Apple iPad Pro review (M2, 2022): power to the pad

Apple’s latest iPad Pro has one big change from its predecessor – the M2 chip lurking beneath the surface. It’s a macabre form of technology that’s also seen in Macbook Air And 13 in MacBook Pro, Available in sizes ranging from 128GB to a whopping 2TB, this tablet can do it all.

OK, we say everything, but macOS-style multitasking is still a bit further than that. Stage Manager, introduced in the latest iPadOS 16 update, moves the iPad closer to the Mac in this regard as you can flexibly resize windows, but it’s still not in the same league. Thanks to proper external display support, which was removed from the OS before it was put back in again, you can have up to eight apps open at the same time.

The design of the 2022 tablet is similar to the 2021 and it shows in some details – the 10th generation iPad has a click-on keyboard along the long edge and a camera on the function keys. These enhancements aren’t present in the much more expensive iPad Pro – odd when the Magic Keyboard costs $299/£319. Attaching the Magic Keyboard also doubles the weight – are you sure you didn’t want a MacBook Air? Colors also remain a bit muted, with only Space Gray and Silver being offered.

The mini LED display is better than cheaper iPads and it absolutely sings on this big Pro with super bright colors, good contrast and fast refresh. You’ll still struggle to see it properly on a very sunny day, though it copes with most outdoor conditions thanks to its 1600nit peak brightness. The bezels remain fairly thin (much thinner than the 10th generation iPad, for example).

As with other iPads, Apple quotes 10 hours of battery life here, you can get there with most normal tasks, but turn on cellular and you’ll be lucky.

One clever feature is the Apple Pencil hover, which shows you where you’re about to mark on the display. OK, so we’ve seen this deployed before, notably by Samsung, but the regular Apple Pencil will love it. Apps are being updated for this – something like ProCreate will show you how the colors will blend even before you put the pencil to the screen.

Face ID is once again introduced by the iPad Pro and works in both portrait and landscape orientations. It’s more natural than the Touch ID system on the power button now employed by the standard iPad and, as is the case with the iPhone, rarely means you need to enter your passcode.

The cameras on the new model have one enhancement – ​​the rear camera now offers 4K ProRes video recording. Few people will use this, but it can come in handy if your iPhone isn’t nearby. The iPad Pro has a pretty formidable camera though – you definitely don’t want one.

Apple iPad Pro M2 Verdict

There are valid questions surrounding the latest iPad Pro. Do you need that much power in a tablet? Should You Buy the MacBook Air? There is no doubt in the execution. There’s a lot you can do here, but to really make it sing, you need to buy the Magic Keyboard and an Apple Pencil. And all that includes is well into MacBook Pro territory, let alone the Air.

Apple iPad Pro M2 Technical Specifications