• iStore has announced the launch of pre-orders for the latest iPad Pro and iPad Air that Apple showcased only this week.
• The M4-powered iPad Pro starts at R22 99, with the highest specced model costing R61 398 on pre-order.
• The new tablets are expected to ship to customers in South Africa from mid-June.

This week was a significant one for tablets, as both Apple and Huawei showcased new hardware made with creatives in mind. While we still await news on when Huawei’s new MatePad 11.5″ S will land in South Africa, Apple has wasted no time in launching pre-orders for the iPad Pro, iPad Air, and Pencil Pro.

This as iStore South Africa sent out newsletters to customers this morning alerting them of the pre-orders going live on its site.

The iPad Pro is our main focus for now, particularly as it features new silicon in the form of the M4 chipset, along with being thinner than the new iPad Air, and featuring a new stylus to pair with it (sold separately of course).

In usual Apple fashion, this new hardware does not come cheap, as pre-orders for the latest flagship tablet start at R22 999. There are also multiple specification options available, with as many as 48 skews up for pre-order. This is because the lineup features different sized tablets – 11″ or 13″ – along with WiFi and Cellular flavours, as well as choices for the type of screen.

As such, the top specced iPad Pro you can pre-order right now costs R59 999, with it increasing to R61 398 if you add the iCare Plus Protection. You can also put down R12 000 instead of paying full price now to secure a unit for yourself and worry about paying the balance when devices begin shipping to customers.

Speaking of which, iStore South Africa expects to start sending devices to customers from mid-June, although no precise date is mentioned at the time of writing.

In terms of what R60k of tablet buys you, this is the specification of the top-of-the-range M4-powered iPad Pro: