Apple announced new versions of several of its hit products last week: the iPad Pro and Macbook Air computer.
The tech giant’s first major design upgrade in years to these products has the internet buzzing with typical excitement.
At the top-of-the-line of Apple’s iPad offerings, the new iPad Pro has adopted many of the latest iPhones’ design and specs.
It’s also got a number of features that agents should know about:
New screens
There are two sizes of the new iPad Pro, 11-inch and 12.9-inches, respectively. The 11-inch model has a larger display than the previous 10.5-inch iPad Pro, obviously, but it is the same overall dimensions and weight as before. Apple says the screen designs on both are “all-new,” using better glass and display technologies for sharper, more vivid and lifelike images.
USB-C connector replaces Lightning connector for recharging the iPad
The new iPad Pro uses USB-C, the same type of port that is found on new Macbook laptops, for recharging. This replaces the standard “Lightning” connector found on older iPads and iPhones.
While this may be annoying for all those hoping to use their old charging cables, Apple ships a new one with the device, and notes that the switch to USB-C means that the iPad Pro can now more easily drive an external display and connect to other peripherals. It can even be used to charge your iPhone, which may be handy for Realtors on the go.
iOS 12 with Group FaceTime
Apple’s popular video calling app FaceTime is getting a major upgrade in the release of its latest software update for iPads and iPhones, iOS 12. Now those with newer devices and the iOS 12 update installed can invite up to 32(!) people at once to join the same video conference call.
Again, for agents and Realtors looking to connect with multiple colleagues or clients at once, this should be pretty handy.
Face ID
Like the iPhone, Apple has done away with the the iconic home button, and instead gave the iPad Pro Face ID. To unlock the device, you simply hold it up near your face or stare at the camera.
Ultra-thin
On the aesthetic side, the new iPad’s tapered, slim look that could fits right in at any listing showing or client meeting. It’s just 5.9 millimeters thick, the thinnest iPad yet made.
Better augmented reality support
Augmented reality (AR) has been steadily creeping its way into more and more fields, including real estate. The technology — in which digital graphics appear to take up space in the real world view of a smartphone or other computing device, such as a virtual chair sitting in a room that you can walk around and inspect as it it were really there — has so far mainly been used for staging, furnishing, and shopping apps.
Apple is a big backer of the tech, and it says the new iPad Pro is the best device for AR so far, with “advanced cameras and sensors and improved four-speaker audio” and a better processor to drive the display of the 3D virtual objects.
No headphone jack
Like recent iPhone models, Apple has done away with the once-standard 3.5-millimeter audio headphone jack for wired earphones and headphones to plug into. Instead, it requires wireless headphones, such as Apple’s $159 AirPods.
Other Apple news
Apple is even giving its Mac line a refresher, with the MacBook Air and Mac Mini getting a face lift during this round of updates. So even those looking for a more “substantial” machine than an iPad can have their FaceID and other iOS-native features at the office.
“Technology has changed the way we communicate with the customer in literally all ways,” Craig Hogan of Coldwell Banker said during Luxury Connect earlier this month. “Everything can be done now on an iPad or a phone, for the most part, so it’s a thing we must embrace.”
Hogan went on to stress how important not only for communication but even optics, another reason realtors choose to display the latest tech.
“I saw a presentation recently where an MLS copy was printed at the office and had a Post-It note on it to make a point,” he said. “I just felt embarrassed for the agent. Everyone has access to everything in an instant, and we need to get with that concept.”
That said, as always luxury and convenience comes at a price. While the iPad Pro is an impressive conversation starter, it may take the budget of a luxury firm to justify its cost. The latest iteration of the iPad Pro starts at $799.