It’s been just over two weeks since the launch of the M4 iPad Pro, which means it’s time for a longer-term review of the updated OLED display, AI-focused processor, super-slim design and new additions that include the Apple Pencil Pro and Magic Keyboard.
The design of the new iPad Pro is probably the best feature overall, and the drop in weight and thickness makes all the difference whether you’re traveling or just using the iPad at home. At 5.1mm, the 13-inch iPad Pro is Apple’s thinnest device to date, and a tablet of this size and thickness is still impressive. Two weeks later, there’s no sign of “bendgate” thanks to the reinforced rib that Apple included under the hood. Of course, there’s an argument to be made that some people would prefer a larger battery over a thinner design.
Apple has moved the front-facing camera to the landscape side of the iPad Pro, and it’s a small but significant change. If you use your iPad with the keyboard in landscape orientation, but have had to awkwardly flip it to portrait mode for a FaceTime call, this is a tweak you’ll appreciate. It’s much more natural than treating the iPad like a giant iPhone.
The iPad Pro OLED screen has no competition. It’s by far the best screen Apple has put into an iPad, and you won’t find a better tablet screen available than competing products. Apple used tandem OLED technology (basically stacking two OLED screens on top of each other), and the brightness and contrast are unmatched. Movies look amazing, the iPad does well in bright light, and HDR makes images stand out.
Compared to the previous generation iPad Pro with a mini-LED screen, the OLED screen is better, but not so much that it’s worth upgrading just for that reason. Coming from an LCD, the difference is much more noticeable.
The latest iPad Pro with an M2 chip is incredibly fast, and the M4 is even faster, based on benchmarks. You won’t find much that makes the most of the M4’s processor in everyday use, but you’ll see higher numbers on benchmarks comparing the M4 iPad Pro to the M2 iPad Pro. Editing videos and creating tracks in Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro is super fast with the M4, but it was also super fast with the M2. Perhaps the M4 chip will shine when iPadOS 18 is updated with a slew of new AI features, but for now it’s overkill.
Apple has thrown in both an Ultra Wide camera and mmWave 5G in this version of the iPad Pro, and most people probably won’t miss these features. The question of whether a 13-inch tablet needs any rear camera is unclear, and mmWave 5G speeds are still quite limited in availability. Sub 6GHz 5G remains, and that’s fast enough for downloads, streaming and gaming.
In terms of accessories, the Apple Pencil Pro is basically the same as the Apple Pencil 2, but with a few new tricks. You can pinch to bring up menus so you don’t have to go hunting for settings to do things like change line thickness or color, and there’s a barrel roll feature that basically does things like change line thickness when you tilt the Apple Pencil to behave more like a real writing or drawing tool. Find My might be the most useful addition so you can find the Apple Pencil if it goes missing, and it’s also nice to have Haptic Feedback.
The Magic Keyboard looks more like a Mac thanks to its larger glass touchpad and aluminum palm rest. The trackpad is more comfortable to use than before, and the function keys are also a big plus for controlling media, changing screen brightness, and more without having to dig into the Settings app or Control Center.
Not surprisingly, the iPad Pro is without a doubt Apple’s best iPad and arguably the best tablet on the market. The main drawback is the price, with the 11-inch model starting at $999 and the 13-inch starting at $1,299. Those are Mac prices, and while the iPad hardware is worth it, it’s a lot to pay for the limitations you’re stuck with when using iPadOS. There are workflows that work with a tablet, but many people won’t be able to trade a Mac for an iPad.
You also have to shell out for the 1TB+ iPad Pro if you want maximum performance, as the 1TB and 2TB models have an extra CPU core (10 cores vs. 9 cores) and 16GB of RAM instead of 8GB.