Apple has finally announced its new iPad line-up, and the much-anticipated iPad Pro has been confirmed – with the supercharged addition of the M2 chip and a host of other upgraded features. These include new Apple Pencil capability, superfast wireless connectivity, a four-speaker audio system and hardware to support a whole host of pro-level apps.
Since Apple's most advanced tablet hasn't been refreshed since last spring (when it gained the mighty M1 chip and the larger 12.9-inch model was given a stunning mini-LED display), the rumour mill had been working overtime on this particular subject. Read on to see how these rumours turned into reality.
The M2 chip has been confirmed (Image credit: Apple)
As the rumours suggested, Apple has differentiated from the iPad Air (and its M1 chip) by adding the next-gen M2 chip to the iPad Pro. First unveiled with the new MacBook Air, the M2 chip is faster and more efficient – as you'd expect.
With its 8-core CPU, the M2 chip is up to 15 per cent faster than the previous iteration. Added to that, the 16-core Neural Engine processes 15.8 trillion operations a second (and yes, that is as powerful as the numbers suggest), making it a whopping 40 per cent more than the M1. In short, this makes all machine-learning tasks incredibly quick – and perfect for those complex renders or intense video editing sessions.
The M2 chip also impacts the advanced camera on the iPad Pro, with the image signal processor working to enable ProRes video for the first time and transcode ProRes footage three times faster. This means your iPad is now capable of shooting and editing cinema-grade footage.
And what about the OS? Well, iPadOS 16 arrived and brought with it a host of useful features. One of our favourites is Stage Manager, which looks to be awesome for organisation but, more excitingly, will add the ability to use a full external display with your tablet. Read more about this and iOS 16 further down the page.
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iPad Pro 2022: Design
The design will be largely unchanged (Image credit: Apple)
The design looks to be largely unchanged, though Apple has made a point of announcing its environmental credentials. Designed to "minimise the impact on the environment" , the iPads include 100 per cent recycled gold. They'll also come in redesigned plastic-free outer wrapping.
Besides that though, that we're looking at the same flat design and edge-to-edge display with slim bezels.
iPad Pro 2022: Features
Stage Manager will enable you to use a 6K external screen (Image credit: Apple)
Headline news is that the Apple Pencil 2 will have new capability, namely a new 'hover' feature. The stylus will now be detectable up to 12mm above the screen so you'll be able to see a preview of your mark before you make it – a neat nw feature if you're sketching or creating digital art. This also means handwriting will convert to text faster.
iOS 16 means a host of new desktop-level apps, and a new feature called Stage Manager. This will add a bunch of powerful productivity features (ideal for multitasking) but that's not the best bit. Later in the year, Stage Manager will have the ability to add a full external display with up to 6K resolution – this is excellent news if you want to use your iPad apps on a big monitor (as we all do). It will add capability to work on four apps on the iPad and four additional apps on your monitor. Game changing.
For designers and artists, the other feature to get excited about is Reference Mode, which will enable the "12.9-inch iPad Pro with Liquid Retina XDR display to match the colour requirements in workflows like review and approve, colour grading, and compositing, where accurate colours and consistent image quality are critical".
iPad Pro 2022: Release date and price
You can order the new iPad Pro today (October 18) at Apple.com . The new 2022 iPad Pro 11 starts at $799 / £899 and the iPad Pro 12.9 starts at $1,099 / £1,249.
Daniel John is Design Editor at Creative Bloq. He reports on the worlds of design, branding and lifestyle tech, and has covered several industry events including Milan Design Week, OFFF Barcelona and Adobe Max in Los Angeles.
