Apple’s 2021 iPad Pro marks a significant update to the best selling tablet lineup. But is it a good enough update to pass up some generous discounts on the 2020 iPad Pros?
Ask yourself, are you going to be creating content with your iPad, or will you use it more to consume content?
It’s important to figure that out.
But first, why not get the older version 2020 iPad Pro? Or even the 2020 iPad Air with a fast CPU for hundreds of dollars cheaper?
I wanted to share my research with you today and hopefully help you out if you’re facing the same dilemmas as me.
How is the 2021 iPad Pro different than the 2020 iPad Pro?
The 2021 iPad Pro lineup is the first iPad to use the Apple Silicon M1 CPU.
A fast processor that’s also included in the MacBook Pro laptops. It’ll also have an improved screen (12.9″ iPads only) and the USB-C port will accept fast Thunderbolt interfaces for things like external storage and external displays.
- Faster CPU -The M1 chip provides up to 50% faster CPU performance
- Faster Graphics – 40% improved graphics performance with an 8-core GPU
- More RAM – 8GB/16GB RAM
- Better Front Camera – New Front Facing Ultrawide Camera
- Improved display on the 12.9″ – A new Liquid Retina XDR display, that’s brighter and more vivid
The base models of the 2021 iPad Pro – both 128GB – are $300 apart:
- 2021 M1 iPad Pro 11-inch = $799
- 2021 M1 iPad Pro 12.9-inch = $1099
That’s a big price difference.
What does the $300 price difference of the 11-inch and 12.9-inch M1 iPad Pro get you?
A bigger, brighter, more vivid screen That’s it.
Does the 11-inch M1 iPad Pro have the same power as the 12.9-inch M1 iPad Pro?
Yes. The 11-inch and 12.9-inch both use the same processors. There’s no difference in processing power. The bigger iPad isn’t the faster one. It’s equal.
Is the 2020 iPad Pro Still Good?
The 2020 iPad Pro – both the 11-inch and 12.9-inch versions – are powerful tablets and still hold their own. The release of the 2021 iPad Pro’s saw the 2020 iPad Pro’s go on sale with up to $100 off.
You have to think about what you will use the tablet for and if you really need the pro features. The iPad Air is significantly less than the iPad Pro and has plenty of great features for the casual user.
Video editing, music production and photo editing is very much possible and pleasant to use on the 2020 iPad pro, it’s able to do a lot.
You can also do limited video, music and photo editing on the iPad Air. It has 4GB of ram and the 2020 iPad Pro has 6GB ram. Confusingly, the iPad Air uses a faster processor than the 2020 iPad pro, but less RAM. The bottom line – you’ll hit the limit of it’s capabilities faster with the iPad Air.
To give you an example of what happens when limits are reached in iPads – I have an old iPad Mini 4. If I were to load a music production app – Beatmaker 3 – and add just two instruments, the audio would stutter, click and sound horrible. The CPU couldn’t keep up, that’s with just two instruments.
When I played back the two instruments, the iPad became really unresponsive and sluggish.
I don’t want to face that same issue again in a year or two, and I don’t think I will. iPad CPUs have advanced enough to where you can have several instruments playing simultaneously without clipping or stuttering – and that’s on the 2020 iPad Pro’s.
The 2021 iPad Pro’s are even faster – up to 50% – and I haven’t seen reports of playback issues – there shouldn’t be many, if any.
So is the 2020 iPad Pro still good? Yes. Especially for:
- YouTube Creators
- Music Producers
- Artists
Will the 2021 iPad Pro do the same things faster?
Yes.
Music production, gaming and video production are probably the most CPU intensive activities you can do on the iPad Pro. If you’re a student and won’t need the capacity to edit videos or make music, the iPad Pro might be overkill for you. Check out the iPad Air to save quite a bit of money.
Why I’m Going To Get The 11″ iPad Pro And Avoid The 12.9″
The 2021 iPad Pro comes in an 11-inch and 12.9-inch size. Usually the only difference in iPads when they’re released is the screen size, but this time Apple decided to do things differently.
- 11-inch 2021 iPad Pro – Liquid Retina Display
- 12.9-inch 2021 iPad Pro – XDR Liquid Retina Display
The screen on the 2021 11-inch iPad Pro is the same screen that was on the 2020 and 2018 iPad Pro. It’s a beautiful display and works well.
Apple upgraded the screen of the 12.9″ iPad Pro to a Liquid Retina XDR Display. What does that mean?
- True to life detail
- 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio (a measurement of the lightest and darkest colors the iPad can produce, e.g. the white color is 1,000,000 times brighter than black)
- 1,000 nits of full screen brightness. If that doesn’t mean much, the 2020 iPad pro has 600 nits.
The extra screen space might not sound like much at 1.9-inches, but the difference is clear.
I’ve been using an old 2015 iPad Mini 4 to make music and to be honest I didn’t find the screen that small. It is though, at 7.9 inches. I’m going to get the 11-inch iPad Pro, that’ll be over three inches wider. It doesn’t sound like much, but it is. The jump from the 11-inch to 12.9-inch is under 2 inches and makes a huge difference.
For some, a smaller screen can be a real creative buzz kill, especially when you keep hitting the wrong button or control all the time because you’re finger is too fat for the screen. It’s understandable that a larger screen can be the top priority. It’s more pleasant to edit music, photos and videos and being able to adjust and tweak controls precisely.
Some reviewers say that holding a 12.9-inch iPad Pro feels like you’re holding a MacBook screen in your hands. It’s massive for a tablet.
Do you need the larger 12.9-inch screen to make music, edit videos and photos? No, you can totally do it on the 11-inch iPad and it’s still a great experience.
I like the smaller iPads because how you can grab them with both hands and dive in. The larger iPad is more like holding a screen, rather than like holding a notebook on the 11-inch.
The smaller screen also gives you more of a personal feel when you can dive in and become immersed in what you’re working on.
A reviewer commented that when they sat in front of a 12.9-inch iPad, he felt like he was there to do work. The 11-inch iPad didn’t give him the same vibes. It’s a personal decision.
Can you do the same things on the 11-inch iPad that you can do on the 12.9-inch iPad?
Yes. The only other difference between the 11-inch and 12.9-inch 2021 iPad Pro is the screen. The processor is the same and the ports are the same.
Both options come with five storage choices:
- 128GB
- 256GB
- 512GB
- 1TB
- 2TB
One thing to keep in mind, Apple has significantly boosted the RAM included with each iPad Pro. Previous iPads had maybe 4-6GB RAM.
RAM is memory. This is different than storage memory – the type of memory used for saving photos, videos or anything else.
RAM is used to store data that you’re currently working on and can be quickly accessed when you switch between apps. So say if I had Lumafusion video editor open, I can also load up BeatMaker 3 and have them both run smoothly.
RAM keeps data that the CPU needs on hand so it can be accessed quickly – much more quickly than data stored on a hard drive, for example.
Interestingly, Apple has configured the iPads RAM amount with different storage drive sizes.
- 128GB – 512GB = 8GB Ram
- 512GB – 2TB = 16GB Ram
Only resource intensive apps will make full use of the RAM, like video editing or music production. If you’re just browsing the internet, taking notes and listening to music, RAM shouldn’t be much of a deciding factor. If you’re a creator, go for the higher RAM. It’ll be an investment you’re thankful for making.
So you can do the same things on the 11-inch and 12.9-inch 2021 iPad Pro, but keep in mind the RAM will be different depending on the hard drive storage space you choose.
Are The $100 Off iPad Deals Worth It?
If you’re a heavy user of the iPad and create with it daily, I would still get the 2021 iPad Pro. Despite the great deals, the new M1 chip, improved screen and Thunderbolt make this iPad Pro update something special and not like other upgrades we saw like the 2018 -> 2020 iPad Pro. It’s a significant update.
If you don’t need the new iPad Pro’s with the faster M1 chip, the 2020 iPad Pro is still a workhorse, but if you’re in the market and looking for a new iPad, it’s worth the extra $100 to get all the new features.
iPads aren’t something you’ll dispose of in a few weeks or months, they’re an investment and if you create with your iPad, it really is a worthwhile investment to get the best iPad you can that fits your needs.
If you are only planning on using an iPad for school notes, a few games and watching Netflix, an iPad Air would be my recommendation. The iPad Air doesn’t have Pro-Motion technology that helps note taking smoothness, but it’s several hundred dollars less than the iPad Pro.
Final Thoughts
The M1 iPad Pro is a beast and is set up to get work done.
Should you buy it? Probably, unless you don’t think you’ll ever take real advantage of the boosted processor and RAM and an iPad Air is a better choice.
Regardless of the screen size you choose, you’ll be investing in an amazing tablet that’s prepared for the future. With Apple including up to 16GB of RAM in its top of the line one and two terabyte 2021 iPads, it’s likely something big is in the pipeline for iPads. Talks and rumors of desktop apps coming to the iPad or even running Apple’s MacBook operating system on the iPad are swirling. 16GB of RAM is overkill for casual users.