The newly released iPad Pro M4 not only boasts Apple’s most innovative processor, but also a remarkably slim design paired with a spectacular display.
iPad Pros have solidified their position as Apple’s most advanced devices, especially in terms of their Apple Silicon chip. What initially began as an evolution of the original iPad to meet the demands of users seeking higher performance in a tablet has evolved into the flagship of the brand.
If in previous generations we already enjoyed an exceptional display and some enhancements aimed at creative professionals, this new model takes things to another level. From its core, equipped with the most advanced Apple Silicon processor to date.
The iPad Pro M4 opens up new horizons
The technical specifications of the iPad Pro M4 are a showcase of technology. Apple has conceived this device as a tool with an even greater reach and has equipped it with a new processor, the powerful M4 chip, necessary to drive the new screen.
The capabilities of this new chip, as per the demonstrations we witnessed in the testing area during the launch event in London, are impressive. It even ventures into 3D rendering programs that, combined with the new Apple Pencil Pro, offer extraordinary creative potential.
The design of the iPad Pro M4 is striking in person. Its thinness is such that even the camera had difficulty focusing on the device when placed sideways. The comparison made during the presentation with the iPod nano, which remains the thinnest device ever made by Apple, was apt. This iPad Pro now holds that title.
Despite its extreme thinness, even in its largest size, the device feels compact, solid, and, most importantly, does not feel fragile, despite being surprisingly light. It can be easily held with one hand without seeming weak, even when gripped from a corner.
The rear texture is slightly different, at least during the minutes I was able to test it, and it makes sense, as Apple sought to improve the heat dissipation of the new processor. They have slightly adjusted the rear materials to prevent excessive heat buildup in the casing.
The undisputed star: the new display
This new model is a solid bet that Apple must support with equally powerful software, such as iPadOS 18, which we expect to see at the upcoming WWDC24. Regarding the initial impressions of the current product, what stands out most about the new iPad Pro M4 is its improved OLED display, dubbed Ultra Retina XDR by Apple. During my tests, the quality of the colors and contrast seems to have improved dramatically compared to its predecessor.
In the demonstrations I witnessed, with photographs and some content creation apps, the colors are much more vibrant and deep, especially the pure black in certain areas, even in challenging light conditions like those of a testing area during an event.
Another feature that impressed me in this first contact is that the screen features the same nanotexture anti-reflective coating as the Studio Display XDR monitor. This process reduces everyday reflections, although it does not turn the screen into what we would traditionally consider matte.
The experience of this technology on an iPad Pro placed on a table, compared to a monitor positioned vertically, is different. Although it is impossible to completely eliminate reflections on the iPad Pro, it effectively blurs them and prevents them from mixing with the on-screen content, even with intense light sources like those mentioned earlier in the testing area.
With this update, Apple introduces a device that not only rivals Macs in power but surpasses them, thanks also to the improvements in artificial intelligence of the Neural Engine cores that we will analyze in detail later on.
By: Nestor Castillo, ForAllTechNews Director