Apple has updated the iPad Pro: it's the first tablet with an OLED display, the first device with an M4 chip and the thinnest iPad in history

By: Elena Shcherban | 07.05.2024, 19:11

After a long break of 1.5 years, Apple finally unveiled new tablet models. In addition to the iPad Air, the updated iPad Pro made its debut at today's presentation.

Here's What's New About It

There are actually a lot of changes. First of all, Apple decided to skip the upgrade to M3 and equipped the new iPad Pro with an M4 processor. Thus, this is the first "apple" gadget with an M4 chip. It is based on the second generation 3-nanometre manufacturing process. The processor provides a performance boost of up to 50 per cent over the previous iPad Pro M2. The overall rendering performance is 4 times better compared to the M2. Apple says the new Neural Engine and machine learning processor accelerators make the M4 an extremely powerful chip for artificial intelligence.

But note that the 10-core M4 is exclusive to the 1TB and 2TB iPad Pro models. And the 256GB and 512GB versions feature a 9-core processor. The extra performance core probably won't be noticeable for most operations.

The iPad Pro is also Apple's first tablet with an OLED display, which offers higher contrast and brightness. The manufacturer calls it the Ultra Retina XDR display. There are 11-inch and 13-inch versions to choose from, both with peak brightness of up to 1,600 nits. Apple is also offering a nano-textured anti-reflective glass option for the iPad for the first time.

The OLED panel is thinner and lighter, so the tablet itself has reduced dimensions: the 11-inch tablet is 5.3mm thick and the 13-inch tablet is 5.1mm thick. As a result, it's the thinnest iPad in the company's history.

The front camera, as well as the iPad Air, moved from the top frame to the side frame to make the tablet more convenient to use in landscape orientation. But the rear camera has lost its ultra-wide-angle module. Now the novelty has only one rear camera, flash and LiDAR scanner.

Here's What It Costs

The price of the new 11-inch model starts at $999, while the 13-inch model starts at $1,299.

Source: Apple