Apple just introduced two new iPads. One of them, the fundamental iPad of the 10th generation, was completely rebuilt. On the other hand, the new iPad Pro 11 Inch is a far more straightforward upgrade. The business used the model from the previous year, switched the M1 chip for the M2, made a few other minor adjustments, and called it quits. With prices for the 11-inch model starting at $799 and the 12.9-inch model starting at $1,099. the iPad Pro is still absurdly quick.

iPad Pro by Apple (2022)

Although this year’s model is quite similar to what Apple previously sold, it did come at a crucial point in the development of the iPad. The recent release of iPadOS 16 is to blame for that. For the majority of iPads, it’s the anticipated collection of helpful upgrades, but for the iPad Pro, it introduces Stage Manager, a completely new multitasking system. It provides a clear answer to the long-standing query of many iPad Pro customers and tech critics alike: When will we be able to use software that fully utilizes the capabilities of the iPad?

Hardware

First, a little recap. There are still two sizes of the iPad Pro available: 12.9 inches and 11 inches. You can customize it with an optional 5G radio for when there isn’t WiFi, and storage options vary from a modest 128GB up to a genuinely insane 2TB. Additionally, it supports WiFi 6E when you’re at home, whereas the model from the previous year could only support WiFi 6. As per usual, the 12.9-inch iPad with 1TB of storage and Verizon’s 5G service is available for us reviewers to test out. The startling price of this iPad Pro is $1,999, and that’s before you add the $349 Magic Keyboard and the $129 Apple Pencil. At this point, we are well in MacBook Pro or Mac Studio territory.

Accessories

The iPad Pro utilizes the same second-generation Apple Pencil and Magic Keyboard that have been accessible since 2018 and 2020, respectively, in terms of accessories. Despite the fact that the entire bundle is somewhat bulky, the Magic Keyboard nevertheless offers the finest typing experience on an iPad. As I’ve already indicated, it’s also absurdly pricey. And I truly miss those functions now that the new Magic Keyboard Folio for the iPad’s base model has a row of function buttons and a little larger touchpad. But it’s still a necessary tool if, like me, you depend on words for your livelihood. I still struggle to evaluate tools like the Apple Pencil since I am terribly weak in graphic arts abilities.

M2

But before we do so, may we examine the M2 processor? We had a solid notion of what to anticipate here thanks to our assessment of the M2 MacBook Air from earlier this summer. Running tests on Geekbench 5 verified it. On the single-core and multicore CPU tests, the M2 iPad Pro received scores of 1,888 and 8,419, respectively. These improvements are comparable to the 18% and 38�vantages we saw when comparing the M2 MacBook Air to its M1-powered sibling and are 12% and 42�times more than the identical tests on the M1 iPad Pro.

The Geekbench 5 Compute test, which gauges GPU performance, showed me comparable increases. The M2 iPad Pro received a score of 32,834, which is slightly higher than the M2 MacBook Air’s score of 27,083 and 52 percent greater than the M1 model.

Wrap-up

There is no denying that the new iPad Pro is an improvement over the previous model. The price is the same, but it has a more potent processor and a few other functions. Having said that, I don’t think it’s as safe of a bet as the last iPad Pro was when it debuted in early 2021. That’s mostly due to the iPad Pro’s design, which hasn’t evolved much in the past four years. In some ways, it’s excellent news because you could still use the M2 iPad Pro with an Apple Pencil and a Magic Keyboard that you purchased in 2018 and 2020, respectively.