Product test
iPad Pro 2024 review: overpowered creative marvel
by Michelle Brändle
iPad Pro performance test: take off with the M2 chip and Apple pencil?
2-11-2022
There’s a huge amount of processing power packed into the latest iPad Pro. Which is exciting news for creatives. But I can barely use the M2 chip to its full capacity.
A lot of the old here to stay with the new processor
My colleague Jan has already outlined the extent to which the new iPad Pro has been revolutionised. Namely, hardly at all. From the design to the camera and the battery, almost everything about the tablet is the same.
As before, the 12-megapixel camera serves its purpose of being there for video calls and Face ID, even if it’s otherwise not that phenomenal. But I’ll continue using it to try out Photoshop directly on pictures.
The biggest change is Apple’s own M2 chip as a successor to the M1. Even the latter boasted huge processing power, which I can barely use to the max. As Apple has consistently upgraded its products to include the new processor, I want to know if it was worth it.
There’s also the OS 16.1 update around the tablet’s launch date. In a nutshell, the update is designed to make it easier to connect with friends as well as people you know and to share media.
It all sounds promising. But the important thing is finding out what I can use this unbelievable processing power for. Apple has teamed up with Adobe in order to significantly expand Adobe Photoshop for iPad. Not only that, this update is set to make 3D programmes, design tools – such as Procreate – and video editing smooth and user-friendly. What’s more, Affinity Publisher for layouts is meant to be available on tablet soon.
Apple’s M2 chip: the high-performance centrepiece
Snapping shots and editing in the Photoshop app
But what I want to know to start with is how it feels to take photos with a 28 × 21.5 cm device. And how well I can subsequently make my photos look Instagram-worthy in Photoshop. At least I now know from first-hand experience not to try that again. And certainly not in panorama mode. But it’s fantastic for testing Photoshop.
The latest iPad version of Photoshop was granted a whole host of features that you’ll recognise from desktop. And it’s straightforward to use with the Apple pencil. This is where the current Pro version has the advantage of the hover function, which only works with the M2 chip. Hover lets me glide across individual tools to see what each does, like you would with a cursor on desktop. I’ve made a short video to help you visualise this.
However, what’s debatable is whether that’s down to the M2 chip or simply because there aren’t any updates for the M1 chip version. The pencil shows you in advance what you’re going to tap on. In Photoshop, it also shows the names of individual tools when you hover over them. If you did this on an older device, it would probably instantly combust.
As for the remaining features, they’re all accessible on my older iPad Pro. The new touch shortcut lets you switch quickly between tools. To give you an example: swapping between the pencil and eraser when you’re drawing. Various desktop features are integrated in the app, such as correction levels, brightness adjuster and automatic background removal. However, the effects and smart filter aren’t yet available.
Gaming with a controller
Procreate with 3D features
But this is where alarm bells start ringing. The predecessor model can also manage this flawlessly. As an example, I’ve got a video for you that shows other exciting apps for 3D work on the iPad Pro.
I get irritated when Procreate sometimes slows me down with two-dimensional painting and displays irritating latency while I’m colouring in. What causes it is still a mystery to me. It’s not as if the CPU and graphics card aren’t generating enough power or that there are other apps running in the background. Fortunately, the issue with faltering isn’t a constant thing. The battery lasts about six hours when I’m doodling intensively. That’s more than enough.
Where both new iPads score points over my 2018 version is the number of editing layers they offer. In the 2018 version, you can create 57 layers on an A4, 300 dpi image. By contrast, the 2021 version lets you have 92 layers, while the 2022 model enables you to work with as many as 211 layers. It sounds great, but I’d eventually lose the plot with that amount of detail.
Verdict: the future-oriented iPad Pro
Despite the Apple Pencil's Hover function, I'm not taking off any time soon. Apart from that, there aren’t any notable advantages. The number of layers available for the sketching app is astonishingly high. But I get by just fine with half that amount.
Meanwhile, the M2 chip is strong and simply can’t be used to capacity at present. As Marty McFly said: «I guess you guys aren’t ready for that yet, but your kids are gonna love it.»
Artists will certainly benefit from its significant processing power. But they’ll need to wait patiently for app optimisation and future tools, such as Affinity Publisher. For at least 1,249 francs or upwards of 1,449 euros, the device is expensive enough (prices accurate at the time of writing in November 2022). But then, you still have to fork out for the Magic keyboard and Apple pencil.
In my world, Super Mario chases Stormtroopers with a unicorn and Harley Quinn mixes cocktails for Eddie and Peter at the beach bar. Wherever I can live out my creativity, my fingers tingle. Or maybe it's because nothing flows through my veins but chocolate, glitter and coffee.
