Apple this week announced a new generation iPad Pro. And although it is equipped with Apple’s latest M2 chip, there isn’t much else new on these iPads. For those who are considering buying a new iPad Pro, the M1 models seem more appealing than ever. Here’s why the M1 iPad Pro is still a great option.
Some of us were expecting a more significant update for the new iPad Pro than what actually appeared. For instance, Apple has chosen to keep the same design as the last generation M1 iPad Pro – which is not a bad thing, but there are some aspects that could be improved.
M2 iPad Pro is not a big upgrade
With the new 10th generation iPad, Apple has placed the front-facing camera in landscape mode, so it looks more natural when users are in a video conference. This is a much requested change by many iPad users, but the new iPad Pro didn’t get it. There were rumors about the new iPad Pro getting inductive wireless charging somehow, but that didn’t happen either.
The big news about the new iPad Pro is definitely the M2 chip. But honestly, that’s not exactly big news. For sure, M2 is faster. But compared to the M1 chip, the difference probably won’t change your workflow unless you’re a really heavy user. M2 has a 15% faster CPU than M1. It will be hard for the vast majority of users to notice such a difference, especially when iPadOS barely has any features or apps that push its limits.
The differences become a bit more noticeable when it comes to graphics performance, as the M2 chip’s GPU is about 35% more powerful than the M1’s GPU. But again, there are only a few iPad apps that take advantage of such performance.
Another new feature coming exclusively to the M2 iPad Pro is “hover” for Apple Pencil. In other words, the display is now capable of detecting when Apple Pencil is hovering over the screen to show more precisely where the user will touch, increasing the accuracy for writing and drawing. This is certainly a useful feature for those who work with Apple Pencil every day, but I don’t.
There are also some other specs enhancements in the new iPad Pro. It supports the Wi-Fi 6E standard for faster transfer speeds, as well as more 5G bands than before. But again, it’s not something that everyone will notice while working with regular tasks. Meanwhile, the cameras are the same as on the M1 iPad Pro, and Apple hasn’t brought the Mini-LED display to the smaller 11-inch model.
Which one should you get?
At this point, if you’re considering upgrading from an older iPad or thinking about buying your first iPad, I strongly believe that the M1 iPad Pro is still a great option, perhaps even better than the M2 model. It is still a super powerful device and supports all the latest features of iPadOS 16, including Stage Manager.
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The M1 iPad Pro also has technologies like ProMotion, Thunderbolt support, and up to 2TB of storage combined with 8GB or 16GB of RAM.
While the M2 iPad Pro starts at $799, you can find the M1 iPad Pro for less at stores like Amazon. With the price difference between the two models, you’ll end up with more money to spend on accessories like Apple Pencil and Magic Keyboard. And, if you already have an M1 iPad Pro, you’ll be totally fine with it for another year.
Do you have plans to buy the new M2 iPad Pro? Let me know in the comments section below.
Read also:
- iPadapalooza: Weird choices Apple is making for its new iPads
- iPad line-up: Something for everyone, or a confusing mess?
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