Hands-On Review: iPad Pro 13-inch (2024)

Hands-On Review: iPad Pro 13-inch (2024) – The Unbelievably Thin Tablet King

The 2024 iPad Pro 13-inch sets a new standard for premium tablets, showcasing a remarkably slim design, powered by the new M4 chip, and featuring dual-OLED screen technology that delivers breathtaking image quality with near-plasma blacks.

Pros:

• Ultra-thin design
• Stunning large display
• Lightweight despite its size
• Landscape-oriented FaceTime camera

Cons:

• No wide-angle camera
• Expensive
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The new iPad Pro comes in two sizes: an expansive 13-inch model and a super-portable 11-inch model.

Experience the 13-inch iPad Pro

Imagine a 13-inch iPad Pro that’s lighter than its predecessor, thinner than any previous Apple device, featuring cutting-edge display technology, and powered by the latest Apple silicon. Introducing the Apple iPad Pro 13-inch (2024).

Apple’s latest iPad Pro represents a significant leap, marking the most substantial update in seven years for both the 13-inch and 11-inch models. Notably, the 13-inch model is thinner than the 11-inch, at 5.1mm versus 5.3mm.

During our brief hands-on, the iPad Pro 13-inch captivated us with its impressive thinness and lightness.

Apple has made a notable advance with the iPad Pro line. Despite maintaining its recycled aluminum frame, Apple has introduced the unprecedented M4 chip to power the device’s unique Tandem OLED display. This 9-core CPU (10 cores in the 1TB and 2TB models), 10-core GPU, and 16-core Neural Processor SoC are essential for supporting the dual OLED panels, a feat unattainable with previous Apple silicon.

Why Dual OLEDs?

Dual OLED panels enhance brightness and contrast, giving the iPad Pro a 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio, 1,000 nits brightness for SDR, and 1,600 nits for HDR.

The iPad Pro’s 5.1mm thickness is attributed to these thin OLED panels. It’s unclear if the new M4 SoC contributes to its slim profile.

Apple’s integrated development approach allows seamless collaboration between design and chip teams, achieving this slim form factor.

Both sizes feature a new breakthrough Ultra Retina XDR display with state-of-the-art tandem OLED technology, providing a remarkable visual experience.

Pricing and Availability

Announced on May 7, 2024, alongside an 11-inch model and new iPad Air tablets, the iPad Pro 13-inch starts at $1,299 / £1,299 / AU$2,199, with preorders from May 7 and shipping from May 15. Storage options range from 256GB to 2TB, available in Wi-Fi-only and Wi-Fi plus cellular models.

Design and Display

The iPad Pro 13-inch (2024) retains the familiar flat planes and recycled aluminum body. Up close, it reveals an astonishingly thin profile at 5.1mm, yet feels robust and remarkably light at just 1.28 pounds (579g), a quarter-pound lighter than its predecessor.

This iPad Pro resembles an e-paper tablet in thinness and weight. It features four-speaker stereo output, a redesigned FaceTime camera on the landscape edge, and a new True Tone flash, though it lacks wireless charging.

The Ultra Retina XDR display with Tandem OLED technology delivers exceptional sharpness and vibrant colors, with impressive contrast and minimal blooming.

For $100 extra, a Nano-texture display glass option is available for pros working in bright conditions.

M4 delivers a huge leap in performance, with pro rendering apps like Octane seeing up to 4x faster performance than M2.

Performance: M4 Chip

The M4 chip, based on 3-nanometer architecture, enhances CPU cores to 9 (10 in higher storage models), with a 10-core GPU and 16-core Neural Engine, specifically designed to manage the dual OLED panels.

Though no new generative AI features were shown, the M4 supports complex tasks, handling multiple 4K Pro-Res video streams, 3D object rendering, and real-time reflections effortlessly.

Accessories

The new $129 Apple Pencil Pro, compatible with all new iPads, includes features like barrel roll, squeeze-ability, and haptics, enhancing the drawing experience.

Cameras

The iPad Pro 13-inch features a 12MP wide-angle camera with 4K support, a LIDAR camera for 3D scans, and a relocated TrueDepth camera for improved FaceTime and video calls.

An updated pro camera system delivers even more versatility on the new iPad Pro.

Connectivity and Battery

Supporting 5G, Bluetooth 5.3, and WiFi 6e, the iPad Pro has a 38.99-watt-hour battery, promising up to 10 hours of use.

Early Verdict

Apple’s latest iPad Pro brings excitement back to the tablet market with the M4 chip, stunning Tandem OLED display, and near paper-thin design, making it a strong contender for the best tablet of 2024.

Links

• Apple unveils stunning new iPad Pro with the world’s most advanced display, M4 chip, and Apple Pencil Pro – Apple Newsroom
• Sell pre-owned Apple iPad Pro online – iGotOffer
• Everything About Apple’s Products – The complete guide to all Apple consumer electronic products, including technical specifications, identifiers and other valuable information.

M4 iPad Pro, Apple Pencil Pro & New Magic Keyboard Unboxing! What’s Different? [Video]

Video uploaded by Brian Tong on May 13, 2024.