The all-new 2024 iPad Pro with M4 chip takes performance to the next level. So what’s been upgraded from the previous iPad Pro? Read along for a detailed look at the M4 iPad Pro vs M2 iPad Pro.

iPad Pro background

In 2021, the 11 and 12.9″ iPad Pro arrived with the powerful M1 chip, Thunderbolt connectivity, 5G for cellular models, new camera features like Center Stage, and more.

Then the 2022 M2 iPad Pro arrived with a number of tweaks and changes, but many were minor which may have pushed customers toward the M1 iPad Pro or even iPad Air.

Now after over a year and a half, the 2024 iPad Pro models have launched with the brand-new M4 chip and a range of improvements.

Below we’ll take an in-depth look at the M4 iPad Pro vs M2 iPad Pro.

M4 iPad Pro vs M2 iPad Pro

Performance

The main difference in performance between the new and old iPad Pro is thanks to the upgrade of the M4 chip. Apple says it delivers up to a 50% faster CPU, 4x faster GPU, and a boost in memory bandwidth from 100GB/s to 120GB/s over the M2.

Along with the new GPU comes a media engine that offers hardware-accelerated 8K H.264, HEVC, ProRes, and ProRes RAW support – joining the Mac in being able to handle 8K video.

Other new features include 38 trillion operations per second with the M4 Neural Engine, hardware-accelerated ray tracing, and more.

Note: 128, 256, and 512GB models have 8GB RAM, 1TB and 2TB models have 16GB RAM.

As it happens, one loss is mmWave connectivity for 5G with the 2024 iPad Pro models.

Display

The new M4 iPad Pro models go beyond their predecessors with a new “Ultra Retina XDR Display.” It’s the first to use Tandem OLED compared to the LED/mini-LED of the M2 iPad Pro models.

Apple says the benefits of the new OLED display are brighter specular highlights, deeper true blacks, better detail in shadows and low light, and more.

Both the smaller and larger iPad Pro feature the new OLED display and you can also now upgrade the 1 or 2TB M4 iPad Pro with nano-texture display glass.

You also get brighter SDR content up to 1000 nits with the M4 iPad Pro models (600 nits for M2 iPad Pro SDR content).

Shared display features across all M4 and M2 pro models include ProMotion (10-120Hz refresh), P3 wide color, fully laminated displays, anti-reflective coating, Apple Pencil Hover, and True Tone.

Design, dimensions, weight, colors

The M4 iPad Pro is the “thinnest product Apple has ever created” at just 5.1mm for the 13″ model and 5.3mm for the 11″ version.

Along with that, the new M4 iPad Pro is lighter than its predecessor and weighs under 1 pound for the 11″ and 1.28 pounds for the 13″.

New this time around is the Space Black finish replacing Space Gray for the M4 iPad Pro while Silver remains the other choice.

Connectivity and accessories

The new iPad Pro models work with the same type of Apple accessories. Those come in the form of a new Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil Pro – or you could opt for the mid-tier Apple Pencil with USB-C.

Here’s a look at the rest of the I/O and connective specs:

Beyond the drop of mmWave for 5G, the M4 iPad Pro has also lost its nano-SIM slot.

Battery life

The 2024 iPad Pro models with M4 chip feature the same battery life as their predecessors:

• 10 hours of web or video use on WiFi
• 9 hours of web use with cellular

Storage and price

Storage gets a slight tweak with the M4 iPad Pro starting with 256GB and going up to 2TB. Pricing is $100 more than the M2 iPad Pro lineup or $200 more if you add the nano-texture glass for the 1 and 2TB models.

Cameras, video, and audio

On the M4 iPad Pro rear camera system, you’ve got a 12MP wide lens, LiDAR Scanner, and a Retina Flash with True Tone.

Interestingly, the M4 iPad Pro has ditched the 10MP ultra wide lens of the M2 iPad Pro.

On the front, you get a 12MP ultra wide lens with Center Stage support that’s now centered on the long landscape edge instead of the short edge with the 2024 M4 iPad Pro models.

The M4 (and M2) iPad Pro front camera also supports Portrait mode, Portrait Lighting, and Animoji/Memoji.

M4 iPad Pro vs M2 iPad Pro conclusion

Why buy M4 iPad Pro?

Looking at the M4 iPad Pro and M2 iPad Pro, it may make the most sense to only buy the new model if you’re a pro or aspiring pro with workflows that will benefit from the M4 upgrade. Or you’re just fine with spending the money on the latest release from Apple.

The M4 iPad Pro is available at Apple and soon from Amazon, Best Buy, and Gzstuff.

Why buy M2 iPad Pro or stick with what you’ve got?

When you can get many of the M4 iPad Pro features with the M2 iPad Pro and the processor difference not being a deal-breaker for many, grabbing one for a discount could be a nice move. Or keep your existing iPad Pro/Air.

Also, the 2024 iPad Air offers a compelling package at a cheaper price than the iPad Pro. In many ways, it’s like the M2 iPad Pro reborn as the new iPad Air features an M2 chip. And new for 2024 is a 13″ model alongside the 11″ version. Stay tuned for a full comparison of those models.

Source - 9to5Mac