The new 9.7-inch iPad Pro has been launched by Apple, which touts it as similar to iPad Air 2 but much lighter-less than a pound in fact-and much more dynamic in terms of specs.

As to the price and availability, the iPad Pro 9.7 is being offered starting at $599 and pre-orders can already be made on Mar. 24 until its eventual release on Mar. 31.

According to 9 to 5 Mac, the 9.7-inch iPad Pro is bang for the buck based on the specs alone.

The camera, for example, is much better than its 12.9-inch predecessor. While the previous model has 8MP iSight camera, the new model boasts of a 12MP cam. The 5MP front camera also trumps the old model which had a 1.2MP cam.

One of the most anticipated specs for the 9.7-inch iPad Pro, however, is the retina display which was a welcome news given the price of the new model. The new technology is billed to be 25% brighter and 40% less reflective compared to the iPad Air 2.

The other specs for the 9.7-inch iPad Pro are:

64-bit A9X chip

Four-speaker audio system

4K video

True Tone display

'Always On' Siri

LTE Advanced

CNet noted that Apple announcing the availability of the 9.7-inch iPad Pro is a welcome development in a year that it described as a slow one for tablets.

The US price for the 9.7-inch iPad Pro varies. The device cost starts at $599 for 32GB variant, $749 for 128GB and $899 for 256GB, which is Apple's first in terms of specs.