Portable power and promise at an impractical price

Fourteen years after the first iPad and nine years after the first iPad Pro, Apple has launched new iPad Airs and Pros. The latter are the best tablets Apple has ever made, and I’d argue that they’re the best tablets, period. The new iPad Pros introduce the concept of Tandem OLED displays, where two OLED displays are stacked to provide the deepest, most immersive experience ever. They’re not the first tablets with OLED — the best Android tablets have had OLED displays for many years — but the Tandem OLED makes for the best tablet display.

Beyond the display, the new iPad Pro has a powerful M4 processor. This is the same processor expected to power new Macs later this year, but sadly, iPadOS still can’t take advantage of all that power. The new iPad Pro isn’t just about internal changes; Apple made this redesign lighter, faster, and better than ever. These changes also extend to the radically improved Magic Keyboard and the new Apple Pencil Pro. The new iPad Pro isn’t compatible with previous generations of the keyboard or pencil, meaning you’ll have to stump up almost $500 more to buy them again.

Despite the flaws of iPadOS and the extensive outlay, the iPad Pro (2024) is the best tablet I’ve ever used. The 11-inch version is perfect for most tasks, but the 13-inch version is excellent for everything. There’s nothing this tablet can’t do, and for once, I’m using it for much more than just watching movies.

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  Portable pick

  Apple iPad Pro 11-inch (2024)

  $944 $999 Save $55

  The 11-inch 2024 iPad Pro is the best 11-inch tablet yet. This year’s model includes a tandem OLED display for brighter images with drastically improved contrast ratios, the powerful new M4 Apple silicon chip at its core, and a redesigned build that makes it the thinnest Apple device ever made.

  Pros

  • Excellent Tandem OLED display
  • Impressively thin and light
  • Stage Manager is phenomenal for multitasking
  • The new Magic Keyboard is perfect for typing
  • Great overall battery life

  Cons

  • Very expensive with all the accessories
  • IPadOS still needs improving
  • Cameras are average at best

• 

  

  Editor’s Choice

  Apple iPad Pro 13-inch (2024)

  The 13-inch iPad Pro is the best tablet yet. It’s the flexible MacBook alternative I’ve been waiting for, built with immense speed, productivity, and enjoyment in mind. It’s perfect if you want a quasi-laptop replacement. Aside from the high price, the iPad Pro 13-inch (2024) is now my new favorite way of working, and I use it more than my MacBook Pro.

  Pros

  • Excellent Tandem OLED display
  • Impressively thin and light
  • Stage Manager is phenomenal for multitasking
  • The new Magic Keyboard is perfect for typing
  • Great overall battery life

  Cons

  • Very expensive with all the accessories
  • IPadOS still needs improving
  • Cameras are average at best

Price, Availability, and Specs

It’s not cheap, but for once, it’s worth it

Apple is known for its iterative updates and occasionally raising prices when it makes these, so it should be no surprise that a major update also brings unwelcome price increases.

The new iPad Pro has an 11-inch display (the same size as before) and a 13-inch display (replacing the 12.9-inch model). Both models start at $200 higher than the previous generation, but the price is justified for once based on the considerable improvements.

The base storage has been doubled from 128GB to 256GB, and if you choose the 1TB or higher model, you’ll get 16GB of RAM. You can also select a new nano-texture glass display with a matte finish, but I don’t think it’s worth the extra cost.

There are also new optional accessories that you’ll want to buy. The redesigned Magic Keyboard is fantastic, and I consider it essential if you want to use the iPad Pro as more than just a media player. There’s also the new Apple Pencil Pro, and neither iPad Pro supports the second-generation Apple Pencil.

All of this adds up to a considerable outlay. With the accessories, the minimum you’ll spend is $1,427 for the iPad Pro 11 or $1,777 for the iPad Pro 13. I’ve opted for the iPad Pro 13-inch vs iPad Pro 11-inch (2024) as it is better overall for productivity, the Magic Keyboard is more comfortable for typing, and the weight is more evenly dispersed for a lighter in-hand feel. Regardless of size, you’re getting the best tablet that money can buy, bar none.

• 	Apple iPad Pro 11-inch (2024)	Apple iPad Pro 13-inch (2024)
  SoC	Apple M4	Apple M4
  Display type	Tandem OLED	Tandem OLED
  Display dimensions	11″	13″
  Display resolution	1668 x 2420	2064 x 2752
  RAM	8GB, 16GB	8GB, 16GB
  Storage	256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB	256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB
  Battery	8,160mAh	10,290mAh
  Charging speed	30W	30W
  Charge options	Wired	Wired
  Ports	USB Type-C 4 (Thunderbolt 3), Magnetic Connector	USB Type-C 4 (Thunderbolt 3), Magnetic Connector
  SIM support	eSIM	eSIM
  Operating System	iPadOS	iPadOS
  Front Camera	12MP	12MP, Center Stage
  Rear Camera	12MP	12MP
  Cellular connectivity	5G	5G
  Wi-Fi connectivity	Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi
  Bluetooth	5.3	5.3
  Dimensions	249.7 x 177.5 x 5.3mm	281.6 x 215.5 x 5.1mm
  Weight	444g (Wi-Fi), 446g (5G)	579g (Wi-Fi), 582g (5G)
  Colors	Silver, Space Gray	Space Gray, Silver
  Stylus	Apple Pencil Pro (not included)	Apple Pencil Pro (not included)

Design and Hardware

Thin, light, and sexy

It looks like any other iPad Pro, but the iPad Pro (2024) is significantly thinner and lighter than previous generations. The effect is transformative: the iPad Pro 13-inch (2024) and Magic Keyboard weigh 1,246 grams combined, just six grams heavier than a 13-inch MacBook Pro M3. This is by design: this is the closest we’ve come to a portable touchscreen alternative to the Mac.

From the front, you’ll be hard-pressed to tell the difference between this and other generations of the iPad Pro, at least until you turn the display on. There are slight differences in the position of the magnetic Smart Connector for the Magic Keyboard, so previous generations of the keyboard won’t work.

The iPad Pro 11-inch (2024) next to the iPad Pro 13-inch (2024)

The iPad Pro (2024) is also the first to run Apple’s new M4 chip. Built with AI in mind — even though iPadOS can’t take advantage of it yet — it’s incredibly powerful and makes using the iPad Pro (2024) an absolute joy. The M4 chip puts the iPad Pro up against the latest wave of Windows computers powered by Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon X Elite chipset, and the hardware is ready for the fight.

Display and Speakers

Two is better than one

Apple introduced its new Ultra Retina XDR display, which uses Tandem OLED technology and stacks two OLED displays together. It’s significantly more enjoyable than the MacBook Pro 14’s display, so hopefully, the upcoming rumored OLED MacBook utilizes the same display stacking technology.

I have used an OLED TV for years and love Samsung’s Galaxy Tab range for its phenomenal displays. The iPad Pro surpasses that, and Tandem OLED will likely be the next display frontier on which companies compete. It’s brighter, vivid, and stunning and keeps you returning for more.

The display is the best on any tablet, but the speaker on the new iPad Pro isn’t as premium as last year’s, even though it’s good enough. You’ll notice the difference in this year’s model if you’re using it to listen to music or value audio fidelity. This is likely due to the smaller sound chamber caused by the thinner body. It’s a trade-off that won’t be right for some people, but I think it is worthwhile for its benefit elsewhere in the iPad Pro (2024).

Software and Performance

All that power with nowhere to go

The most common online reaction to the iPad Pro announcement is the one we’ve heard before: it can have the latest M-chip and all the power, but the software won’t take advantage of it. This is mostly the case, although that statement overlooks the power of the Stage Manager. Halfway through this review, I switched from using the original iPad multitasking (limited to an adjustable split screen) to Stage Manager. The result completely changed my thoughts on iPadOS.

Stage Manager combines traditional iPad multitasking with PC-like desktop and window management. It’s nearly identical to how I’ve always managed Windows on the Mac, but it makes iPadOS a much stronger Mac replacement.

It’s not new, but Stage Manager is much smoother than before and, finally, a viable way to multitask on the iPad Pro. I particularly like the freedom in the size and layout of different windows. Still, you can easily switch to this adjustable side-by-side layout reminiscent of the original multitasking.

That said, iPadOS still needs improvement to reach parity with the Mac. Many websites don’t play nice in Safari on the iPad Pro if you want to code on the go. The Escape key on the Magic Keyboard doesn’t work in all apps, and even Apple’s apps sometimes don’t work as planned.

This could be due to the dueling architectures in play. iPadOS was originally a fork of iOS, and more Mac-like features have been added over time. It’s meant to bridge the iPhone and Mac, but Apple needs to decide if it wants to adopt more Mac-like or iOS-like features.

Three windows in use in Stage Manager

This is most prevalent in multitasking: Apple asks whether you want to use Stage Manager or traditional multitasking. However, even if you pick Stage Manager, there’s still an iOS-like app switcher panel. You must close apps from there (or the three buttons at the top of the app window) as you can’t close apps using the Mac shortcuts.

Apple needs to decide whether it wants a touch-based or Mac-like UX as the primary for iPadOS; I hope they choose the former as there are far too many apps that only offer basic iPad apps, even though they have full-fledged Mac apps.

Stage Manager makes iPadOS great for many daily tasks.

For most people, iPadOS can easily replace a Mac for everything, including basic photo and video editing. The USB-C port supports Thunderbolt and DisplayPort, so you can easily connect multiple displays, although iPadOS doesn’t handle it as smoothly as macOS. As it turns out, iPadOS is more than good enough for many of my daily tasks, and I opt to use the iPad Pro 13-inch (2024) more than its smaller sibling.

Cameras

One less camera, but don’t be that person

Please don’t use the iPad Pro to take photos at a wedding or other environment: your phone has a better camera, and a bigger screen does NOT mean a better camera.

Now that’s out of the way: Apple has taken a different approach to the cameras this year, dropping the ultra-wide in favor of a single camera that seems more focused on professional use cases by videographers than regular consumers. In this regard, the camera works, but I still think it’s better to use an iPhone camera with Final Cut Pro.

The iPad Pro 2024 features a 12MP f/1.8 main camera, just like its predecessor, but it drops the 10MP ultra-wide camera. It’s unclear why Apple made this move, but it still comes with LiDAR and an upgraded True Tone flash. The result is a tablet that can take good enough photos and videos, although, again, there’s very little reason to do so.

The iPad Pro (2024) camera in action: front-facing 1x, then ultra-wide, and rear-facing 1x, 2x, and 5x (max possible zoom).

A more pertinent and useful change is on the front. After many years, Apple has finally recognized that most people use the iPad horizontally. In previous years, the front-facing camera was useless as it was designed for portrait use, and you would appear sideways in video calls.

Moving the front-facing camera to the top of the iPad when horizontal means you don’t need a separate camera, and it’s great for selfies, video calls, or even livestreaming!

Battery and Charging

The Energizer Bunny comes to life

The iPad Pro 11 features an 8.5% larger battery than previous years, which isn’t surprising given the increased power requirements from the M4 chipset and Tandem OLED display. More surprising is that the iPad Pro 13 features a 5% smaller battery than the last generation, although the battery life has proven to be superb on both devices.

Over the past two weeks, I have had no issues with the battery life throughout extensive use. Most days, I’ll put it on charge for an hour or two, and it’s more than enough to get me through the day. On my biggest single day of usage, I drained the battery by about 68% with 5 hours and 45 minutes of screen time (and an hour of screen-off time).

This represents excellent battery life and the best battery life of a tablet that I’ve used with similar features and display. Yes, there are tablets with e-ink displays, but the closest comparison is the Galaxy Tab S9, which has a similar battery capacity and display. The iPad Pro 11 offers better overall battery life, although I have not tested them side-by-side.

Both iPad Pro models support significantly faster charging through the USB-C port and the Smart Connector on the Magic Keyboard. Regardless of your charging method, both models support around 38W of charging speed, with slight variances based on the charging brick and cable.

The biggest speed increase year-on-year comes when charging via the Smart Connector; the previous generation Magic Keyboard could only charge the iPad at 7.5W, and the new Magic Keyboard is up to 4x faster. This noticeable increase makes the Magic Keyboard more compelling in day-to-day usage.

The key accessories for the iPad Pro

They’re optional but essential to complete the experience

I love the weight of the new iPad Pro, but I love the redesigned Magic Keyboard even more. Instead of a bulky keyboard that more than doubled the weight of the iPad — and made it too heavy to carry — the new, lighter Magic Keyboard is the perfect accessory for the iPad Pro.

I do not know where the Magic Keyboard for my last-generation iPad Pro 12.9 is as it was too heavy to carry alongside the iPad, but for both sizes of the new iPad Pro, I’m very happy that I bought the Magic Keyboard.

The Apple Pencil Pro is another ‘necessary’ purchase, if only so that you have the best Apple Pencil for your iPad. If you have the 2nd-generation Apple Pencil (from the last-generation iPad Pro), it won’t work with the new iPad Pro. This is due to redesigned magnets, or it could be for commercial reasons. I’ll let you decide where Apple’s priorities lay here.

That said, the Apple Pencil Pro is great to use. I don’t draw, but I find the squeeze gesture intuitive and useful. It’s worth noting, though: it’s a first for the Apple Pencil, but the pop-up menu when you squeeze the Apple Pencil Pro is not new; it’s essentially the same idea as the menu that pops up if you’ve ever used Samsung’s S-Pen, which has been around for over a decade.

The ability to rotate the Apple Pencil Pro to change the shape and direction of the drawing cursor is very nifty, and adding Find My to the Pencil is a welcome addition. I checked, and I’ve owned at least 8 Apple Pencils at various points. I can only find one of them now.

The new Apple accessories will be essential for most people. So much so, if you’re considering buying the iPad Pro, it’s worth including the Apple Pencil Pro ($129) and Magic Keyboard ($299 / $349) in your overall spend. That increases the cost of the base iPad Pro 11 with accessories to almost $1,500, which is not cheap, but even at this price, I think there’s significant value for many people.

Competition

Setting a new standard for tablets

The original iPad wasn’t the first tablet, but it launched the category. It transformed our perception of consumer devices, and since then, virtually every company has launched an iPad killer. Many of these look and feel identical, whereas some companies have formed their own identities.

The iPad is unique, as it competes in two categories. On one side, there are many Android tablets, and many of them have advanced multitasking features. On the other, there’s an entire ecosystem of Windows-based tablets designed to help you be productive on the go at the expense of a simpler experience for on-the-go usage.

If you want an Android tablet, look no further than the Galaxy Tab S9 series. The regular Galaxy Tab S9 is the closest competitor to the 11-inch iPad Pro, while the Tab S9+ is the main alternative to the 13-inch. A larger Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra also features a 14-inch display. All of Samsung’s tablets come with the S-Pen in the box and have OLED displays. The multitasking in Samsung’s OneUI is the best portable device and supports DeX mode for a portable PC-like experience.

However, Samsung’s tablets aren’t the cheapest, so it’s worth looking at the OnePlus Pad, which also has a great keyboard. If you like the Magic Keyboard, the OnePlus Pad has a nearly identical one. Instead of this design, Samsung has taken a Surface Pro-like approach to keyboards, opting for a keyboard that can detach from the main case.

Should you buy it? Which size is right for you?

These are the best tablets ever, but smaller isn’t better

When Apple announced the iPad Pro 11, it piqued my interest. I’ve always been a fan of the bigger iPad Pro, but despite having an M2 processor in the last generation, I found the trade-offs too much. These were mainly the weight, ergonomics, lack of Pro features in iPad OS, and the weight of the Magic Keyboard, which made the iPad too heavy overall. Almost all of these are now fixed, and the iPad Pro (2024) is the best tablet I’ve ever used.

The vastly reduced weight of the iPad Pro and Magic Keyboard make it an absolute joy to use. I’ve found that the 13-inch is better for my needs than the 11-inch, which can feel cramped, but there’s nuance to that decision. Read our iPad Pro 11-inch vs. 13-inch (2024) comparison for a detailed run-through of all the differences. Regardless, if you’re looking for a tablet that is as good as a MacBook Pro for many tasks, either size of the new iPad Pro (2024) is perfect.

The iPad range is only updated every 18-24 months, so unlike the iPhone, which gets annual updates, buying the iPad Pro now will prove to be a lasting and fruitful investment. I’m enjoying it so much that I wrote this entire review using the iPad Pro (2024) with Magic Keyboard: it’s my new favorite device for writing.

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  Apple iPad Pro 11-inch (2024)

  $944 $999 Save $55

  The 11-inch version of the 2024 iPad Pro is the best 11-inch tablet ever made. New additions to this year’s model include a tandem OLED display for brighter images with drastically improved contrast ratios, the powerful new M4 Apple silicon chip at its core, and a redesigned build that gives this the title of thinnest Apple device ever made. The result is the best tablet I’ve ever used, albeit with a premium price tag. It’s worth it, though.

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  Apple iPad Pro 13-inch (2024)

  The 13-inch iPad Pro is the ideal touchscreen alternative to the Mac and is built for multitasking and portable productivity. It’s pricey, which means it’s overpriced for Netflix or checking emails, but if you’re looking for something that can do it all on the go, look no further.

Nirave is a creator, evangelist, and founder of House of Technology, which covers the best health and technology products. Following a heart attack at the age of 33, he’s been focused on the impact of technology in helping us live longer, more fruitful, and happier lives. He can also be found on Instagram and Twitter and publishes the Impact Newsletter at impact.hot.tech.