The new iPad Pro, iMac, Apple TV 4K, and Siri Remote are now available

Several new Apple products announced earlier this month are now available for sale and shipping at the Apple Store and various other retailers.

The new products include the new 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models, a revised Apple TV 4K, a completely redesigned iMac with a 24-inch screen, and a radically redesigned Siri Remote that is compatible with older Apple TV devices.

While these devices are available for order, some are in short supply, so they aren’t all necessarily shipping today.

iPad Pro

The new iPad Pro looks about the same on the outside, but on the inside, it offers substantially improved performance compared to its predecessor.

That’s thanks to Apple’s new M1 chip, which was previously seen in new Macs. We found that the chip offers around 50 percent better CPU performance than the 2020 iPad Pro’s A12Z chip, which was already a leader of the pack among tablet hardware.

The iPad Pro comes in two sizes: 11 inches and 12.9 inches. The former doesn’t introduce many changes from older models besides the inclusion of the M1 and the addition of a 5G option, but the 12.9-inch iPad Pro uses a new display technology, called Mini LED, that significantly improves the contrast, black levels, and color compared to last year’s iPad Pro.

The 11-inch iPad Pro starts at $799, and the 12.9-inch starts at $1,099. Supplies are comparatively limited on that new display, so the 12.9-inch iPad Pro shipments are currently backed up several weeks, even though Apple is taking orders today.

The 11-inch model is shipping within a week or two.

24-inch iMac

The new low-end iMac has a radical new look, with clean lines, sharp edges (the all-in-one’s old curved design is gone), and a bunch of bright new colors that delight some would-be buyers and put off others. It also bumps the screen size from 21.5 inches to just shy of 24.

The star of the show, though, is the same M1 chip found in the iPad Pro. It should offer dramatically better performance than users saw in the old 21.5-inch iMac.

The 24-inch iMac starts at $1,299, but the most decked-out configuration goes for $2,499. While Apple is taking orders today, demand appears to be greater than supply, so shipment dates are anywhere from three to six weeks from now in the US, depending on the configuration.

We’re working on our 24-inch iMac review now, so look out for that in the coming days.

Apple TV 4K

Apple first introduced the Apple TV 4K almost four years ago. When we reviewed it, we liked many of its features and praised its picture quality, but we also felt that it was priced steeply compared to competitors.

The new version announced earlier this month is by many measures a modest update; it won’t be a radically different device for watching TV and movies, and it’s still pricey.

For example, users who were hoping for 120 Hz support from the Apple TV 4K were disappointed. “High framerate HDR,” as Apple calls the improvement in this model, simply means 60 frames per second when displaying content in HDR standards like Dolby Vision.

That letdown aside, the new Apple TV 4K is considerably faster than its predecessor, which should make playing Apple Arcade games a much better experience. And for many people, the best part will be the new remote.

The Apple TV 4K costs $179 with 32GB of storage and $200 with 64GB. Apple’s online store is taking orders now, and the orders are currently shipping within one business day in the US.

Siri Remote

There’s no question that the Siri Remote that shipped with the Apple TV until recently was controversial. Its touchpad allowed for easier scrolling through large lists of content than other remotes, but it also lacked precision for easy text input, among other problems.

Apple has redesigned the remote, combining the positives of its touch features with what users liked about older Apple TV remotes.

As noted above, the remote is the most visible change to the recently refreshed Apple TV 4K. The Siri Remote is included in the box with new orders of the current Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD models, but it also supports previously shipped Apple TV HD and Apple TV 4K models, so you can buy it on its own if you want.

Sold on its own, the remote costs $59. While Apple is taking orders for the new remote right now, shipping dates are currently one to two weeks out in the US online Apple Store.