The M4 iPad Pro: Everything to Know About Apple’s Most Sophisticated Tablet
In May 2024, Apple introduced its most powerful and polished tablet yet — the M4 iPad Pro. This launch represents a major advancement in design, capabilities, and AI integration, setting a new standard for tablets. With its sleek profile and OLED display combined with the state-of-the-art M4 chip and Apple Intelligence features, the M4 iPad Pro caters to professionals, creatives, and technology aficionados. Here’s an in-depth overview of what the M4 iPad Pro brings to the table.
Release Date and Availability
Apple officially revealed the M4 iPad Pro during the “Let Loose” event on May 7, 2024. Pre-orders commenced right away, with the device hitting stores and online platforms on May 15, 2024.
Design and Display: Ultra Retina XDR with OLED
Apple has revolutionized the visual experience of the iPad Pro by launching a dual OLED display, named the Ultra Retina XDR. Both the 11-inch and 13-inch versions now incorporate this cutting-edge display technology, featuring:
– Profound blacks and vivid colors
– ProMotion with adaptable refresh rates (10Hz to 120Hz)
– 1,000 nits of full-screen brightness, soaring up to 1,600 nits for HDR content
– Extensive color (P3) and True Tone support
Moreover, Apple has added a nano-texture glass option for the first time on the iPad, which was previously limited to the Pro Display XDR and Studio Display. This matte finish diminishes glare and boosts visibility, particularly in well-lit settings. However, it is exclusively available for the 1TB and 2TB models at an additional cost of $100.
Thinner and Lighter Than Ever
The M4 iPad Pro is the slimmest device ever produced by Apple:
– 11-inch model: 5.1 mm thick, 444 grams
– 13-inch model: 5.0 mm thick, 579 grams
Despite its ultra-slim design, Apple has strengthened the device’s structure to guarantee durability and resistance to bending.
Camera Improvements and Adjustments
Apple has shifted the front-facing camera to the landscape edge, reflecting how most users typically hold the iPad. This 12MP ultra-wide camera supports Center Stage, Smart HDR 4, and 1080p video recording.
On the rear, Apple eliminated the ultra-wide lens, leaving a single 12MP wide camera alongside a LiDAR scanner. The newly implemented Adaptive True Tone flash enhances capabilities for document scanning.
M4 Chip: A Surge in Performance and AI
The M4 chip is Apple’s inaugural 3nm second-generation processor, offering:
– Up to 50% increased CPU performance compared to M2
– 10-core GPU featuring hardware-accelerated ray tracing
– 16-core Neural Engine capable of 38 trillion operations per second
– Dynamic Caching and enhanced ML functionalities
Storage and RAM setups:
– 256GB / 512GB: 8GB RAM, 9-core CPU
– 1TB / 2TB: 16GB RAM, 10-core CPU
The M4 chip is designed to facilitate Apple Intelligence, Apple’s suite of on-device AI functions introduced with iPadOS 18.
Color Variants
The M4 iPad Pro comes in:
– Silver
– Space Black
These colors align with the M3 MacBook Pro series, providing a polished and professional look.
Accessories: Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil Pro
Magic Keyboard (2024)
– Lighter and sleeker design
– Aluminum palm rest
– Expanded haptic trackpad
– Function key row
– Prices: $299 (11-inch), $349 (13-inch)
Apple Pencil Pro
– New squeeze gesture for switching tools
– Haptic feedback and gyroscope for orientation adjustment
– Find My support
– Price: $129
iPadOS 18 and Apple Intelligence
The M4 iPad Pro is shipped with iPadOS 17 but is fully compatible with iPadOS 18, which features Apple Intelligence — a collection of AI-driven tools that boost productivity and creativity.
Key Features of Apple Intelligence:
– Writing Tools: Rewrite, summarize, and proofread text
– Smart Reply and email prioritization
– Image Playground and Genmoji generation
– Clean Up feature in Photos
– Enhanced Siri with contextual awareness
– Call recording and transcription in Notes
– Focus Mode with thoughtful notification filtering
Battery Performance
Despite its slim design, the M4 iPad Pro upholds impressive battery life:
– Up to 10 hours of web browsing or video playback on Wi-Fi
– Up to 9 hours on cellular models
Pricing
The M4 iPad Pro stands as Apple’s priciest tablet to date, but it provides double the base storage and top-notch features.
11-inch Wi-Fi:
– 256
