Apple had been taking its sweet time with an iPad update. After no new iPad models showed in 2023, rivals like Samsung with its Galaxy Tab and Microsoft with the Surface tablets started to try to fill the gap left by Apple.
Now, however, it is likely to become more difficult for them to score points against the market leader in the world of tablets. This much becomes clear when you try out the new 11-inch iPad Pro.
There are three main reasons why Apple clearly has taken the lead again.
Firstly, the new top-of-the-range iPad models are thinner and lighter than ever before.
Secondly, the new high-performance M4 chip system is being used in the tablets for the first time.
And finally, Apple has at last given its flagship tablets brilliantly bright screens with OLED technology.
Back to the first point: The new large iPad Pro (13-inch) weighs just 582 grams, whereas the previous model weighed in at 685 grams. With a case thickness of just 5.1 mm, it is the thinnest device Apple has ever built. This is less noticeable in the smaller 11-inch model, but in any case, the smaller weight makes them extremely pleasant to use in everyday scenarios.
The smaller iPad Pro has also slimmed down, and is now only 5.4 mm thick and weighs 447 grams, almost 50 grams less than the smaller iPad Pro model from 2022. We couldn't see any disadvantages of the thin form factor either, and it doesn't add any doubts about how the sturdy the frame is.
The iPad Pro powerhouse
With the M4 system, Apple has transformed the iPad Pro into a Mac-rivalling device in terms of performance. The area within the chip system responsible for AI ("Neural Engine") alone can perform up to 38 trillion calculations per second.
The power of the M4 also benefits the screen quality. Apple is, for the first time, switching its iPads to OLED technology, which provides brilliant colours, good contrasts and inky blacks.
At the same time, Apple is ironing out a disadvantage of OLED technology, namely the not particularly pronounced brightness.
Apple refers to the new iPad Pro as a "tandem OLED display". Technically speaking, this involves two OLED displays that are placed on top of each other to generate a higher brightness. However, this also means that the M4 chip system has to control twice as many pixels as before.
However, the M4 is not only responsible for maximum performance, but also for saving energy. The system therefore contains six economical efficiency cores.
Following the presentation of the extremely thin iPad Pro models, there were fears that battery life would deteriorate because there would be significantly less space for the battery.
Apple says that the average battery life should remain unchanged at 10 hours. In our test, the iPad Pro performed even better than Apple claims: when surfing, the battery only ran out after 15 hours, and only after 16 hours when playing a saved SDR film. Ultimately, one battery charge lasts well over a working day.
Long overdue upgrades
In addition to the major innovations - low weight, plenty of power and impressive energy efficiency - the iPad Pro also impressed us with small improvements that were rather overdue.
These include the iPad developers' decision to finally place the selfie camera on the long side of the casing. This makes video conferences with Zoom, Webex, Teams and other platforms appear much more natural because you can look directly into the camera.
Other new features of the iPad Pro, on the other hand, require some explanation. For example, the camera system on the back lacks the ultra-wide-angle lens that was still available on the previous model. Now a wide-angle camera alone has to do the job. In its place, there's now an adaptive flash that adjusts its intensity to the subject and the distance.
On the iPad Pro, the flash makes it easier to scan documents in particular. In addition to the main camera, there is also space for a LiDAR sensor, which helps with augmented reality (AR) apps to capture the conditions in the room and better position objects.
The thinner design also means there is no more room for a conventional SIM card in the mobile phone versions of the iPad Pro. Instead, you'll need an eSIM. Technically speaking, this is a step forward, but in practise, many providers still charge an extra fee for an eSIM.
Apple charges an extra $200 / €250 for the version with mobile data. Some customers, like hobby pilots, sailors and hikers, will also have to pay this extra fee. Even though they might only go online in wi-fi hotspots and don't want to use an eSIM at all, if they want GPS or other navigation satellites on their tours, they'll need to pay for the mobile data models of the iPad Pro. A bit cheeky from Apple.
Apple Pencil: Squeeze me
The iPad Pro is also improved when it comes to two key input accessories, the new Apple Pencil Pro and the Magic Keyboard.
The new stylus doesn't look any different from the old Apple Pencil. However, it can now be squeezed in the lower third to open certain features.
Painting programmes can use it to display a tool palette so that you can quickly adjust the brush size, for example. You'll also feel haptic feedback, which makes operation very intuitive. The Pencil now also recognizes rotation. This means you can change the brush stroke by rotating the pencil around its own axis.
Unfortunately, Apple isn't letting us use the new Pencil on older iPads. Also, old Pencils don't work with the new iPad Pro either. Another cheeky move from Apple.
The redesigned Magic Keyboard now has an aluminium frame instead of coated plastic, bringing it even closer to the keyboard on the MacBook. When folded, the combination of iPad and keyboard case is 1 mm thicker than a MacBook Air M2 and (at 1,026 grams) weighs less than the lightest MacBook (1.24 kg). In our practical test, the keyboard impressed us with a pleasant and precise touch while typing.
The biggest iPad update ever?
Apple has billed the new iPad Pro as the most important update in the history of its tablet. But of course, this is quite an exaggeration.
Looking back, the introduction of the first iPad Pro in 2018 was even more important, especially since the angular design introduced back then is still used today.
And yet the new iPad Pro is still convincing in everyday use. There is currently no faster chip or better portable display in the Apple universe. The technology of the iPad Pro also has great potential, for example for upcoming AI apps, which could be presented at the Apple developer conference WWDC in June.
However, anyone who mostly uses their tablet to read articles and watch content won't need this much power and is better off with an iPad Air or the entry-level iPad.
Prices for the iPad Pro start at just under $1,000 or €1,200 for the 11-inch model and just under $1,300 or €1,550 for the 13-inch device.
In the highest configuration level with 2 terabytes of storage space, mobile communications and a matt nano-textured glass, you even end up at just under $2,600 or €3,140 - and that's not even with an Apple Pencil or Magic Keyboard.
