May 14, 2024, 3:07 pm | Read time: 7 minutes
Until now, new generations of Apple Silicon (M-series chips) first appeared in Macs. But with the M4, the debut took place in an iPad for the first time. A test shows what this means in practice.
After an unusually long pause of more than a year, Apple introduced refreshed models of the iPad Pro and iPad Air series for 2024 in early May. The company used the time to implement a series of innovations. Whether the wait was worth it is shown in the practical test of the iPad Pro.
Completely Renewed Technology
For years, Apple used the same casing for the iPad Pro. The 11-inch model, for example, remained unchanged in its dimensions since 2018, with only minimal variations in weight. The iPad Pro 2024, however, is thinner and lighter than ever before, thanks to new technology. This is partly due to the energy-efficient M4 chip, which makes larger batteries unnecessary. But above all, the new OLED panels enable the slim design, as they do not require backlighting.
The new large iPad Pro (13 inches) now weighs only 582 grams, while the previous model weighed 685 grams. With a casing thickness of just 5.1 millimeters, it is the thinnest device Apple has ever built. The difference is not as drastic with the smaller 11-inch model from our test, but it is noticeably more comfortable in everyday use. The smaller iPad Pro has also slimmed down: It is now only 5.4 millimeters thick instead of 5.9 millimeters and weighs 447 grams. That’s nearly 50 grams less than the smaller iPad Pro model from 2022. We also found no drawbacks to the thin form factor. There were no doubts about the rigidity of the casing.
Read also: “Apple’s new iPad Pros are a step in the wrong direction for me”
Powerhouse iPad Pro 2024
With the M4 system, Apple has turned the iPad Pro into a veritable powerhouse. The chip system’s area responsible for artificial intelligence (“Neural Engine”) alone can perform up to 38 trillion calculations per second. The power of the M4 also benefits the screen quality. Apple is switching to OLED technology for the first time, which delivers brilliant colors, good contrasts, and rich black reproduction.
At the same time, Apple addresses a system disadvantage of OLED technology, namely the limited brightness. The larger a panel is, the lower the maximum brightness. This is also why TV manufacturers are heavily investing in micro-LED technology to build brighter TVs. Apple, however, uses a tandem OLED display. This involves two OLED displays stacked on top of each other to achieve higher brightness. This also means that the M4 chip has to drive twice as many pixels as before. Compared to the M2, the chip has two additional performance cores in the variants with 1 TB storage, or one additional core in the versions with 256 GB and 512 GB storage.
The M4 not only offers higher performance but is also very energy-efficient. Apple has increased the number of efficient cores from four to six. After the presentation of the extremely thin iPad Pro models, there was concern that battery life would deteriorate because significantly less space is available in the casing for the battery. In fact, the capacity has only slightly decreased in the larger 13-inch model. Apple says that the battery life should remain unchanged at an average of 10 hours. In our test, the iPad Pro even performed better than Apple claimed: The battery lasted 15 hours while browsing and even 16 hours when playing a stored movie in SDR quality. Ultimately, a single charge easily lasts through a workday.
Overdue Improvements
In addition to the major innovations–lightweight, powerful, and impressive energy efficiency–the iPad Pro also impressed with small improvements that were actually overdue. This includes the decision by iPad developers to finally place the selfie camera on the long side of the casing. This makes you appear much more natural in video conferences with Zoom, WebEx, Teams, or other platforms because you can look directly into the camera.
Other new features of the iPad Pro, however, require explanation. For example, the camera system on the back no longer includes the ultra-wide-angle lens that was present in the previous model. Now, a wide-angle camera has to suffice. However, there is now an adaptive flash that adjusts its intensity to the subject and distance. This flash is particularly useful for scanning documents with the iPad Pro. In addition to the main camera, there is still a LiDAR sensor that helps capture room conditions and better position objects in augmented reality (AR) applications.
With the thinner casing, there was no longer room for a conventional SIM card in the cellular variants of the iPad Pro. It is replaced by an eSIM. Technically, this is a step forward. Unfortunately, many mobile plans in Germany are not yet well adapted to the growing importance of the virtual SIM card, as providers sometimes charge annoying extra fees instead of actively promoting the shift to eSIM.
Apple charges 250 euros for the cellular option. Some customers who only go online in Wi-Fi hotspots and do not use an eSIM will also have to pay this amount. This group includes hobby pilots, sailors, or hikers who want to use GPS or other navigation satellites on their tours, which is only possible with the cellular models of the iPad Pro.
First Hands-On With the New Apple Devices
MacBook Air M2 Debuts with New Look and Long-Missed Ports
Apple Pencil: Press Me!
The iPad Pro is enhanced by two newly designed input devices, the new Apple Pencil Pro and the Magic Keyboard. The new stylus may not look different from the 2nd generation, but you can now “squeeze” it in the lower third to activate functions. Drawing programs can display a tool palette, allowing you to quickly adjust brush size, for example. You get haptic feedback, making the operation very intuitive.
The Pencil now also recognizes rotation along the longitudinal axis. By rotating it, you can change the brush stroke. Unfortunately, the new Pencil is not compatible with older iPads, and the 2nd generation Pencil does not work with the new iPad Pro. That’s a shame.
The same goes for the new Magic Keyboard. The revamped keyboard now features an aluminum frame instead of coated plastic and is closer to the MacBook keyboard. The larger trackpad with haptic feedback contributes significantly to this. When folded, the combination of iPad and keyboard case is still a millimeter thicker than a MacBook Air M2 and weighs 1,026 grams, less than the lightest MacBook (1.24 kg). In practical tests, the keyboard impressed with a pleasant and precise keystroke.
Conclusion
Apple touts the new iPad Pro as the most important update in the history of its tablet. This is, of course, an exaggeration, as the relaunch of the iPad Pro in 2018 was even more significant–also because the angular design introduced then is still used today.
However, the iPad Pro 2024 still managed to impress in practical tests. There is currently no faster chip or better portable display in the Apple universe. The technology of the iPad Pro also has enormous reserves, for example, for upcoming AI applications that may be introduced at the Apple Developer Conference WWDC in June. However, if you primarily use a tablet to consume media, you don’t need that much power and would be better off with an iPad Air or the entry-level iPad.
Prices for the iPad Pro start at just under 1,200 euros for the 11-inch model from our test and begin at just under 1,550 euros for the 13-inch device. In the highest configuration with 2 terabytes of storage, cellular, and matte nano-texture glass, the price reaches nearly 3,140 euros.
With material from dpa