Apple’s ( AAPL ) latest 13-inch iPad Pro is an engineering marvel.
But the software still cripples the iPad Pro’s true potential, relegating the device to a sleek, high-end content-consumption package rather than allowing the iPad Pro to realize its productivity potential.
The company has packed its latest M4 processor with up to 10 CPU cores 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 the Apple iPod Nano.
At just 5.1 millimeters thick, the iPad Pro feels like if you hold it by one end, the other will collapse like a piece of paper. This is of course not the case. The 11-inch iPad Pro is almost as thin at 5.3 mm.
Oh, and there’s the new Ultra Retina XDR display. Apple says the display combines two OLED panels to increase overall brightness while providing the same great benefits you’d get from a normal OLED display. This means deep black and brilliant colors.
And all this will cost you dearly. A basic 13-inch iPad Pro with Apple Magic Keyboard will set you back $1,648. That’s more than the high-end 13-inch MacBook Air and entry-level MacBook Pro.
However, I could have put up with this price if the iPad Pro hadn’t had a major drop in iPadOS.
Software problems
Over the years, the iPad has evolved to offer more Mac-like features.
You can run multiple apps at the same time, connect to an external display for a larger workspace, group apps, and more.
But iPadOS still holds the iPad Pro back from its true potential.
I wrote this entire review on an iPad Pro. And while it has served me well, I’m still limited in how I can arrange the windows. The fact that I can only run four apps on the screen at the same time without having to fetch them from the side panel, and that the apps always default to their iPad versions, not the full Mac version, are some of the biggest obstacles.
That’s what makes it difficult to use the iPad Pro as a complete laptop replacement, even though Apple clearly wants you to think of the tablet that way.
To say I’m torn is an understatement. I love the power of the iPad Pro, the beauty of its screen and its incredible thinness. But I also want him to do more with all of this than he does.
Apple is apparently worried that if it turns the iPad Pro into a Mac, it will cut into MacBook sales.
And that’s probably true. After all, if you have the cash to spend, the iPad Pro with macOS would be easy to recommend over the MacBook Air.
That doesn’t necessarily mean the Air loses value: It would still serve as a fantastic entry-level laptop for Apple, while the MacBook Pro would still be the company’s most powerful laptop.
A laptop killer on almost every level
The new iPad Pro blew away most of the ultra-thin laptops on the market.
Its massive touchscreen is fantastic, the Magic Keyboard is as responsive and comfortable to type on as a standard MacBook, and its trackpad is spacious and offers tactile feedback when you click on it.
On top of that, it has a new camera on the right that, when you’re using the iPad Pro in landscape mode, acts as a solid front-facing camera that automatically keeps you in the frame via its Center Stage feature. The stereo speakers are also useful when you want to use it as a mini TV on the go, for meetings or something else.
And did I mention that its M4 chip is absurd considering how thin this tablet is? I ran the Geekbench benchmark, which tests processor performance, on an iPad Pro and my wife’s 2023 MacBook Air with an M2 processor, and the iPad practically ran the Air right through my coffee table. Figuratively.
It also easily beat my 2021 MacBook Pro with an M1 Pro chip and 32GB of RAM.
There’s no getting 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 it is possible that the company will announce an update to the iPad Pro that will make it a real laptop killer. At least I hope so.
And if you’re looking for a powerful iPad that will crush every other tablet, the Pro is the right choice. If you can get around Apple’s software decisions, you should make one too.
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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