We compare different iPad Pro models in a comprehensive buying guide.
product line iPad offers high performance, great versatility and a phenomenal user experience to consumers in the tablet market. So much so, in fact, the iPad is the world’s best-selling tablet quarter after quarter. Far above its rivals.
Apple recently launched a new iPad Air with a large number of new features and a renewed design in the style of the iPad Pro line. Although this tablet model has an M1 chip as powerful as the iPad Pro processor, in reality its characteristics, performance and technical specifications are far below Apple’s “Pro” tablet. In a way, we could say that the iPad Pro models are the best tablets in the world. But which iPad Pro model should you choose based on your needs?
In this article we will accompany you through a shopping guide about iPad Pro in which we will compare various models and talk about all the differences that exist between them.
iPad Pro from 2018, 2020 and 2021
Below we attach a comparative table in which you can see all the differences that exist between the different iPad Pro models that have been released over the last few years to help you decide which iPad Pro to buy.
These are the technical specifications of the third generation iPad Pro (2018), the fourth generation iPad Pro (2020) and the fifth generation iPad Pro (2021), all of them with a 12.9-inch screen.
iPad Pro (2018) | iPad Pro (2020) | iPad Pro (2021) | |
---|---|---|---|
Screen | liquid retina | liquid retina | Liquid Retina XDR with mini-LED technology |
Processor | A12X Bionic | A12Z Bionic | M1 |
Storage | 64GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB |
Operating system | iPad OS 15.4 | iPad OS 15.4 | iPad OS 15.4 |
Frontal camera | 12 mpx wide angle | 12 mpx wide angle and 10 mpx ultra wide angle | 12 mpx wide angle and 10 mpx ultra wide angle |
Rear camera | 7mp | 7mp | 12mp |
connectivity | Bluetooth 5.0, 4G and Wi-Fi | Bluetooth 5.0, 4G and Wi-Fi | Bluetooth 5.0, 5G and Wi-Fi |
Colour | Silver and Space Gray | Silver and Space Gray | Silver and Space Gray |
Dimensions and weight | 11″ x 8.5″ x 0.23″ | 11″ x 8.5″ x 0.23″ | 11″ x 8.5″ x 0.25″ |
It should be remembered that Apple also sells iPad Pro models with an 11-inch screen, this is its comparison of technical specifications.
iPad Pro (2018) | iPad Pro (2020) | iPad Pro (2021) | |
---|---|---|---|
Screen | liquid retina | liquid retina | Liquid Retina XDR with mini-LED technology |
Processor | A12X Bionic | A12Z Bionic | M1 |
Storage | 64GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB |
Operating system | iPad OS 15.4 | iPad OS 15.4 | iPad OS 15.4 |
Frontal camera | 12 mpx wide angle | 12 mpx wide angle and 10 mpx ultra wide angle | 12 mpx wide angle and 10 mpx ultra wide angle |
Rear camera | 7mp | 7mp | 12mp |
connectivity | Bluetooth 5.0, 4G and Wi-Fi | Bluetooth 5.0, 4G and Wi-Fi | Bluetooth 5.0, 5G and Wi-Fi |
Colour | Silver and Space Gray | Silver and Space Gray | Silver and Space Gray |
Dimensions and weight | 24.76 x 17.85 x 0.59cm | 24.76 x 17.85 x 0.59cm | 24.76 x 17.85 x 0.59cm |
Price of each iPad Pro model
iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2018)
Buy model (refurbished) with Wi-Fi and 256 GB of storage:
iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2020)
Buy model (refurbished) with Wi-Fi and 128 GB of storage:
iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2021)
Buy Wi-Fi model with 128 GB of storage capacity:
iPad Pro 11-inch (2018)
Buy model (refurbished) with Wi-Fi and 128 GB:
iPad Pro 11-inch (2020)
Buy model with Wi-Fi and 1 TB of storage capacity:
iPad Pro 11-inch (2021)
Buy Wi-Fi model with 128 GB of storage capacity:
Which iPad Pro should you buy considering the differences?
The bigger the screen the better… except in some cases
We will first focus on the screen dimensions of the different models. It is best to choose an iPad Pro with a 12.9-inch screen. At first, it is true that you may not notice the difference compared to a model with an 11-inch screen. But when you’ve had a 12.9-inch screen for a while and you go back to using an iPad with an 11-inch screen, it feels like an iPad mini in your hand, and the difference is very noticeable.
Be that as it may, if you are a student and need the iPad Pro to take notes in class, surf the web and use applications to work on your projects, the ideal option is the 11-inch iPad Pro. It is a more maneuverable model and, of course, more comfortable to carry from one place to another.
As for the screens of the 12.9-inch models, the 2021 iPad Pro has a Liquidative Retina XDR screen with mini-LED technology that offers much more brightness than the other two models. However, the resolution of all three iPad Pro models is exactly the same, 2,732 x 2,048 pixels.
Power without control is useless
One of the aspects to take into account when buying not only an iPad but any other electronic device is its power or, rather, the power of its processor. It is the most important component of any device.
A good processor is capable of running multiple tasks while still keeping other background tasks running at a high level of performance. It is the brain that is responsible for the operation of the operating system is correct and direct all operations.
Therefore, it seems logical to think that for any user it is much better to buy an iPad Pro model with the best possible processor. The power of the M1 chip of the 2021 iPad Pro is something enormous, a spectacular brutality. But the truth is that if you compare with your own eyes the processing speed of the 2021 M1 chip with the processing speed of the 2018 A12X Bionic chip, the difference is minimal.
After all, users of the Apple ecosystem use the iPad Pro to perform mobile application tasks. And this really does not require the use of such barbaric power. In fact, from iPadízate we assure you without fear of being wrong that the third generation iPad Pro’s A12X Bionic processor continues to work at full power without showing an iota of wear after 4 years of use.
This means, for practical purposes, that even if you have 20 applications open and you are running several tasks simultaneously both the iPad Pro of 2018 and the iPad Pro of 2020 or the iPad Pro of 2021 will offer you very similar performance. Obviously, if you prefer to have more power, we recommend buying the 2021 iPad Pro, but if you want to have similar power and not spend so much money, you can perfectly opt for any of the other two iPad Pro models.
Here ends our buying guide for the latest generation models of Apple’s iPad Pro line. Now you have more than enough information to decide to buy one model or another. If you are still not sure, remember that you can visit this interesting comparison between iPad Air 2020 and iPad Air 2022 in order to assess the purchase of other iPad models.
Related topics: Shopping
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