Apple iPad Pro (sixth Gen, 2022) Review: Another Minor Update

I can rely the variety of new options within the iPad Pro on one hand. There’s a brand new M2 processor, an unique Apple Pencil functionality, the power to report ProRes video, and help for Wi-Fi 6E. That’s it. Yes, you get all of the standout options from its predecessors, just like the mini LED show (on the 12.9-inch mannequin), a 120-Hz refresh charge, quad audio system for richer sound, Face ID, and a lidar sensor. Apple has additionally stored the beginning costs the identical—$799 for the 11-inch iPad Pro and $1,099 for the bigger mannequin—however there’s nonetheless not a lot excitingly new right here. 

The iPad Pro stays the greatest pill cash should purchase. But Apple is the richest firm on this planet. It might’ve added a number of of the identical upgrades it gave to the brand new Tenth-gen iPad ($449), just like the panorama selfie digital camera, help for the revamped Magic Keyboard Folio, and perhaps snazzier shade decisions. A MagSafe charging port like on the brand new MacBook Air (or actually, any additional ports) would’ve additionally been nice. There’s no must improve to this machine when you have an iPad Pro from 2020 or 2021. Maybe even when you have one from 2018—options that have been imagined to be particular to the M-series chips, like Stage Manager, at the moment are obtainable for older iPad Pro fashions. But for newcomers with the money, you’ll be greater than happy.  

Recycled Design

Apple gave the iPad Pro the identical therapy it gave this yr’s 13-inch MacBook Pro—it changed the M1 processor powering it with the brand new M2, and wahoo! It’s now a next-gen pill. Physically, there are zero variations over its predecessor, which is nice information as a result of older equipment like circumstances and folio keyboards are nonetheless suitable. Many of the options are additionally the identical, like ProMovement help, 5G connectivity when you go for the mobile mannequin, and the dual-camera setup with the lidar sensor for augmented actuality apps. 

As common, there are two iPad Pro fashions: an 11-inch iPad Pro (4th gen) and a 12.9-inch mannequin (sixth gen). They differ in a single main manner—the latter employs a mini LED show. It mainly provides up a lot deeper blacks, nicer distinction, and punchier colours due to the hundreds of LEDs packed into the show panel. Apple introduced this final yr, so it’s puzzling that it couldn’t convey this superior display to the smaller iPad Pro mannequin for function parity. After all, you’re nonetheless spending huge bucks on a Pro pill.

What is new, and unique to those two M2-powered slates, is a brand new Hover Mode function with the second-generation Apple Pencil. When you hover the stylus millimeters away from the display, you’ll now have the ability to preview what is going to occur earlier than even touching the show. With Scribble, the function that converts your handwriting into textual content, hovering over the display with the Pencil will broaden the textual content discipline earlier than you write. In the third-party graphic modifying app Pixelmator, hovering enables you to cycle by way of presets to see a dwell preview, or you may hover over a cropped picture to see the unique picture. 

I’ve largely solely used this new hover function within the Notes app to preview shade combos whereas doodling, however it’s a sensible and useful addition for anybody that continuously reaches for the stylus.