So you’ve been considering an Apple iPad Pro, have you? Despite the company including the M2 processor in its previous Pro update, this year’s device is the one to have. We’d probably be saying this regardless of what Apple announced but this time it’s undeniable.
Why? The Pro lineup gets the obligatory set of updates but the processor and display are in for a substantial jump. OLED comes to the range for the first time and, as expected, Apple also debuted its M4 chips in these tablets. Would you like to know more?
Going iPad Pro
There’s an all-new design for the iPad Pro. Two models are due, with 11in and 13in sizes in the offing. These are almost impossibly thin, measuring just over 5mm, with the 13in Pro being the skinnier of the pair at 5.1mm. You’d think this would impact the screen tech but Apple’s also debuted something it calls Ultra Retina XDR.
Apple can’t ever just call something what it is and Ultra Retina XDR is the fancy title for a pair of OLED screens that bump the new Pro tablets up to a peak brightness of 1000 nits, with a peak brightness of 1,600 nits. It’s no exaggeration to point out that OLED screens are weak on the brightness front. Apple’s pulled out a few stops here for its extravagantly-named screens.
There’s one more stop — a new nano-textured glass that, according to Apple, will further cut glare on the screen when you’re out in the sun. We’ll be keen to see that in action.
Taking the M4
You can get more detail from Stuff‘s standalone article about the Apple Silicon M4 chipset (stay tuned) but Apple has jumped from the M2 chipset to the M4, which has broken cover and gone to ground in the new iPad Pro models. It’s better, stronger, faster, and features a new 3nm construction processor. The generational jump means that these new Pros are conveniently being compared to the M2 chipset instead of Apple’s more recent M3 processor, but you’re not supposed to be thinking about that.
It’ll outpace the M2 Pro models by 60%, making this the most powerful iPad model ever (until the next one). We’re also expecting the updated stock iPad models (which are probably mere twinkles in Uncle Tim’s eye) to feature the M3 chipset so the company can do its technology-stepping thing with its tablets too.
When can you have one?
Availability is a tricky one. If you’re an American, you can order one of Apple’s new iPad Pro models and have it in hand by 17 May. Here in South Africa, there will probably be a slight delay. The wait time has gone down over the years but it’s still rare that we get Apple’s new tech on international launch day.
Pricing is equally murky. The 11in iPad Pro starts at $1,000 (R18 500) and the 13in model at $1,300 (R24,000). As usual, expect a markup of 15% (for South Africa’s VAT) as well as an import markup for the local market before you’re allowed to take one of these home. But at least you’ll have ample storage when you do. The new Pros start at 256GB of storage, climbing to 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB. Expect the price to leap accordingly. We’ll update you as soon as the local particulars are known.
