Monster performance in a lighter, thinner design

Apple broke the deck with new iPad Pro. Their new tablet defies physical limitations with the thinnest design ever, while packing tons of power thanks to the new M4 chip, making it more capable than many of its PCs. Apple’s message is clear: wherever you are, you can take all the productivity you need with you wherever you go. This is an iPad Pro.

But the iPad Pro didn’t appear alone. In the presentation Release Last week Apple also announced new iPad Air, as well as Apple Pencil Pro, a new tablet that also increases the power level to make it more accessible, while at the same time featuring a new smart pen with more features that allows the most creative users to take advantage of its benefits.

Between iPad Pro and iPad Air there are similarities. Both are now betting on two screen sizes – 11 and 13 inches; that they changed the location of the anterior chamber, now it is located horizontally in the center; that both can take advantage of the Pencil Pro’s potential to get more out of their illustrations, and even that both models are designed for the most professional users. However, there are significant differences that make the iPad Pro stand out in the market with unrivaled performance, extreme thinness, and an OLED screen never seen before in the lineup.

IN SPANISH | Omicrono, we test them intensively in the final days before they go on sale next Wednesday, with the aim of finding out first-hand how far they can go, which is the best option to buy and what the differences and similarities are between them before making a purchasing decision. iPad Pro (from 1199 euros) or iPad Air (from 699 euros).

iPad Pro: incredibly powerful

The three biggest selling points of the new iPad Pro are its design, power, and impressive OLED screen. Three pillars which are then combined with another set of functionality and developments to come together as one of the most ambitious devices Apple has ever created. Not to mention, it is without a doubt the most advanced tablet on the market. Its capabilities are so great that it is not intended for the average user because he will not be able to get the maximum benefit from it.

Like the MacBook Pro family, iPad Pro is designed for high-end professionals. Be it video editors, video game designers, graphic creators, photographers and even programmers, they will be able to use this tablet as a work tool that can be taken anywhere as it is lighter and thinner than ever. Work can now be as portable as the user desires.

iPad Pro ranges from 444 to 582 grams depending on size and connectivity. In the case of the device we’re testing, it’s a heavier version, but it’s so light that, as a personal anecdote tells it, when I picked up the box, I thought it was empty. It’s incredibly lightweight. It is designed to be carried everywhere.

However, what really stands out is its subtlety. At 5.1mm thick, it becomes the thinnest Apple device ever. and invites you to carry it everywhere. Despite these numbers, the iPad Pro doesn’t feel flimsy or like it’s about to bend at all. It’s durable, reliable, and well-built, with the durability to take it anywhere. It’s its lightness and thinness that make the new Magic Keyboard case make the most sense. This accessory has also been redesigned to bring the MacBook experience closer to iPad Pro owners.

Another visual and user experience complaint: new Ultra Retina XDR screen, OLED panel Ultra-fast performance delivering unprecedented content immersion, color accuracy and detail. New anti-reflective technology has also been developed (in addition to the nano-textured glass available on larger models) that allows video creators to work with precision anywhere.

Screen usage is incredible, both indoors and outdoors, as it has a peak brightness of 1600 nits, a contrast ratio of 2,000,000:1 and native support TV series and films in HDR. iPad looks like never before and will be the most advanced portable display ever.

The key to achieving this extreme thinness and ensuring that the impressive OLED screen doesn’t eat up your battery is M4 chip. The new processor is the second generation of a 3-nanometer processor that improves performance and power efficiency. Specifically, the processor delivers up to 1.5 times faster performance than the iPad Pro with the M2 chip, four performance cores and six efficiency cores, and 16GB of RAM in larger models like the one we’re testing.

This power is also fed into the Neural Engine, which allows it to perform 38 trillion operations per second, making it a machine super capable of on-device AI processing and Take advantage of this in apps like never before. Really Magic The peculiarity of the chip is its energy efficiency. Using only half the power, the M4 can provide the same performance as the M2. And, using only a quarter of the power, it delivers the same performance as the latest laptop chip. In other words, the maximum requirements do not sacrifice 10 hours of battery life.

Another novelty in the design, less flashy than its subtlety. These are changes in cameras. iPad Pro is designed to be practical, versatile and capable. That’s why landscape orientation now places the camera in the center, like the 10th generation iPad and most laptops. A clear reference to the fact that the tablet plays in the same league as the PC. Likewise, the new generation opts for a single rear camera (12 megapixels), which, combined with LiDAR and the new True Tone flash system, allows for better document scanning and 3D environment reproduction simply by capturing it with the LiDAR camera. .

In an effort to make the iPad Pro more capable and versatile, it’s also worth noting that it now starts from 256 GB memoryit has greater Wi-Fi 6E and eSIM connectivity, and is also compatible with external monitors via Thunderbolt (USB 4), allowing you to harness its potential from both a workstation and an external hard drive.

iPad Air: Bigger and Better

The goal of the iPad Air is to offer some of the features of the iPad Pro at a significantly lower price. The tablet inherits the concept of the previous generation iPad Pro with two screen sizes (11 and 13 inches), although in order to adjust the price and differentiate itself from the higher model, it had to make a number of functional sacrifices compared to the sixth generation Pro. Despite this, the jump over the fifth generation iPad Air is significant.

New 13″ M2 chip design and performance The first sensations with it arise, as when using the latest generation iPad Pro. The differentiating element here is the screen, as the Air lacks ProMotion technology compared to the previous generation iPad Pro. This larger screen provides 30% more screen space than the 11-inch model, so many professional users will choose it for better performance.

Despite not having the highest refresh rate, which is still exclusive to the Pro, The Air screen looks very good. It has 600 nits of brightness, high color accuracy, and anti-glare film to let you work anywhere. Plus, it’s also compatible with the new Pencil Pro, so you don’t have to upgrade to the highest-end model to enjoy the new smart pencil features.

Pencil Pro, which can be used on both Pro and Air, It now has a squeezable surface that opens up new menus within the app, making it more convenient and practical to use. Plus, it has a gyroscope so the stroke is much more precise than a real brush. It also has haptic feedback that gives a feeling of confirmation of action, and can be found using the Find Me app if we’re nearby, just like the Apple TV remote.

The real leap in quality for the iPad Air is its use of the M2 chip. This translates to 15% more powerful processor, 25% faster graphics performance and up to 40% more work on the neural chip than the previous generation. It should have been called Pro, but the new Pro went beyond performance, capacity, and efficiency. Plus, it retains the signature 10 hours of battery life at home.

In terms of cameras, it also uses the central camera in landscape mode with video calling in mind and has a single camera on the back capable of shooting video. video in 4K qualityso the user can record or take photos directly on the iPad and then incorporate them into their projects.

Which one should I buy?

Given this situation and the flurry of news, the inevitable question is: which iPad to buy? If you want a tablet to consume content, do specific work and answer emails, the best option is the tenth generation iPad (from €429) or iPad mini (from €599). However, if you are looking for a tablet that will allow you to work faster than a MacBook and perform very resource-intensive tasks, then both options are: iPad Pro and iPad Air are what you’re looking for.

Obviously, the iPad Pro is better in every aspect compared to the Air, however, if the last generation iPad Pro was sufficient for your workload and you don’t miss or don’t like the ProMotion screen refresh technology. It is important to give a new OLED panel, Air may better suit your needsand your pocket.

However, if your work requires powerful graphics, you’re looking for the lightest device on the market, or you want a better screen, iPad Pro will be the best purchase option.

Anyway, The new iPads are tablets designed by professionals for professionals, a hardware that has nothing to envy (especially the Pro) for many laptops on the market and with which Apple manages to renew interest in its iPad division. These developments fully encourage the catalog to once again highlight the importance of the iPad in the ecosystem and look forward to a promising future for the iPadOS system.