Apple iPad Pro 2024 vs iPad Pro 2022: Biggest upgrades
How does Apple's top-of-the-line tablet stack up to its predecessor?
An iPad Pro 2024 vs iPad Pro 2022 comparison is what you need if you're trying to find out what the biggest changes are and if it's worth the upgrade.
The big news is that the iPad Pro 2024 is upgrading to an OLED display. This tablet could also be a laptop replacement, thanks to its powerful M4 chip, an upgraded Magic Keyboard and support for the new Apple Pencil Pro.
But should you make the plunge if you already have an iPad Pro 2022 with M2 chip? Read on to find out how different the 2024 version of the iPad Pro is from the two-year-old 2022 version.
iPad Pro 2024 vs iPad Pro 2022: Price
Pre-orders for the iPad Pro M4 started on May 7 with shipping expected to begin on May 15.
The iPad Pro 2024 will come in two sizes, an 11-inch version and a 12.9-inch version, the same as the 2022 version.
At launch, the 2022 versions sold for $799 and $1,099.
The 2024 iPad Pro is getting a $200 price increase. The 11-inch iPad Pro starts at $999, and the 12.9-inch iPad Pro starts at $1,299.
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iPad Pro 2024 vs iPad Pro 2022: Specs
The biggest change in the new iPads over the 2022 versions is what’s inside the tablet. Apple skipped over the M3 chipset and is launching the iPad Pro 2024 with the company’s new M4 chip.
The second-generation 3nm chipsets have up to a 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU. While a strong chipset, the M2 in the 2022 version goes up to 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU. The M4 is 50% faster than the M2 at CPU tasks and 4X more powerful than the GPU.
Plus, the M4 didn’t forget any new features that the M3 chips brought, including ProRes and AV1 support and hardware-accelerated ray tracing. Made with AI in mind, the next gen Neural Engine is capable of running 38 trillion operations per second (TOPS), which bests even Intel’s Core Ultra chips.
Like the iPad Pro 2022, the iPad Pro 2024 will come in multiple storage sizes up to 2TB. The big difference is that Apple is forgoing the base 128GB size and starting at 256GB.
Row 0 - Cell 0 | 13-inch iPad Pro (2024) | 12.9-inch iPad Pro (2022) |
Starting Price | from $1,299 | from $1,099 |
Display | 13-inch Ultra Retina XDR OLED display (2752 x 2064) | 12.9-inch Liquid Retina XDR miniLED display (2732 x 2048 pixels) |
Chipset | M4 | M2 |
RAM | 8GB RAM (256GB-512GB models), 16GB RAM (1TB-2TB models) | 8GB RAM (128GB-512GB models), 16GB RAM (1TB-2TB models) |
Storage options | 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB |
Cameras | 12MP Wide camera with f/1.8 aperture, 12MP selfie camera on landscape edge | 12MP wide, 10MP ultra-wide, 12MP selfie camera vertical edge |
Colors | Space Black, Silver | Space Gray, Silver |
Wireless | Wi-Fi 6E, 5G | Wi-Fi 6E, 5G |
Dimensions | 11.09 x 8.48 x .20 inches | 11.04 x 8.46 x .25 inches |
Weight | 1.28 pounds | 1.51 pounds |
iPad Pro 2024 vs iPad Pro 2022: Design and Display
From the outside, the iPad Pro 2024 will look much like the iPad Pro 2022. Where you’ll really see fireworks is in the upgraded display.
For the 2024 tablet, Apple is adopting not just one OLED display but two in tandem, called Ultra Retina XDR. It’s available on both models and is a significant upgrade over the 2022.
The new displays have 1,000 nit peak brightness, a 120 HZ refresh rate, and better color accuracy.
Battery life should improve as well since OLED turns off pixels that are dark for true blacks.
While the mini-LED in 2022's iPad Pro was no slouch, featuring a resolution of 2,732 x 2,048 pixels and a 120Hz refresh rate, it will look weaker compared to the new OLED display. We did love reading comics and manga on the previous generation, so we imagine the 2024 will be even more vibrant.
iPad Pro 2024 vs iPad Pro 2022: Cameras
If you use your tablet to take pictures, the 2022 version had more options. The iPad Pro 2022 came with a 12MP wide camera, 10MP Ultra wide camera and a 12MP selfie camera on the vertical edge of the tablet.
Looking at the specs, the iPad Pro 2024 the cameras look to be about the same.
However, the new tablet does two things differently.
1. Apple has removed the 10MP ultrawide. There is now just the 12MP wide and the 12MP selfie camera.
2. Speaking of selfies, that camera is now on the landscape edge, which is similar to most Android tablets. Moving the selfie camera to the landscape edge should make taking video calls easier, especially with the new Magic Keyboard attached.
iPad Pro 2024 vs iPad Pro 2022: Battery life
From what we can tell, the battery itself isn’t getting any major upgrades in the new iPad Pro 2024. Apple claims it will have 10 hours of web surfing or video watching on Wi-Fi and 9 hours on cellular data.
However, with the new M4 chipset and OLED display, we expect battery life to improve significantly on the 2024 version as both upgrades are more power-efficient than the M2 and miniLED on the 2022 tablet.
We’ll be sure to run tests for true comparison when we get our hands on the iPad Pro 2024.
iPad Pro 2024 vs iPad Pro 2022: Accessories
When the iPad Pro 2022 launched it didn’t get any upgraded accessories to go along with it. Though with the M2 chipset, it did get Apple Pencil Hover, which let the tablet detect the pencil up to 12mm above the display and lets users preview their mark before they make it. It’s a nifty feature.
By comparison, the iPad Pro 2022 is launching with a brand new Apple Pencil Pro and an upgraded Magic Keyboard. The Apple Pencil Pro offers new features like squeeze gestures, barrel roll and haptic feedback. The new keyboard features an aluminum palm rest, a larger trackpad and a function row. It’s the first revision to the detachable keyboard since the iPad Pro version was released in 2020.
iPad Pro 2024 vs iPad Pro 2022: Outlook
The new iPad Pro 2024 looks like a significant upgrade over the iPad Pro 2022. With the new M4 processor boosting performance, a new Ultra Retina XDR OLED display and the upgraded accessories, this is a huge update.
If you’ve been holding out on upgrading your tablet, now might be the time. You’ll need to save up a little more with the price hike to $999.
Of course, the iPad Pro 2022 is a pretty great tablet, and we expect prices will drop for new and refurbished versions going forward.
Scott Younker is the West Coast Reporter at Tom’s Guide. He covers all the lastest tech news. He’s been involved in tech since 2011 at various outlets and is on an ongoing hunt to build the easiest to use home media system. When not writing about the latest devices, you are more than welcome to discuss board games or disc golf with him.