Hands-On With the New M4 OLED iPad Pro

Today is the official launch day of the new iPad Pro models, and these updated tablets mark the biggest feature and design refresh that we've seen for the ‌iPad Pro‌ in several years. We picked up one of the new 13-inch models to check out everything new.


When it comes to design, Apple is still offering 11-inch and 13-inch size options and the look hasn't changed a whole lot, but the bezels are slimmer and the iPads themselves are super thin. The 13-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ is the thinnest device Apple has made to date at 5.1mm, while the 11-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ is 5.3mm.

With the 13-inch model weighing in just over a pound, the decrease in weight and size is noticeable and makes it feel much more portable. The 11-inch model is under a pound, so it's even easier to carry around. This is a design change that you'll feel if you've used a 2018 or later ‌iPad Pro‌.

The OLED display is, unsurprisingly, super nice. It's bright, the colors are vibrant, the blacks are incredibly black, and the contrast is much improved. The mini-LED display of the prior-generation 13-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ was good, but this is better. Still, if you have that one, it's probably not worth upgrading for OLED. Nano-texture, an add-on option for higher-end models, cuts down on glare, but it also diminishes the OLED display a bit because of the matte finish.

Apple moved the camera to the landscape edge of the ‌iPad Pro‌, which makes a lot of sense because most people are probably using it in that orientation. Video calls no longer require turning the iPad into an awkward position if you have a keyboard attached. Note that Apple did pull the Ultra Wide camera, so there's just a single Wide lens and a LiDAR sensor.

The M4 chip is incredibly fast, fast enough that it's likely most people purchasing an ‌iPad Pro‌ aren't going to be able to take full advantage of its capabilities. It's going to be hard to max this chip out, and it'll handle audio and video editing with ease. Apple is focusing heavily on AI with its new operating system updates, so those AI will be able to take advantage of that processing power, and it'll come in handy for future proofing.

If you want to use the ‌iPad Pro‌ for anything that involves typing, the Magic Keyboard is a must. It's priced starting at $299, but it's thin, light weight, and the aluminum hand rest makes it feel Mac-like. It's got good key travel and the glass trackpad is a major improvement.

For Apple Pencil users, the ‌Apple Pencil‌ Pro's haptic feedback is the most noticeable change. With the squeeze gesture, you can swap tools more quickly and have more feedback when creating sketches and art. Barrel roll also lets you use the ‌Apple Pencil‌ more like an actual writing or drawing implement. The ‌Apple Pencil‌ charges magnetically, and pairs automatically, like prior versions.

The only real downside to the ‌iPad Pro‌ is the software that it's running. iPadOS is still so limited compared to macOS, especially for multitasking and app functionality. Federico Viticci's recent writeup on the iPadOS basics that Apple gets wrong is well worth a read. Still, there are some workflows that are adaptable to the ‌iPad Pro‌, and it's a great portable machine. If you're a person who can make use of a tablet, this is the best one you can get.

Related Roundup: iPad Pro
Buyer's Guide: iPad Pro (Neutral)

Popular Stories

Generic iOS 19 Feature Mock Light

iOS 19 Will Bring Biggest Design Overhaul Since iOS 7

Monday March 10, 2025 12:17 pm PDT by
Apple is planning for a major design overhaul of the iPhone, iPad, and Mac interfaces with the introduction of iOS 19, iPadOS 19, and macOS 16 later this year, reports Bloomberg. The update will "fundamentally change" the look of Apple's operating system, introducing a more consistent cross-platform experience. Apple plans to update the style of icons, menus, apps, windows, and system...
ios 18 4 carplay

Apple Upgrades CarPlay in Two Ways

Wednesday March 12, 2025 6:05 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 18.4 update for the iPhone includes a smaller but meaningful improvement for Apple's in-car iPhone mirroring system CarPlay. Specifically, CarPlay now shows a third row of icons, up from two rows previously. However, this change is only visible in vehicles with a larger center display. For example, a MacRumors Forums member noticed the change in a Toyota Tundra with a...
Apple One Apps Feature 2

Apple One's Best Plan Now Includes Two More Perks For Free

Monday March 10, 2025 6:40 am PDT by
Apple One allows you to subscribe to up to six Apple services for one discounted monthly price. There are three Apple One tiers: Individual, Family, and Premier. Over the last month, the highest-end ‌Apple One‌ Premier plan has gained two additional perks. Here is what Apple One Premier already included, for $37.95 per month:Apple Music Apple TV+ Apple Arcade Apple News+ Apple Fitness+...
airpods pro 2 gradient

AirPods Pro 3 Launch Now Just Months Away: Here's What We Know

Tuesday March 11, 2025 3:26 am PDT by
Despite being released over two years ago, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 continue to dominate the wireless earbud market. However, with the AirPods Pro 3 expected to launch in 2025, anyone thinking of buying Apple's premium earbuds may be wondering if the next generation is worth holding out for. Apart from their audio and noise-canceling performance, which are generally regarded as excellent for...
iOS 18

12 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.4

Monday March 10, 2025 9:28 am PDT by
Apple is set to release iOS 18.4 in early April, bringing further refinements to Apple Intelligence features, a neat new capability to iPhone 15 Pro devices, new emoji, and more. While not quite as packed with new features as Apple's preceding iOS 18 point releases, iOS 18.4 still introduces enhancements that aim to make your iPhone smarter and more intuitive. Below, we've listed 12 new...
iphone 17 mockups idevicehelp

Video Shows iPhone 17 Mockups Based on 'Internal Documents'

Monday March 10, 2025 4:41 am PDT by
YouTuber iDeviceHelp on Friday posted a video that shows off mockups of Apple's forthcoming iPhone 17 models that are purportedly based on "internal documents." We're sharing the video here since it was made in collaboration with leaker Majin Bu, who last month published similar iPhone 17 renders that were widely corroborated by separate leakers with links to Apple's Chinese supply chain....
iOS 18

iOS 18.3.2 Update Coming Soon for iPhones

Monday March 10, 2025 7:25 am PDT by
Apple employees are internally testing iOS 18.3.2 for iPhones, according to our website's visitor logs, which have been a reliable indicator of upcoming iOS versions. The software update should be released in the next week or two. iOS 18.3.2 will be a minor update that addresses software bugs and/or security vulnerabilities. Don't expect any new features. iOS 18.3.2 will be an interim...
iOS 18

Apple Releases iOS 18.3.2 With Bug Fixes

Tuesday March 11, 2025 10:33 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 18.3.2 and iPadOS 18.3.2, minor updates for the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems that came out last September. iOS 18.3.2 and iOS 18.3.2 come a month after Apple released iOS 18.3.1 and iPadOS 18.3.1. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. According to Apple's release...
Apple Maps vs Google Maps Feature

iOS 18.4 Adds a Highly-Requested Setting to iPhones — But Not in U.S.

Wednesday March 12, 2025 1:05 pm PDT by
iPhones are finally getting a much-requested setting, but availability is limited. The upcoming iOS 18.4 update introduces an option to set a default navigation app, other than Apple Maps, but unfortunately this new setting is limited to users in the EU. There, you can now set an app like Google Maps or Waze as your default navigation app on the iPhone by opening the Settings app and tapping ...

Top Rated Comments

poematik13 Avatar
11 months ago
i want one really bad but i just know it'll sit on my desk unused for months just like every other ipad ive bought

currently on mini 6 and will upgrade to whatever the mini 7 is
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ps3zocker Avatar
11 months ago
Interesting that no one seems to mention that the corner radius of the display has increased a lot. Now it properly matches the device frame radius, unlike all the previous edge-to-edge iPads.

Seems like Apple forgot to tell their software engineers though. When you open an app, you can see a wrong corner radius for a split second before it switches to the correct one.



[Click to view video attachment]

Attachment Image
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DEMinSoCAL Avatar
11 months ago

its so light compared to my M1. the screen is amazing, I love it
So is your wallet compared to before you bought it. :)
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
NVDA Avatar
11 months ago
Still see no reason to upgrade from my 2018 iPad Pro, thanks guys.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dillacom Avatar
11 months ago
its so light compared to my M1. the screen is amazing, I love it
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jamezr Avatar
11 months ago

but does it BEND!?
one step closer to a folding ipad.....


Attachment Image
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)