Apple’s new iPad Pro is thin and fast, but the software needs an update

Apple‘s
new

iPad
Pro
and
iPad
Air
models
launch
Wednesday.
I’ve
been
testing
the
new
iPad
Pro
for
several
days,
and
what
I
found
is
that
it’s
a
very
nice
iPad.

This
is
an
important
launch
for
Apple.
Earlier
this
month,
the
company

reported
a
16%
year-over-year
drop
in
iPad
revenue
for
its
fiscal
second
quarter.
Apple
hasn’t
rolled
out
a
new
iPad
since
October
2022.

The
new
iPad
Pro
is
fast,
with
the
latest
M4
chip,
and
it
has
a
new
OLED
display
that’s
more
colorful
than
prior
screens.
It’s
the
thinnest
product
Apple
has
ever
launched.

But
it
still
runs
the
same
iPad
software,
and
that’s
starting
to
feel
dated.
The
fully
loaded
model
I
tested
costs
about
$2,499.
That’s
before
you
add
the
$350
keyboard
and
$129
Apple
Pencil
Pro,
which
will
help
you
get
more
out
of
the
device.

It’s
time
Apple
makes
this
more
than
just
an
iPad.
The
software,
called
iPadOS,
needs
to
catch
up
to
the
hardware.

Here’s
what
you
need
to
know
about
it.

The
new
iPad
Pros
cost
$200
more
than
the
models
they
replaced.
I
tested
the
larger
13-inch
iPad
Pro,
which
starts
at
$1,299
before
storage
and
5G
upgrades.
The
11-inch
model
starts
at
$999.

The
first
thing
I
noticed
when
I
picked
it
up
was
its
thinness.
It’s
noticeable
compared
with
the
M1
iPad
Pro
I’ve
used
for
the
past
several
years.
And
it’s
lighter.
That’s
especially
nice
on
the
13-inch
model,
which
replaces
the
12.9-inch
version.
I
always
thought
it
felt
too
heavy
and
clunky
to
use
as
a
tablet.
It
still
feels
big,
but
it’s
more
manageable.

The
new
OLED
screen
is
another
highlight.
It’s
clear
and
super
colorful.
It’s
similar
to
the
OLED
screen
Apple
has
used
on
its
iPhone
Pros
for
years
but
not
on
iPads.
The
screen
adapts,
getting
brighter
in
dark
movies
or
showing
scenes
with
explosions.
And
professional
video
and
photo
editors
will
appreciate
its
color
accuracy.
I
loved
using
it
for
movies
and
while
playing
Diablo
Immortal.
The
game
will
look
better
once
Activision
Blizzard
releases
an
update
enabling
improved
graphics
for
the
M4
iPad
Pro.
The
four
stereo
speakers
sound
nice
and
loud
but
not
tinny.

The
camera
is
finally
in
the
right
place.
It’s
along
the
landscape
edge
of
the
iPad
so
that,
when
it’s
propped
up,
it’s
dead
center
for
FaceTime
calls.
It
used
to
be
on
the
top
of
the
iPad,
forcing
that
awkward
glance
to
the
side
during
video
calls.
The
quality
was
nice
and
clear
during
my
tests,
and
I
like
that
the
camera,
using
the
Center
Stage
feature,
followed
me
as
I
moved
around
the
room.

The
iPad
has
the
latest
and
greatest
M4
chip,
which
hasn’t
launched
on
Macs
yet.
I
ran
a
GeekBench
multicore
benchmark
test
that
shows
it
scoring
48%
higher
than
the
prior
M2
iPad
Pro.
Apple
promises
up
to
4x
faster
rendering
over
the
M2
and
1.5x
faster
processor
performance,
which
means
video
editing
in
Final
Cut
Pro
for
iPad
and
rendering
things
like
3D
models
is
quicker
for
professionals
who
need
it.
The
M4
also
has
a
special
engine
that
helps
power
the “Tandem
OLED”
displays.
Apple
took
a
unique
approach
to
the
iPad
by
stacking
two
OLED
screens
on
top
of
one
another,
which
requires
this
special
part
of
the
M4
chip
to
work.

The
iPad
Pro
felt
quick
when
I
ran
two
apps
side
by
side,
switching
between
Slack
and
the
web
browser,
or
loading
into
games.
Apps
switch
in
an
instant.
It
wasn’t
much
different
from
my
M1
iPad
for
everyday
stuff,
like
browsing
the
web
and
opening
apps,
which
seems
to
be
how
iPads
are
mostly
used.
More
on
that
in
the
next
section.

The
new
iPad
Pros
support
Apple’s
updated
$350
Magic
Keyboard
for
iPad
Pro
(the
11-inch
version
is
$300).
It’s
awesome
and
is
just
like
typing
on
a
Mac
with
a
full
function
row
above
the
number
keys
to
switch
apps,
adjust
the
volume
or
brightness
and
more.
Apple
added
a
much
larger
trackpad
and
an
aluminum
palm
rest
but
kept
the
same
soft
outside
and “floating”
screen
mechanism,
which
allows
you
to
snap
the
iPad
onto
the
case
using
its
magnetic
pins
and
tilt
it
back
and
forth.

The
updated
Apple
Pencil
Pro
is
also
a
lot
of
fun.
I
mostly
use
the
Apple
Pencil
to
sign
documents.
But
folks
who
draw
or
paint
on
their
iPads,
or
need
more
control
in
3D
or
video
apps,
will
like
the
new
features.
I
liked
squeezing
it
to
change
between
the
tool
—
pencil
or
brush
or
eraser
and
the
color
—
and
the
haptic
pulse
to
confirm
you’ve
squeezed
it.
Developers
can
add
the
squeeze
function
to
their
apps
so
you
can
access
different
tools
in
different
apps.
The
added
gyroscope
also
allows
you
to
tilt
and
twirl
the
pencil
to
change
your
pencil
or
pen
stroke.
Double
tap
is
convenient,
too,
allowing
you
to
switch
between
a
pencil
and
eraser
tool,
for
example.
The
hover
function
previews
where
you’re
going
to
touch
the
display.

Apple
promises
the
same
battery
life
as
the
last
iPad
Pros.
So
you
get
about
10
hours
of
web
browsing
or
watching
video,
or
nine
hours
if
you’re
browsing
the
web
on
a
cellular
connection.
That
lined
up
with
what
I
received
during
my
tests.
Expect
to
get
a
full
workday
of
use.
Still,
it’s
impressive
given
this
iPad
is
1.3mm
thinner
and
103
grams
lighter
than
the
last
12.9-inch
iPad
Pro.

Here’s
my
biggest
gripe
about
the
Pro
models:
The
software,
iPadOS,
is
what
you’ll
get
on
any
other
iPad.
And
while
I
think
it
works
great,
it’s
time
for
the
Pro
models
to
have
a
better
operating
system.

My
guess
is
Apple
has
something
big
planned
for
next
month’s
Worldwide
Developers
Conference,
and
I
hope
it
addresses
this.
I
probably
won’t
get
my
wish,
but
I’d
love
to
see
the
iPad
Pro
act
just
like
a
Mac.
Plop
it
into
the
keyboard
and
it
turns
into
a
touchscreen
MacBook.
Lift
it
off
and
use
it
like
a
regular
iPad.
It
has
a
newer
processor
than
Apple’s
MacBooks,
so
this
should
be
possible
if
it’s
something
Apple
wants.
Regardless,
we
need
better
multitasking.

Apple’s “Stage
Manager”
feature
was
supposed
to
make
it
easier
to
run
multiple
apps
and
switch
between
them,
but
it’s
still
too
confusing
and
clunky.
Apps
should
open
in
separate
windows
and
minimize
just
like
on
a
Mac.
And,
since
the
M-series
processors
also
power
Macs,
we
should
be
able
to
run
Mac
apps,
too.

Apple
talked
a
lot
about
artificial
intelligence
when
it
announced
the
new
iPads.
But,
most
of
the
AI
is
what
Apple
has
previously
called
machine
learning.
A
lot
of
that
stuff
happens
behind
the
scenes.
The
camera
can
take
multiple
pictures
of
a
document
and
scan
it
more
accurately,
for
example.
AI
can
isolate
backgrounds
in
Final
Cut
Pro
or
generate
music
in
apps
such
as
StaffPad.
Apple
CEO

Tim
Cook
has
said
he’ll
talk
about
generative
AI
during
WWDC
in
June,
so
there
are
likely
more
features
coming.

Last,
I
wish
the
iPad
Pro
supported
an
always-on
display
like
Apple’s
iPhone
Pro.
It
would
let
me
glance
at
the
iPad
to
see
notifications,
music,
widgets
and
more.
However,
the
iPad’s
screen
refresh
rate
bottoms
out
at
10hz
instead
of
1hz,
which
means
it
would
still
refresh
too
often
and
drain
more
power.

It
depends
on
what
you
need.
It’s
my
favorite
iPad
to
date,
even
though
I
don’t
need
the
faster
chip.
I
love
how
thin
it
is
and
that
it’s
lighter
than
the
earlier
iPads.
The
updated
keyboard
is
great.
The
new
Apple
Pencil
Pro
works
well,
but
creatives
will
use
it
more
than
I
do.

I
still
think
the
13-inch
is
a
little
too
big
and
would
steer
most
folks
to
the
11-inch
model.
If
you
don’t
care
about
needing
all
the
speed,
you
should
consider
the
new
iPad
Air,
which
costs
less
and
also
comes
with
a
bigger
13-inch
screen.
If
you
just
need
a
tablet
to
browse
the
web,
play
games
and
check
email,
get
the
$350
iPad.