The 2024 iPad Pro with M4 chip takes performance to the next level. So what’s been upgraded from the previous iPad Pro? Read along for a detailed look at the M4 iPad Pro vs M2 iPad Pro.
iPad Pro background
In 2021, the 11 and 12.9″ iPad Pro arrived with the powerful M1 chip, Thunderbolt connectivity, 5G for cellular models, new camera features like Center Stage, and more.
Then the 2022 M2 iPad Pro arrived with a number of tweaks and changes, but many were minor which may have pushed customers toward the M1 iPad Pro or even iPad Air.
Then in spring 2024, the new iPad Pro models launched with the brand-new M4 chip and a range of improvements.
Below we’ll take an in-depth look at the M4 iPad Pro vs M2 iPad Pro.
Table of contents
M4 iPad Pro vs M2 iPad Pro
Performance
The main difference in performance between the new and old iPad Pro is thanks to the upgrade of the M4 chip. Apple says it delivers up to a 50% faster CPU, 4x faster GPU, and a boost in memory bandwidth from 100GB/s to 120GB/s over the M2.
Along with the new GPU comes a media engine that offers hardware-accelerated 8K H.264, HEVC, ProRes, and ProRes RAW support – joining the Mac in being able to handle 8K video.
Other new features include 38 trillion operations per second with the M4 Neural Engine, hardware-accelerated ray tracing, and more.
Note: 128, 256, and 512GB models have 8GB RAM, 1TB and 2TB models have 16GB RAM.
| 11″ M4 iPad Pro | 11″ M2 iPad Pro | 13″ M4 iPad Pro | 12.9″ M2 iPad Pro | |
| Chip | M4 | M2 | M4 | M2 |
| CPU | 9 or 10-core | 8-core | 9 or 10-core | 8-core |
| GPU | 10-core | 10-core | 10-core | 10-core |
| Hardware-accelerated 8K H.264, HEVC, ProRes, and ProRes RAW support | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Hardware-accelerated H.264, HEVC, ProRes, and ProRes RAW | – | ✅ | – | ✅ |
| Hardware-accelerated ray tracing | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Neural Engine | 16-core | 16-core | 16-core | 16-core |
| Storage | 256GB – 2TB | 128GB – 2TB | 256GB – 2TB | 128GB – 2TB |
| RAM | 8 or 16GB | 8 or 16GB | 8 or 16GB | 8 or 16GB |
| Memory bandwidth | 120GB/s | 100GB/s | 120GB/s | 100GB/s |
| Thunderbolt/USB 4 | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Cellular | 5G (sub-6 GHz) | 5G (sub-6 GHz and mmWave | 5G (sub-6 GHz) | 5G (sub-6 GHz and mmWave |
As it happens, one loss is mmWave connectivity for 5G with the 2024 iPad Pro models.
Display
The new M4 iPad Pro models go beyond their predecessors with a new “Ultra Retina XDR Display.” It’s the first to use Tandem OLED compared to the LED/mini-LED of the M2 iPad Pro models.
Apple says the benefits of the new OLED display are brighter specular highlights, deeper true blacks, better detail in shadows and low light, and more.
Both the smaller and larger iPad Pro feature the new OLED display and you can also now upgrade the 1 or 2TB M4 iPad Pro with nano-texture display glass.
You also get brighter SDR content up to 1000 nits with the M4 iPad Pro models (600 nits for M2 iPad Pro SDR content).
| 11″ M4 iPad Pro | 11″ M2 iPad Pro | 13″ M4 iPad Pro | 12.9″ M2 iPad Pro | |
| Display | 11″ with OLED | 11″ with LED | 13″ with OLED | 12.9″ with mini-LED |
| Resolution | 2420 x 1668 | 2388 x 1668 | 2752 x 2064 | 2732 x 2048 |
| PPI (pixels per inch) | 264 | 264 | 264 | 264 |
| Display brightness | 1000 nits SDR, 1000 nits max full screen XDR, 1600 nits peak (HDR only) | 600 nits | 1000 nits SDR, 1000 nits max full screen XDR, 1600 nits peak (HDR only) | 600 nits SDR, 1000 nits max full screen XDR, 1600 nits peak (HDR only) |
| True Tone | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| P3 wide color | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| ProMotion (120Hz) | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Anti-reflective and fingerprint-resistant coating | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Fully laminated display | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Nano-texture display glass | Optional on 1TB and 2TB models | ❌ | Optional on 1TB and 2TB models | ❌ |
| Liquid Retina Display | – | ✅ | – | – |
| Liquid Retina XDR Display | – | ❌ | – | ✅ |
| Ultra Retina XDR Display | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Apple Pencil Hover | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Shared display features across all M4 and M2 pro models include ProMotion (10-120Hz refresh), P3 wide color, fully laminated displays, anti-reflective coating, Apple Pencil Hover, and True Tone.
Design, dimensions, weight, colors
The M4 iPad Pro is the “thinnest product Apple has ever created” at just 5.1mm for the 13″ model and 5.3mm for the 11″ version.
Along with that, the new M4 iPad Pro is lighter than its predecessor and weighs under 1 pound for the 11″ and 1.28 pounds for the 13″.
| 11″ M4 iPad Pro | 11″ M2 iPad Pro | 13″ M4 iPad Pro | 12.9″ M2 iPad Pro | |
| Height | 9.83 inches (249.7 mm) | 9.74 inches (247.6 mm) | 11.09 inches (281.6 mm) | 11.04 inches (280.6 mm) |
| Width | 6.99 inches (177.5 mm) | 7.02 inches (178.5 mm) | 8.48 inches (215.5 mm) | 8.46 inches (214.9 mm) |
| Depth | 0.21 inch (5.3 mm) | 0.23 inch (5.9 mm) | 0.20 inch (5.1 mm) | 0.25 inches (6.4 mm) |
| Weight | 0.98 pounds (446 grams) | 1.04 pounds (470 grams) | 1.28 pounds (582 grams) | 1.5 pounds (682 grams) |
New this time around is the Space Black finish replacing Space Gray for the M4 iPad Pro while Silver remains the other choice.
Connectivity and accessories
The new iPad Pro models work with the same type of Apple accessories. Those come in the form of a new Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil Pro – or you could opt for the mid-tier Apple Pencil with USB-C.
- Apple Pencil Pro launches, with squeeze gesture and roll, plus Find My support
- Apple debuts Magic Keyboard for M4 iPad Pro with larger trackpad, function row, aluminum palm rest
Here’s a look at the rest of the I/O and connective specs:
| 11 and 13″ M4 iPad Pro | 11 and 12.9″ M2 iPad Pro | |
| Apple Pencil Pro support | ✅ | ❌ |
| Apple Pencil gen 2 support | ❌ | ✅ |
| Apple Pencil USB-C | ✅ | ✅ |
| Magic Keyboard support | ✅ | ✅ |
| 5G | ✅ (sub-6Ghz) | ✅ (sub-6Ghz and mmWave) |
| WiFi 6E | ✅ | ✅ |
| SIM | eSIM only | eSIM and nano-SIM |
| Bluetooth | 5.3 | 5.3 |
| USB-C | ✅ USB 4 | ✅ USB 4 |
| Thunderbolt | ✅ | ✅ |
| Face ID | ✅ | ✅ |
Beyond the drop of mmWave for 5G, the M4 iPad Pro has also lost its nano-SIM slot.
Battery life
The 2024 iPad Pro models with M4 chip feature the same battery life as their predecessors:
- 10 hours of web or video use on WiFi
- 9 hours of web use with cellular
Storage and price
Storage gets a slight tweak with the M4 iPad Pro starting with 256GB and going up to 2TB. Pricing is $100 more than the M2 iPad Pro lineup or $200 more if you add the nano-texture glass for the 1 and 2TB models.
| 11″ M4 iPad Pro | 11″ M2 iPad Pro | 13″ M4 iPad Pro | 12.9″ M2 iPad Pro | |
| 128GB WiFi | – | $799 | – | $1,099 |
| 128GB + cell | – | $999 | – | $1,299 |
| 256GB WiFi | $999 | $899 | $1,299 | $1,199 |
| 256GB + cell | $1,199 | $1,099 | $1,499 | $1,399 |
| 512GB WiFi | $1,199 | $1,099 | $1,499 | $1,399 |
| 512GB + cell | $1,399 | $1,299 | $1,699 | $1,599 |
| 1TB WiFi | $1,599 | $1,499 | $1,899 | $1,799 |
| 1TB + cell | $1,799 | $1,699 | $2,099 | $1,999 |
| 2TB WiFi | $1,999 | $1,899 | $2,299 | $2,199 |
| 2TB + cell | $2,199 | $2,099 | $2,499 | $2,399 |
Cameras, video, and audio
On the M4 iPad Pro rear camera system, you’ve got a 12MP wide lens, LiDAR Scanner, and a Retina Flash with True Tone.
Interestingly, the M4 iPad Pro has ditched the 10MP ultra wide lens of the M2 iPad Pro.
On the front, you get a 12MP ultra wide lens with Center Stage support that’s now centered on the long landscape edge instead of the short edge with the 2024 M4 iPad Pro models.
| 11 and 13″ M4 iPad Pro | 11 and 12.9″ M2 iPad Pro | |
| 12MP wide lens | ✅ | ✅ |
| 10MP ultra wide lens | ❌ | ✅ |
| LiDAR | ✅ | ✅ |
| 4K video | ✅ | ✅ |
| ProRes video up to 4K 30 fps | ✅ | ✅ |
| Extended dynamic range | ✅ | ✅ |
| Slo-mo video | ✅ | ✅ |
| Rear camera flash | ✅ | ✅ |
| TrueDepth camera with Face ID | ✅ (landscape edge) | ✅ (portrait edge) |
| Ultra wide 12MP front camera | ✅ | ✅ |
| 2x optical zoom out | ❌ | ✅ |
| Smart HDR 4 photos | ✅ | ✅ |
| Center Stage auto-tracking | ✅ | ✅ |
| 4-speaker audio | ✅ | ✅ |
| Stereo recording | ✅ | ✅ |
| Studio-quality mics | 4 | 5 |
The M4 (and M2) iPad Pro front camera also supports Portrait mode, Portrait Lighting, and Animoji/Memoji.
M4 iPad Pro vs M2 iPad Pro conclusion
Why buy M4 iPad Pro?
Top comment by Frankenscribe
Here's my beef (but it still hasn't stopped me ordering one!):
In the UK, if I buy a new iPad Air and I want to add on the Cellular option to the standard wi-fi, it will cost me £150. If I buy a new iPad Pro and I want to add the Cellular option to that, it costs me £200. WHY?
I mean yes, greed, okay, but surely somewhere there has to be some comforting marketing double-speak to pretend to justify it and make me feel better.
Looking at the M4 iPad Pro and M2 iPad Pro, it may make the most sense to only buy the new model if you’re a pro or aspiring pro with workflows that will benefit from the M4 upgrade. Or you’re just fine with spending the money on the latest release from Apple 😁.
The M4 iPad Pro is available at Apple, Amazon, Best Buy, and more.
Why buy M2 iPad Pro or stick with what you’ve got?
When you can get many of the M4 iPad Pro features with the M2 iPad Pro and the processor difference not being a deal-breaker for many, grabbing one for a discount could be a nice move. Or keep your existing iPad Pro/Air.
Also, the 2024 iPad Air offers a compelling package at a cheaper price than the iPad Pro. In many ways, it’s like the M2 iPad Pro reborn as the new iPad Air features an M2 chip. And new for 2024 is a 13″ model alongside the 11″ version.
Read more 9to5Mac comparisons and tutorials:
- M4 iPad Pro vs M2 iPad Air: Is it worth the extra money?
- iPad Pro vs Air, 10, and mini: How does the full 2024 lineup compare?
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- Here’s how you can (and can’t) use Apple digital IDs in the real world
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