The third generation iPad Pro also premiered a new design, with a screen that covers more of the front face, and has rounded corners. The redesigned iPad Pro was announced on October 30, 2018,[2][3] during an Apple Special Event at the Howard Gilman Opera House in Brooklyn, New York.
[7][8] Unlike iPhone models featuring Face ID until iOS 16, the third-generation iPad Pro can unlock in any orientation.
[10] The switch to a USB-C connecter received a mixed response; easier external monitor support and more universal device charging were added at the cost of extra dongles to use older cables and headphones.
Users on forum boards have reported the iPad bending after a few days of use, such as after carrying it around in a backpack. [15][16] Nelson concluded that the “two weakest points [were] right dead center on either side of the iPad Pro, [and] the crack happened at the very poorly placed microphone hole and the new Apple Pencil 2 charging duct”. Apple responded to these reports quickly, asserting that this is normal and a non-issue,[18] a response which has been criticized by many. ^ Apple markets iPad Pro models by specific screen size.
iPad generations: which Apple iPad model is the best tablet for me?
With so many confusing iPad names, combining different sub-brands, years and generation numbers, it can be difficult to work out which model is right for you. We’ll give you all the relevant information for the ones we recommend, plus some key details for the very oldest iPads, which you might want to pick up second-hand if they’re at a bargain price. The most powerful of iPads, these devices will give the best performance when it comes to resource-intensive tasks such as photo and video editing. 1. iPad Pro 12.9 M1 (2021/5th generation) The latest and largest iPad Pro is quite simply the best iPad overall Specifications Weight: 682g Dimensions: 280.6 x 214.9 x 6.4 mm OS: iPadOS 14 Screen size: 12.9-inch Resolution: 2048 x 2732 pixels CPU: Apple M1 chip Storage: 128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB/2TB microSD slot: No Rear cameras: 12MP wide (f/1.8), 10-MP ultra-wide (f/2.4) Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide TrueDepth (f/2.4) Today’s Best Deals View at Amazon (opens in new tab) View at Walmart (opens in new tab) View at Verizon Wireless (opens in new tab) Reasons to buy + Fast processor + Best-in-class camera + Max 2TB storage Reasons to avoid – Lacks microSD slot It’s also worth noting that the front-facing selfie camera has the new Center Stage function, which tracks your movement when recording video, and follows you to keep you in the centre. The 2021 iPad Pro also supports the Magic Keyboard, which might make your life easier when photo editing, although bear in mind you’ll need to buy this separately.
2. iPad Pro 11 (2021/5th generation) The latest iPad Pro’s smaller, cheaper sibling Specifications Weight: 468g Dimensions: 247.6 x 178.5 x 5.9 mm OS: iPadOS 13 Screen size: 11-inch Resolution: 2388 x 1668 pixels CPU: A12X Bionic Storage: 64GB/256GB/512GB/1TB microSD slot: No Battery: 7,812mAh Rear camera: 12MP Front camera: 7MP Today’s Best Deals View at Adorama (opens in new tab) View at Apple (opens in new tab) View at Best Buy (opens in new tab) Reasons to buy + Compact for portability + More affordable than 12.9-inch version + Matches almost all 12.9 specs Reasons to avoid – Only 600 nits brightness Otherwise, though, you get everything else on offer with the 12.9-inch version: the same speed and power thanks to the M1 chip, the same generous storage, and the same excellent cameras.
3. iPad Pro 12.9 (2020/4th generation) This slightly older iPad Pro is more affordable Specifications Weight: 639g Dimensions: 280.4 x 214.8 x 5.8 mm OS: iPadOS 14 Screen size: 12.9-inch Resolution: 2048 x 2732 pixels CPU: A12Z Bionic Storage: 128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB microSD slot: No Battery: 9,720mAh Rear cameras: 12MP wide (f/1.8), 10-MP ultra-wide (f/2.4) Front camera: 7MP Today’s Best Deals View at Musician’s Friend (opens in new tab) View at Best Buy (opens in new tab) View at Walmart (opens in new tab) Reasons to buy + Fast performance + Excellent cameras + Magic Keyboard support Reasons to avoid – Lacks M1 chip And so if you’re not doing anything very heavy duty with your iPad, such as editing 8K video or massive RAW image files, you’re unlikely to notice any difference between this and the 2021 version.
On the rear you get 12MP wide and 10MP ultra-wide sensors , along wth ToF LiDAR scanner for depth, and support for video up to 4K at 60fps. 4. iPad Pro 11 (2020/4th generation) A smaller version of the 12.9 version, but otherwise the same Specifications Weight: 471g-473g Dimensions: 247.6 x 178.5 x 5.9 mm OS: iPadOS 13 Screen size: 11-inch Resolution: 1668 x 2388 pixels CPU: A12Z Bionic Storage: 128GB/256GB/1TB microSD slot: No Battery: 7538Ah Rear cameras: 12MP wide (f/1.8), 10-MP ultra-wide (f/2.4) Front camera: 7MP Today’s Best Deals View at Musician’s Friend (opens in new tab) View at Best Buy (opens in new tab) View at Walmart (opens in new tab) Reasons to buy + Compact and portable + More affordable than 12.9 version + Matches specs of 12.9 version Reasons to avoid – You may prefer a larger screen
Apple iPad Pro (2018/3rd generation) This older iPad Pro still has a lot to offer Specifications Weight: 468 (11); 633g (12.9) Dimensions: 247.6 x 178.5 x 5.9 mm (11); 280.6 x 214.9 x 5.9 mm (12.9) OS: iPadOS 12 Screen size: 11 or 12.9 inch Resolution: 1668 x 2388 pixels (11); 2048 x 2732 pixels (12.9) CPU: A12X Bionic Storage: 64/256GB/1TB storage microSD slot: No Battery: 7538Ah (11); 7812 (12.9) Rear cameras: 12MP wide (f/1.8) Front camera: 7MP Today’s Best Deals View at Apple (opens in new tab) Check Amazon (opens in new tab) Reasons to buy + Reasonable price + Okay processor Reasons to avoid – Not the best camera – Can’t attach Magic Keyboard Another difference that might be more of a deal breaker is the rear camera; while it does have 12MP wide sensor, it lacks both an ultrawide and a LIDAR scanner.
Other negatives to this iPad Pro are that you can’t attach a Magic Keyboard, and the audio’s not quite as good as later models.
ipad Pro 12.9 inch, 2nd generation: 12MP Wide camera with Auto HDR and 4K video at 30 fps; 7MP FaceTime HD front camera with Auto HDR; 12.9-inch Retina display with ProMotion technology and True Tone
1. iPad Air (2022/5th generation) A serious alternative to the iPad Pro Specifications Weight: 461g Dimensions: 247.6 x 178.5 x 6.1 mm OS: iPadOS 15.4 Screen size: 10.9-inch Resolution: 1640 x 2360 pixels CPU: Apple M1 Storage: 64GB/256GB microSD slot: No Rear camera: 12MP, f/1.8, (wide), 1/3″, 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF Front camera: 12 MP, f/2.4, 122˚ (ultrawide) Today’s Best Deals View at Amazon (opens in new tab) View at Verizon Wireless (opens in new tab) View at AT&T (opens in new tab) Reasons to buy + M1 chip + Fast transfer speeds + Decent selfie camera Reasons to avoid – Pro still superior in many ways Equipped with the Apple-designed M1 chip, it delivers a massive leap in performance, making it a serious alternative to the iPad Pro for creatives.
If you’re not running any heavy-duty software or games, you’ll probably find that an earlier, cheaper iPad Air is just as good for things like surfing the web and watching movies. 2. iPad Air (2020/4th generation) A brilliant all-round iPad Specifications Weight: 458g Dimensions: 247.4 x 178.3 x 6.1 mm OS: iPadOS 15.1 Screen size: 10.9-inch Resolution: 1640 x 2360 pixels CPU: A14 Storage: 64GB/256GB microSD slot: No Rear camera: 12MP Front camera: 7MP Today’s Best Deals View at Amazon (opens in new tab) View at Walmart (opens in new tab) View at AT&T (opens in new tab) Reasons to buy + Fast processor + Decent cameras + Great value overall Reasons to avoid – Lacks M1 chip Yes, the iPad Pro 2021 is a cut above in all these respects, but we’re not sure a lot of people will notice in practice, making this an excellent choice when it comes to value.
Apple iPad Air (2019/3rd generation) An older model that’s still worth investigating Specifications Weight: 456g Dimensions: 250.6 x 174.1 x 6.1 mm OS: iPadOS 12 Screen size: 10.5-inch Resolution: 1668 x 2224 pixels CPU: A12 Bionic Storage: 64GB/256GB microSD slot: No Rear camera: 8MP Front camera: 7MP Today’s Best Deals Check Amazon (opens in new tab) Reasons to buy + Affordable price + Matches most 2020 specs Reasons to avoid – Less powerful chip – Lower-res main camera If you want to do a lot of work on your iPad, especially if that involves photo or video editing, we wouldn’t recommend these particular devices. However, they are a lot cheaper than other iPad lines, and so if all you want to do is a bit of light web surfing, play music and stream video, they’re a great value choice.
1. iPad 10.2 (2021/9th generation) The best of the basic iPads Specifications Weight: 487g Dimensions: 248.9 x 172.7 x 7.4 mm OS: iPadOS 15 Screen size: 10.2-inch Resolution: 2160 x 1620 pixels CPU: A13 Bionic Storage: 64GB/256GB microSD slot: No Battery: 32.4Wh Rear cameras: 8MP f/2.4 Front camera: 12MP f/2.4 Today’s Best Deals View at Amazon (opens in new tab) View at Amazon (opens in new tab) View at Apple (opens in new tab) Reasons to buy + A13 Bionic + TrueTone technology + Affordable price Reasons to avoid – Less powerful than iPad Pro It uses Apple’s True Tone display technology to automatically adjust screen colours to react to the ambient lighting in your physical space. 2. iPad 10.2 (2020/8th generation) Older, more affordable version of the basic iPad Specifications Weight: 483g Dimensions: 250.6 x 174.1 x 7.5mm OS: iPadOS 13 Screen size: 10.2-inch Resolution: 1620 x 2160 pixels CPU: A12 Fusion RAM: 3GB Storage: 32/128GB microSD slot: No Battery: 8,827mAh Rear camera: 8MP Front camera: 1.2MP Today’s Best Deals View at Apple (opens in new tab) Check Amazon (opens in new tab) Reasons to buy + Affordable price + Good performer overall Reasons to avoid – Selfie camera not great Apple iPad 10.2 (2019/7th generation) Earlier means cheaper: a great budget iPad for casual use Specifications Weight: 483-493g Dimensions: 250.6 x 174.1 x 7.5mm OS: iPadOS 13 Screen size: 10.2-inch Resolution: 1620 x 2160 pixels CPU: A10 Fusion Storage: 32/128GB microSD slot: No Battery: 8,827mAh Rear camera: 8MP Front camera: 1.2MP Today’s Best Deals View at Apple (opens in new tab) Check Amazon (opens in new tab) Reasons to buy + Affordable price + Matches 2020 resolution + Matches 2020 cameras Reasons to avoid – Not as fast as 2020 version The A10 Fusion chip in this older model isn’t quite as fast, so if speed and responsiveness are important to you, this might be a saving too far. If you can live with waiting the odd second or two for stuff to load though, you might prefer to save the money as there should be some pretty good discounts out there right now.
1. iPad Mini (2021/6th generation) The latest and greatest iPad mini Specifications Weight: 290g Dimensions: 203.2 x 134.8 x 6.1 mm OS: iPadOS 13 Screen size: 8.3-inch Resolution: 1488 x 2266 pixels CPU: A15 Bionic Storage: 64GB/256GB microSD slot: No Battery: 5,124mAh Rear camera: 12MP Front camera: 12MP Today’s Best Deals View at Amazon (opens in new tab) View at Walmart (opens in new tab) View at Verizon Wireless (opens in new tab) Reasons to buy + Beautifully portable + Powerful processor + Supports 5G Reasons to avoid – Lacks M1 chip So the iPad Mini is a great choice, combining a compact size and light weight with impressive specs. It’s got a lovely 8.3 inch Liquid Retina display with True Tone, and supports 5G (unless you opt for the Wi-Fi only version). Apple iPad mini (2019/5th generation) A cheaper way to get an iPad mini Specifications Weight: 300.5g Dimensions: 203.2 x 134.8 x 6.1 mm OS: iPadOS 12 Screen size: 7.9-inch Resolution: 1536 x 2048 pixels CPU: A12 Bionic Storage: 64GB/256GB microSD slot: No Battery: 5,124mAh Rear camera: 8MP Front camera: 7MP Today’s Best Deals Check Amazon (opens in new tab) Reasons to buy + Affordable price + Good performer Reasons to avoid – Lower res cameras – Less powerful chip This compact iPad, which sports a 7.9 inch Retina display with True Tone, has a slightly slower processor, in the form of the A12 Bionic chip.
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. [6] 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 debuted support of Thunderbolt 3 and USB4 with its USB-C port.
The 12.9-inch model, in contrasts, boasts mini LED HDR display called the Liquid Retina XDR display built in with a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio, full screen brightness of 1000 nits and a peak brightness of 1600 nits (HDR). [15] Both models support True Tone, ProMotion, 120 Hz variable refresh rate, and P3 wide colour gamut.
Besides the second generation Apple Pencil, the Smart Keyboard Folio, and the Magic Keyboard, the tablet also supports third-party external accessories such as game controllers (Sony Playstation and Microsoft XBOX games controllers, but not Nintendo Switch). Apple’s fifth-generation iPad Pro can also be used with many other peripherals that transform it into a versatile computer.
Some reviewers said that its overboosted processor was limited by iPadOS and the lack of professional macOS applications,[20][21] while other criticized the placement of its camera system. [22] The Verge criticized the lack of multiuser support like the Mac but praised the Mini-LED and cameras.
iPad – Compare Models
Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi‑Fi, watching video or listening to music Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi‑Fi, watching video or listening to music Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi‑Fi, watching video or listening to music Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi‑Fi, watching video or listening to music
Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi‑Fi, watching video or listening to music
iPad – Compare Models
Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi‑Fi, watching video, or listening to music Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi‑Fi, watching video, or listening to music Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi‑Fi, watching video, or listening to music Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi‑Fi, watching video, or listening to music Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi‑Fi, watching video, or listening to music
iPad Pro 12.9 inch 3rd Gen 2018 vs iPad Pro 12.9 inch 5th Gen 2021 Comparison
The iPad Pro (2021) features a 12.9” Liquid Retina XDR display, and it is powered by the Apple M1 chip with next-generation Neural Engine.
New Apple iPad Pro 12.9 vs old iPad Pro 12.9 differences
(Pocket-lint) – Apple revealed the fifth generation of the iPad Pro 12.9 during an event in April 2021, replacing the iPad Pro 12.9 fourth generation that launched in March 2020. They both feature Face ID at the top of the display and both are compatible with the second generation Apple Pencil and the Smart Folio Keyboard. Both offer the same dual rear camera comprised of 12-megapixel wide and 10-megapixel ultra wide sensors, with 2x optical zoom out and 5x optical zoom and they also have the same four-speaker audio array and 10-hour battery life. The iPad Pro 12.9 (5th gen) comes with a 12-megapixel TrueDepth camera with ultra wide camera, offering 2x optical zoom out, a feature called Centre Stage that sees the camera follow and track you as you move around a room, and extended dynamic range for video up to 30fps. The fourth generation model comes with the A12Z Bionic chip with Neural Engine. There are no RAM options and while still powerful, it likely won’t match the fifth gen model. It means the newer iPad Pro 12.9 will offer quicker data transfer than its predecessor, though not everyone is likely to need that. While the design of the fifth generation iPad Pro 12.9 and the fourth generation iPad Pro 12.9 are the same, along with the rear camera, battery and audio capabilities and the Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard Folio compatibility, there are a few differences.
A Review of the 5th Generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro
Not every iteration of the iPad hardware has been a giant leap, but they have all had some sort of improvement. As you can see, as time has gone on I have increased the amount of storage that I have purchased as well as including cellular on the later models.
Apple has not always provided the ideal amount of storage for the base models.
Cellular models always have an additional cost to them, but being able to use your iPad anywhere, can be a major benefit for some users.
As you may have also noticed, while I have owned a fair number of iPads, I have not purchased one for each generation. The second generation iPad, released in March of 2011, improved a bit on the original, mostly in design. The Retina screen allowed for higher fidelity of video as well as better graphics for the system and apps. In 2013, Apple decided to append a suffix to the name of the regular 9.7-inch iPad. The iPad Air was named such because the weight of the device was significantly reduced, by 25%.
Apple unveils the newest version of the operating systems at their World Wide Developer Conference, or WWDC. At the WWDC following the release of the iPad Air 2, Apple unveiled iOS 9. The biggest change with iOS 9 was two new way of interacting, called SplitView and Slide-over.
These two interactions allowed you to run multiple applications at a single time. However, the additional of Slide-over and SplitView allowed the iPad to be used for even more of a creation device.
This sized screen allowed for two full-size iPad apps to run side-by-side, and a third with SlideOver. That item was a new iPad Pro accessory called the Apple Pencil.
The 9.7-inch iPad Pro had the same internals as the 12.9-inch version, and supported the Apple Pencil. The 2nd Generation iPad Pro kept the same screen size, but the device was thinner.
Along with the different size, there was a new screen technology called Pro Motion. By this, the sides of the device are square, as opposed to tapered as the previous models had.
Placing the Apple Pencil on the top of the iPad would perform two things. The difference with the processor was that there was one additional graphical processing unit core, 8 in the A12Z as opposed to the 7 in the A12X. Over the last few years Apple has been pushing augmented reality, and the LiDAR scanner allows for faster calculations and object detection. The LiDAR camera system appeared in the iPad Pro before coming to the iPhone 12 line.
The 5th Generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro was introduced at Apple’s “Spring Loaded” event. It is difficult to decide which upgrade is the biggest change to the iPad Pro, but let us start with the screen. The Liquid Retina XDR display is currently exclusive to the 12.9-inch iPad and uses a newer technology called Mini-LED. Mini-LED is a newer technology that takes standard LEDs and shrinks them. The iPad Pro has 10,384 individual LEDs that are grouped into 2,596 local dimming zones. These dimming zones allow the iPad to provide even more precise color control.
If you add in the High Dynamic Range capabilities, the maximum brightness of 1600 nits. This is the exact same specs as Apple 32-inch Pro Display XDR monitor. No longer will you need to use an XDR device only at the end, in order to fix any color differences. The Liquid Retina XDR display will still support Pro Motion and run at 120Hz, as well as True Tone and the P3 Color gamut.
This includes a physical connector, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and if you opt to get it, Cellular. The 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Generations of iPad all had 802.11 a/b/g/n and optional 3G connectivity in either CDMA or GSM models.
The 5th generation iPad Pro has improved the cellular connectivity beyond LTE. If you connect to a millimeter wave, or mmWave, service then you are more likely to get faster speeds. While you may not see much difference in speeds between LTE and 5G in many places, it is likely over the next few years that 5G will become even faster and more ubiquitous. Starting with the 3rd Generation iPad Pro, the headphone jack was removed and the lightning connector was replaced with a USB-C connection.
However, the iPad Pro, as the name implies, is aimed at professional users. Professional users are one group who might actually connect items to their iPad Pro. The USB-C connection on the 3rd and 4th generation iPad Pro utilizes USB 3.1 Gen 2. You could not be faulted if you were to suspect that the iPad Pro would use the slight variant of the processor as the latest iPhones.
At their World Wide Developer Conference in 2020 Apple announced that were creating their own processors for the Mac. Apple was able to take what they learned from developing the iPhone and iPad to be able to tailor the processor to provide an overall experience. In fact all iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch devices that have been equipped with an Apple A-series chip have been an SoC. For instance, there is the main system memory, which is accessed by the central processing unit, or CPU.
What this means is that there is no delay in switching between using the CPU, GPU, and Neural Engine. This is beneficial for all Macs running the M1, but there is a specific benefit for portable systems. The 0.5mm difference is needed to accommodate the new Mini-LED screen and the 2596 local dimming zones. Due to the thickness change the new 5th Generation iPad Pro is not compatible with the StudioDock.
Apple’s own Magic Keyboard, which was just released a year go, in May of 2020, also has the same issue. If you try to put the 5th Generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro into the 2020 Magic Keyboard, it will fit. I understand that the increased thickness is a limit of the current technology, but with Apple knowing that this might have happened, the first generation Magic Keyboard could have been a bit thicker to accommodate future products, but that is not the way of Apple. Each generation of iPad Pro Apple seems to make a change to the storage options available.
The 2nd Generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro kept the same number of storage options, but they were doubled to 64GB, 256GB, and 512GB. This additional memory was needed to accommodate the LiDAR sensor and its processing. Staying with the previous trends, the 5th Generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro, has added yet another storage tier bringing the total to five. There is one thing that Apple does not generally do when announcing iPhones, iPod touches, or iPads and that is provide the amount of RAM within the devices.
While this has not been the case in the past, this actually changes with the 5th Generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro. One thing that has remained consistent is that the Wi-Fi + Cellular models have cost more. However, it may be justifiable due to the inclusion of the M1 and the new and improved screen, yet it might be a lot for someone to spend on an iPad. This means that the largest iPad Pro with 2TB of storage and 16GB of memory is $150 more expensive.
I did run into some small issues, specifically with one of Apple’s Arcade games, Sping. Beyond Sping, I also noticed the same issue with MobilityWare’s Solitaire app with the animations.
Apple hinted at big changes at their WWDC 2015 with Split Screen and Slide Over. I am writing this review just a couple weeks before Apple unveils iOS 15, and iPadOS 15.
While I am hopeful that Apple has a lot in store the M1 iPad Pro in iPadOS 15, I cannot guarantee that it will provide any meaningful improvements. Because of this, it is not a good idea to buy a product based upon its future usage, but what it is capable of, at the current moment. Even with this significant processor change, the benchmarks below will still show comparisons to as many different machines, and devices, that I have access to. The biggest reason to upgrade to the 5th Generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro, at least at this time, would be for the screen.
Mini-LED technology provides a lot more dimmable zones, 2,596 as compared to the 72 on the previous model. This means that the 12.9-inch iPad can more accurately make certain areas of the screen brighter than others.
The screen makes watching High Dynamic Range movies a better experience. Beyond the screen, there are some additional hardware changes including an updated Thunderbolt/USB 4 connector, so you can connect thunderbolt devices directly to your iPad Pro.
If you do opt for the iPad Pro Wi-Fi + Cellular model, it will have 5G connectivity. As I write this, Apple’s World Wide Developer Conference 21 is just over a week away, and it is likely that there will be some improvement to iPadOS, even if it is not exclusive to the 5th Generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro, there will likely be something that the next version of iPadOS will bring to the iPad.
As of this writing there is a six to eight week wait to receive a 5th Generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro.
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