iPad Pro First(ish) Impressions

*The fastest, thinnest, bestest iPad ever!*

Hello! Thanks for stumbling across this entry, which provides my first impressions of the new iPad Pro. If you haven't had your fill of YouTube videos, podcasts, and even other blogs reviewing the new iPad Pro and have decided to read further, thank you so much.

I ordered my 11-inch iPad Pro for in-store pickup on May 15, but due to a couple of marathon work shifts, I only had a chance to begin using the product 3-4 days later, the box taunting me day after day. As of this writing, I've been using the 11-inch iPad Pro for ~10 days and wanted to share some of my early impressions about the iPad itself, the Magic Keyboard, the new Apple Pencil Pro, and a few other miscellaneous details. I'll generally steer clear of the whole "iPadOS should/shouldn't run MacOS" debate, but I will share a few thoughts on my use of iPads in general amongst the ecosystem of Apple Products.

Long Overdue Update

567 Days

It's been 567 days since we last got an iPad Pro update, which at the time was a very modest update (M2, Apple Pencil Hover) from the April 2021 update of the iPad Pro, which updated the tablet to include 5G, Thunderbolt 4, an M1 chip, and a mini-LED display for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro. A lot of pent-up anticipation was riding on Apple knocking this iPad update out of the park.

It’s Still an iPad

The iPad Pro is the nicest incarnation of an iPad I've used to date, but in saying that, it's still an iPad. Any glows and groans you had about the iPad or iPadOS, this iPad has; it just has it in a much, much nicer package than before. So consider that if you are considering on purchasing this device.

iPad Pro

Thinnest. Apple Product. ever.

It's remarkable how the new iPad Pro feels in the hand. I'm using the 11-inch model, which is 5.3mm (.6mm thinner than the previous thinnest iPad, at 5.9mm). As thin as it feels, this iPad is still not as thin as the 5.1mm 13-inch model, the thinnest Apple product ever produced. It's hard to express, but that .6mm difference from the previous generation to the current model feels very noticeable in the hand, and the reduction is enough to give the impression that this is a significantly different product from any previous generation.

M4

I've used M-based iPad Pros before and am very accustomed to their performance, but the speed at which apps open and the fluidity of how the interface responds still caught me off guard. These iPads feel shockingly zippy compared to even the previous M2-generation iPad Pro. Apple claims these iPads are nearly 50% faster than the M2, and GeekBench benchmarks (M4: 3767 Single-Core, 14677 Multi-Core vs. M2: 2544 Single-Core, 9651 M2 Multi-Core) support this claim. I haven't put the iPad through enough paces (and I am not a very demanding iPad user) to expertly see how these improvements benefit daily use, but M4 is absolute overkill for an iPad. Buckle up; this svelte tablet is quick!

OLED

Okay, don't come at me, but I always preferred the iPad Pros LCD over the 12.9-inch iPad Pros Mini-LED display because the blooming was too annoying to overlook. On the MacBook Pro it's less noticeable, perhaps the result of different use cases, improved panel, or viewing content from further away? Still, on the 12.9" iPad Pro I hated seeing the characteristic squares of light around any illuminated pixel. With OLED, that's all gone, and the result is a display that looks much crisper. Moving from LCD to OLED doesn't stun me the same way moving from non-retina to retina did, but the overall impression I get from looking at the two panels side by side is that this is noticeably the best display Apple has ever shipped on a tablet.

Nano-Texture

I got the 'Standard Glass' version of the display and, unfortunately, haven't had a chance to see or play with Apple's +100$ Nano-texture option (exclusive to 1 & 2TB models).

Ultra Wide MIA

Apple removed the 10MP Ultra Wide camera from the device it introduced in 2020. I've never actually taken a photo with that camera, so I can't complain that it's gone.

Binning

Not all iPad Pros are created equal. Previously, the 1TB models of the iPad Pro featured additional RAM, but this year, the higher storage options offer even more differentiation. Again, the 1 & 2TB models feature 16GB of RAM compared to 8GB on the 256 and 512GB models, and they are the only storage tiers that have the Nano-texture optional add-on, and they get four performance cores (vs. three on the 256 & 512GB models). I'm willing to bet that how this affects the day-to-day usability of the device for most users is likely imperceptible. Still, you might see some incremental bumps with gaming or when doing more intensive CPU tasks. Lastly, and I will die on this hill, but 8GB of RAM needs to stop being a thing. I don't care how well Apple optimizes the OS for memory; it looks stingy and cheap. Stop it!

Battery Life

I am impressed with the M4 iPad Pros battery—the standby time appears longer, and I can use it without changing for 2-3 days despite the battery life appearing similarly sized (M4: 38.99 vs. M2: 40.33 Wh on the 13-inch and M4: 31.29 vs. M2: 28.65 Wh on the 11-inch iPad). I felt my outgoing iPad was beginning to drain rather quickly, but that's likely due to the battery already having 100s of charge cycles taken out of it over the years. It's not that I think the iPad battery life is terrible, but I believe that once awe-inducing 10-hour battery life has lost a bit of its cachet. I would have liked to have seen a thicker iPad with more battery; perhaps keep it at the old thickness and bump up the battery by 3-5 hours, but that instantly adds undesirable weight to the device.

Magic Keyboard

Premium Palm Rests

Resting your hands on the aluminum palm rests is much more pleasant than on the polyurethane of the previous Magic Keyboard, resulting in a keyboard that feels more premium than it did before (which I think is a fair ask for an accessory that begins at $300). I'm also glad Apple decided against raising the price given this material upgrade.

Harder to Open

The new Magic Keyboard is much harder to open than the previous generation. If you have yet to try but have a MacBook on hand, try opening the display from the edge rather than the notch near the centre. I can't manage to open the iPad one-handed and fear the corner where the aluminum palm rest and polyurethane meet separating with the wear and tear from opening the device over time (there’s no evidence that this could occur, just my anxiety that it could).

Function Row

I appreciate the added function key row—it's substantially lowered the friction of skipping songs, accessing dictation, or adjusting volume while using the device. The keyboard has been designed and balanced so that the iPad now has less of a cantilevered overhang, enabling the room for this added row of keys to exist.

Lock Key Mishaps

I was worried that I would inadvertently push the lock key on the function row, which is right above the regularly pressed delete key, but after nearly two weeks, the count for unintended presses remains at 0.

Colour

I was conflicted about what keyboard to buy because I adore the Silver aluminum, which would match my iPad, but I was stressed about getting the white polyurethane exterior dirty. The black casing shows more grease, while the white is more unforgiving with stains and discolouration. Pick your poison.

Haptics

I hardly used the minuscule trackpad on the old Magic Keyboard, but this new haptic trackpad is fantastic! It's hands down the best feature of the new keyboard. It's significantly bigger - even on the 11-inch model; it's silent and very easy to depress, which are the three criticisms I had regarding the first Magic Keyboard. Previously, pressing the physical button trackpad sounded like a clap of thunder (I might be exaggerating) and required a forceful press to register a click. If you like the Magic Trackpad or the trackpad on your MacBook, you will adore this enhancement.

Wobble?

With the iPad pushed and balanced further back to allow for the function row to exist, you end up with an overall design that is more back-heavy and therefore, less balanced. As a result, there is a slight wobble when pressing the display with light-to-moderate force, though I haven't had much of an issue myself. I've heard of people applying little stickered nibs under the hinge, which dramatically increases the stability of the device.

Lapability (Grade: D)

Lapability was already precarious with the Previous generation iPad Pro & Magic Keyboard, and the design decisions to scoot the iPad back with the revamped Magic Keyboard to allow for a function row have exacerbated this issue. Unless you have flat thighs and ruler-straight legs that remain perfectly parallel to the ground, you will find using the iPad on you lap with Magic Keyboard quite challenging and anxiety-provoking.

Hinge

The hinge on the redesigned keyboard is exposed, unlike the previous generation, which was wrapped with polyurethane. I don't like this change—it's less aesthetically pleasing.

Scratching

*A thin gasket surrounds the key well to rest the iPad screen on.*

I was terrified about buying this iPad and having the glass display rest against the aluminum palm rests, but thankfully, there's a thin rubber gasket around the key well that is elevated ever so slightly and serves as a display rest for the screen. Phew.

Apple Pencil Pro

Magnets

The magnets for the Apple Pencil Pro feel ridiculously strong and noticeably grippier than the previous models. I never had a problem with the strength of the magnets before, but it caught me off guard when, one day, my iPad yoinked the Apple Pencil from my hand as I prepared to dock it (point facing down… naturally).

Shadow Overkill

*You can see the faint shadow of a fountain pen below the Apple Pencil.*

One feature, perhaps first but most famously noted by Snazzy Labs, is that the Apple Pencil Pro creates a digital shadow when used inside apps utilizing PencilKit, like Apple's Notes app. But there's more to the story because those shadows are actually detailed 3D renders of the tool the pencil mimics. There's overkill, and then there's this. If you put the most powerful chip inside a product, you might as well flaunt it in needlessly delightful ways.

Squeeze & Haptics

The squeeze gesture and its corresponding haptic are pleasant additions. Inside settings, you can adjust the sensitivity of the squeeze and also what action that gesture produces (e.g., showing tool or colour palettes, activating a Shortcut, etc.).

Misc.

Smart Keyboard Folio

Apple seems to be distancing itself from the Smart Keyboard Folio, even avoiding listing it as a compatible accessory with the new M2 iPad Airs (though it is). I'm sad that this accessory has been discontinued from the iPad lineup because I adored having a more lightweight & rugged keyboard for my iPad when out and about.

Update: When I looked online on May 27, Apple began listing the Smart Keyboard Folio as 'Sold Out' in some countries. A day later, when I visited my Apple Store, the merchandise was completely removed from the display iPads and store shelves.
Important to note: The new iPad Pro models (both 11 & 13-inch) are not compatible with the previous Smart Keyboard Folio, Magic Keyboard, or Smart Folio. The magnets on the new iPad Pro just don’t align in the same way, making these accessories incompatible.

12.9 to 13-inch

Thank Zeus, Apple is now calling the larger 12.9-inch iPad the 13-inch iPad. No, it didn't get .1-inch bigger; this was the one weird exception in Apple’s lineup that had this peculiarly exact measurement in its naming convention (the MacBook Air has a 13.5-inch display, but we always referred to it as the 13-inch).

Overall

Price

The new iPads start at $200 more than the outgoing models, though you get double the storage (256 vs. 128GB). However, once you add more storage and cellular and change the display, the iPad Pro can quickly balloon to $2,299 for the 11-inch and $2,599 for the 13-inch. The need to purchase entirely new accessories also significantly increases the entry price for this year's iPad Pro. Adding accessories like AppleCare ($149-169), a new Apple Pencil (only the old USB-C Apple Pencil is compatible; $129) and Magic Keyboard (Old models are not compatible; $299-349), adds nearly $650 to the price. With the strength of the US dollar and added taxes, the latest and greatest iPad Pro can be prohibitively more expensive in other countries. In my country, Canada, an iPad with all the fixings, after tax, breaks $5000.

Cellular

I opted for the cellular version, which is an extra $100 charge because having such a portable device to access the internet from anywhere is invaluable. I like the option of not or fiddling with tethering or relying on slower, unreliable and insecure public WiFi networks. The eSIM transfer was painless—I went to my carrier, who gave me a one-time QR code that uploaded the SIM onto my device. The whole process took 1-2 minutes (there is an option for an iPad to iPad SIM transfer, but my carrier did not support that).

What Does Pro Mean?

There are very few things a high-end Mac Pro can do that an entry-level MacBook Air can't. The Pro suffix on the Mac, oftentimes, is less a measure of bifurcating functionality but more a way of denoting power. Pro-level computers can do things quicker and handle more (tasks, layers, chrome tabs, etc.) simultaneously. Differentiation in power on iPads, already constrained in some ways by the design of the OS, is less evident. People, rightly or wrongly, expect that when they pay $2,500 for a tablet, it should function more like a MacBook Pro than an iPhone 15 Pro; it should have significantly more ability to get more things done faster.

However, Apple treats the iPad lineup like the iPhone, where moving up the price gradient increases the niceties you get with each tier more than it focuses on increasing the raw capabilities of the device. The iPad is the most basic (screen, camera, specs), the Air is best for most (as previous Pro features trickle down into it), while the Pro is the product that gets the best (the best camera, the best display, the best fit and finish, the most pencil features, the nicest keyboard). I think of it in terms of airplane class seating: they all get you to the same place, but the higher cost brings those quality-of-life improvements that make the experience better.

In Sum

The iPad is still not the sole device I recommend for myself, as I still value the flexibility of the Mac too much. But in saying that, the tasks I choose my iPad for—principally writing, watching media, mixed medium planning (e.g. Freeform), reading—I regularly find enjoying the experience far more than when I do them on a Mac. The iPad gives me a more intimate feeling of my content, and the Pro accentuates that with a much better display, significant weight reduction, thinness, and overall efficiency of M4. But that pleasure now comes at an increasingly high entry price, especially when you consider the addition of nearly $650 in optional accessories. There's nothing in the new iPad Pro that itself is a must-have feature, but if you have the money burning a hole in your pocket or appreciate paying a premium for the finer things in life, and are looking to update from a 2020 or earlier iPad Pro, then this tablet will be a joy to upgrade to.

- Written on iPad Pro.