Key Takeaways
- The new iPad Pro with M4 chip is quite powerful, but you’re not going to notice a performance bump for casual usage.
- Applications like the ‘Final Cut Pro for iPad’ and ‘Logic Pro for iPad 2’ offer some new and seriously impressive features to take advantage of the updated hardware.
- Creative apps like ‘Procreate’ and ‘Ferrite’ also shine on the iPad Pro with speedy display and powerful chips, and so do games like the Assassin’s Creed Mirage and Civilization VI.
Apple’s new iPad Pro is the latest high-end tablet on the market that’s powered by the new M4 chip, and it’s significantly more powerful than the previous models. It is, without a doubt, one of the most powerful computing devices out there, but you’re not going to notice a huge performance improvement compared to its predecessor outside the powerful apps that can truly take advantage of the new chip. Yes, you may notice all your favorite apps and games load and close a touch faster on the new iPads with M4 than the ones with older chips, but it’s not going to feel like a true performance bump if you use it for, say, media consumption.
That’s not to say the new iPad Pro models are bad upgrades, but it just goes to show how the iPad’s raw performance has never really been an issue for a long time. That being said, there are plenty of apps and games available on the App Store that can benefit from all the raw power churned out by the new M4 chips. These are the kind of “Pro” apps you really need to be using in order to justify the upgrade to the new M4 iPad Pro from the older M2 or even the M1 iPad Pro models.
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1 Final Cut Pro for iPad
A great video editor gets better
Apple brought it flagship video editing tool to the iPad as the ‘Final Cut Pro for iPad’ last year, and it remains a solid application to take advantage of the company’s powerful M-series chips. It’s one of the two “Pro” iPad apps that takes this device one step closer to being a Mac replacement for creative professionals. The existing version of Final Cut Pro for iPad was pretty good by itself, but Apple made it even better by adding support for external projects, and also a new feature called ‘Live Multicam’ to let you record, monitor, and even adjust camera settings like exposure, focus, and zoom for up to four streams of video. It’s a fantastic application overall, and it’ll take full advantage of the M4 chip to churn out seriously impressive performance for your editing sessions on the go.
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Get Final Cut for iPad
2 Ferrite Recording Studio
A fantastic podcasting tool
Ferrite is right up there with the likes of Apple’s Final Cut Pro and the Logic Pro for iPad, and it remains a solid pro-level app to be used on powerful machines like the new iPad Pro. It’s essentially a podcast editing app that equips you with all the essential tools you’d need to produce a podcast from start to finish. It’s one of those applications that greatly benefits from a touchscreen device, and it works flawlessly on iPads. Not only can you edit your podcasts, but you can use Ferrite to record them from scratch using an external microphone. It’s well optimized to take advantage of the powerful iPad hardware, and can handle up to 32 tracks of audio, complete with live FX plugins, and more.
Get Ferrite Recording Studio
3 Procreate
A must-have for creative professionals
The iPad Pro, as you may have heard, is a fantastic tool for creative professionals, as it acts as a beautiful canvas for photo editors, digital artists, and graphic designers. But it’s not just the form-factor or the iPad hardware and accessories that make it great, and it’s also applications like Procreate that truly hit it home for creators. It’s an excellent drawing app that lets you create 2D artwork, paint on 3D models, create animations, and more. It all works very well on pretty much all the modern iPads, but the iPad Pro models can elevate the experience further with their speedy 120Hz display and powerful chips for snappy performance. The OLED panel on the new iPads is also stunning to work with, and it’ll definitely improve the overall experience of using a creative application like this, be it inside a studio or if you’re on the go.
Get Procreate
4 Logic Pro for iPad 2
A reliable and feature-packed music production software
Logic Pro for iPad 2 is a hilarious name as it makes it sound like it’s made for the second-generation iPad. But let’s ignore that for now, as it is one of the most powerful and feature-packed applications you can use on your iPad to take advantage of that M4 chip. This music production software is unlike any you’ll find for the iPad, as it offers all the essential tools you need to create fresh music from scratch. Not only can you make new beats and play instruments on the Logic Pro for iPad, but you can also use it to record, edit, and mix to create a complete track. The new and updated version of the app — which will be shipped as a free update for existing users — adds features like Stem Spitters and ChromaGlow, and the company recommends its M-series Silicon chips for the best experience.
Get Logic Pro for iPad
5 Assassin’s Creed Mirage
A solid AAA title to play on the go
Assasin’s Creed Mirage isn’t available on the iPad just yet, but it’s undoubtedly the game to check out on the iPad Pro when it comes out on June 06, 2024. I’ve played this particular game on the PC, and I can’t stress how beautiful it looks and how well it plays. The fact that a AAA title of this caliber is coming to the iPads and iPhones goes to show how powerful Apple’s mobile chips really are compared to what’s out there. It remains to be seen how well it runs on the iPads, but I’m pretty confident that the new M4 chip, complete with all its CPU and GPU advancements, can handle it very well. Apple’s new M4 chips are up to 4x faster when it comes to 3D rendering, so you’ll definitely get the best experience of playing a demanding title like this on the new iPad Pro compared to other models.
Check out Assassin’s Creed Mirage
6 Civilization VI
Put M4’s CPU and GPU to test
Civilization VI is easily one of the best iPad games out there, and it’s the type of title that’ll take full advantage of the M4 chip as it demands both a good CPU and GPU to run properly. It’s a turn-based strategy 4x video game that sees you develop a civilization from an early settlement. It’s available to download and play for free on the iPad, but keep in mind that you’ll be asked to shell out $10 to play the full game after completing 60 turns. Civilization VI, in case you are wondering, is also available on PC and Mac, but the iPad is the only tablet it’s available on. It’s a rare iPad-exclusive game I recommend checking, be it for putting that M4 chip to use or for continuing your main Civilization VI run during your free time on the go with cross-progression.
Download Civilization VI
There are some seriously impressive apps and games for iPads out there
Apple’s iPads have evolved a lot over the years, and they’re more than just a regular tablet for casual users. The new iPad models, particularly the ones that are powered by Apple’s M-series chips like the M2 and M4, pack some serious punch. I’m also glad to see some powerful and useful applications like the Final Cut Pro and the Logic Pro 2 coming out for iPads. These applications are proof that Apple is indeed taking its tablet apps seriously, and it’s only a matter of time until we see even better third-party apps hitting the App Store than the ones I’ve highlighted below.