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Apple's brand-new iPad Pro for 2024 is an M4-powered beast that features an all-new OLED display and a new Apple Pencil Pro to match.
Announced at the May 7 Let Loose event, the new iPad Pro is the thinnest device Apple has ever made. This new tablet is available in two sizes: There are 11-inch and 13-inch models that come in two colors, silver and space black. Big upgrades include a new OLED display that Apple is calling Ultra Retina XDR — And of course, the M4 chip, the next generation of Apple silicon, has arrived too.
The iPad Pro is all about drawing and creativity, as well as the power of AI and the Neural Engine in Apple silicon. Here's everything you need to know!
iPad Pro M4: The headlines
- What is it? The new iPad Pro for 2024
- Release date: May 7
- Features: M4 chip, Ultra Retina XDR display, new design, new Apple Pencil Pro
iPad Pro M4: Models
The new iPad Pro is available in two distinct models with 11-inch or 13-inch screens. Eagle-eyed viewers will note that's up from the 12.9-inch model in the previous iPad Pro. Each of these models is available in two colors and two connectivity configurations, the standard Wi-Fi option or Wi-Fi + Cellular.
iPad Pro M4: Release date and price
iPad Pro M4: Release date
The new M4 iPad Pro is already available to order from Apple.com starting on May 7. It will arrive in stores on Wednesday, May 15.
iPad Pro M4: Price
Apple has increased the price of the new iPad Pro to reflect some of its significant upgrades. Where the M2 iPad Pro cost $799 and $999 for the 11-inch and 12.9-inch models respectively, the M4 iPad Pro starts at $999. The 13-inch model is an eye-watering $1,299. Each model has a cellular option that's $200 more expensive, meaning the larger screen and boosted connectivity add up to a $1,500 price tag.
The new Nano-texture glass option is only available on the 1TB or 2TB iPad Pro M4 models and is a $100 optional extra.
M4 iPad Pro: Processor
As the name suggests, the new M4 iPad Pro features the all-new M4 Apple silicon chip. The next generation of Apple silicon, the M4 chip is built using a second-generation 3nm manufacturing process. It now features six efficiency cores along with four performance cores, as well as next-generation machine learning. The M4 chip also features a new display engine that powers the iPad Pro's OLED display. Apple says the new chip is good for 1.5x faster CPU performance compared to the old M2 model. It features the same 10-core GPU as the M3 chip, replete with Dynamic Caching, hardware-accelerated mesh shading and ray tracing, and more.
M4 iPad Pro: Design and display
iPad Pro M4: OLED Display
As expected, the new M4 iPad Pro features an all-new OLED display. In fact, it features two OLED displays stuck together: Apple uses new, state-of-the-art tandem OLED technology to combine the light from two OLED panels. Apple calls its new display the Ultra Retina XDR display. It still features 120Hz ProMotion, as well as support for 1,000 nits of full-screen brightness for HDR and SDR content. Peak HDR brightness clocks in at 1,600 nits. The Tandem OLED tech gives sub-millisecond control over each pixel for even more precise XDR performance, Apple says. That means deeper blacks, more detailed shadows, and more. There's even a new nano-texture glass option for the first time.
Size
The design and overall footprint of the iPad Pro is broadly similar to that of previous version. The 11-inch model is 9.83 inches by 6.99 inches, while the 13-inch model is 11.09 inches by 8.48 inches. The big news is the thickness. Or perhaps I should say the thinness. They're 5.3mm and 5.1mm thick respectively, with the 13-inch model being the thinner of the two! That makes this the thinnest product Apple has ever made — it's even thinner than the old iPod Nano. Remarkable!
iPad Pro M4: Camera
The iPad Pro includes one rear 12MP camera with f/1.8 aperture. It has a 5x digital zoom, and shoots in Smart HDR 4. New for 2024 is an updated adaptive True Tone flash, which vastly improves document scanning on iPad. Using AI, the new iPad Pro can detect that you're scanning a document and will take multiple photos to eliminate shadows. On the front, the 12MP Ultra Wide camera is now placed on the long edge of the iPad for landscape orientation. That means better FaceTime and video calls when you're using a keyboard.
iPad Pro M4: Connectivity
USB-C
The M4 iPad Pro 2024 includes a USB-C connector that supports both Thunderbolt 3 and USB 4, the former at up to 40Gb/s. That means it can be used with an external display up to 6K, as well as with other docks and cables.
Wi-Fi 6E
The iPad Pro M4 includes Wi-Fi 6E, and the cellular models all support 5G through eSIM.
iPad Pro M4: RAM and Storage
The new iPad Pro M4 comes with 8GB of unified memory and 120GB/s of memory bandwidth if you choose the 256GB or 512GB storage option. If you go for the 1TB or 2TB models, you'll get 16GB of RAM, again with 120GB/s bandwidth.
iPad Pro M4: Accessories
Apple's new M4 iPad Pro naturally has some cool new accessories to go with it. Specifically, a new Magic Keyboard and a new Apple Pencil Pro!
Apple Pencil Pro
The new Apple Pencil Pro features a new sensor in the barrel that can detect squeeze gestures, quickly bringing up a tool palette that lets you select different options like colors. There's a new custom haptic engine that delivers a light tap to confirm your squeeze has registered, as well as to confirm double-tap or snap to a Smart Shape. It also has a gyroscope and a new roll gesture for precise controls, as well as Apple Pencil hover.
For the first time ever, Apple Pencil Pro features Find My. It pairs and charges through a new magnetic interface on the side of the iPad Pro. The new Apple Pencil is not backwards compatible with any other older models, it only works with the new iPad Pro and the new iPad Air.
Magic Keyboard and smart Folio
The all-new Magic Keyboard features the same magical floating design as the old one, but now includes a new function row with controls such as brightness and volume. The palm rest is now aluminum, and it has a larger trackpad with haptic feedback, making it more like a MacBook than ever before. It attaches magnetically with a Smart Connector that eschews the need for pesky Bluetooth, and the aluminum hinge now houses a USB-C connector for charging. It comes in two colors, black and white, with a complementary space black or silver aluminum palm rest respectively.
There's also a new Smart Folio case for iPad pro with magnetic attachment and support for multiple viewing angles, it comes in black, white, and denim.
