M4 iPad Pro reviews: Blazing speed and display hampered by software

By Julie Clover

iPad Pro M4 models will ship to customers beginning Wednesday, May 15, and ahead of that date, members of the media shared their thoughts on the device in official reviews.

Written Reviews

With M4 chips, OLED displays, thin and light design, the new ‌ iPad Pro‌ models represent a significant upgrade over the previous generation versions.

M4 chip performance

‌iPad Pro‌ is powered by Apple's next-gen M4 chip and, as Engadget notes, offers “more power than anyone buying an iPad will know what to do with.”

Gizmodo claims the M4 is “more like an M3 fork than real new equipment.” For example, the Octane X rendering test on an M4 took 1 minute and 53 seconds, while the same test on a MacBook Air with an M3 chip took 57 seconds.

If I run Octane X On the latest MacBook Air 15 with the same amount of RAM as my iPad Pro review unit, it completed this task in about 57 seconds. There aren't many ways to compare Apple to Apple, from the tablet ecosystem to the full Mac. First, the iPad doesn't have a simple, proven way to track game frame rates. But for the sake of argument, I downloaded Resident Evil 4 on the iPad Pro 2024, iPad Pro 2022, and MacBook Air M3. They all ran with relatively stable performance at the default low to medium settings. There are no graphics options on the iPad, but they look the same on old and new tablets.

According to The Verge, the M4 ‌iPad Pro‌ it scored 50 percent higher than the M3 version in performance tests, but while it feels faster, it doesn't feel 50 percent faster. It's likely impossible to tell the difference between a 9-core and a 10-core M4 ‌iPad Pro‌ models.

Apps on the M4 load and close half a second faster, even complex games run perfectly smoothly (I still can’t believe how good Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile looks on this device), and iMovie renders video noticeably faster than on the 11-inch M2 Pro I’ve been using for a couple of years. Individually these aren't earth-shattering upgrades, but especially if you do a lot of photo and video work or even enjoy long sessions in Warzone, this is a real productivity boost.

Software

Despite the incredible performance of the M4 chip, reviewers noted shortcomings in iPadOS. Six Colors' Jason Snell said the ‌iPad Pro‌ is capable of “handling almost any task it can handle,” but is “frustrated by the limitations of iPadOS.”

After all, ‌iPad‌ User Federico Viticci of MacStories didn't share a full review of the new ‌iPad‌, but did write an article pointing out numerous shortcomings of iPadOS. It's worth reading to find out what it's like to use the ‌iPad‌ as your primary computer, covering the pain points of multitasking, limited apps, and more.

The Wall Street Journal's Joanna Stern said that using the ‌iPad Pro‌ it's like “driving a Ferrari on a golf course” because the iPhone's operating system prevents the ‌iPad‌ could do that.

Gizmodo said that despite the creative apps available on the ‌iPad‌, it “still isn't a direct competitor to the MacBook in terms of versatility” and isn't a good platform for those who want to “multitask across multiple windows.”

Nearly every review cites the shortcomings of iPadOS as the main drawback of the new ‌iPad Pro‌ models.

OLED display

Engadget reported that the new ‌iPad Pro‌ is “incredibly bright, sharp and vibrant” no matter the task. Going from LCD to OLED is a major upgrade, but upgrading from a mini-LED model won't be as impressive.

Everything is incredibly bright, crisp and vibrant, no matter what. whether I'm browsing the web, editing photos, watching movies or playing games. I can't stress enough how amazing this screen is – I have a flight this week and can't wait to spend it watching movies. Watching a selection of scenes from Interstellar demonstrates the power of HDR, as well as the contrast between the blackness of space and the brightness of surrounding stars and galaxies, while brighter scenes, such as the Shire in The Fellowship of the Ring, have deep and gorgeous colors that don't evoke emotion. . too intense or unrealistic.

TechCrunch reported that the optional nanotexture matte additive brought an “extra level of tactility” and “pleasant friction” to the ‌iPad‌ when using it with Apple Pencil. The OLED display is noticeably brighter than the iPad Air's LCD display, but for most users the upgrade isn't worth the $500.

The Verge reports that the OLED display “works great” and that colors may even look similar. that they have too much HDR. It may also have more glare and reflections than expected.

All the traditional benefits of OLED are immediately apparent: Because OLEDs drive each pixel individually, you get much richer blacks, so the letterboxes above and below videos simply disappear into the frame, and photos look much more dynamic. The colors are incredibly vibrant, to the point where they sometimes seem too contrasty and HDR-like to my eyes. The Pro's peak brightness is also significantly higher than the new Air's, which is difficult to achieve with OLED.

Design

Jason Snell of Six Colors said that although the internal components of the ‌iPad Pro‌ have been updated, it looks very much like a “slimmer version of the 2018-era design.” It's a “good design” that didn't need an update, but its lighter weight makes it easier to hold in one hand.

There's still only one Thunderbolt 4 port, which limits connectivity to external devices. and simultaneous charging without a docking station.

Engadget went even further and said that the thinner design and lighter weight “radically” change the feel of holding the 13-inch ‌iPad Pro‌, and it is now comfortable to use as a handheld tablet.

But with something like the iPad, where you have to pick it up and hold it and touch it, cutting a quarter pound and 20 percent of its thickness actually makes a huge difference in the experience of using the product. It's more comfortable and easier to use, and, provided there are no durability issues, it's a significant improvement.

The Verge reports that the ‌iPad Pro‌ it's the “closest” idea that the tablet should feel “like a piece of glass in your hand.”

The Independent reports that the slim design is most noticeable on the ‌iPad Pro‌ feature, and although it's thin, it's durable.

The larger of the two iPad Pro models is breathtaking. At 5.1mm thick, it's not only much thinner than the last big Pro model, which was 6.4mm thick, but it's actually thinner than any Apple product released before. Allow yourself to realize this. It's thinner than the tiny iPod nano, although Apple says it's as tough and durable as ever. It does not bend or squeak in your hand, even if you try to turn it.

Apple Pencil Pro and Magic Keyboard

Six colors Jason Snell said the Magic Keyboard represents an improvement over the original model with a full feature row, a larger trackpad and the addition of haptic feedback. The aluminum makes it “look a little more like one of Apple's laptops.”

Engadget reported that the Magic Keyboard is thinner and lighter than before, making it more compact and portable.

According to iMore, ‌Apple Pencil‌ The Pro pinch gesture saves unnecessary hand movements and makes navigation easier, and the barrel scroll option lets you use swipes and swipes in supported software.

Other features

Apple has moved the camera to the edge of the ‌iPad&zwnj screen ; rather than portrait orientation, which means video calls are now in the correct orientation when the ‌iPad‌ connects to your keyboard, a feature that reviewers liked. CNBC reported that the camera was “finally in the right place.”

The camera was finally in the right place. It sits along the edge of the iPad, so when it's propped up, it's in a dead center for FaceTime calls. Previously, it was located on the top of the iPad, which made it awkward to look to the side during video calls. During my tests, the quality was good and clear, and I like that the camera, using the Center Stage features, followed me as I moved around the room.

iMore commented on the speakers and said that they “sound pretty good” for both watching TV and making video calls.

Many reviews also talked about battery life and said the ‌iPad Pro‌ gets the expected 10 hours that Apple advertises.