Significant upgrades over the previous generation include the new Apple M1 processor, the addition of 5G support in cellular models, support for Thunderbolt 3 and USB4, and for the 12.9-inch model, a new mini LED Liquid Retina XDR display. [7] The iPad’s general availability was temporarily constrained by an ongoing chip shortage of 2020 and 2021. In spite of minor differences in weight and thickness due to hardware upgrades, the tablet is virtually identical to its predecessor.
The fifth generation iPad Pro uses an Apple M1 SoC, which is the first iPad to utilize an M-series processor (found on the first Apple silicon Mac desktops and notebooks released in the late 2020) rather than an A-series processor.
The fifth generation iPad Pro debuted support of Thunderbolt 3 and USB4 with its USB-C port. The 12.9-inch model, in contrast, boasts a mini LED HDR display called the Liquid Retina XDR display built in with a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio, full-screen brightness of 1,000 nits and a peak brightness of 1,600 nits (HDR).
[16] Both models support True Tone, ProMotion, 120 Hz variable refresh rate, and P3 wide color gamut. In addition to the second generation Apple Pencil, the Smart Keyboard Folio, and the Magic Keyboard, the fifth-generation iPad Pro supports third-party external accessories such as game controllers (Sony’s PlayStation and Microsoft’s Xbox controllers).
Some reviewers said that its overboosted processor was limited by iPadOS and the lack of professional macOS applications,[21][22] while others criticized the placement of its camera system. [23] The Verge criticized the lack of multiuser support like the Mac but praised its Mini-LED screen and cameras.
Apple iPad Pro 11 (2021)
8/16 GB RAM Apple M1 We can not guarantee that the information on this page is 100% correct.
Apple iPad Pro 12.9 (2021)
8/16 GB RAM Apple M1 We can not guarantee that the information on this page is 100% correct.
iPad Pro (5th generation)
Significant upgrades over the previous generation include the new Apple M1 processor, the addition of 5G support in cellular models, support for Thunderbolt 3 and USB4, and for the 12.9-inch model, a new mini LED Liquid Retina XDR display. [7] The iPad’s general availability was temporarily constrained by an ongoing chip shortage of 2020 and 2021.
In spite of minor differences in weight and thickness due to hardware upgrades, the tablet is virtually identical to its predecessor. The fifth generation iPad Pro uses an Apple M1 SoC, which is the first iPad to utilize an M-series processor (found on the first Apple silicon Mac desktops and notebooks released in the late 2020) rather than an A-series processor.
The fifth generation iPad Pro debuted support of Thunderbolt 3 and USB4 with its USB-C port. The 12.9-inch model, in contrast, boasts a mini LED HDR display called the Liquid Retina XDR display built in with a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio, full-screen brightness of 1,000 nits and a peak brightness of 1,600 nits (HDR). [16] Both models support True Tone, ProMotion, 120 Hz variable refresh rate, and P3 wide color gamut. In addition to the second generation Apple Pencil, the Smart Keyboard Folio, and the Magic Keyboard, the fifth-generation iPad Pro supports third-party external accessories such as game controllers (Sony’s PlayStation and Microsoft’s Xbox controllers).
Some reviewers said that its overboosted processor was limited by iPadOS and the lack of professional macOS applications,[21][22] while others criticized the placement of its camera system.
[23] The Verge criticized the lack of multiuser support like the Mac but praised its Mini-LED screen and cameras.
iPad Pro 11 vs 12.9: M1 and M2 are great, but which size should you buy?
Content creators, digital nomads, and professionals will most likely be drawn to that last member of Apple’s convoluted tablet lineup, being able to take full advantage of the Pro’s superior M1 or M2 silicon, ultra-bright display, and wealth of software features such as Hover Mode thanks to premium add-ons like the 2nd-gen Apple Pencil. Clearly, size is the biggest difference between the two, but I’ve listed several more key reasons below that you should consider before deciding on which configuration to buy.
iPad Pro 11-inch iPad Pro 12.9-inch Display 11-inch Liquid Retina LCD display (2,388 x 1,668) with ProMotion 12.9-inch Liquid Retina XDR display (2,732 x 2,048) with ProMotion Processor Apple Silicon M1 or M2 Apple Silicon M1 or M2 Storage 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB Camera system 12MP wide, 10MP ultrawide, 12MP TrueDepth FaceTime 12MP wide, 10MP ultrawide, 12MP TrueDepth FaceTime Connectivity USB-C Thunderbolt/USB-4, Wi-Fi 6, 5G, LTE, Bluetooth USB-C Thunderbolt/USB-4, Wi-Fi, 5G, LTE, Bluetooth Battery Up to 10 hours of video playback Up to 10 hours of video playback Colors Space Gray, Silver Space Gray, Silver Price range $799 to $1,899 $1,099 to $2,199
Don’t get it twisted, both iPad Pro sizes are shockingly thin (about 0.25 inch) and can be easily tucked into any backpack sleeve, but the smaller 11-inch is much easier to hold and weighs about half a pound less than the 12.9-inch model.
If you plan on traveling with the iPad from home to the office to local cafes, then the more portable footprint of the 11-inch Pro should be a big consideration. In fact, if you’re upgrading from an existing iPad, whether it’s the Air, the Mini, or the vanilla model, then you’ll find yourself right at home with the 11-inch form factor. The main difference between the two — and, spoiler alert for one of the reasons to buy the 12.9-inch model instead — is the brighter mini-LED display on the larger iPad. Whether you’re eyeing a full-function Magic Keyboard or a minimal folio case, you’ll be spending $20-$50 less for accessories made for the 11-inch model. Not only does the 12.9-inch model give you a wider display on which to visualize your graphics, video timelines, and multi-window layouts, but it’s also noticeably brighter, with a peak brightness of 1,600 nits. The superior visual output is thanks to Apple’s Pro Display XDR, an assembly of mini LEDs spread underneath the glass to create more dimming zones. However, you should know that there are still plenty of pro-grade services and programs that require a desktop or laptop to run, most of which are not optimized for the iPad’s operating system. Both the 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pros support the 2nd-gen Apple Pencil, which is arguably the best tool for digital content creation.
Both models come with 5G and LTE support if you want to use the tablet on the go or your school’s Wi-Fi is clunky, so the differences to note here are portability and price.
11-inch iPad Pro vs 12.9-inch iPad Pro: Is the XDR display worth the expense?
Since the iPad Pro debuted in 2015, Apple has offered two sizes of its high-end tablet. The two sizes have traditionally been essentially the same, with the larger version costing $200 extra for more screen. For one, the price gap has stretched to $300, but that’s because the 12.9-inch model has a really significant difference—a new HDR display with mini-LED backlights.
Here’s how the two Pros stack up and whether it’s worth it to spend so much money on the flagship iPad.
While the 11-inch iPad Pro has Apple’s Liquid Retina LCD, the 12.9-inch model introduces what Apple calls a “Liquid Retina XDR” display to the iPad line. It’s very similar to Apple’s Pro Display XDR in that it uses an array of thousands of micro-LED backlights arranged in 2596 lighting zones to give it amazing brightness and contrast. But it makes a strong case for superiority: a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio, P3 wide color gamut, and full-screen brightness of 1,000 nits (with peak brightness of 1,600 nits)—not to mention True Tone, and ProMotion—make this one of the best HDR displays you can get anywhere. Video content will look stellar and images and apps will be bright, crisp, and incredibly detailed.
As Apple describes it, “Even the most detailed HDR content with the finest specular highlights — like galaxies and action movie explosions — are more true to life than ever.” Part of it is the size, part of it is Apple’s history of making excellent iPad displays, but the 12.9-inch iPad Pro’s XDR Display isn’t the eye-popping upgrade we thought it would be. The new iPad Pro is Apple’s first tablet with RAM listed in the tech specs. While the previous generation iPad Pro had 6GB of RAM, the new model has either 8GB or 16GB, depending on the storage.
We think 8GB is plenty and wouldn’t recommend paying for a gig of storage, no matter which iPad you choose to buy. Other than the chip and the screen, the other major revision in this year’s iPad Pro is the front camera. Apple has also introduced a new feature called Center Stage that’s exclusive to the iPad Pro (for now). Our take: Either model will greatly improve your FaceTime experience, no matter which iPad you’re upgrading from.
One small detail to note about the 12.9-inch iPad Pro is that the new display makes it ever-so-slightly thicker than the previous model. It’s enough that Apple had to tweak the latest Magic Keyboard a little bit in order to close neatly.
Apple says you can use the Magic Keyboard made for last year’s 12.9-inch iPad Pro since the other dimensions are the same, but it won’t be perfectly flush when closed. Most third-party cases, covers, and keyboards follow suit—for example, Logitech’s Combo Touch is $199 for the smaller model and $229 for the larger one.
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