NEW YORK, N.Y. – Apple’s new iPad brings PC-like trackpad capabilities for the first time, as the company seeks to make its tablet even more like a laptop computer.
Apple says the trackpad will offer more precision than fingers in selecting text and switching between apps. Older iPads will also be able to get trackpad capabilities with a free software update, but some will require keyboards from third parties.
For the iPad Pro, Apple is releasing a “magic keyboard” with a trackpad in May starting at $299. The tablet itself starts at $799, while an Apple Pencil stylus costs another $129, bringing the combined cost closer to that of a Mac laptop.