The iPad Pro is the most likely to turn up in our Pro AV installs, A new Pro has now debuted to enthusiastic reviews from the tech press, with a new mini LED display and the new Apple processor. Here are some reactions:
IPAD PRO (2021) REVIEW: DREAM SCREEN: Mini LED, major improvement (Dieter Bohn, The Verge)
How much do you care about having a great screen? That, really, is the only question that matters with the new 12.9-inch iPad Pro. It has a new kind of display so good I think it is the best thing for watching movies that isn’t a high-end television. It starts at $1,099 for a 128GB version, but increased storage and accessories like a keyboard or the Apple Pencil can shoot the price up fairly quickly. Both the 12.9 and the smaller 11-inch iPad Pro (which starts at $799) feature Apple’s M1 processor and some other updated specs, all of which are excellent. But the 12.9-inch version of the iPad Pro is an iPad with a very beautiful display. And so again, the question is what that screen means to the experience of using an iPad, especially since the price has jumped $100 compared to the last model. How much do you care about having a great screen? MORE@THEVERGE
iPad Pro (2021) review: Apple’s hardware may have outpaced its software (C. Velazco, Engadget)
The most powerful iPad ever feels like the beginning of something big.
For the last week, I’ve been living with Apple’s new iPad Pro and there are two thoughts I haven’t been able to shake. The first is that this might be the best portable computer Apple has ever made. I mean, think about it: This iPad uses the exact same chipset you’ll find in the MacBook Air, the MacBookPro, and even the new iMac. That’s unheard of for a tablet, especially one with 5G and a screen that puts Apple’s laptops to shame. Tim Cook once said the iPad was the company’s vision of the future of computing, and it’s actually starting to feel like it’s coming to fruition. Which leads me to my second unshakeable thought: Because this thing is so powerful, it’s begging for more robust software. The new iPad Pro very much feels a portent of dramatic changes to come, but in this moment, it’s — for better or worse — just an obscenely powerful tablet. MORE@ENGADGET
2021 iPad Pro review: More of the same—but way, way faster thanks to M1 (Samuel Axon, ArsTechnica)
It’s the Marvel movie sequel of Apple products: The same formula but bigger.
Apple’s new iPad Pro is better than its immediate predecessor. It’s a little more versatile, and it’s a lot faster. Like most good sequels, it offers more of the same, but the characteristics you love have been amped up enough to grab your attention all over again. The major storyline in this sequel is that the new iPad Pro uses the same system-on-a-chip as that found in recent Macs—the M1. This marks the first time that one of Apple’s mobile devices is running on the same silicon as its laptops and desktops. The choice of SoC also means that all the R&D effort that went into making the M1 efficient has arrived on a new platform with performance improvements in tow. But several interesting subplots are here in the form of miscellaneous modernizations and tweaks—a higher-resolution front-facing camera, 5G support, an upgrade from USB-C to Thunderbolt, more RAM and storage, and most notably, a new screen technology only available in the 12.9-inch model. MORE@ARSTECHNICA
Apple iPad Pro review: New screen, 5G and M1 chip, but FYI it’s still not a Mac (Scott Stein, CNET)
Apple’s M1-powered iPad is dripping with power. But it needs software flexibility, too.
Has the iPad Pro just made the leap to supercomputer? Or is it another, nicer version of the 2020 IPAD Pro I reviewed at the beginning of my still-ongoing WFH life? In terms of hardware, yes, it’s a leap up. The iPad has a new processor as well as its upgraded display for the 12.9-inch model, a mini LED that looks as good as OLED in my everyday use so far. Plus, it has a few new tricks, like a front-facing camera that follows me during Zooms. And don’t forget 5G. The hardware seems just about perfect. But the iPad is still running the same OS — and largely the same apps — as every other iPad. MORE@CNET
The biggest upgrade to the iPad Pro since its inception
The iPad Pro 2021 is a huge step up for Apple’s best tablet experience, but is it one that you need? If you want the very best tablet that money can buy, and a slate that can achieve almost anything you want a computer to, this is likely to be your perfect purchase. The iPad Pro 2021 12.9-inch isn’t for everyone. The biggest caveats are that it’s incredibly expensive, and that it’s an overwhelmingly large device for those who don’t need a screen this big.
