Apple iPad Pro 2021 unleashes the beast

Apple’s iPad Pro is a power machine. The larger model with a 12.9-inch display is a beast unleashed.

The 2021 Apple iPad Pro with an M1 processor. It comes with an 11-inch or 12.9-inch display.

Apple’s iPad Pro is a power machine. There are two versions and I’ve been trialling the larger model with a 12.9-inch display. It’s a beast unleashed.

I have been using various iPads over time and despite my earlier reservations about whether I needed a tablet, I find them useful. An iPad fills a gap between using a phone with its smaller, narrower screen, and going the full monte with a laptop.

If I’m sitting down typing emails or reading the news, I do it on an iPad. It fits neatly into a smaller carry pack and is small enough for an airline tray table.

Whether you need the power of a Pro model is the question here. These days, the bigger iPad Pro rivals the capability, size and cost of a fully-fledged laptop. The 12.9-inch display on my review model is just 0.4 inches smaller than a 13.3-inch MacBook display, and in some ways is better.

Compared to a MacBook Air, this screen is brighter (1000 V 400 nits), has a higher resolution (264 v 227 pixels per inch), is a touchscreen and uses newer screen technology.

Apple iPad Pro tablet 2021

The mini-LED screen on the 12.9-inch Pro has more precise light control – Apple cites 10,000 mini LED light sources compared to 72 LEDs with the 2020 Pro.

The 2021 Pro is powerful too. When I ran the AnTuTu benchmark, the 2021 12.9-inch Pro’s score was a massive (1106926). It was way ahead of the 2020 Pro (711332). Processor, graphics, memory and user experience ratings were all ahead. That’s due to Apple using its own ‘Apple silicon’ M1 chip in this year’s iPad Pros for the first time.

The question is – do you need to unleash this beast or could a less powerful and cheaper iPad do? The smaller 11-inch 2021 iPad Pro starts at $1199 and the 12.9-inch model starts at $1649 so you will need some cash. That’s just for basic specs – Wi-Fi only and 128GB of storage.

There are additional costs. The magic keyboard for the 11-inch iPad Pro is $449, for the 12.9-inch model it is $549. You do get some bang for your buck: an extra USB port, a scissors mechanism, backlighting, and the iPad easily attaches to the back. But it costs a motser.

The second generation Apple Pencil adds another $199 to the cost.

Apple iPad Pro tablet 2021

A cheaper iPad Air with Wi-Fi and 64GB storage is $899, although the keyboard adds $449. But if your needs are straightforward: word processing, movie watching, rudimentary games, Photoshopping and average video editing, the iPad Air may do.

The use case for the 2021 iPad Pro revolves around its faster processing and graphics capability. If you’re an artist, graphics designer or video editor, and you use Procreate, Concepts, Morpholio Trace, AutoCAD, LumaFusion or Adobe applications, they are going to run better on a faster processor with good graphics. The low latency of iPad Pro screens make them suited to professional sketching and drawing with Apple Pencil.

I tried my hand at a music notation and composition app called StaffPad these days available for iPad which helps you write music. It turns the rough notes and effects you scrawl on the staff to create professional notation.

The idea is that you can quickly scrawl out tunes you hear in your head. I’ve seen a preview of StaffPad creating a score by listening to an instrument. That will be amazing when it is available. Apps such as this look easier to use on the larger 12.9-inch screen.

The iPad Pro also has a LIDAR depth sensor which uses laser light to scan an area and create a depth map. You get more accurate depth sensing and focusing when taking photos, and the Pro can run augmented reality applications.

A faster processor means more fluid gaming and the Pro models support the newer Xbox and PlayStation games controllers.

The 2021 Pro’s port supports USB4 and Thunderbolt 4 port for fast data transfers. The Pros’ cellular models are the first iPads to offer 5G connectivity.

The Pros also have a neat feature when making video calls to family and colleagues. If you use Webex or Facetime, the Pro’s camera can follow you as you move left or right, and keep you in the centre of the frame. That would suit me in a conversation from the kitchen.

If these extra features make sense for you, then it is probably worth shelling out the extra cash for this year’s iPad Pro. If not, the iPad Air may do the trick. It really depends on your proposed usage.

The 2021 iPad Pro is available to buy from this Friday May 21.