Why Apple

I owned the original iPad in 2010, but sold it and never looked at another tablet … that is until now.

Overhead view of a 2024 iPad pro on a desk

Key Takeaways

iPad Pro M4 is a powerful device, boasting desktop PC-like performance with 10-core CPU and GPU options.
The lightweight 13-inch iPad Pro is perfect for outdoor use with a compact form factor, ideal for travel.
The price may be a barrier, with the highest spec 13-inch model costing up to $3,000, but lower spec options are available.

Apple announced the all-new M4 processor alongside the only device sold with the chip, the 2024 iPad Pro. This marks the first time Apple has launched a new processor with a handheld device and not a Mac as well as an M-class processor instead of an A-class. What this means is the new iPad Pro launching later this month will be one of the most powerful Apple devices, aside from the Mac Pro of course. I owned an original iPad, which launched in 2010, and haven’t had another tablet since. Watching the iPad Pro launch has made me reconsider this stance.

It’s almost as powerful as a desktop PC

An issue I had with the original iPad as well as countless tablets that launched thereafter was the lackluster performance. I’m a PC user, be it a laptop or a desktop system. At the time of writing, my main rig has an AMD Ryzen 9 7900 processor, 32GB of DDR5 RAM, and a discrete GPU for butter-smooth 1440p gaming and excellent productivity on a 49-inch monitor. My laptop is a companion for couch work and is a base 2022 MacBook Air with an M2 chip. It’s terrible and I despise every moment using it, mainly due to the 8GB of RAM, which is pathetic for such a device.

The iPad Pro comes with 8GB of RAM as standard. That’s the same amount of system memory in a tablet as my MacBook Air. We’ve also gone over some iPad Pro features you don’t even get in a MacBook Pro. I would likely opt for a 1TB SSD, which bumps up not only the processor with more cores, but also the RAM to 16GB. A more portable device with double the RAM of my primary laptop? Things are already looking good for the iPad Pro. The M3 chip inside the iPad Pro has a 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU when purchasing a 1TB or 2TB model. That’s plenty of performance for running the latest apps and games from the App Store.

The best part? I would get to enjoy all of this lying down on the couch.

iPad Pro (M4) hands-on: Real upgrades across the board

Apple’s new 2024 iPad Pro gets a new display, silicon, keyboard, and stylus. In other words, almost everything is new.

I’m starting to desire portable convenience

Angled view of the side of a 2024 iPad Pro

Mainly using a desktop PC and laptop, I’ve never yearned for a tablet. I bought an iPhone 12 as it had a small enough screen and I’m just about done with “phablets” and bewildering hardware masking as portable devices. That is until the iPad Pro. This thing has some serious horsepower, yet Apple managed to make it super-thin and lightweight. Even the top-specification 13-inch iPad Pro weighs less than 600g. This makes it more enticing for someone such as me. Now that I’m well into my 30s, I’m starting to appreciate the use of technology outdoors, especially with the UK summer season just around the corner.

The iPad Pro would force me outside, which wouldn’t be a bad thing, right?

Now that we’ve managed to get our wedding out of the way, the wife and I have decided to put the newly freed-up funds towards vacations, which would require at least an hour’s flight. This is also where the iPad Pro would come in handy. Be it playing games to pass the time or creating content such as this, the smaller form factor with powerful hardware would allow me to be productive throughout the flight. Although I’m firmly on the fence between open-source Linux and closed Apple ecosystems, the iPad Pro wouldn’t be replacing any device I own and as such shouldn’t affect my PC usage.

The original iPad wasn’t lightweight and it wasn’t compact, weighing almost 700g. 100g doesn’t sound like much of a saving, but the original iPad only had a 10-inch panel and I’m comparing it to the vastly more powerful 600g 13-inch iPad Pro. It also wasn’t comfortable to use for longer periods and everything was designed for a portrait experience. If I wanted yet more portability, the smaller screen would make more sense, further reducing the overall weight. Regardless of which model I’d pick, the iPad Pro would force me outside, which wouldn’t be a bad thing, right?

Two iPad Pro models with Magic Keyboard accessories back to back

Apple is changing the direction of the iPad Pro with M4, just like it did with the MacBook Pro

Apple’s iPad Pro refresh channels the spirit of the iconic MacBook Pro overhaul and leans into what makes the iPad great.

The price is stopping me from buying one right now

Close-up of an Apple Pencil being used with an iPad Pro

Image credit: Apple

I really want the iPad Pro, but shelling out £1,900 for the 13-inch model with 1TB of storage and 16GB of RAM isn’t something I’m comfortable with. The most expensive iPad Pro configuration with the keyboard and Pencil Pro surpasses $3,000, which is an incredible amount of money to part with for laptop performance in a tablet form factor. I could opt for the 11-inch with lesser specs as 8GB with iPad OS should be a better show than a MacBook Air, especially with the better chip, but I know I would regret not going for the larger dual-display. Decisions, decisions!