The 2018 iPad Pro was transformative for the iPad. But like all things tech, we adapt and we move on. We seek ever more capable, ever more impressive devices that push the boundaries of what tech is capable of. Enter the 2024 iPad Pro.
Design
The moment I got my hands on the new 13-inch model, I was totally wowed! The change in weight has already made such a huge difference in how I use this device. I know lots of people are going to be talking about how sleek and thin it is. And yes, it’s super thin and looks absolutely amazing. But for me, the biggest game-changer has been the reduction in weight. It makes me want to use the device for longer and as a tablet. I largely used my M1 iPad Pro in conjunction with the Magic Keyboard. Historically, I found that prolonged use in tablet mode was cumbersome and uncomfortable.
I chose the 13-inch model in silver. The colour is striking, fresh, and clean. I’ve found that the midnight and space black colours tend to show fingerprints. While this may not bother some, I prefer to keep my device as free of unsightly smudges as possible. The silver anodised aluminium has so far done an excellent job of repelling oil. The display, however, is a different story. Despite this, the oleophobic coating is still highly effective and makes cleaning the screen a breeze.
One delightful tweak you’ll notice is that Apple has smoothed out the corner radii of the active display area. This little touch ensures that the display now aligns seamlessly with the rounded corner of the case. It’s a subtle shift, but it does a world of good in lending the design an updated, modern, and more functional feel. This might even be the secret behind Apple’s claim of a full 13” screen from corner to corner.
Performance
When it comes to performance, the iPad Pro M4 is incredibly fast. This is not to say that the previous M2 or M1 generations were slow. iPadOS is highly efficient at managing RAM, and even users of 2018 models with an A12X chip report a satisfactory experience to this day. Apple introduced the M4 chip to the iPad before the Mac, which might seem like an unexpected decision. However, Apple asserts that the M4 includes a custom display engine required to power the new ‘Ultra Retina XDR Display’.
Regardless of the rationale, the new iPad Pro handles any task I throw at it effortlessly. This includes editing raw photography in Affinity Photo, adding live filters and LUTs, and editing templates in Affinity Designer.
Many people argue that the iPad’s performance is underutilised and suggest that it should run macOS. However, I firmly believe that the iPad should have its own unique operating system. In my opinion, custom operating systems designed for specific hardware enhance the user experience. Forcing macOS onto an iPad would introduce numerous design issues. The user interface of macOS is not designed for comfortable touch targets. Attempting to minimise a Mac window with my finger? I’d rather not.
That said, I believe there are many areas where iPadOS needs to improve. For example, just today I found it overly complicated to install a custom font. The need to search for an appropriate app to install a font seems unnecessary. Why can’t it be installed via settings as on a Mac? Similarly, a close friend of mine who uses Logic Pro would like to use plugins on an iPad. However, that remains a no go, even with a new version of Logic on the horizon.
For users who just want an amazing, fast tablet for day to day computing, you’ll be thrilled with the iPad Pro. Certain power users for specific workflows will too. Others will enjoy the iPad as a complimentary device but lament the limitations of iPadOS. I’m certainly the latter but I’m not advocating for macOS on iPad. Let’s see what WWDC 2024 has in store!
Display
The display is killer. Without question this is the best display on a device of this class. It isn’t even close. Apple has leveraged what it refers to as ‘tandem OLED’ technology, essentially stacking two OLED panels on top of one another to create a brighter display. Traditional OLED panels of this size can suffer from low brightness. Not so the new iPad Pro. Hitting 1000 nits of brightness for standard use and a peak brightness of 1600 nits when watching HDR content.
Brightness aside, the blacks are perfect and blend seamlessly with the display bezel. The colours are vivid, accurate and strike a good balance between saturation and realism. It isn’t overly saturated and Apple’s calibration is excellent. The built in reference modes will be welcomed by folks that need to do expert colour grading too.
Accessories and tidbits
- The Apple Pencil Pro is a great update. The haptic feedback feels surprisingly ‘button like’ when using the new squeeze gesture. And there are some nice haptics when using the double tap gesture too. I haven’t come across haptics elsewhere just yet but perhaps it’ll be something implemented by 3rd party developers.
- I really like the new Magic Keyboard. The larger trackpad with multi level haptic feedback is a welcome change. It feels much more like a Mac trackpad now which is a good thing! It also adds an aluminium palm rest for a more premium, durable feel. We’ve even got a function row now too! 🙌 I’m particularly enamoured with the weigh reduction. When combined with the iPad Pro it feels so much more comfortable and enjoyable to use and carry around now.
- I was surprised to see that no power brick was included in the box. Which was unusual considering I’d seen one inlcuded in some of the unboxing videos on YouTube. Perhaps its region specific…have I missed an option at check out? Comment below if you happen to know.
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