The iPad Pro 13 M4 256GB is a bit of a contradiction. It is, by almost every technical metric, the most advanced piece of consumer mobile hardware ever built. Apple shoved a Tandem OLED display and a chip that belongs in a high-end laptop into a frame that is thinner than an iPod Nano. But here is the thing: everyone is obsessed with the storage. They see that "256GB" on the box and they panic. They think they need a terabyte. They think they’re "bottlenecking" the M4 chip if they don’t spend an extra $400 on local storage.
They're mostly wrong.
I’ve been testing the 13-inch model since it dropped. Honestly, if you’re a digital artist, a student, or even someone doing moderate 4K video editing, the 256GB base model is the smartest financial move in the lineup. It’s the "Goldilocks" zone. But there are very specific, technical reasons why this specific configuration might—or might not—work for your workflow. It isn't just about how many photos you can save.
The Tandem OLED Factor: It’s Not Just About "Pretty"
Let’s talk about that screen. Apple calls it "Ultra Retina XDR." It uses two OLED panels stacked on top of each other. Why? Because a single OLED panel can’t get bright enough for HDR without burning out or looking dim in daylight. By stacking them, you get 1,000 nits of full-screen brightness.
When you’re holding the iPad Pro 13 M4 256GB, the first thing you notice isn't the speed. It’s the blacks. They are perfect. Inky. If you’re watching a movie in a dark room, the letterboxing bars literally disappear into the bezel.
- Peak Brightness: 1,600 nits (HDR content).
- Refresh Rate: ProMotion 10Hz–120Hz.
- Contrast: 2,000,000:1.
For a long time, the 12.9-inch iPad used Mini-LED. It was great, but it had "blooming." You’d see a white cursor on a black background and there’d be a fuzzy halo around it. That’s gone. It's dead. The M4’s new display engine manages these two layers with surgical precision. If you are a colorist or a photographer, this is the best reference monitor you can buy for under $1,300. It's basically a baby Pro Display XDR that fits in a backpack.
Why 256GB is the Secret Sweet Spot
There is a huge misconception that the 256GB model is "slow."
People point to the fact that the 1TB and 2TB models have 16GB of RAM, while the 256GB and 512GB models "only" have 8GB. They also point to the M4 chip itself—the lower storage tiers have a 9-core CPU, while the higher ones have a 10-core CPU.
Does it matter?
In 95% of tasks, no. It really doesn't.
Unless you are rendering 3D environments in Octane or exporting 8K ProRes video files that are 40 minutes long, you will never, ever feel the difference between 9 cores and 10 cores. The M4 is so overkill for iPadOS that it’s like using a Ferrari to drive to the grocery store. You’re still limited by the speed limits of the road (the software), not the engine.
The Thunderbolt Loophole
If you’re worried about the iPad Pro 13 M4 256GB running out of space, remember that the USB-C port is a Thunderbolt 3 / USB 4 port. It supports speeds up to 40Gb/s. You can buy a 2TB Samsung T7 or a SanDisk Extreme SSD for a fraction of what Apple charges for internal storage.
With iPadOS 17 and 18, the Files app is actually... usable. Sorta. You can edit 4K video directly off an external drive in LumaFusion or Final Cut Pro for iPad. You don't need to clog up your internal 256GB with raw footage. You keep your apps and your "active" projects on the iPad, and everything else stays on the "leash" (the SSD).
The M4 Chip: Architecture Over Hype
The M4 is built on a second-generation 3nm process. It’s efficient. Like, really efficient. But the real star is the Neural Engine. Apple says it can do 38 trillion operations per second.
What does that look like in real life?
It looks like "Live Captions" happening instantly. It looks like "Visual Look Up" identifying plants and dogs in your photos without a millisecond of lag. In apps like Procreate Dreams, it means you can play back hundreds of layers of animation in real-time without the iPad turning into a space heater.
The iPad Pro 13 M4 256GB stays remarkably cool. Because it's so thin (5.1mm!), Apple had to get creative. They used graphite sheets in the housing and integrated a copper-infused Apple logo to act as a heat sink. It works. Even under heavy load, the "hot spot" is localized and dissipates quickly.
The Hardware Reality
- Thinner than a pencil: It’s actually 5.1mm. It feels fragile, but it’s surprisingly rigid. Just don't sit on it.
- Nano-texture option? Nope. Not on the 256GB. Apple gatekeeps the matte "nano-texture" glass for the 1TB and 2TB models. If you hate glare, you'll have to use a screen protector or move up the price ladder.
- The Camera: They actually removed a camera. The old Pro had an Ultra-Wide lens on the back. This one doesn't. It has a single 12MP Wide camera and a LiDAR scanner. Apple figured out people don't take landscape photos with a 13-inch tablet. They use it for scanning documents, and the new "Adaptive True Tone" flash is great for that. It removes shadows from your paper scans using AI.
The "Laptop Replacement" Lie
We have to be honest here. The iPad Pro 13 M4 256GB is a magnificent tablet. It is a mediocre laptop.
The new Magic Keyboard is a game-changer, though. It has a function row now. It has a haptic trackpad that feels exactly like a MacBook. When you snap the iPad into it, the experience is 90% of the way to a MacBook Air.
But then you try to do something "Pro."
Try to format a thumb drive. Try to run a background process while you switch apps. Try to manage a complex file structure for a web development project. iPadOS will fight you. It’s not that the M4 can’t do it; it’s that Apple won't let it.
The 13-inch screen is huge, though. It’s the same size as the MacBook Air. If you use Stage Manager, you can actually get some "real" multitasking done. It’s great for side-by-side apps. Writing on one side, Research on the other. It feels spacious. On the 11-inch model, Stage Manager feels cramped. On the 13-inch, it feels right.
Is 256GB Enough for Professionals?
This is the question that keeps people up at night. Let's break it down by persona.
The Illustrator: If you work in Procreate, 256GB is plenty. A massive 300MB file is still just 300MB. You can store hundreds of them before you even break a sweat.
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The Student: You'll never fill this. Between Notability, Canvas, and iCloud, you are golden. Spend the saved money on the Apple Pencil Pro. The "squeeze" gesture and haptic feedback on the new Pencil are actually useful, not just gimmicks.
The Video Editor: This is the danger zone. 4K 60fps footage eats space for breakfast. If you plan to edit "locally" (meaning the files stay on the iPad), you will fill 256GB in a weekend. But as I mentioned earlier, if you use an external T7 Shield SSD, the 256GB model is fine.
The Gamer: Death Stranding, Resident Evil Village, and Assassin's Creed Mirage are huge. Like 50GB+ huge. If you want a library of AAA games, you're going to be deleting and reinstalling a lot.
A Note on the Apple Pencil Pro
You can't use your old Apple Pencil 2 with the M4 iPad Pro.
Yeah. It sucks.
Apple moved the magnets and the charging induction hardware to make room for the new landscape-oriented selfie camera. Speaking of which: the camera is finally on the long side! No more looking like you're staring into space during Zoom calls. But the trade-off is that you need the Apple Pencil Pro.
The "Pro" pencil has a gyroscope. You can roll it to change the orientation of your brush (like a real calligraphy pen). It’s an incredible tool, but it's another $129 on top of the iPad.
The Longevity Factor
The M4 is a 2024/2025 chip that will likely receive software updates until 2031 or 2032. Buying the 256GB model doesn't change that. You're getting the same architecture, the same display technology, and the same build quality as the $2,000 versions.
The 13-inch form factor is the way to go if this is your primary device. The extra screen real estate makes the "tablet" experience feel more like a "canvas." It's more immersive.
Technical Limitations to Consider
It isn't all sunshine and OLED pixels.
- The Price: $1,299 is a lot of money for a device that doesn't include a keyboard or a pen.
- Battery Life: It’s good, but it’s not MacBook-good. Expect 8-10 hours of real-world use. If you’re cranking the brightness to 100% to look at those HDR highlights, expect 5-6 hours.
- Software: iPadOS 18 still doesn't have a desktop-class file system. It’s still a "mobile-first" OS.
What You Should Do Next
If you are standing in an Apple Store or staring at a Best Buy tab, here is the roadmap:
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- Check your current storage. Go to Settings > General > iPad Storage on your current device. Are you using more than 150GB? If not, the 256GB M4 is your winner.
- Evaluate your "Leash Tolerance." Are you okay with plugging in a small SSD for big video projects? If yes, buy the 256GB and save the $200 you'd spend on the 512GB model.
- Prioritize the Keyboard. If you have a fixed budget, get the 13-inch M4 256GB + the Magic Keyboard rather than the 512GB model without a keyboard. The keyboard adds way more "pro" value than 256GB of extra flash storage.
- Consider the Refurbished M2? Only if you don't care about the screen. The M2 is still fast, but once you see the Tandem OLED side-by-side with the old Liquid Retina, you won't want to go back. The screen is the reason to buy this iPad.
The iPad Pro 13 M4 256GB is the best tablet ever made. It is overkill for almost everyone, but that's why we love it. It's a piece of the future that you can hold in your hands today. Just don't let the storage "up-sell" scare you into spending money you don't need to spend. 256GB is more than enough for the cloud-connected, SSD-toting professional of 2026.