iPad Pro 2024 vs. 2022: What’s changed

You may have heard that Apple updated its top-tier tablets at its Let Loose event on Tuesday. The 2024 model has some major improvements, including a new M4 chip, a “significantly thinner and lighter” body, a superior OLED display, and upgraded accessories. We’ve broken down the key differences between the latest iPad Pro and its 2022 predecessor to help you figure out whether it’s worth the (substantial) investment.

Display and size

In Engadget’s hands-on at Apple’s “Let Loose” event, associate editor Nathan Ingraham said the new iPad Pro’s thinner, lighter build and its tandem OLED display are the first big changes you notice when picking up the latest model.

“In Apple’s extremely bright demo area, the iPad Pro screen showed off its quality—everything was crystal clear, the blacks were pitch black, and the colors were very vibrant,” he said after using it at an Apple event. “After looking at the iPad Air displays, it’s clear these screens are much better.”

Another change you’ll notice when you compare the two iPad Pros side by side is the camera placement. The 2024 model moves the front-facing camera to the top center when viewed sideways. Older models used Apple’s original iPad configuration, which had the camera centered above the screen when held upright in portrait mode.

The new iPad Pro is also significantly lighter and thinner than its 2022 predecessor. The 13-inch model is only 5.11 mm (0.2 inches) thick and weighs only 579 grams (1.28 pounds), making it 20% thinner and 15% lighter than the 2022 12.9-inch model. (0.21 inches) and weighs 444 grams (0.98 pounds), which is 10% thinner and 5% lighter than the old model.

Considering the 2022 model is already a thin and light machine, it’s no wonder we find the new iPad Pro to be surprisingly thin and light for its processing power. Speaking of which…

processor

For the first time, the iPhone maker has launched a new Apple Silicon version on iPad instead of Mac. The new M4 chips feature up to a 10-core CPU configuration (four performance cores and six efficiency cores), which the company says means performance is one and a half times faster than the M2 chip in the 2022 model.

I say “most” because, similar to the MacBook and some older iPad Pro models, Apple offers different chip variants depending on your pricing tier. The 1TB and 2TB versions of the 2024 models feature 10-core chips, while the 256GB and 512GB models drop down to nine-core M4s with three performance cores and six efficiency cores.

Low-end and high-end M4 variants include a 10-core GPU with hardware-accelerated ray tracing, a 16-core neural engine, 120GB/s memory bandwidth, and 16GB RAM. So the different models don’t sound that much different – you just get an extra performance core in the more expensive grades. We’ll have to wait until we spend some time with them to see how this translates to real-world experience.

In comparison, the M2 in the 2022 iPad Pro has an eight-core CPU, with four performance cores and four efficiency cores. It also has a 16-core Neural Engine (an older version than the one in the M4, of course), 100GB/s memory bandwidth, and 8GB or 16GB of RAM.

Accessories

The new iPad Pro also comes with some new accessories that aren’t available on the 2022 model. These include a new Magic Keyboard, which Apple claims “makes the entire experience feel like using a MacBook.”

You can thank its larger trackpad with tactile feedback (just like on modern MacBooks) and aluminum palm rest. The older model used a microfiber-like material and a physical click trackpad, so the new model should feel sturdier under your hands and be consistent with the look and feel of a MacBook.

The new Magic Keyboard also adds a new 14-key function row (also similar to the MacBook), which contains shortcut keys for brightness, Spotlight search, Siri/dictation, and media control.

Meanwhile, the Apple Pencil Pro is fully compatible with the 2024 iPad Pro and iPad Air, and looks a lot like its predecessor but adds some extra features. That includes a new sensor in its barrel that lets you squeeze it like a cute little stylus.

A new squeeze gesture can bring up tool palettes or launch shortcuts. Third-party developers can even customize the operation of an application themselves. It also adds haptic feedback for the first time, letting you know if your squeeze was accepted or if the object you moved has landed in its intended location.

The new Apple Pencil also supports Find My functionality (another first), so if you lose it, you can check its latest location in Apple’s Location app.

Starting in 2023, both models will work with the cheaper USB-C Apple Pencil ($79).

price

Well, it can’t all be good news. With all these upgrades, Apple is once again asking you to consider paying more for a premium tablet. The 11-inch iPad Pro starts at $999, and the 13-inch model starts at $1,299. These prices are each $200 more than the starting price for the 2022 model (when it goes on sale).

But wait, it gets worse. These prices don’t take into account the $299 (11-inch) or $349 (13-inch) you’ll have to pay if you want to add the new Magic Keyboard, or the $129 for the Apple Pencil Pro. You have to spend money to make the new iPad Pro as MacBook-like as possible: it costs almost as much as you would buy an entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M3 chip.

On the plus side, you get more storage space this time around. The 2024 iPad Pro starts at 256GB, double the 128GB capacity of the 2022 model. From here on, the other storage tiers are the same as their predecessors (up to 2TB for those with a Scrooge McDuck bank account).

Full specs comparison

The table below shows a full specs comparison between the 2024 and 2022 iPad Pro models, including separate charts for the 13/12.9-inch and 11-inch models.

13-inch iPad Pro (2024) vs. 12.9-inch iPad Pro (2022)

11-inch iPad Pro (2024) vs. 11-inch iPad Pro (2022)

Stay tuned for Engadget’s full review of the 2024 model. In the meantime, you can review Nathan Ingraham’s initial impressions of the new iPad Pro and Apple Pencil Pro, Devindra Hardawar’s review of the new models’ features, and Sam Rutherford’s introduction to the new M4 chip.

Follow all live news from Apple’s “Let Loose” event Right here.