Apple’s significant changes to the iPad Pro occurred for 2021: the design, technology and accessories received significant updates. They redesigned the iPad Pro, and while some thought the move to a more industrial design was not the most attractive, it looked like Apple was bringing some innovation to the line. But two years later, and the new update, in the form of the iPad Pro 2020, does not add a considerable amount. This is our IPad Pro 2020 Review – Hands-on.
There’s a new camera with improved depth sensitivity, more power under the hood and better studio-quality microphones, but that’s about the changes. Apple expanded the primary storage space to 128 GB in the base model without increasing the price. Still, the other major update – the Magic Keyboard with a built-in trackpad – will not arrive until May and will also be released on older iPad Pro models.
IPad Pro 2020 Review – Design and Display
As you can imagine, the new iPad Pro 2020 is visually almost identical to the iPad Pro 2018 – it has the same industrial design and a wider screen, with narrower edges. It’s still not a design that we fall in love with, because of the harder edges that are lacking in the sleek lines of the standard iPad 10.2, but it has the same calming weight and aluminum chassis that makes you feel like you’re buying a tablet. Worth the money.
The four external speakers offer loud and good bass sound – they are not industrial class, but like a tablet for watching movies or playing music at home, we feel it can compete with a dedicated portable speaker. The screen, which we tested at 12.9 inches, is identical to Apple’s iPad Pro for 2021 – that means the same TrueTone technology, a smooth 120Hz scrolling screen and high resolution pixel sharpness.
This TrueTone monitor can reproduce the color quality of the light around you, making it more comfortable for your eyes. On the other hand, smooth scrolling makes browsing on the tablet and browsing sites, and social media feeds are much better. However, an HDR screen is still missing, a feature that would make the tablet sing when it comes to watching movies – it would be a significant update, but it is a feature that Apple has not yet considered suitable to bring.
IPad Pro 2020 Review – iPad Vs. Laptop
As mentioned earlier, one of the significant updates is the Magic Keyboard. This “right” typing experience brings iPad Pro closer to a MacBook and questions how far Apple sees iPad Pro as something other than the MacBook range. However, this keyboard comes with a trackpad, it will not be available for a few months and this limits the appeal of the new iPad Pro. But, the iPad Pro 2020 is a much better tablet for a direct reason: iPadOS 13.4, which comes with support for trackpads and mouse (as you can imagine, since the Magic Keyboard now has one).
Whereas previously, it was necessary to use the workaround to connect a mouse that came with the release of iPad OS 12 for 2021 and can be activated in the Accessibility section, the functionality is now fully integrated. The cursor is a small circle running across the screen under your entry, instead of a tug on your finger that can overwhelm the tablet and doesn’t seem intuitive when you’re trying to type.
Apple also claims that this cursor is not the same as a MacOS pointer, because it is a circle that dynamically changes to a regular text cursor when you hover over the text. We use a Magic Trackpad to navigate, a separate device with functionality similar to the magic keyboard, and the gestures are intuitive: swipe up to move the cursor, two fingers to scroll, three fingers to go home and so on.
If you’ve used a MacBook’s trackpad, you’ll feel right at home; if you’re not used to it, but there’s something new and useful about mouse support on the iPad Pro. But the biggest problem, in addition to the ones mentioned earlier, is that many applications still don’t connect perfectly to the mouse pointer. They are still touch-sensitive programs, and the mouse pointer looks like a different way of handling them, rather than improving the experience.
Processor: Bionic A12Z chipset
Before the launch of iPad Pro 2020, there were already some suspicions that it would be only 1% faster than the previous Apple iPad Pro 2018. The most complicated for most users, who want the iPad Pro to be a device that can do ‘ anything ‘instead of a specific device for professionals who want to edit photos or music on the go, is to know what that speed offers.
The 2018 iPad Pro was powerful, and the new model doesn’t add much. We tested it on our benchmark apps and found that in GeekBench 5, only the multicore score showed a slight improvement.
In the 3DMark Sling Shot application, which increases the graphic intensity of the tablet, we saw that the new A12Z Bionic chipset is a perfect mechanism. It was better able to display 3D graphics and, in fact, the iPad Pro 11 failed twice to complete the benchmark before reaching it, albeit with a lower score.
However, the overall experience of using the iPad Pro models from 2018 and 2020 was identical – opening and editing photos, browsing the web and browsing the tablet in general was as smooth as possible on both devices, so there is not a considerable increase in energy offered unless you are a supreme power user.
IPad Pro 2020 Review – Camera
Given that the power update for the latest iPad Pro is quite limited, that the camera is the only other exclusive feature worth talking about – but then again, we’re not sure it’s such a significant update. There are now two cameras at the rear and, while you can zoom out thanks to the new wide-angle mode and take photos in ‘standard’ mode – the setting is 10 megapixels (f / 2.4) and 12 megapixels (f / 1.8) , respectively – none of the cameras will compete with a phone for pure image quality.
The image quality in bright light is excellent, although there is no doubt about the low light processing you get with the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro, which means that darker images, although bright enough, show a lot of grain and processing. We are not fans of using the iPad as a camera because it is complicated and you can get in the way of what other people are trying to shoot when you are in a busy environment, but there is something beautiful about having a large viewfinder to help you make a decent movie.
We can see how it would be advantageous for professionals – in construction and engineering, for example, or doctors and other health professionals – because you can have a clearer sense of what is breaking down. However, the 12.9-inch model we tested was a bit too big to get a cut like this – and the new LiDAR sensor at the rear was also of limited use at this point. We could only use the “Measure” application, which uses augmented reality to feel the distances from the things it can see.
Although this was much faster than in older models and did not require the same calibration process, it was not the most impressive piece for what the new iPad Pro can do.
We hope that more apps will be launched soon, that use the new LiDAR sensor and give us a better idea of what the new iPad Pro 2020 can do, but at the moment, you are getting a camera that can zoom out, take pictures in Big scale. angled photos and not much else.
Pricing and availability
The new iPad Pro models were announced on March 18, and you can order them from Apple’s online store today; Apple closed its physical stores in the near future due to the Covid-19 outbreak. The actual release date for the iPad Pro 2020 is March 24, according to Apple, although the online store says the first delivery date is March 25 in the U.S. – so you may have to wait an extra day to play with your new iPad.
How much will the new iPad Pro 2020 cost? It depends on your choice of 11 or 12.9 inch model and which storage device you are using; there is also the option to include LTE cellular connectivity, which will increase the price. The price starts at $ 799 and extends to $ 1,499.
IPad Pro 2020 Review – Early verdict
While we haven’t been able to complete our full tests of the new iPad Pro 2020, we don’t see many significant updates on Apple’s excellent range of tablets. The internal power has improved, but not in a massive way, and the design of the screen and tablet, although of high quality, is the same as the modelfor 2021. We are big fans of the fact that mouse support has arrived on the new iPad, but more developer optimization is needed to allow users to get the most out of it.
The rear camera, which uses LiDAR technology on all Apple devices for the first time, is still capable of taking very good photos, but it does not have the night mode that we so wanted on the iPhone 11.
This is still a beautiful tablet from Apple, compared to many on the market, and is a reliable option for anyone who needs a device with professional guidance.
