Apple’s top-of-the-line iPad Pros are powered by the same M2 chip inside of the latest MacBook Air.
Coming with the new M2 iPad Pros is the redesigned
10th-generation iPad, available in four colors, and — for the first time on an
iPad — a webcam in landscape orientation.
So what’s new about the M2 iPad Pros? And should you
upgrade if you own an M1 iPad Pro or older model?
First, some tech specs so you can compare the
differences between the two M2 iPad Pros. As you can see, they’re identical in
every way except display size and panel type (the 12.9-inch is still the only
model with mini-LED), and battery capacity. Otherwise, the chip, storage, RAM,
and connectivity (Wi-Fi6E is new!) are all the same.
The M2 iPad Pros are also compatible with previous
M1 iPad Pro accessories including the Magic Keyboard and second-generation
Apple Pencil.
M2 IPAD PRO (11-INCH)
TECH SPECS
- Display: 11 inches LED
- Chipset: M2 with 8core CPU and 10-core GPU
- Storage: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB
- RAM: 8GB RAM (128GB, 256GB, 512GB) and 16GB (1TB and 2TB)
- Cameras: 12-megapixel f/1.8 rear camera + 10-megapixel ultrawide + 12-megapixel f/2.4 ultrawide selfie
- Software: iPadOS 16
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6E, 6G (sub-6GHz and mmWave)
- SIM: Nano-SIM and eSIM
- Colors: Silver or Space Gray
M2 IPAD PRO (12.9-INCH)
TECH SPECS
- Display: 12.9 inches mini-LED
- Chipset: M2 with 8core CPU and 10-core GPU
- Storage: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB
- RAM: 8GB RAM (128GB, 256GB, 512GB) and 16GB (1TB and 2TB)
- Cameras: 12-megapixel f/1.8 rear camera + 10-megapixel ultrawide + 12-megapixel f/2.4 ultrawide selfie
- Software: iPadOS 16
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6E, 6G (sub-6GHz and mmWave)
- SIM: Nano-SIM and eSIM
- Colors: Silver or Space Gray
M2 PERFORMANCE — The big update on the M2 iPad Pros
is the M2 chip’s faster performance enabled by its 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, and
16-core Neural Engine. Apple is touting 15 percent faster CPU and up to 35
percent faster GPU performance compared to the M1 chip.
Other beefy specs include 50 percent more memory
bandwidth: 100GB/s. Whether you’ll need all this performance will come down to
what you use your iPad for. If it’s just watching videos and banging out
emails, the M2 chip won’t necessarily make those tasks faster.
For content creation like video editing, graphic
design, and photo editing, the performance might be worth the money.
FASTER
WI-FI AND APPLE PENCIL HOVERING — Aside from the M2
chip, the new iPad Pros also have Wi-Fi 6E. Apple claims up to 2.5Gbs/s
downloads — about “2x faster than the previous generation.” Of course, you will
need a router with Wi-Fi 6E to pull down data faster. Your rusty old Linksys
WRT54G isn’t going to cut it.
Lastly, Apple says it’s made the Apple Pencil more
precise — it can be “detected up to 12mm above the display, allowing users to
see a preview of their mark before they make it.”
PRICE, RELEASE DATE, AND PREORDER — If you’re in the
market for a new iPad, you can order the M2 iPad Pros starting today with
delivery and in-store availability on October 26.
Here’s
how the pricing breaks down for the 11-inch M2 iPad Pro with Wi-Fi and with
cellular:
- 128GB: $799 / $999
- 256GB: $899 / $1,099
- 512GB: $1,099 / $1,299
- 1TB: $1,499 / $1,699
- 2TB: $1,899 / $2,099
Here’s
how the pricing breaks down for the 12.9-inch M2 iPad Pro with Wi-Fi and with
cellular:
- 128GB: $1,099 / $1,299
- 256GB: $1,199 / $1,399
- 512GB: $1,399 / $1,599
- 1TB: $1,799 / $1,999
- 2TB: $2,199 / $2,399
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