Yahoo Finance Apple’s iPad Pro is its most incredible product, but software holds it back
Apple’s (AAPL) latest 13-inch iPad Pro is a marvel of engineering.
But software still hamstrings the iPad Pro’s true potential, relegating the device to a sleek, high-end package for consuming content rather than allowing the iPad Pro to realize its productivity potential.
The company has packed its latest M4 processor with up to 10 CPU and 10 GPU cores, more than you’ll find in its current MacBook Air and at least one version of its MacBook Pro, into a tablet thinner than Apple’s iPod Nano.
At just 5.1 millimeters thick, the iPad Pro feels like if you hold it by one end, the other will droop like a piece of loose-leaf paper. It doesn’t, of course. The 11-inch iPad Pro is almost as thin at 5.3 mm.
Oh, and then there’s the new Ultra Retina XDR display. Apple says the screen combines two OLED panels to boost its overall brightness while offering the same exceptional benefits you’d get out of a normal OLED display. That means inky blacks and brilliant colors.
And all of that is going to cost you. A base 13-inch iPad Pro with Apple’s Magic Keyboard will set you back $1,648. That’s more than a high-end 13-inch MacBook Air and an entry-level MacBook Pro.
I could deal with that price, though, if the iPad Pro didn’t have one big setback — iPadOS.
Software hangups
Over the years, the iPad has made progress toward offering more Mac-like capabilities.
You can run multiple apps at the same time, connect to an external display for a larger workspace, group apps together, and more.
But iPadOS still holds back the iPad Pro from its true potential.
I’ve written this entire review on the iPad Pro. And while it’s served me well, I’m still limited by how I can arrange windows. The fact that I can only run four apps on screen at the same time without having to grab them from the side panel and that apps still default to their iPad versions rather than a full Mac version are among the biggest roadblocks.
It’s these kinds of things that make it hard to use the iPad Pro as a full laptop replacement, even though that’s clearly how Apple wants you to think of the tablet.
To say I’m torn is an understatement. I love how powerful the iPad Pro is, how gorgeous its display is, and how incredibly thin it is. But I also want it to do more with all of that than it does.
Apple is clearly worried that if it turns the iPad Pro into more of a Mac, it’ll cannibalize MacBook sales.
And that’s probably true. After all, if you’ve got the cash to burn, an iPad Pro with macOS would be easy to recommend over the MacBook Air.
That doesn’t necessarily mean the Air loses its value, though: It would still serve as a fantastic entry-level laptop for Apple while the MacBook Pro would continue to stand as the company’s most powerful portable computer.
A laptop killer by almost every measurement
The new iPad Pro blows away most super thin laptops on the market.
Its massive touch screen is fantastic, the Magic Keyboard is as responsive and comfortable to type on as a standard MacBook, and its trackpad is spacious and offers haptic feedback when you click it.
On top of that, it’s got a new camera on the right side that, when you’re using the iPad Pro in landscape mode, acts as a solid front camera that automatically keeps you in frame via its Center Stage feature. Stereo speakers also help when you want to use it as your mini TV on the go or for meetings or whatever.
And did I mention its M4 chip is absurd for how thin this tablet is? I ran the Geekbench benchmark, which tests the performance of the CPU, on the iPad Pro and my wife’s 2023 MacBook Air with an M2 processor, and the iPad practically suplexed the Air straight through my coffee table. Figuratively, speaking.
It also easily beat out my 2021 MacBook Pro with an M1 Pro chip and 32GB of RAM.
There's no way around it — the 13-inch iPad Pro is an absolute monster, especially for its size.
Apple will host its annual WWDC event on June 10, and there’s an outside chance the company could announce an update to the iPad Pro that will make it a true laptop killer. At least that’s what I’m hoping for.
And if you’re in the market for a high-powered iPad that knocks the socks off of any other tablet, the Pro is the way to go. If you can get around Apple’s software decisions, then you should also grab one.
But if you’re hoping this Pro is the laptop replacement you’ve been waiting for, you’re out of luck.
Email Daniel Howley at dhowley@yahoofinance.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DanielHowley.
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