Honestly, walking into an Apple Store and picking up the iPad Pro 13-inch for the first time is a weirdly disorienting experience. It is thin. I mean, ridiculously thin. We are talking 5.1mm, which makes it the thinnest product Apple has ever shipped, even beating out the old iPod nano. You look at it and wonder how the battery doesn't just spontaneously combust or how the frame doesn't snap like a cracker in your backpack.
But it doesn't.
Instead, what you get is a slab of glass and aluminum that feels like it’s from the future, specifically because of that Tandem OLED display. If you've been using an older iPad Pro with the mini-LED screen, you’ve probably noticed "blooming"—that annoying white glow around text when the background is black. This new Ultra Retina XDR panel basically kills that problem dead by layering two OLED panels on top of each other to crank up the brightness. It’s bright. Really bright. 1,000 nits of full-screen brightness for SDR and HDR content, peaking at 1,600 nits for those tiny highlights that make a movie pop.
The M4 Chip in the iPad Pro 13-inch is a Weird Flex
Apple skipped the M3 entirely for this tablet. They went straight to the M4. Why? Mostly because the M4 was designed specifically to handle the display engine required for that dual-layer OLED screen. It’s built on the second-generation 3-nanometer technology.
If you are coming from an M1 iPad Pro, the jump is significant. We’re talking up to 1.5x faster CPU performance. But here is the thing: unless you are rendering 4K ProRes video in Final Cut Pro or doing heavy 3D modeling in Octane, you probably won't notice the raw speed. You’ll notice the efficiency. The M4 delivers the same performance as the M2 while using half the power. That’s where the magic is.
The heat management is also surprisingly decent. Apple put graphite sheets in the housing and used copper in the Apple logo to help dissipate heat. It works, but if you push it for an hour on a high-end game like Death Stranding, the back will still get plenty warm.
The Storage Trap and the RAM Secret
Here is something Apple doesn't shout from the rooftops, but you absolutely need to know before dropping two grand. Not all iPad Pro 13-inch models are created equal.
If you buy the 256GB or 512GB models, you get 8GB of RAM and a 9-core CPU.
If you shell out for the 1TB or 2TB models, you get 16GB of RAM and a 10-core CPU.
Does it matter? For 90% of people, no. For the 10% of you who are digital artists working with hundreds of layers in Procreate or video editors using multiple streams of 8K footage, that extra RAM is the difference between the app crashing and a smooth workflow. Also, only the 1TB and 2TB models offer the "Nano-texture glass" option. It’s great for cutting glare if you work outside, but it also slightly softens the contrast. It’s a trade-off. Think about where you actually work before checking that box.
Let’s Talk About the Landscape Camera (Finally)
It only took them forever.
Apple finally moved the Face ID camera to the long edge of the iPad Pro 13-inch. This sounds like a small tweak. It isn't. If you use your iPad for Zoom calls or Teams meetings while it’s docked in a keyboard, you no longer look like you’re staring off into space. You actually look at the person you’re talking to.
This change also meant they had to completely redesign the wireless charging system for the Apple Pencil. Because the camera is now where the magnets used to be, the old Apple Pencil 2 won't work. You have to buy the Apple Pencil Pro.
Is the Apple Pencil Pro Worth the Upgrade?
The Pencil Pro adds a squeeze gesture. You squeeze the barrel, and a tool palette pops up right at the tip. It’s intuitive. There’s also haptic feedback, so you feel a little "click" when you squeeze it.
The coolest part is the barrel roll. There’s a gyroscope inside now. If you’re using a shaped brush—like a calligraphy pen or a flat marker—you can rotate the pencil in your hand to change the orientation of the stroke on the screen. It feels like a real tool. If you’re an illustrator, this is a massive win. If you just take notes in Goodnotes? It’s probably just a fancy fidget toy.
The Magic Keyboard: The Price of "Almost a Laptop"
The new Magic Keyboard for the 13-inch model is made of aluminum now. It feels much more premium than the old rubbery one. It also has a function row. Finally. You can change brightness, volume, and hit escape without digging through Control Center.
The trackpad is also bigger and has haptic feedback, which makes the whole setup feel like a MacBook Air. But here is the catch: a 13-inch iPad Pro with a Magic Keyboard and a Pencil Pro costs more than a 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M3 Pro chip.
That is a tough pill to swallow.
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You have to really want a tablet to justify that price. iPadOS is still iPadOS. It’s getting better with Stage Manager, but it’s not macOS. You can’t run background processes the same way. File management is still a bit of a headache compared to a real computer. You have to want the touch interface and the pencil to make this your primary machine.
Real World Battery Life and Portability
Apple always claims 10 hours of battery life. In the real world, if you're just browsing the web and answering emails on 50% brightness, you’ll get that. If you’re editing HDR video or playing a AAA game at full brightness on that OLED screen, expect closer to 5 or 6 hours.
The 13-inch size is the sweet spot for productivity, but it’s a bit big for reading in bed. It’s roughly the size of a sheet of paper. It fits in most bags easily, but once you add the Magic Keyboard, the weight is basically identical to a MacBook Air.
Why You Might Actually Hate the OLED Screen
Wait, what?
Yeah, some people actually prefer the old screens. Because the new iPad Pro uses "Tandem OLED," it’s incredibly bright, but OLED can occasionally have issues with "black smear" when scrolling at very low brightness levels in a dark room. Most people won't notice it, but if you are a display purist, it’s something to keep an eye on.
Also, PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) flicker. Some people are sensitive to the way OLED screens dim themselves by flickering the pixels. If you get headaches from modern iPhones, you might have an issue here too. It’s rare, but it’s real.
The Professional Verdict: Who is This For?
If you have an M2 iPad Pro, you don't need this. The M2 is still a beast.
But if you are on an A-series chip (like the 2018 or 2020 models) or an entry-level iPad Air, the 13-inch Pro is a staggering jump in quality. The screen alone is worth the price of admission if you consume a lot of high-end media or do color-accurate work.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Check your RAM needs: If you plan on keeping this for 5+ years and do professional creative work, save up for the 1TB model to get the 16GB of RAM. It will age much better.
- Test the keyboard in person: The new aluminum palm rest is nice, but it makes the edge a bit sharper. Make sure it’s comfortable for your typing style.
- Verify your accessories: Remember that your old Apple Pencil 2 and old Magic Keyboard will not work with the M4 iPad Pro 13-inch. You’ll need to budget an extra $430+ if you want the full setup.
- Audit your apps: Before ditching your laptop, check if the "Pro" apps you need (like DaVinci Resolve or Logic Pro) have the specific features you use on the iPad versions. They are often "lite" versions of the desktop software.