As I said in my May 2021 review, the 2021 12.9-inch iPad Pro is the best tablet for many folks. I feel the same way about the 2022 update, but am disappointed that Apple didn’t kick things up a notch or two with the new version.
I’m not going to get into the macOS-on-iPad discussion again, but will look at things (mostly) from the hardware side. First, let’s good at the highlighted features of the 2022 iPad Pros.
The M2 Processor
As anticipated, it got a speed boost with the previous M1 processor updated to an M2. The M2 chip features an 8-core CPU — which Apple says is up to 15% faster than the M1 — with advancements in both performance and efficiency cores, and a 10-core GPU, delivering up to 35% faster graphics performance.
According to Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing, combined with the CPU and GPU, the 16-core Neural Engine can process 15.8 trillion operations per second — 40% more than M1 — making iPad Pro even more powerful when handling machine learning tasks. The M2 chip also features 100GB/s of unified memory bandwidth — 50% more than M1 — and supports up to 16GB of fast unified memory.
Joswiak says the power of M2 also extends to the new media engine and the image signal processor, which combined with the advanced cameras, enable users to capture ProRes video for the first time and transcode ProRes footage up to 3x faster.
The new iPad Pro is undoubtedly faster. But for most folks who have an M1-based iPad Pro, the speed boost isn’t great enough to consider trading up.
Apple Pencil hover feature
That is, unless you really must have the “Apple Pencil hover” feature, which is pretty cool. And using “hover mode” is as easy as it could possibly be. Just bring the second generation Apple Pencil close to the iPad Pro screen and start hovering.
The tablet can detect the Pencil when its tip is up to 0.47 inches away from the screen. The M2 iPad Pro detects both the proximity of the Apple Pencil, its attitude, and its angle of approach to the screen. What it then does with that information depends on the app, such as:
- Choose a drawing tool: Hover over the Markup toolbar in Notes, touch the tool you want to use (such as a pencil, pen, or brush), then pull away to select it.
- Preview colors and line widths: Hover over a drawing tool or color palette, then move or tilt the Apple Pencil to view different options.
Wi-Fi 6E support
The new iPad Pro supports the fastest Wi-Fi connections with support for Wi-Fi 6E, which is a welcome improvement. Downloads are up to 2.4Gb/s, 2x faster than the previous generation.
Wi-Fi 6E uses the 6GHz wireless band to enable faster and more reliable wireless connections on supported devices. And Apple has posted a support document about how to get the best wireless performance when using Wi-Fi 6E with an Apple device.
On the downside…
Now let’s look at the things that many folks were expecting to see included in the 2022 iPad Pro update. I expected Apple to increase the screen brightness to 2,000 nits, which would’ve matched the iPhone 14 Pro. However, it didn’t, and I’m not sure why.
I also expected the tablet refresh to move the front-facing camera to the landscape edge. Apple did just that with the new entry-level iPad, but nt the new Pros. Again, I don’t see the logic behind this strategy.
What’s more, the new entry-level iPad can be equipped with a agic Keyboard Folio that has a full-function row, kickstand and two-piece design. The $349 Magic Keyboard for the iPad Pro disappointingly didn’t get those changes, which would have made a nice keyboard even better.
There are several other some rumored features that didn’t make the cut on the 2022 iPad Pro. It was anticipated that Apple’s high-end tablet would sport a glass back instead of an aluminum one to allow wireless charging and MagSafe for the first time on an iPad. This didn’t happen.
There were also rumors that the new iPad Pros would offer reverse wireless charging for charging devices such as iPhones and AirPod Pros. This, too, didn’t happen. Nor did a “Touch ID under display” feature, a display notch, and new colors. There are no significant design changes to the revamped tablets.
As for those hoping for new colors, Apple continues to make its non-Pro products available only in space grey or silver. Perhaps some of these new features will arrive in 2023 iPads.
How to buy
The new iPad Pro is available to order at apple.com/store and in the Apple Store app in 28 countries and regions, including the U.S. The new 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro will be available in silver and space gray finishes with 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB configurations. The 11-inch iPad Pro starts at US$799 for the Wi-Fi model and $999 for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model; the 12.9-inch iPad Pro starts at $1,099 for the Wi-Fi model, and $1,299 (US) for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model.
