Remiam
·5 min read·

The M4 iPad Pro is the most interesting iPad in a decade.

Apple just put their newest, fastest chip in a tablet — months before it's appeared in any Mac. The hardware story is genuinely strange. The software story is more familiar than it should be.

Apple announced the M4 iPad Pro last week. Two unusual things about this launch: the chip generation is newer than anything in the Mac lineup, and the tandem-OLED display is the most expensive component Apple have ever put in an iPad. The hardware story is fascinating. The software story is more familiar than it should be.

What's exceptional about the hardware

  • 01M4 chip — faster than the M3, more efficient, with a redesigned Neural Engine.
  • 02Tandem OLED — two OLED panels stacked for brightness, contrast, and longevity. The display is genuinely best-in-class.
  • 03Thinner than the iPad Pro it replaces, despite being more powerful.
  • 04New Apple Pencil Pro with squeeze gestures and haptic feedback.

What's still iPadOS

  • 01Multitasking that's adequate but never quite the desktop you'd expect.
  • 02File-system access that's better than it was, still not free.
  • 03Pro apps that are 'iPad versions' of their Mac counterparts — capable, but not interchangeable.
  • 04Stage Manager is finally usable, but it's not 'a Mac on a tablet'.

The M4 iPad Pro is a remarkable piece of hardware. The fact that the software still has the same shape it did in 2018 is the most frustrating thing about it.

Who should buy one

  • 01Artists and illustrators — Pencil Pro plus the OLED display makes this the best digital sketchpad ever shipped.
  • 02Studios doing installation work where iPads run kiosks, signage, or stage UI — the M4 is overkill but it's the iPad we'd buy now.
  • 03Anyone replacing an older iPad Pro for content consumption — the display alone justifies it.

Who shouldn't

  • 01Anyone hoping it replaces a Mac for development work. iPadOS is not the answer here.
  • 02Anyone whose current iPad does what they need — the upgrade is iterative for most workloads.
  • 03Studios looking for the cheapest reliable iPad — the iPad Air with M2 is the right call there.

The M4 iPad Pro is a remarkable piece of hardware. The fact that the software still has the same shape it did in 2018 is the most frustrating thing about it. Maybe WWDC has answers.

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