Review: Apple iPad Pro (M4, 2024)

it’s no secret that Apple has mastered the art of smoke and mirrors. When the company debuted the new iPad Pro, the flashy livestreamed keynote—and the hands-on event for media afterward—made it seem as if the company had finally given its high-end tablet the biggest refresh in years. And this is technically true. But that’s also because the bar is already set fairly low.

The last two iPad Pros haven’t been all that innovative. In 2021, Apple added an M1 chip and a mini-LED display; in 2022, it came with an M2 and some new minor software features. The latest model, which becomes available May 15, comes with new OLED display technology, a larger 13-inch screen size, an all-new M4 chipset, and a few cosmetic tweaks. It’s also thinner—Apple’s thinnest product ever, to be exact. It’s compatible with new accessories too, including a redesigned Magic Keyboard case and the first-ever Apple Pencil Pro.

It’s more than what we’ve been given over the past two years. And I was genuinely excited about the enhancements. But hours after the event, when the adrenaline dropped, my editor looked at me and said: “If you think about it, the new changes to the iPad Pro aren’t that crazy.” To prove him wrong, I started to list them out loud, only to realize he was right. In the grand scheme of things, the noteworthy updates to the iPad Pro are the external changes to its hardware, ones that were expected and necessary for such a high-end tablet—except for the M4 chip. But with nothing to show for its new processor just yet, aside from a speedier CPU and GPU, this iPad Pro feels half-baked.

Light ‘n’ Bright

Instead of recycling the same chassis as it has been doing for the past few years, Apple has finally ditched the old iPad Pro shell for an entirely new one. You’ll now have the choice between the standard 11-inch display or a slightly larger 13-inch size. Apple sent me the latter to test for this review. It’s not a dramatic difference. But as someone who stares at a monitor all day, I’m all for any extra screen real estate. (I use the 15-inch MacBook Air as my daily driver.) If you plan on working off of the iPad Pro full-time, I’d recommend the bigger size.

Apple has also upgraded the new tablet from mini-LED to OLED panels on both sizes (it was only the 12.9-inch iPad Pro that received the mini-LED treatment on the sixth-generation version). Known as Ultra Retina XDR, it uses a new display technology called Tandem OLED, consisting of two fused OLED layers, resulting in a brighter screen.

Compared to mini-LED, OLED delivers better contrast ratios, deeper blacks, and more vibrant colors. It usually doesn’t get as bright, but the additional layer within the Ultra Retina XDR screen helps to produce twice as much light as a standard OLED panel. Apple says both sizes can hit 1,600 nits of peak brightness in HDR, which is the same amount as the sixth-generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro. The more notable difference is with SDR content—the M4-powered iPad Pro can hit 1,000 nits while its predecessor hits 600 nits.

You’ll certainly notice a difference if you’re upgrading from an older iPad Pro with a Liquid Retina display, but I struggled to see an obvious difference coming from the mini-LED screen. But I also don’t work in apps like Adobe Photoshop or Final Cut Pro, editing content that requires attention to color accuracy or detail. Regardless, the colors I see in my own use look deep, punchy, and vibrant. For an extra $100, you can also opt for nano-texture glass on models with 1-TB or 2-TB storage configurations. This glass has a matte finish that reduces glare, but feels like standard glass to the touch. I do wish Apple would’ve added an option that feels matte, to mimic the feeling of paper. I hate writing and sketching on the iPad’s slippery glass. I guess I’ll have to continue to use screen protectors to get that effect.

The old mini-LED screen added weight to the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, but the M4-powered iPad Pro is lighter because the OLED panels are thinner. The 13-inch version weighs in at 1.28 pounds (the 11-inch model is just under a pound), while the 12.9-inch comes in at 1.5 pounds. The thinness is noticeable. The 13-inch model is 5.1 mm thick, which is 1.3 mm thinner than the 2022 version (the 11-inch measures 5.3 mm). Ironically, it's also thinner and lighter than the new iPad Air: The 11-inch and 13-inch Air come in at 6.1 mm thick and weigh 1.02 pounds and 1.36 pounds, respectively.

I'm all for a shaved-down Pad Pro, particularly because I usually pair it with accessories like a Magic Keyboard case or the Smart Folio case, which add even more heft. This lightweight and thin version makes it a lot easier to hold and travel with. I used to hate throwing the iPad Pro and Magic Keyboard case into my tote because it would weigh it down more than my MacBook Air does.

Apple also made some changes to its camera systems on both the front and back. Like the iPad (10th-gen), Apple moved the 12-MP (ultrawide) camera to the center top edge of the tablet. That way, you no longer have to awkwardly stare off to the side of your iPad during video calls. It still comes with Face ID too. On the back, Apple nixed the dual-camera setup for a single 12-MP camera, so you'll no longer get a 10-MP ultrawide camera. I'm not one to use the rear camera on the iPad Pro, but it seems like a strange choice—especially since Apple specifically pushes this tablet's video-shooting capabilities.

Also on board are a lidar scanner and a new adaptive True Tone flash that's supposed to improve document scanning in harsh lighting conditions. Using AI, iPadOS can automatically identify when you're scanning a document in the Camera app and will stitch multiple images of the scan to deliver the best version. I use the document scanner with the Notes app on my iPhone a lot more than I thought I would, and I often have to move it around my room to get the right amount of light to keep the text from looking muddled. And it works well on the iPad; as soon as I positioned the document under the camera, I tapped the Scan Document option and it quickly took a photo. Hopefully, it'll come to the iPhone next.

In addition to one less camera sensor, there's also one less microphone. And instead of five studio-quality microphones, the iPad Pro now comes with four. But you'll still get the same quad-speaker system that delivers rich sound. Apple has unfortunately also equipped this new model with just a single USB Type-C port. This wasn't an issue for me until I had to plug my iPad Pro in to charge, but also didn't want to unplug it from the external monitor I was using. (This isn't an issue with the Magic Keyboard Case since the accessory comes with pass-through charging.) I'd recommend getting a multiport hub to gain the extra ports.

Upgraded Accessories

I'm very committed to my desk setup, particularly because I've finally found a combination of accessories that make me the most productive: a laptop, external monitor, keyboard, and mouse. To make the process of working off the iPad Pro more comfortable, I would swap between different setups using the accessories Apple loaned me for this review. I prefer the Smart Folio Case ($79), because of its duality. During the day, I used it at my desk—connecting the tablet to my keyboard, mouse, and external monitor—which is my usual setup sans laptop. At night, I propped it up on my bed to stream Netflix before going to sleep.

I'd use the new Magic Keyboard Case when working elsewhere, or just from the couch. It's not all that different from the original version, aside from an aluminum palm rest (which feels a lot more durable), a row of Function keys, and a larger trackpad with haptic feedback—all of which are much appreciated. The trackpad on its predecessor is criminally small, and it's nice to adjust the screen brightness and volume from the keyboard. It's thinner and lighter too. Unfortunately, it's still slightly top-heavy, which would often make the whole assembly tip over when it was resting on my lap. This made me wish Apple had added a kickstand. Despite all the upgrades, the Magic Keyboard Case is not worth its insanely high $349 price. You're better off opting for third-party accessory companies like Zagg or Logitech, which make similar and more affordable options. It's worth noting that these new iPads are not compatible with the previous Magic Keyboard—not only because of the iPad Pro's new thin and lightweight design but also because the magnets on the back of the tablet have been rearranged.

I'm not much of an artist, but I use the new Apple Pencil Pro ($129) for note-taking. It's identical to the second-generation Apple Pencil on the outside, but the inside comes with a built-in gyroscope that lets you change the orientation of the tools you're using as you twist the Pencil for even finer control. My favorite hidden upgrade, however, is the “squeeze” feature that opens up the tool palette when you give the Pencil a little … squeeze. It feels a lot more natural to press the stylus than to double tap it (although you can still do that too), and doesn't interrupt my writing flow as much. Sadly, this Pencil does not work with older iPads, so it only makes sense to purchase it if you're also buying the new iPad Pro or iPad Air. But as the most feature-packed option at this point, it's a solid choice if you plan on using either iPad for drawing or sketching.

Full Potential Is TBD

The iPad Pro comes equipped with an all-new M4 chip. It's built on a second-generation three-nanometer processor (packing more transistors into a smaller space, enhancing both power efficiency and speed). It has a CPU that can handle up to 10 cores, which Apple says delivers up to 1.5 times faster CPU performance compared to the M2 in the previous iPad Pro, while the 10-core GPU is up to four times faster. As with the M3, it comes with processor-intensive features such as mesh shading, ray tracing, and dynamic caching.

As with Macs, the number of cores depends on the configuration. Models with 256 GB and 512 GB of storage come with a 9-core CPU (three performance cores and six efficiency cores) while 1-TB and 2-TB versions come with a 10-core CPU (four performance cores and six efficiency cores). Apple also increased the storage on the base model from 128 GB to 256 GB.

I've been using it as my primary machine for work—writing a majority of this review on it, answering emails, sending Slack messages, and taking Zoom calls. I know I'm not the target audience for this tablet, but to me it feels the same as the M2-powered iPad Pro. The difference in performance isn't all that noticeable. It felt smooth, responsive, and snappy, even with multiple apps, windows, and tabs open. You'll likely notice it more if you're coming from an older iPad with an A-series chip.

But there weren't any new features or capabilities that changed my workflow. iPadOS is still as frustrating to use as ever. Stage Manager does make it more tolerable, as the ability to group apps and adjust app windows makes it easier to multitask. However, for the operating system as a whole, I stand by what I said when I reviewed the iPad Air in 2022: I feel like I'm working in slow motion. It's not as intuitive as macOS and navigating it makes my brain hurt. I was relieved to switch back over to my MacBook Air after hours on the iPad Pro.

After four years of debuting its M-series processors exclusively alongside its Macs, it seemed as if announcing the M4 with the new iPad Pro meant we were also about to see massive changes in software capabilities. After all, the company has been hinting at incoming AI features coming with iOS 18 (Apple is reportedly close to completing a deal with OpenAI to bring ChatGPT to iPhone). Had this not been the case, there's no reason the company wouldn't simply implement an M3 chip. It's less than a year old and can be found in its high-end 14-inch MacBook Pro.

Apple has also locked certain features behind its chipsets before. With iPadOS, features like Reference Mode and full external display support are only available on the M1, M2, and M4. Stage Manager was also previously available only on the M1 and M2 until Apple expanded support to the 2018 iPad Pro and newer. Meanwhile, Apple Pencil Hover (where you can preview a change before applying it on the display) is available only with the M2 and M4.

The iPad Pro feels unfinished. With no evidence of what exactly makes the M4 chip all that revolutionary just yet, it's tough to recommend right now—especially for the price. The most expensive iPad Pro configuration (13-inch with nano-texture glass, 2 TB of storage, and cellular connectivity) and the latest accessories (Magic Keyboard Case and Apple Pencil Pro) come out to a whopping $3,077. That's only slightly less than a 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M3 Max chip (1 TB of storage), which starts at $3,199.

At this point, you should hold off until at least next month, when Apple announces iPadOS 18 at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference. But even then, if there are M4-exclusive features, they won't be available until the fall, which is when Apple's mobile OS updates typically begin to roll out (unless you're a developer with access to the beta releases). And if the new features aren't as groundbreaking as anticipated, then I suggest the new iPad Pro only if you're a creative person, and if a thinner, lighter, and brighter device is at the top of your wishlist. The M2-powered iPad Pro is still a great choice. Apple no longer sells it directly, but you can find it at third-party retailers. I suggest waiting until it goes on sale at a good price.