4 Reasons the New Apple iPad Pro Is a Must-Buy
My second-generation iPad Pro is old. In the time since I bought it in 2017, I’ve updated my MacBook, iPhone, AirPods, and Apple Watch at least once each. While it can still handle my very humble creative endeavours and entertainment asks admirably, there is no doubting that it’s about time for an upgrade. And with Apple’s May 7 announcement of its newly updated iPad Pro and Air, as well as Apple Pencil and keyboard, the time is most definitely now.
The star of the release is the new seventh-generation iPad Pro. Bigger, better, and notably thinner than any iPad Pro to date, the M4-supported version of Apple’s most powerful tablet finally seems to be displaying all that Apple promised through previous generations. For the past few weeks, I’ve been putting the new Apple iPad Pro through its paces to determine if it is the do-it-all work, entertainment, and creativity hub to centre my digital life. Surpassing not only my dated old iPad Pro, this ultra-impressive new tablet has also left my (seriously powerful) laptop and desktop in the dust. Below, I’ve outlined four reasons why the seventh-generation iPad Pro is Apple’s most promising new product in quite some time.
Its Sleek New Design
At only 5.1 to 5.3 millimetres thick, the seventh-generation iPad Pro is not only the thinnest iPad to date but the thinnest Apple product to date. Both the 11-inch and 13-inch models are also lighter than the previous generation, meaning that your workflow on the go won’t fatigue your arms. Apple also took user feedback to heart and changed the location of the iPad Pro’s front-facing camera, moving it from the top of the tablet to the landscape location on the side, making it better for use in tandem with the Magic Keyboard. These minor changes make the seventh-generation iPad Pro both the most portable and intuitive in the lineup to date.
The M4 Chip
The most significant upgrade in terms of hardware is the addition of the M4 chip, a major step up in performance from the M1 that powered generations 1-5 and the M2 that powered generation 6. With a design that allows up to 1.5 times faster CPU performance in comparison to the M2 in the previous generation of iPad Pros, the M4 is a 10-core GPU that boasts features such as Dynamic Caching and hardware-accelerated mesh shading and ray tracing. What does that jargon mean exactly? The stunning Ultra Retina XDR Display will look insanely sharp, and applications will perform at a breakneck pace.
The Apple Pencil Pro
Released simultaneously, the brand-new Apple Pencil Pro makes for an ideal running mate with the iPad Pro. Offering the same basic functions as previous iterations, the Apple Pencil Pro’s new features are a game changer for illustrators and note takers alike. A sensor on the barrel can sense a user’s squeeze, opening a tool palette that allows them to quickly choose new line weights, colours, and implements with ease. When selecting, a haptic engine provides tactile confirmation of your choice, making drawing, writing, and notetaking on the iPad more intuitive than ever before. Developers are already fast at work integrating the Apple Pencil Pro’s new features into their apps.
The Ultra Retina XDR Display
Made possible thanks to the M4 chip, the seventh-generation iPad Pro’s Ultra Retina XDR Display, a combination of two OLED displays, is what Apple calls “the most advanced display in the world.” Reaching 1,600 nits at peak brightness and 1,000 nits of full-screen brightness when displaying HDR and SDR content, plus a 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio, the Ultra Retina XDR provides unmatched vibrancy for power and casual users alike. Users of Procreate will appreciate the massive range of brights and darks achievable on the new display, as well as features like the Nano-texture display glass, an add-on that scatters ambient light to provide ideal image quality in challenging lighting conditions.
