Apple’s iPad series of tablet computers had a huge impact on the computing landscape. The combination of a large-format touchscreen and the fluidity of Apple’s software made for a really compelling device for web browsing, playing games, watching videos, and reading books. At the same time, iPads haven’t quite displaced traditional computers for a lot of more traditional productivity-focused use cases, and haven’t dethroned more dedicated devices like game consoles either.
That’s where the latest generation of iPad Pros comes in. The 2024 iPad Pro packs a stunning “tandem OLED” display capable of up to 1600 nits peak brightness, along with the brand-new M4 processor which promises enough juice for sophisticated apps and console-level games. It’s by far the most capable iPad yet, and the best positioned to shore up any weaknesses prior iPads might have had. So how does the M4 iPad Pro fare as a general purpose computer? And does it turn in satisfactory results when put up against the recent crop of demanding iPad console ports?
The M4 iPad Pro’s form factor is exceptional – it’s remarkable just how thin and light it is. I purchased the 11-inch mode and it feels like it’s just barely there. It comes in about half a kilogram in weight, and is a mere 5.3mm thick – way thinner than my iPhone 15 Pro and substantially thinner than any other prior iPad. The actual utility of that thinness is perhaps a bit more questionable though – I can’t really say that a thicker tablet has much of an impact on its day-to-day use. The second item of note is the OLED display, which is a first for any larger-screened Apple device. It offers perfect black levels, great off-axis viewing, and 120Hz support for silky smooth animation. It also features great brightness levels – about a thousand nits for a full white screen in SDR and HDR and 1600 nits for HDR highlights. I’d say those figures are better than the best OLED TVs on the market today, which can hit similar peak brightness but take a huge brightness hit with more uniformly bright content.
