Apple's iPad Pro is the closest it’s come to replacing the laptop
Apple's latest iPad Pro gets an M1 chip and slick TrueDepth camera, making it as close to a replacement for a laptop as it's ever been. (Image: Apple) ·Apple
Apple’s (AAPL) latest iPad Pro is here. And while the company has touted the capabilities of iPads versus competing Windows laptops for years, this iteration of the tablet might be the closest Apple has come to creating a true laptop replacement.
That’s because the new 11-inch iPad Pro, which starts at $799, but tops out at $2,398 with a Magic Keyboard, 5G connectivity, and 2TB of storage, is the first to come with Apple’s new custom M1 chip — the same chip found in MacBook laptops and iMac desktops. In other words, Apple has packed a full-fledged workhorse chip into its professional-grade tablet.
The company promises incredible performance upgrades thanks to the new chip, with the M1 offering 50% faster CPU performance versus the A12Z Bionic chip found in the prior generation iPad Pro.
I’ve been using the iPad Pro as my go-to computer for the past few days with little exception, and have found its performance could replace your laptop in a number of scenarios.
Still, I found myself reaching for my MacBook to handle daily tasks at various points, especially when I needed to work across more than two apps at once.
Apple’s most powerful iPad yet
The biggest change Apple is bringing to the 11-inch iPad Pro is the powerful custom M1 chip.
I’ve used the M1 chip in the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and iMac and found it to be incredibly fast and power efficient. In the iPad Pro, the M1 shows its chops by handling everything from multiple tabs in Chrome running alongside streaming videos and Slack without issue.
Synthetic benchmarks never tell the whole story of a device, but the M1-powered iPad Pro beat out the last generation Pro, with the M1 tablet scoring 7285 on the Geekbench benchmark’s multi-core test. The last-gen Pro scored 4666 on the same test.
What does that mean? Mostly that the M1 is a good deal more powerful than the A12Z Bionic. In more practical terms, the M1-powered iPad Pro converted a 1-minute video shot in 4K at 60 frames per second to 1080p in just 11.21 seconds. The last generation Pro took 21.63 seconds. Then there’s the iPad Air, which took 34.57 seconds.
We’re not exactly talking hours here, but those differences can really add up when you’re dealing with large files or other processes.
As for the M1’s battery life, I’ve been able to use it throughout an entire workday without recharging it.
The 11-inch iPad Pro features the company's Liquid Retina Display. (Image: Apple) ·Apple
Using the iPad Pro as a laptop
My review unit of the 11-inch iPad Pro came with Apple’s $299 Magic Keyboard accessory, which wirelessly connects to the iPad and uses a magnetic platform to hold the tablet up over the keys.
The keyboard feels great, and buttons offer a good degree of give. The touchpad is also impressive, allowing you to navigate the iPad as you would a standard notebook. The combined iPad and keyboard are top heavy, though, so you’ll need to balance it on your lap.
Multitasking on the iPad using iPadOS’s Split View is wonderful. You simply snap to apps next to each other and get to work. I usually had an instance of Chrome open with a slew of tabs next to Google Docs.
I did, however, find it difficult to run any more than two apps at once. That’s not a dealbreaker, but it does show that despite the iPad Pro’s power, it’s not yet equipped to fulfill the needs of consumers who need instant access to a number of apps at the same time.
New TrueDepth camera is a must-have
Apple’s new TrueDepth camera is a game changer. Why such enthusiasm for a front-facing camera? Because the TrueDepth camera uses a feature called CenterStage, which automatically follows faces to ensure they’re always in the frame.
Imagine you’re in a work meeting, or having a video get together with friends, and you’ve got your iPad on your coffee table while you sit on your couch. CenterStage will automatically adjust for you so you don’t have to try over and over to find the perfect frame for your face.
We’ve seen camera capabilities like this on things like Google’s (GOOG, GOOGL) Nest Hub Max and Facebook’s (FB) Portal, but the feature is far more at-home on a tablet that you can carry from room to room, which you’re likely to do while video chatting.
The Magic Keyboard is a necessity for turning the Pro into a portable workstation, but it'll cost you an extra $299. (Image: Apple) ·Apple
Better still, CenterStage is built into the TrueDepth camera, meaning other apps can access it. I’ve already used it with Google Hangouts, FaceTime, and WebEx without issue.
This comes courtesy of the M1 chip and its machine learning capabilities, so those systems with non-M1 platforms, like entry-level iPads may not get the feature for some time. But with Apple’s Macs transitioning to the M1 chip, it’s hopefully just a matter of time before CenterStage is on all of the company’s computers.
Should you get it?
Apple has put some serious work into its latest iPad Pro. The addition of the M1 chip is a major upgrade for the tablet, and adding a Magic Keyboard really does make it a true laptop replacement. The addition of CenterStage makes the Pro a knockout when it comes to video chatting beyond anything else Apple has to offer.
For heavy multitaskers, though, the Pro might not be the best option. Being able to use two apps side-by-side, a third floating app window, and picture-in-picture is enough for the majority of users, but those with a bulky workflow may find it limiting.
I’m a big fan of the iPad Pro with the M1 and excited to see what developers manage to pull from it down the line. If you’re in the market for a new laptop or tablet with strong performance and the ability to handle your basic multitasking needs, the iPad Pro is a great place to start.
Got a tip? Email Daniel Howley at dhowley@yahoofinance.com over via encrypted mail at danielphowley@protonmail.com, and follow him on Twitter at @DanielHowley.
