Apple‘s iPad Pro has cemented its reputation as the most powerful and capable tablet, positioned perfectly between an iPhone and MacBook. The latest 6th generation iPad Pro released in October 2022 packs even more performance and cutting-edge features. But with a starting price tag of $799, is it worth the premium? I put the slate through extensive testing to find out.
Overview and Pricing
As with previous versions, Apple offers the new iPad Pro in 11-inch and 12.9-inch screen sizes. Storage options range from 128GB right up to a massive 2TB – ideal for storing tons of photos and videos.
Pricing officially starts at $799 for the 11-inch model with Wi-Fi connectivity. The 12.9-inch iPad Pro is priced from $1099. Cellular models cost an additional $200 across the lineup. Given the iPad Pro‘s positioning as a premium tablet, these prices are to be expected. But how does it stack up to the best from Android?
The tablet landscape beyond iPadOS is rather sparse at the high end. The best alternatives such as Samsung‘s Galaxy Tab S8 series have starting prices fairly close to that of the cheapest iPad Pro. And none can match the extensive library of creative apps that Apple‘s tablet enjoys.
With those app capabilities in mind, creative professionals should skip the base 128GB model. I‘d suggest springing for 256GB given the storage demands of media files and documents. Power users working extensively with multiple apps will also appreciate having more elbow room.
Design and Build Quality
The iPad Pro‘s design language has evolved gradually over the years, so don’t expect any major departures here. You still get the same flat-edged industrial aesthetic crafted from a single block of aluminum. compared side by side, most people would struggle to tell the difference from previous generations.
Available color options remain fairly muted: Silver and Space Gray. I‘m a bigger fan of the latter, but Apple caters better to creative tastes with the vibrant hues seen on its lower-tier iPads. Still, build quality does not disappoint – both models exude that trademark premium feel expected from Apple‘s pro gear.
Despite packing more screen real estate and a larger battery, the 12.9-inch iPad Pro remains extremely portable at just 682 grams. Even the smaller 11-inch model tips the scales at a mere 466 grams. Combined with dimensions that are roughly 6mm slim on average, these tablets deliver exceptional usability whether on your morning commute or a long flight. You‘ll have no issues using them one-handed either, unlike many oversized Android slates.
The iPad Pro‘s durable design should keep up with years of intensive daily use. I wouldn‘t be too worried about throwing it in a bag for the daily commute. Just be sure to equip it with some form of case or cover for added protection. All the benchmark-crushing performance in the world won‘t matter if you crack that gorgeous screen!
Display Technology Leading the Way
That screen deserves special mention for retaining its crown as the sharpest, most color-accurate panel you‘ll find on a tablet. We‘re talking an astonishing 264 pixels per inch on the 11-inch model and 265ppi on its larger sibling. Resolution tops out at a crisp 2732 x 2048 pixels on the 12.9 incher, ensuring immense detail whether you’re touching up images or binging Netflix shows.
Both tablets support smooth 120Hz refresh rates, Mini LED backlighting plus Apple‘s True Tone and P3 wide color technologies. That‘s an overwhelming array of display buzzwords to convey exceptional image quality regardless of ambient lighting conditions or the task at hand.
Whether I was editing 4K drone footage or reviewing website designs, the iPad Pro’s screen kept pace beautifully. Animations and transitions remain blisteringly smooth, while details stay pin-sharp even when scrutinizing images closely.
Creative professionals quite literally working at the cutting edge will appreciate the 12.9-inch model‘s XDR Display. Borrowing principles from Apple‘s $4999 Pro Display XDR monitor for Macs, it can sustain searing 1600 nits peak brightness along with exceptional contrast – perfect for previewing HDR content. If your daily workflow involves high-resolution photo/video editing or color grading, the bigger iPad Pro display is tremendously capable despite tablet-sized dimensions.
Bottom line – that incredible screen reaffirms why the iPad Pro is near-mandatory for creative fields involving visuals. The average user browsing websites or tracking personal finances does not require this cutting-edge of a display. Then again, overkill can be nice to have if you plan on keeping your shiny new tablet for years to come.
M2 Processor Sets New Performance Standards
This is where Apple pulls far ahead of any tablet competition. iPad Pro models powered by the newest M2 chip breeze through intensive workloads that would choke lesser tablets. We‘re talking effortless editing of multiple 4K video streams, 50+ browser tabs and huge image files simultaneously.
How is this possible from an iPad? Credit Apple‘s ever-evolving chip prowess delivering desktop-class performance while outpacing most laptops. The M2 here packs an 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU and speeds up to 16GB of unified system memory. Oh, and a 16-core Neural Engine never hurts for on-device machine learning capabilities.
Let‘s just say I hoped to slow the M2 iPad Pro down with increasingly demanding tasks during my testing but came away impressed each time by just how much it can handle. My longtime Intel i7 PC laptop would occasionally stutter and lag trying similar workloads. Not Apple‘s ruthless tablet!
Naturally, benchmark numbers tell the same story with Geekbench scores exceeding 1900 for single core and 8600 multi-core performance. That buries Android offerings like the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra with its Snapdragon SoC. This level of power is literally unprecedented from an iPad.
But does all that high-end silicon actually translate into real-world speed? Absolutely – the iPad Pro tackles professional media editing in Lumafusion, complex Photoshop layers and researching in Safari tabs with zero lag, stutter or slowdowns. Impressively smooth all-round considering the graphical intensity of those tasks.
I did not expect a tablet of any sort keeping up so effortlessly. The iPad Pro even expertly edited multiple 4K video clips rendered in real time. This top-shelf tablet multitasks without complaint across heavier apps like a boss thanks to 16GB RAM coming standard. Up that to 64GB RAM if going all-out with the 2TB storage variant.
Gaming Greatness
The "Pro" tag means business here even for gaming. Apple Arcade titles shine bright with gorgeous detail, taking full advantage of that stunning display. Graphically intensive offerings like Crossy Road Castle render at upscaled 4K resolution flawlessly.
But dedicated games built to tap the iPad Pro’s immense power dazzle even more. Titles optimized for Metal 3 API and Apple’s latest GPU architecture scale wonderfully across the SoC‘s 10 cores, ensuring smooth 120fps gameplay.
Genshin Impact represents the pinnacle of mobile gaming glory available currently. Offering full cross-save compatibility with PC and Sony/Microsoft console versions seals its AAA prestige. I generally avoided it previously given poor smartphone/tablet performance. The iPad Pro had zero qualms delivering a fantastic experience with all visual flourishes maxed out.
Software and Apps
Apple‘s iPadOS 16 ties everything together through deep integration for a cohesive user experience. Multitasking feels almost (but not quite) as seamless as macOS via features like Stage Manager. Still, the tablet-first operating system understands touch-based navigation better than shoehorning MacOS would allow.
You get the same iOS-style home screen to organize apps alongside staples like the App Library and widgets. Apple‘s ecosystem also guarantees the iPad Pro works tremendously well with other devices you may own like iPhones.
I cannot understate the importance of app support either on a tablet – see how miserably Android slates fare on that front. The breadth and quality of iPadOS software easily outclass Surface devices too. Apple‘s unwavering ecosystem focus over the years makes pro creative applications readily accessible in plenty. Affinity Photo, LumaFusion, Photoshop, Procreate, Lightroom…these and countless other fantastic apps ensure you‘ll seldom lack options for unleashing the M2 chip‘s capabilities.
Limitations of iPadOS
As versatile as iPadOS has become, expect occasional software hiccups where apps seem unintuitively limited or settings prove difficult to access. Trailing a MacBook in overall user experience was inevitable for the iPad Pro.
Don‘t expect true multi-user support for instance – an oft-requested feature Apple refuses to implement outside macOS desktops/laptops. That rules out easy sharing with family and colleagues if you had workflow scenarios like that in mind.
I also encountered random app crashes more frequently compared to an M1 MacBook Air. This only happened a handful of times over weeks of intensive usage. But unexpected quits forcing app restarts undoubtedly break workflow momentum. Some glitches seem tied to Stage Manager given apps not playing nice in windowed mode. I expect Apple addressing hiccups like this in subsequent iPadOS updates.
Battery Life Exceeds Expectations
Tablets rarely impress with their battery life given smaller chassis limiting size/capacity compared to laptop alternatives. Apple only quotes "up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi‐Fi or watching video" for both iPad Pro models. Frankly, that seemed rather conservative following my extensive testing.
I clocked just over 13 hours averaging out time spent browsing, video streaming, writing emails, some Photoshop edits and gaming in between. Brightness stayed around 70% for this run. That Luxe Game‘s gorgeous Shinsekai Into the Depths helped deplete charge faster thanks to its Apple Metal-based lighting effects really pushing the GPU. Impressively, the battery kept pumping out lovely visuals at sustained 60fps before finally going dark at the 13-hour mark.
While no comparison to my M1 MacBook Air crossing 20 hours per charge, efficiency seems outstanding given the iPad Pro‘s ultra-portable chassis. Fast charging via the Thunderbolt port is handy for quick top-ups too – just keep the 96W charger handy since iPhones use something different.
I typically got just under 50% battery restored in 30 minutes when critically low. A full 0-100% charge takes almost exactly 2 hours when not in use. Pretty speedy charging times are vital given Apple‘s non-removable built-in battery design.
Who Should (and Should Not) Buy the 2022 iPad Pro?
Frankly, Apple’s 2022 tablet powerhouse delivers enough versatility suiting most professionals except perhaps 3D animators and application developers.
Best Suited for Media Creators
Content creators involved in photography, videography and creative arts get exceptional value from the iPad Pro. That lusciously vibrant Mini LED screen reveals finer details at a glance for better asset evaluation. Whether on assignment or just browsing photos from a shoot, color accuracy and HDR-enabled brightness make selections easier.
Video editors will love having full-fledged LumaFusion at their fingertips with enough performance for 3 streams of 4K footage thanks to the M2 chip. Animators have the incredible ProCreate app to leverage, with the Apple Pencil proving transformative alongside its pressure and tilt sensitivities.
Architects, contractors and real estate sellers will find the iPad Pro great for client walkthroughs with its portable form factor. Showcasing property photos/videos, renderings and interactive floor plans pop beautifully on that large 12.9-inch canvas.
It’s equally capable previewing edited drone footage on location without needing to offload shots. Photographers and videographers – this one‘s a no-brainer for maximizing productivity and showcasing content impressively versus laptop limitations.
Students Benefit from Portability
The average student will also appreciate the iPad Pro’s phenomenal battery efficiency alongside textbook space savings from digital copies. Note-taking feels organic through Apple Pencil integration while retaining searchability – a huge perk Come exam prep time.
Med school pros have greater mobility lugging around complex anatomical illustrations versus weighty textbooks. Law students access updated legislative documentation and case studies on the go rather than being chained to a desk. Backstrain avoidance aside, accessing homework assignments wherever necessary is huge.
Creative fields allowing digital creation like architecture and animation get a huge boost leveraging the iPad Pro’s processing muscle, storage and stunning display in classrooms or tiny dorm rooms. Capable tablet meets capable student!
Business Users Love Mobility and Connectivity
Enterprise deployment remains a key sticking point for Apple. Still, mobile professionals in sales, marketing or similar roles stay productive regardless of connectivity. The cellular iPad Pro variants allow near-instant access to cloud data like customer records, inventory or analytics from one‘s desk or a taxi to the airport.
Traveling execs have enough computing power for presenting sales figures/campaign data while being ultra-responsive. The laptop-grade M2 chip chews through spreadsheets like nothing ensuring number crunching anytime.
Throw in 5G connectivity where supported and the iPad Pro handles most business tasks with ease. Plus it tucks neatly into bags versus crowding tray tables on economy flights! Porterability wins for frequent work trips or client visits.
Power Users Should Stick to Laptops
Those wanting absolute peak computing performance for creative applications or software development should stick with MacBooks. Apple‘s tablets hit limits once you venture beyond mobile-first apps.
Gaming is perfectly fine for most users but PC/console fans require specific utilities. iPadOS‘ locked-down nature also prevents extensive file management capability compared to desktop interfaces. Don‘t expect connecting multiple monitors or swapping out hardware components either beyond external SSDs.
Ultimately, the iPad Pro promises near-MacBook performance levels in ultra-portable hardware but still operates within mobile computing limitations. Graphical design pros spending 18-hour days in Photoshop are better served getting a Mac Studio desktop with 32-core CPU and monster 64-core GPU. Future app developers need a more expansive IDE toolbox going beyond Swift Playgrounds. But creators entrenched in Apple’s ecosystem will find the iPad Pro striking the right balance for serious work.
iPad Pro 2022 Review – Final Verdict
Apple sets the gold standard for tablet computing yet again with a spectacular 2022 iPad Pro. That world-class M2 processor chews through tasks other tablets can barely manage, empowering on-the-go productivity for creative pros and business users. You get a stunningly vibrant 120Hz display packing advanced Mini LED tech keeping visuals sublime whether working or playing in any lighting.
All-day battery efficiency plus extensive connectivity options including 5G and Wi-Fi 6 freedom ensure you stay operational across locations. Smart accessories like the 2nd-gen Apple Pencil and Magic Keyboard (albeit sold separately) boost the iPad Pro‘s capabilities further.
Some limitations around the iPadOS software experience remind that this remains more an amped-up mobile device versus replacing conventional PCs outright. But striking the optimal middle ground between power and portability is what Apple’s pro tablets do best. If your daily workflow keeps you mobile across multiple locations, the 2022 iPad Pro will not disappoint provided the pricing fits your budget. Power users get exceptional bang for buck – easily justifying the premium price tag thanks to performance and efficiency notably above competing Windows tablets. Even MacBooks can‘t always match the brisk app response and seamless multitasking seen here for creative tasks.
Ideally, budget extra for higher storage tiers if relying extensively on large documents/media files for work. But photography, videography and design pros adopting the iPad Pro will gain serious productivity from its exceptional technical prowess while escaping conventional laptop limitations. Apple has utterly perfected the pro tablet template – I cannot imagine anything else coming close over the next few years!
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