iPad Pro 13-inch (M4)

Source

Snazzy Labs

Key Takeaways

• Starts at a staggering $1,299 yet traps desktop M4 silicon inside restricted iPadOS, unable to run Xcode, Mac apps, or background scripts.
• Impossibly razor-thin at 5.1mm; everyday carry inside packed commuter bags brings persistent anxiety of accidental structural bending.
• Nano-texture anti-glare matte glass is maliciously locked behind the expensive 1TB and 2TB tiers, forcing an immense upsell.
• Redesigned Magic Keyboard costs an extortionate $349, pushing the full bundle past $1,650, easily eclipsing a MacBook Air.

✅ Pros

• Tandem Dual-OLED display pumps out blinding 1,600-nit highlights with inky contrast
• Impossibly slender 5.1mm profile feels like holding a futuristic slice of glass
• M4 hardware ray tracing and neural engine lead the industry by generations

❌ Cons

• iPadOS software handcuffs stifle M4 workstation horsepower
• 5.1mm ultra-thin frame sparks continuous bending paranoia
• Nano-texture glass maliciously upsold behind 1TB+ tiers
• Extortionate $349 Magic Keyboard accessory price

📝 Verdict

"iPad Pro M4 is the world's most glorious piece of hardware trapped inside Apple's most stubborn, restricted tablet OS."

Source

• Video: M4 iPad Pro Review - 6 Months Later
• Channel: 6 Months Later | Type: Long-term review | Based on: YouTube transcript

Key points

• He bought it with his own money and used it for 6 months, constantly asking: why not just buy an iPad Air or MacBook Air?
• The two-layer tandem OLED has no blooming and stunning contrast, with HDR peaks of 1,600 nits and SDR of 1,000 nits; it's the best portable device screen he's used, and great for reviewing photos while traveling
• The 13-inch plus Magic Keyboard weighs about the same as his M3 MacBook Air; the new keyboard has a function key row and a bigger haptic trackpad
• Downsides: the Pencil's magnetic attachment point has moved, making it incompatible with older pencils and keyboards; battery life (officially about 10 hours) trails the MacBook
• Price: the 13-inch plus Magic Keyboard (8GB/256GB) costs US$1,648, about US$600 more than a 16GB M3 MacBook Air

✅ Pros

• Top-tier OLED screen
• Thin and light
• Upgraded keyboard and trackpad
• Face ID

❌ Cons

• Price is too high
• Accessory incompatibility
• Battery life trails the MacBook
• iPadOS limitations

📝 Verdict

He only recommends it to people with specific iPadOS needs who want touch plus a better keyboard and screen; he uses it every day but always wants more, and feels it's held back by Apple's App Store model.

Source

• Video: 5 Weird iPad Pro (M4) Decisions
• Channel: Marques Brownlee | Type: Professional review | Based on: YouTube transcript

Key points

• Used for about two weeks; for everyday video watching, browsing and email, the experience is almost identical to the M1 iPad Pro; the M1 was already overkill, and this is even more so
• It got thinner: from 6.4mm to 5.1mm, just beating Samsung, making it the thinnest Apple product ever; he thinks Apple wanted it to feel different
• Oddly, the 11-inch has a bigger battery than the previous generation while the 13-inch's is slightly smaller, but battery life and standby are both very good
• Storage determines RAM: you only get more RAM by buying more storage; he finds the 128GB starting capacity a joke
• The new Apple Pencil Pro supports Find My, a squeeze gesture and haptic feedback, but the back still can't be used as an eraser; the magnetic layout has changed, so older iPads can't pair with the new pencil

✅ Pros

• Extremely thin and light
• More performance than needed
• Good battery life
• New Pencil Pro works well

❌ Cons

• Everyday experience barely differs from the M1
• RAM tied to storage
• Accessories incompatible with older models

📝 Verdict

He won't buy one himself (he already has an M1 iPad), but if you don't have a recent iPad, this is better than ever; what really matters is what iPadOS can do.

Source

• Video: My 2024 iPad Pro Review
• Channel: Dave2D | Type: Professional review | Based on: YouTube transcript

Key points

• He used his 2018 iPad Pro for almost 6 years without ever wanting to replace it, and after this review decided to buy the new 13-inch model
• Both sizes use a tandem two-layer OLED with extremely high brightness; the previous mini-LED had slow response times and ghosting, which the new OLED doesn't
• Even with the screen at maximum brightness, battery life is still very good; both models are thinner and lighter than the previous generation
• The 13-inch's performance is more "Pro" than the 11-inch's, and only the 13-inch comes with a black charging cable; prices rise by about US$100 depending on configuration, but base specs are higher too
• He's optimistic about the new Final Cut multicam workflow and the Logic Pro ecosystem, and thinks high-end iPads are finally starting to have things to do

✅ Pros

• Tandem OLED screen
• Thinner and lighter
• Good battery life
• Pro software ecosystem taking shape

❌ Cons

• Price increase
• Some new features not yet available

📝 Verdict

It's a strange review, but he'll pay out of his own pocket for the 13-inch version, believing the role of the high-end iPad is changing.