You’ve seen the thinness by now. It’s almost unsettling. Apple spent years making the iPad Pro a "computer replacement," but with the iPad Pro 2024 M4, they shifted the goalposts entirely. They didn't just make it faster. They made it defy physics. Honestly, holding the 13-inch model feels like holding a sheet of glass that shouldn't have a motherboard inside, yet it packs more raw processing power than most professional laptops sitting on desks right now. It’s a weird contradiction.
Apple skipped the M3 chip for this tablet. That was a move nobody really saw coming. By jumping straight to the M4, built on second-generation 3-nanometer technology, they basically signaled that the iPad isn't a secondary device anymore. It’s the lead vehicle for their silicon. But here’s the thing: most people are buying this for the Tandem OLED display, not the benchmarks. If you’re an illustrator or a colorist, that "Ultra Retina XDR" branding actually means something this time around.
The M4 Chip is Overkill (And That’s the Point)
Let’s talk about the silicon. The M4 features a brand-new display engine. This was necessary because driving two OLED panels stacked on top of each other—which is what Tandem OLED is—requires massive bandwidth. You get up to 10 cores in the CPU, but there's a catch Apple doesn't shout from the rooftops. If you buy the 256GB or 512GB models, you get 8GB of RAM and a 9-core CPU. You have to jump to the 1TB or 2TB storage tiers to unlock the full 10-core CPU and 16GB of RAM.
Is it a "Pro" tax? Sorta.
For 90% of users, the 9-core version is already faster than any task iPadOS can throw at it. You’ll see the M4 shine in Final Cut Pro for iPad, specifically with features like Live Multicam or when rendering complex 4K ProRes video. The Neural Engine is also a beast, capable of 38 trillion operations per second. It’s snappy. It makes the previous M2 model feel just a tiny bit sluggish in side-by-side comparisons, though you’d never notice it in isolation.
The Tandem OLED Experience
Everything comes back to the screen. Apple calls it Ultra Retina XDR. By stacking two OLED layers, they solved the brightness problem that usually plagues OLED tablets. You get 1,000 nits of full-screen brightness and 1,600 nits for HDR content. It’s bright. Like, "hurt your eyes in a dark room" bright.
Black levels are perfect. There is zero blooming. If you've ever watched a movie on a Mini-LED iPad Pro in the dark, you know that slight glow around white text on a black background. That’s gone. It’s dead. The precision is pixel-perfect because each pixel is its own light source.
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Why Nano-Texture Matters
Then there is the Nano-texture glass option. It’s only available on the 1TB and 2TB models. It’s a matte finish etched into the glass at a nanometer scale. It kills reflections. If you work in a studio with overhead lights or outside in a park, it’s a game-changer. But it does slightly soften the contrast. If you want those "inky blacks" to look as sharp as possible, stick with the standard glossy glass.
iPad Pro 2024 M4 vs. The Real World
The thinness is the headline, but the weight is the real story. The 13-inch model dropped nearly a quarter-pound compared to the previous generation. That sounds like nothing. It isn't. It changes the center of gravity when you’re using the new Magic Keyboard.
Speaking of the keyboard, it's been rebuilt with an aluminum palm rest and a larger haptic trackpad. It feels like a MacBook. It actually makes the iPad Pro 2024 M4 feel like a cohesive laptop. But then you remember the software. iPadOS 18 brought some nice updates—customizable home screens and a much-needed Calculator app—but Stage Manager still feels like it’s wearing a tuxedo that doesn't quite fit. You can do "real work" on it, but you have to learn the "iPad way" of doing things. You can't just expect it to behave like macOS.
Battery Life and Thermal Reality
You’d think a device this thin would overheat or die in three hours. Surprisingly, it doesn't. Apple managed to maintain the 10-hour battery life target. In real-world testing, doing heavy Procreate work or editing high-bitrate video, you’re looking at more like 6 to 7 hours. For light web browsing and emails? It’ll last all day.
Thermals are handled by a copper logo on the back and graphite sheets in the housing. It gets warm, sure. But the M4 is incredibly efficient. It’s doing more work per watt than the M2 ever did.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Pencil Pro
The new Apple Pencil Pro only works with this M4 model (and the M2 Air). It has a squeeze gesture, a gyroscope for barrel roll, and haptic feedback. It feels like a real tool. When you squeeze it, you feel a little "click" even though nothing is moving. It’s haptic magic.
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The barrel roll is the big win for digital painters. Being able to rotate your brush tip by physically spinning the pencil is something artists have wanted for a decade. But remember: your old Apple Pencil 2 won't work here. The magnets were moved because the front-facing camera is now on the landscape edge. Finally. No more looking like you're staring off into space during Zoom calls.
Making the Decision
If you are coming from an M1 or M2 iPad Pro, the jump isn't mandatory unless you crave that OLED screen. If you're on an A-series chip (anything from 2020 or older), the iPad Pro 2024 M4 will feel like it’s from another century. It is a specialized tool for specialized people.
Actionable Next Steps for Potential Buyers
- Check your storage needs first. Don't just buy the 1TB model for the extra RAM unless you are doing heavy 3D rendering or massive video projects. 8GB of RAM is plenty for 95% of iPad users.
- Visit an Apple Store to see Nano-texture. It’s a polarizing feature. Some love the paper-like feel; others hate that it diffuses the vibrant OLED colors. You need to see it in person before dropping the extra cash.
- Budget for the accessories. The iPad Pro price is just the starting line. The Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil Pro will add significantly to the total. If you don't need the keyboard, the Smart Folio is much lighter this year and offers more viewing angles.
- Evaluate your workflow. If your work relies on a browser and specific apps like LumaFusion, Procreate, or DaVinci Resolve, this is the best mobile hardware on the planet. If you need a file system that stays out of your way, a MacBook Air might still be the smarter play.