPad Pro ever at a thickness of 5.9mm.
Reception
The third-generation iPad Pro models were praised for their better displays, slimmed bezels, the addition of Face ID and general speed as well as CPU improvements. Ben Sin from Forbes noted that although the screen is still an LCD screen, the 120 Hz refresh rate makes it feel more smooth. The switch to USB-C connectors received mixed reviews; external monitor support and device charging were added at the cost of extra dongles to use older cables and headphones. Some reviewers noted that although the hardware updates are great steps forward, iOS's limitations, including the lack of external storage capabilities, prevents the third generation from competing against computers. Its high prices were also criticized. iPadOS addresses the lack of external storage on supported iPads by adding support for external storage.
