M4 iPad Pro Impressions: Well This is Awkward

Summary

Apple's recent event introduced a slew of new iPad updates, with the iPad Air and iPad Pro receiving significant attention. The new iPad Air now features an M2 chip, increased storage, and a relocated webcam, while the iPad Pro boasts the M4 chip, making it the thinnest Apple device ever. Both iPads now offer OLED displays with a tandem OLED technology that achieves high brightness levels. Additionally, a new Apple Pencil Pro with haptic feedback and a redesigned magnetic charging system was announced, along with an updated Magic Keyboard. Despite the impressive hardware, the software capabilities remain similar to previous models, and the event's timing before the anticipated WWDC software updates leaves users in an awkward waiting period. MKBHD also launched a new line of wallets in collaboration with Ridge, offering a modern take on carrying cash and cards.

Takeaways

• 📅 Apple held a 30-minute event announcing new iPad models, which is the longest gap since their last update.
• 🚀 The new iPad Air upgrades from the M1 to the M2 chip and introduces new colors and larger storage options.
• 📱 The iPad Air now comes in two sizes: 11-inch and a new 13-inch model, with a slight increase in screen size.
• 🔍 The iPad Pro models have been made significantly thinner, with the 11-inch at 5.3mm and the 13-inch at 5.1mm, making them the thinnest Apple devices ever.
• 💻 The iPad Pro is the first device to feature the new M4 chip, offering more power efficiency and improved CPU and GPU performance.
• 🔦 The new iPad Pro models feature an OLED display, with a tandem OLED technology for high local brightness and vibrant colors.
• 📜 A nanotexture matte version of the iPad Pro is announced, which offers better reflection handling but may compromise sharpness and contrast.
• ✏️ A new Apple Pencil Pro is introduced with a haptic motor, squeeze sensor, and gyroscope for precision, but it's only compatible with the latest iPad Pro and iPad Air models.
• 💰 A new Magic Keyboard is released, featuring a larger trackpad, function row, and faster pass-through charging.
• 🤖 Despite the hardware improvements, the software capabilities of the iPads remain the same, with many powerful features underutilized due to the limitations of iPad OS.
• 📈 The announcement comes ahead of WWDC, where Apple is expected to reveal new software updates that could potentially enhance the utility of these new iPads.

Q & A

What was the main topic of Apple's recent 30-minute event?

The main topic of Apple's recent event was the announcement of new iPad products.

How long has it been since Apple last updated anything related to the iPad?

It has been the longest duration Apple has gone without updating anything iPad related.

What is the new chip in the updated iPad Air?

The new iPad Air is upgraded from the M1 to the M2 chip.

What are the new sizes for the iPad Air models?

The new sizes for the iPad Air models are 11-inch and 13-inch.

What is special about the new iPad Pro models?

The new iPad Pro models are the thinnest Apple devices ever made, featuring an M4 chip, and an OLED display with a tandem OLED technology for high brightness.

How much faster is the GPU in the M4 chip compared to the M2 chip?

The GPU in the M4 chip is up to four times faster than the M2 chip.

What is the name of the new display technology used in the iPad Pro models?

The new display technology used in the iPad Pro models is called a tandem OLED display.

What is the peak full screen brightness and peak HDR brightness of the new OLED display on the iPad Pro?

The new OLED display on the iPad Pro has 1,000 nits of peak full screen brightness and 1,600 nits of peak HDR brightness.

What is the new feature of the Apple Pencil Pro?

The new Apple Pencil Pro has a haptic motor, a new squeeze sensor for activating tools in apps, and a new gyroscope that makes it rotation sensitive.

Which iPad models is the new Apple Pencil Pro compatible with?

The new Apple Pencil Pro is only compatible with the newest recently announced iPad Pro and iPad Air models.

What is the name of the new keyboard introduced for the iPad?

The new keyboard introduced for the iPad is called the Magic Keyboard.

What is the anticipated software update event that might bring more features to the iPad?

The anticipated software update event is WWDC, Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference, where they are expected to update iOS and iPad OS.

Outlines

00:00

📱 Apple's iPad Event: New iPads and Accessories

Apple's recent event introduced several new iPad models, including an updated iPad Air with the M2 chip, increased storage, and a relocated webcam. The iPad Air now comes in two sizes, 11-inch and 13-inch, with the latter offering a slightly larger screen. The event also highlighted significant updates to the iPad Pro models, which are now the thinnest Apple devices ever made, with the 11-inch model at 5.3 mm and the 13-inch at 5.1 mm. These new iPad Pros are equipped with the M4 chip, providing substantial performance improvements over the M2, including a 50% faster CPU core and a GPU that's up to four times faster. Additionally, the iPad Pro now features an OLED display, offering deep blacks and vibrant colors, and a new Apple Pencil Pro with haptic feedback, a squeeze sensor, and rotation sensitivity. A new Magic Keyboard was also announced, featuring a larger trackpad and a function row. However, the hardware advancements come with a note of caution regarding software capabilities, as the full potential of these devices may not be realized until the upcoming software updates are released.

05:02

🖥 Tandem OLED Display: A Technological Milestone

The new iPad Pro models feature a tandem OLED display, which is a technological innovation allowing for two OLED layers to be driven simultaneously by the M4 chip. This results in exceptionally high local brightness, with 1,600 nits of peak HDR brightness and 1,000 nits for full-screen brightness on an OLED display of iPad size. The display offers a vivid visual experience with deep blacks and bright, colorful images. Additionally, a nanotexture matte version of the iPad Pro was announced, which provides better reflection handling but may compromise sharpness and contrast. The new Apple Pencil Pro, while not visually different, includes a haptic motor, a new squeeze sensor, and a gyroscope for precise control, but is only compatible with the latest iPad Pro and iPad Air models. A redesigned Magic Keyboard was also introduced, with improvements in weight, trackpad size, and functionality, including faster pass-through charging.

10:02

💼 Launch of MKBHD Gear and Ridge Wallet Collaboration

The presenter, in collaboration with Ridge, has launched a new line of wallets under the MKBHD brand. These include a carbon fiber wallet and a matte black aluminum wallet, both featuring the MKBHD logo and customizable options such as a money clip or cash strap. The wallets also have the option to attach an AirTag for anti-loss functionality. The Ridge catalog offers over 50 designs, including NFL licensed team options. The presenter mentions a 30% discount on the new gear and a combined discount when a wallet and keyholder are ordered together. Additionally, there's a 10% discount on all items at ridge.com using the code MKBHD. The presenter expresses excitement for the launch and hints at more products to come later in the year, encouraging viewers to sign up for updates.

Keywords

💡iPad

An iPad is a line of tablet computers designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. with a multi-touch screen. In the video, the iPad is the central topic, with discussions about its new models, features, and updates.

💡M2 Chip

The M2 Chip is Apple's second-generation custom silicon chip that powers some of their devices. It is mentioned in the video as being an upgrade from the M1 chip, providing more power and efficiency for the new iPad Air.

💡iPad Air

The iPad Air is a line of tablets from Apple that is positioned between the standard iPad and the iPad Pro. The video discusses the new features of the updated iPad Air, such as the M2 chip and new colors.

💡M4 Chip

The M4 Chip is the next generation of Apple's custom silicon, introduced in the video as being featured in the new iPad Pro models. It is highlighted for its increased power efficiency and performance compared to the M2 chip.

💡OLED Display

OLED stands for Organic Light-Emitting Diode and is a display technology known for its high contrast ratio and energy efficiency. The video mentions that the new iPad Pro models now feature OLED displays, which offer deep blacks and vibrant colors.

💡Apple Pencil Pro

The Apple Pencil Pro is an upgraded stylus for iPads, featuring new capabilities like a haptic motor, a squeeze sensor, and rotation sensitivity. It is discussed in the video as a significant update to the accessory, enhancing the user experience for creative tasks.

💡iPad Pro

The iPad Pro is Apple's high-end tablet line, known for its powerful hardware and advanced features. The video focuses on the new iPad Pro models, emphasizing their thinness, new chip, and OLED display as key selling points.

💡Tandem OLED Display

The Tandem OLED Display is a technological innovation mentioned in the video, which involves stacking two OLED layers and driving them simultaneously for higher local brightness. This feature is exclusive to the new iPad Pro models.

💡Magic Keyboard

The Magic Keyboard is an accessory by Apple designed for the iPad, offering a keyboard and trackpad functionality. The video notes that a new version has been released, which is lighter, has a larger trackpad, and includes a function row.

💡Nanotexture

Nanotexture refers to a finish applied to certain Apple products that reduces glare and fingerprints. In the video, a new nanotexture matte version of the iPad Pro is announced, which offers better reflection handling but at a higher cost and with potential trade-offs in sharpness and contrast.

💡WWDC

WWDC stands for Worldwide Developers Conference, an annual event held by Apple where they often announce new software and updates. The video anticipates that WWDC will bring significant updates to iPadOS, which could further enhance the capabilities of the new iPad models.

Highlights

Apple announced a new iPad Air with the M2 chip, starting at 128GB of storage, a relocated webcam, faster Wi-Fi, and larger 11-inch and 13-inch models.

The new iPad Air comes in blue, purple, Starlight, and space gray colors, with prices starting at $5.99 for the smaller model and $7.99 for the larger one.

The new iPad Pro models are the thinnest Apple devices ever, with the 11-inch at 5.3mm and the 13-inch at 5.1mm thickness.

The iPad Pro features Apple's new M4 chip, providing even more power efficiency and performance over the M2.

The M4 chip enables a new OLED display for the iPad Pro, with up to 1,600 nits of peak HDR brightness.

A new tandem OLED display technology stacks two OLED layers and allows the M4 to drive both for higher brightness.

A nanotexture matte version of the iPad Pro display is available, but may sacrifice some sharpness and contrast.

The new Apple Pencil Pro features a haptic motor, squeeze sensor, and gyroscope for precise control, but is only compatible with the latest iPad Pro and Air models.

A new Magic Keyboard is available for the iPad Pro, with a larger trackpad, function row, and faster pass-through charging.

Despite the hardware improvements, the new iPads still run iPadOS and may not fully utilize the increased power and efficiency.

A significant iPadOS update is expected at WWDC this summer, which could enable more AI features and improve the iPad as a primary computer.

The new iPad Pro models start shipping next week, but the software updates that could take full advantage of the hardware will likely come later this year.

MKBHD has partnered with Ridge to launch a line of wallets, including a carbon fiber model and an aluminum wallet with a matte black design.

The wallets feature an optional money clip or cash strap, can attach an AirTag, and come with a 30% discount on the new gear.

Ridge offers a 99-day return policy and 10% off sitewide for orders including a wallet and keyholder.

MKBHD will be releasing more products in collaboration with Ridge later this year.

Transcripts

[Music]

okay so Apple had a nice short little 30

minute event today announcing just a

bunch of new iPad stuff now this was the

longest they've ever gone without

updating anything iPad related so they

had some cooking to do but the thing is

and I feel like we've been saying this

for years it kind of doesn't matter how

powerful they make the iPad it's still

an iPad right it's still iPad OS and we

we've seen gigantic improvements in the

M series chips and these iPads are like

the most powerful chips ever on paper

but there's still iPads so the last

thing we need after all this time is

just another spec bumped iPad right well

let me introduce you to the newest iPads

so first up there's a new iPad Air which

follows the script of bringing a few

things down from the previous iPad pros

and of course you know making it

available for this lower price so it

graduates from the M1 to the M2 Chip

inside it starts up at1 28 gigs of

storage now and it moves the webcam to

the landscape bezel where it belongs it

gets faster Wi-Fi and for the first time

there is a larger one now so they're

calling it The 11-in and the 13in iPad

Air I had to clarify just because the

last one was 10.9 in so are they just

simplifying the name like is it actually

bigger and turns out yeah there is just

a little bit more screen here great but

other than that it's pretty predictable

it's a spec bump like this is sticking

to the script here I think I think I

could hand you the newest iPad right now

and you couldn't really tell the new Air

from the old Air just looking at it

other than if you're holding the bigger

one or if you recognized the super

exciting new colors I mean hopefully you

could hear my sarcasm through the screen

but there's blue purple Starlight and

space gray so it's $5.99 for the small

one and $7.99 for the bigger one but

then we also got a more significant

update to the iPad pros this is where

they push the limits of the iPad this is

where they want to show their absolute

best stuff the best possible tablets and

man if we just ignore the software for a

second these new iPads are ridiculous so

first of all they start off by revealing

that these new iPads the 11-in and the

13in are the new thinnest Apple devices

ever made ever that's that's including

phones that's including like old iPods

and everything the 11in is 5.3 mm thin

and the

13in is 5.1 mm thin so that's literally

thinner than the iPod Nano ever was it's

nuts it just it looks ridiculous it's

crazy to hold it's also lighter as you

might imagine it just kind of feels like

this impossible sheet of metal in your

hand I don't know if anyone ever looked

at an iPad Pro and asked for it to be

thinner but that's what they went and

did what could uh what what could

possibly go wrong fun fact this also now

means that the iPad Air is heavier than

the iPad Pro just to make sure we keep a

mess of an iPad lineup going but the new

Pro also gets a new chip and a new

screen so Apple took this event to

introduce us to the next generation of

Apple silicon with the M4 chip and this

iPad is the only thing that it's in

right now it's just the iPad with M4 so

that gives it stop me if it sounds

familiar even more ridiculous amounts of

power in such a tiny physical and

thermal envelope especially since we

came from M2 so it's a more power

efficient 3 nmet chip the CPU core is

net out to like 50% faster than M2 the

GPU is up to four times faster and

they're saying that they can do the same

performance output as M2 with half the

power so it's super efficient there's an

improved neural engine there's better

cooling now again I don't know who was

asking for a thinner iPad but there's

kind of no denying that it's at least

just physically impressive to look at

and this is the type of thing this is

the form factor that is specifically

enabled by the M4 chip apple is quoting

basically the same battery life as the

last iPad Pro and I kind of I have to

assume that there's significantly less

physical battery in the thing CU it's so

much thinner so that just basically

means Apple's going hey we think that

that was enough battery life in the last

gen so we're just going to match that

and that means we can go way thinner

with less battery because the new chip

is more efficient so then the new

display this is another thing that is

actually kind of enabled also by the M4

chip sometimes it seems like they're

just saying that but this is also true

so these are OLED iPads now both sizes

it's the exact same set of features

across both iPads which kind of makes

the $300 price difference between them a

little bit tougher but yeah oleds on

both the new iPad pros and OLED is

awesome right we already knew this it's

we've had OLED phones forever the pitch

black blacks the individually lit pixels

the super awesome Vibrance like all of

the OLED stuff is great and we were

excited to finally see it in a

relatively gigantic display that is an

iPad but making a huge OLED that's also

incredibly bright was a challenge that

required just a little bit of extra

engineering a little extra Ingenuity so

they put together something that they're

calling a tandem OLED display which

honestly to me I think this is maybe the

most interesting part of the whole

tablet event today so you can basically

think of it as two different OLED

displays stacked on top of each other

and then the new display driver on M4

can address both layers simultaneously

so that's what's allowing them to get

really high local brightness and that's

the spec now that's a th000 nits of peak

full screen brightness and 1,600 nits of

peak HDR brightness on an OLED on an

iPad size screen and in person it it

looks well it looks like a really bright

OLED it looks super colorful really

bright Inky blacks you know in this

Hands-On area that I got to spend like

30 minutes in it's not going to look its

best and there's crazy lighting

everywhere but I will be getting my

hands on it to review and I I intend to

dive in and find out if there are any

downsides but it looks pretty great here

and then also weirdly they announced a

nanotexture m matte version of the iPad

Pro so you know how there's a a matte

Pro display xdr I would be I would be

very careful about ordering this

particular option based on what I've

seen like I can see here that it is

definitely better at dealing with

Reflections than a normal display that's

awesome but just like the desktop

version that is at the expense of a

little bit of sharpness and contrast you

know the blacks don't look nearly as

black to me even at 0° off axis and I

also have to wonder about durability

because the pro display xdr is very

picky about which microfiber cloth you

use and you can literally ruin it if you

use the wrong one and with this iPad you

know I can feel the difference between

the soft touch texture of the Nano

texture and the glossy bezels and I just

have a feeling that you're only going to

be able to use or rely on the microfiber

that comes in the box with this thing

and not only does it cost an extra $100

to get the nanotexture it's also only

available on the one terab and 2 terb

highest end models so I think they know

that like people shouldn't just walk in

the store and just get it cuz it's on

the base one so yeah just be careful

with that one but you know what probably

made the most headlines out of all the

stuff announced today is the spec bumped

apple pencil there's now a new Apple

pencil Pro and it looks exactly the same

as the previous apple pencil but with

this new text on the back that says

pencil Pro on it now unfortunately

that's still not the Eraser uh but yeah

this new apple pencil pro has a haptic

motor inside so it supports find mine

now there's also a new squeeze sensor in

in the barrel for activating Tools in

different apps that will support it and

a new gyroscope actually makes it

rotation sensitive and I was trying this

it's surprisingly precise like really

really good so if you're an artist not

like me you maybe you're doing a barel

roll with certain drawing apps or

calligraphy applications for the $129

that it costs to get one of these things

but another incredibly inconvenient note

this new Pro pencil is only compatible

with the newest recently announced iPad

Pro or iPad Air because when they moved

that webcam to the long side that's also

where a lot of the magnets for lining up

and charging the pencil were so they had

to redesign the magnets up there and

that's now a different array so it's

only compatible with the newest

iPads why didn't they just move it to

the other side for charging I don't know

maybe that makes too much sense now

there's also a new magic keyboard as

well still ungodly expensive but if you

get the new one it's also it's lighter

than the previous gen the trackpad is

bigger and there's a whole function row

at the top now which actually that's

that is super useful and the pass

through charging is even faster

apparently it's 60 watts through the

pins in the back but all that being said

at the end of the day guess what we just

got another set of spec bumped iPads

they are metal rectangles with

incredible power and efficiency in our

hands that are just still iPads and I

don't know how many more times I can say

this but like taking advantage of all

this power is nearly impossible there

are a tiny sliver of apps that actually

make it feel like worth upgrading

there's almost nothing these iPads can

do that my M1 iPad Pro can't do and this

isn't even to downplay the hardware cuz

the hardware is actually amazing that's

that's where the difference comes from

like it's got this super bright high

resolution OLED displays with pitch

black blacks this M4 chip with

ridiculous power and efficiency new CPU

new GPU better neural engine like I've

never wanted an iPad to be thinner but

that line about them wanting the iPad to

feel like a magic sheet of glass really

resonated with this model in particular

even if you do feel like you could snap

it in half the whole time it's just the

awkwardness of this one mainly comes

from timing because I think we all know

well it's already been announced WWDC

their worldwide developer conference is

right around the corner and we all know

and expect them to update all the

software across all their stuff a new

iOS and new iPad OS so I guess iPad OS

18

and whatever Apple's going to decide to

do with that is around the corner so

we've got these new iPads shipping next

week but all the new software that could

be awesome well that's this summer and

this feels like it could be one of the

biggest updates yet to these iPads you

know it's Apple showing their hand at

how many more AI features they want to

build in and how many more features

people want to add that lets this be

their primary computer maybe more Siri

improvements all of this stuff so in

this awkward meantime here we have these

really really impressive spec bumped

iPad Pros the most powerful iPads of all

time the thinnest Apple devices

literally ever made but the list of

things it can do is the same as my

3-year-old M1 just saying what a time to

be alive speaking of announcements

though Ridge and I have finally launched

our first product together so it starts

with the ridge wallet you know the

minimal highquality industrial wallet

the more modern way to carry cash and

cards well you might know I joined Ridge

as the chief creative partner earlier

this year and we're finally releasing

our first MKBHD gear together so one of

the first things we wanted to do is just

make MKBHD versions of some of the

existing Stuff felt too obvious so

that's exactly what we're doing so I

love carbon fiber and matte black I

don't know if you knew that about me

already but those were my base

Inspirations for these two wallets so

the MKBHD carbon fiber 3K this is just a

bunch of lightweight Ultra durable

carbon fiber with the logo and then the

map black everything wallet this is just

aluminum but it's got this black oil

filled engravement print which is so

sick and then these wallets also come

with a debossed MKBHD money clip or uh

you can do cash strap you can also

attach these or detach them you could

also do an attachment for an air tag so

just to make sure you don't lose it or

you can do a like a find my card which

I've done as well but yeah I just I

carry this in my wallet all the time and

I definitely won't lose it and then of

course if you don't like my designs

that's fine Ridge has like 50 plus other

designs in their catalog they've got NFL

licensed team stuff if you want to rock

your team the store is endless and if

you even think it could be time to

upgrade it's a great time to just try

because if you don't love it after 99

days you can literally send it right

back no questions asked pretty sick and

I'll let you in on a little secret it's

30% off the new gear right now but also

any style if you order a wallet and a

keyh holder at the same time so just the

two together boom 30% off and also 10%

off whatever you want at ridge.com

MKBHD you're welcome uh yeah I'm excited

to be launching this stuff and also a

bunch more coming up later this year I

won't say too much about it but you can

sign up at the same link if you want to

get product updates I've told them just

to only email you about that if you sign

up but yeah let me know what you think

of these new iPads in general I mean

it's kind of an awkward waiting period

until we get all the new iOS 18 stuff

but let me know what you think new thin

thinner than ever iPads thanks for

watching catch you guys in the next one

peace