Monday, 28 September 2015
Apple have recently unveiled a brand new, flagship model of the iPad. The iPad Pro is said to be Apple's largest mobile device to date! This new venture has brought two of the biggest names in the co
Apple recently unveiled a brand new model of the iPad, known as the iPad Pro. The new device comes with a huge 12.9 inch screen, a ‘smart keyboard’ and a new stylus which has been dubbed the Apple Pencil.
The iPad Pro is powered by Apple’s new A9x chip, which aims to provide desktop functionality and performance but in tablet form. It also offers high quality graphics, much like those provided by video games consoles. But this isn't all it has to offer – the new iPad Pro comes with none other than Microsoft Office already installed.
No you didn’t read that wrong! Despite the iPad Pro being a direct competitor for Microsoft’s very own Surface Pro 3 (which comes with a 12-inch screen, stylus and keyboard cover) the company has said that the collaboration will ‘really transform the way people work on these kinds of devices.’
Equipped with the Microsoft Office productivity suite, the iPad Pro is being compared to laptops, rather than other tablets, much like the Surface Pro 3 and gives users flexible functionality to complete tasks on-the-go like never before.
One of the great things about the iPad Pro and Microsoft Office is that it allows for multi-tasking. With a split view mode, users can compare two apps alongside each other, which mean they can work on PowerPoint and Excel documents simultaneously or whilst also keeping their Outlook application for email open while working with a Word document. It’s taking productivity to a whole new level!
New Office apps for iPad and iPhone
However, it’s not just iPad Pro users that are benefiting from this new strategy from Microsoft. The company has also recently updated both iPhone and iPad apps, so that users’ search results include both values from Outlook emails and notes from OneNote too. Whether you have typed, written or scanned in your OneNote notes, you will be able to access and view them directly from your device.
Microsoft Outlook and Translator updates for Apple Watch
Owners of the Apple Watch will also soon see advances in Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft’s Translator Application. V2 of Apple’s WatchOS allows incoming emails and appointments to be viewed from the watch face. You also can use the watch’s Time Travel Features for checking future scheduled appointments.
Users of Microsoft’s Translator app on the Apple Watch have the opportunity of listening to translations that they have pinned. This means that if you’re in a different country, you’ll be able to learn common phrases, based on where you live and the hour of the day.
Release Dates
The team at Grant McGregor certainly believe that Microsoft has made a great move by collaborating with Apple and it just goes to show that market competitors don’t always need to be strictly rivals. Both Apple and Microsoft get something out of it and its definately great news for users of both Apple technology and Microsoft products.
The new versions of Microsoft’s Office apps and Translator are expected to launch simultaneously with WatchOS 2 and iOS 9. Apple certainly likes a big launch day and that day was the 16th September 2015.
The new iPad Pro is available in store to purchase from November 2015. Prices will start at $799 for the 32GB model and $949 for the 128GB model. Consumers will also be able to purchase a Wi-Fi and cellular 128GB model for the price of $1079.
If you’re interested in learning how you can utilise the new Microsoft Office suite for the iPad Pro get in touch with us here at Grant McGregor today
Image credits: Martin uit Utrecht and Macrumors
