It is thin. Like, "I’m genuinely afraid I might snap this in my backpack" thin. When you first pick up the iPad Pro 11 M4 256gb, the weight—or lack of it—is the first thing that hits you. Apple shaved off enough mass that it feels fundamentally different from the M2 or M1 versions that came before. But there is a weird paradox here because, despite being lighter than air, it’s packing a processor that is technically more powerful than what most people have in their desktop computers.
Honestly, I think we've reached a point where the hardware is officially showing off. The M4 chip isn't just a small iterative step; it's a jump to a second-generation 3-nanometer architecture. Why does that matter? Because it’s efficient. You get all that thermal headroom in a chassis that is only 5.3mm thick. But let’s be real for a second. Most people looking at the 256GB model are trying to figure out if this is actually a "Pro" device or just a very expensive Netflix machine.
The Tandem OLED screen is the real hero
The screen is the whole reason to buy this thing. Period. Apple calls it "Ultra Retina XDR," but the technical term you’ll see floating around is Tandem OLED. Most OLED panels in phones or tablets struggle with brightness because if you crank them too high, you burn out the pixels or ruin the battery. Apple’s solution was basically to stack two OLED panels on top of each other.
It hits 1,000 nits of full-screen brightness. For HDR content, it peaks at 1,600 nits.
If you’re sitting in a coffee shop with sunlight streaming in, you can actually see what you’re doing. Most tablets just turn into expensive mirrors in that scenario. The blacks are perfect. When you watch a movie with black bars on the top and bottom, those bars are truly off. There’s no blooming, which was the biggest complaint people had with the mini-LED tech on the older 12.9-inch models. On the iPad Pro 11 M4 256gb, the contrast is just... tight.
Why 256GB is the "Danger Zone" storage tier
We need to talk about the storage because Apple does something a bit sneaky here. The 256GB and 512GB models are not the same internally as the 1TB and 2TB models.
If you buy the 256GB version, you get 8GB of RAM. If you step up to the 1TB version, you get 16GB. Also, the 256GB model has a 9-core CPU, while the higher storage tiers get a 10-core CPU. Does it matter for 95% of users? Probably not. You’re still getting the same incredible GPU with hardware-accelerated ray tracing. But if you’re a heavy Final Cut Pro user or you’re doing massive 3D renders in Octane, that 8GB of RAM might eventually feel like a ceiling.
For the average person who just wants a fast, future-proof tablet for the next five years, 256GB is the sweet spot. Just know what you're leaving on the table.
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The M4 chip and the AI of it all
Apple spent a lot of time talking about the Neural Engine in the M4. It can perform 38 trillion operations per second. That’s a big number that means almost nothing in isolation. What it actually does is handle things like "Live Captions" or lifting subjects out of photos instantly. In apps like Procreate Dreams, the M4 handles complex animations without the stuttering you might see on an iPad Air.
The real-world benefit of M4 right now is mostly thermal management. It runs cooler. Because the chip is so efficient, the iPad doesn't have to throttle its performance as quickly when you're playing a high-intensity game like Death Stranding or Resident Evil Village.
- Ray Tracing: Games look better with realistic reflections.
- Mesh Shading: More complex geometries in 3D apps.
- Media Engine: Fast 8K video encoding.
It’s overkill. It really is. But overkill means the device won't feel slow in 2029.
The landscape camera finally happened
Finally. It only took a decade.
Apple moved the front-facing camera to the long edge of the device. This sounds like a minor detail until you’re in a Zoom meeting. On older iPads, the camera was on the "top" when held like a portrait phone. When you docked it into a keyboard, you looked like you were staring off into space. Now, on the iPad Pro 11 M4 256gb, you actually look like a human being looking at a computer. Center Stage still works, so the camera will crop and zoom to follow you around if you’re cooking or pacing while talking.
The back camera setup is also different. Apple actually removed the Ultra Wide lens. You just get a 12MP Main camera and a LiDAR scanner. Their reasoning? People don't take landscape photos with iPads; they scan documents. The new "Adaptive True Tone" flash is designed to remove shadows when you’re scanning paper. It’s a very "Business Pro" move.
Accessories: The hidden tax
If you want the full experience, you’re looking at the new Apple Pencil Pro and the redesigned Magic Keyboard.
The Pencil Pro is cool because of the haptic feedback. When you squeeze it, you feel a little click, and a tool palette pops up on the screen. It also has "Barrel Roll," using a gyroscope so you can rotate the pen to change the orientation of a brush stroke. It feels more like a real tool and less like a plastic stick.
The Magic Keyboard for the 11-inch model makes the whole thing look like a tiny MacBook. It has a functional row of keys now (thank god) and an aluminum palm rest. It’s much sturdier than the old rubbery one. But it adds weight. And it adds cost. You have to decide if you’re trying to replace a laptop or if you just want a really powerful tablet.
Real world battery expectations
Apple always claims 10 hours. In my experience, if you're just browsing the web or writing, you'll get that. But if you're pushing that Tandem OLED display to 100% brightness outdoors, or if you're editing 4K video, that battery will drain significantly faster. The M4 is efficient, but physics is still physics. Driving two OLED panels at high brightness takes juice.
One thing people forget is the charging speed. If you use a high-wattage Mac charger, you can top this thing up pretty quickly, which is a lifesaver when you're traveling.
What to do next if you're on the fence
If you are coming from an M1 or M2 iPad Pro, the jump to the M4 is mostly about the screen and the thickness. If you aren't a "screen snob" and you don't care about the weight, your current iPad is probably still plenty fast. However, if you're coming from a base-model iPad or an older iPad Air, the iPad Pro 11 M4 256gb will feel like moving from a moped to a Ducati.
Practical Steps:
- Check your current storage: Go to Settings > General > iPad Storage. If you're using more than 150GB now, 256GB might be tight if you plan to keep the device for many years.
- Visit a store: You cannot appreciate the Tandem OLED or the thinness through a YouTube video. You need to see the contrast ratios in person.
- Audit your apps: If you don't use apps like DaVinci Resolve, Logic Pro, or ZBrush, consider if the M2 iPad Air might save you $400 while doing 90% of what you need.
- Skip the Nano-texture: Unless you exclusively work under harsh studio lights, the standard glass on the 256GB model is actually more vibrant and easier to clean.
The 11-inch form factor remains the best "handheld" iPad. The 13-inch is a laptop replacement; this is a go-anywhere powerhouse. It is arguably the best piece of hardware Apple has ever built, even if iPadOS still feels like it has the training wheels on sometimes.