Yesterday, during a one-hour jam-packed (and beautifully produced) video presentation (that you can view here), Apple announced a number of new products: AirTag, a new iMac, a new Apple TV, and more that I will be talking about over the coming weeks. But today, I want to focus on the announcement that will interest many attorneys: the new iPad Pro. After many years of attorneys using an iPad Pro as a substitute for a computer, this is the first iPad Pro that is unquestionably fit for that comparison because it uses the exact same chip that Apple uses in its computers: the M1 chip. This looks to be an incredibly powerful device, and I cannot wait to get my hands on one. Here is why I think that lawyers will love the new iPad Pro.
Size
Let me start with what has not changed: the sizes. The two 2021 models of the iPad Pro are the iPad Pro 11" (3rd generation) and the iPad Pro 12.9" (5th generation). The 11" size is essentially the same familiar iPad size that folks have been using since 2010. The larger 12.9" size was introduced in 2015.
There is an important difference in the screen technology between the two models, which I address below, but other than that, size is all a question of personal taste. The 11" size is one that people have known and loved for years, and it is small and light. The 12.9" usually takes a week or two to get used to, but the larger screen makes it so much easier to look at exhibits, read caselaw, edit documents, etc. I could get work done on an 11" iPad if I had to do so, but for me, the 12.9" size is so much better for getting work done. And then when you want to use the iPad for entertainment, such as watching a movie or TV show, the larger size is glorious.
Power
Almost every time that Apple releases a new iPad, it is more powerful. Sometimes the change from the prior generation is small, which was true just over a year ago when Apple released the 2020 versions of the iPad Pro. But sometimes, Apple gives the iPad Pro a significant boost. This is one of those years.
After many years of using Intel processors in Apple computers, on November 10, 2020, Apple introduced the M1 chip. Apple took everything that it knew about making its own chips for the iPhone and iPad and then used that knowledge to create a powerful chip for a computer. And I do mean powerful. When Apple introduced its first three computers using the M1 chip — the MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro, and Mac mini — Apple made a huge splash. Even though these are entry-level computers, the M1 chip is so fast that these computers finished many tasks faster than all but the highest-end and most expensive Windows and Mac computers using Intel and AMD processors. As Chris Schodt of Engadget noted: "Apple’s new M1 processors have shaken up the entire CPU landscape" because they are "some of the fastest laptop processors we’ve ever seen, and they deliver this performance with incredibly low power consumption."
The new iPad Pro brings this same performance to a tablet computer. Not just something similar, but the exact same M1 chip. I didn't expect Apple to do this — I always thought that the "M" in "M1" was a reference to Macintosh computers — but I'm thrilled to see this power in a thin device that you hold in your hand.
Whenever I talk about processor power in a device that lawyers will use, I always feel the need to pause and discuss why this matters. The M1 will be especially useful for folks pushing their iPad Pro to the limit by editing videos and large photographs, doing augmented reality, performing AI functions, etc. But lawyers do not do those tasks very often. We are mostly working with documents. Even so, a faster iPad Pro is a more responsive iPad Pro, so it is more enjoyable to use. Indeed, you can make the argument that a faster processor is more noticeable in an iPad than on a computer because you touch an iPad screen and directly manipulate on-screen objects using your fingers. Any lag in that process destroys the illusion that you are actually "moving" items on the screen with your fingers. Additionally, modern web pages have so much going on that they can tax the limits of any processor, on a computer or a tablet. I've heard people rave about how much better the Safari web browser performs on a Mac with an M1 chip, and I hope that we will see the same on the new iPad Pro.
I've been enjoying the 2018 version of the iPad Pro for many years now, and it has been fast enough that I wasn't tempted by the 2020 iPad Pro, which offered only a minor speed bump on certain tasks. But Apple says that the M1 provides up to 50% faster performance than the chip that was in the 2020 iPad Pro, and I look forward to finding out how that feels in real-world usage. The new iPad Pro should have the power to tackle even the most complicated workflows involving the largest documents with ease. I cannot wait to put it through its paces.
5G
I have 5G on my iPhone 12 Pro, and it honestly doesn't make much of a difference for me as compared to LTE. To be fair, part of that is because we have been living in a pandemic, so I spend virtually all of my time either at home or at my office, where I have fast Wi-Fi. But even when I run speed tests to compare 5G and LTE, I rarely see much of a difference.
Nevertheless, I recognize that 5G is a better technology and that. at some point in the future, when you are in the right location, 5G will provide amazing speeds without WiFi. For example, Joanna Stern of the Wall Street Journal ran some speed tests last year, and in one part of downtown Denver she saw download speeds of 1,800 Mbps. That almost twice as fast as expensive Gigabit cable modem speeds that some folks pay for at their home, and it is probably 50 times faster than typical 4G speeds. In the future, this speed will be available in more areas.
I typically purchase the version of the iPad Pro that only supports Wi-Fi because I virtually always have access to Wi-Fi, and when I don't, it isn't a big deal for me to tether to my iPhone. But if you are the sort of person who takes full advantage of cellular service on an iPad, I'm glad that the new iPad Pro supports 5G because it helps to future-proof the product.
Thunderbolt / USB 4
When the iPad Pro had its last major update in 2018, one of the big changes was to switch from a Lightning port to USB-C. This gave the iPad Pro the ability to access many more types of accessories.
The new iPad Pro uses a Thunderbolt / USB 4 connector. It is the same size as a USB-C connector and is backward-compatible with all USB-C devices. But it is also four times faster and can support more powerful hubs and other accessories.
One of the big advantages of Thunderbolt is the ability to drive large external monitors. But right now, external monitors have limited utility for an iPad Pro because even a large external display can only show either the same thing that is on the iPad Pro screen or a single window being controlled by the active app on the iPad Pro. The iPad Pro would be more "Pro" if it could connect to an external monitor while also running multiple apps on the same monitor, much like you can have lots of programs with lots of windows open at the same time on a computer. But this would require a substantial update to iPad OS. I wonder if Apple is adding Thunderbolt to the iPad Pro now so that it can support this feature in an upcoming version of iPad OS, perhaps iPad OS 15, which I expect Apple to preview in WWDC on June 7? We'll see.
Display
The 11" version of the new iPad Pro uses the same display that has been used in all other versions of the iPad Pro, which Apple calls the Liquid Retina Display. it is an excellent display.
The 12.9" version of the new iPad Pro uses something new for the display. Apple calls it the Liquid Retina XDR Display because Apple says that it looks just as good as the high-end monitor that Apple sells for computers for $4999 called the Pro Display XDR. In the industry, the display on this new iPad Pro is called mini-LED. Other iPad Pro models use 72 LEDs in the screen. This new display uses 10,000 mini-LEDs. So, you know, more.
Luke Dormehl of Cult of Mac wrote a long article explaining why mini-LED is so good. Click that link if you want full details, but suffice it to say that it is a significantly better display with brighter bright areas and darker dark areas. It is almost as good as the OLED displays used on the newest iPhones, but it avoids screen burn-in, which can be a problem for OLED.
Thus, if you get the 11" version of the new iPad Pro, you will get a great screen. If you get the 12.9" version, you will get an even better screen.
Camera
The cameras are better in this new iPad Pro, and the big change is that Apple added Ultra Wide cameras to the front and back. The one on the back is pretty useless to me — if I want to take a picture, I use my iPhone, not an iPad.
For the one on the front, I had hoped that Apple was going to move the camera to the long-edge instead of the short-edge. I virtually always keep my iPad in landscape orientation, especially on videoconferences, and it is awkward to have to look to the side to give the perception to the other person that I am looking right at them. But Apple did not move the camera, and that bums me out.
What they did do is add an Ultra Wide camera to the front and pair it with a new software feature called Center Stage. With this feature, the iPad take a wide picture and then crops in to where you are located, and then if you move the iPad creates the illusion of a camera tracking your motion by moving the cropped area within the wide picture. On this page of the Apple website, Apple uses a video to show the feature in action, which you can click here to view.
It's a neat idea, and I can see it being useful during casual videoconferences with loved ones. For my work-related videoconferences, I'm always sitting still in one location, so I don't think I will use this.
So in short, I don't see the new Ultra Wide cameras being useful in many law practices, but they could be nice when using the iPad Pro at home.
Accessories
There were rumors that Apple might update the Apple Pencil and/or the Magic Keyboard for iPad yesterday, but that did not happen. Well, there was one minor change to the Magic Keyboard for iPad — in addition to the prior black model, you can now purchase a white version.
Cost
The new 11" iPad Pro starts at $799 for the 128 GB model. I think that the 256 GB model for $100 more is the better size for most attorneys so that you have plenty of space to store exhibits, which seem to get larger with each new case that I work on. You can also get 512 GB ($1099), 1 TB ($1499) or 2 TB ($1899).
The new 12.9" iPad Pro starts at $1099 for the 128 GB model, so you pay an extra $300 for the larger size with the better screen. You have the same size choices: 256 GB ($1199), 512 GB ($1399), 1 TB ($1799), and 2 TB ($2199).
If you want to add 5G Cellular to any of these models, that adds another $200.
Note that when you buy from Apple, you can trade in your current iPad, which helps to reduce the overall price. For example, it looks like Apple will pay me $535 for the iPad Pro 12.9" (3rd generation) with 256 GB that I purchased in 2018, and that goes a long way towards paying for a new model for me. It also demonstrates how much iPad Pros retain their value over the years.
You can pre-order a new iPad Pro from Apple starting on April 30, and the models will start to ship about two weeks later in the second half of May.
Conclusion
As excited as I am to use the new iPad Pro, don't forget about the iPad Air if you are looking at the 11" version. On September 15, 2020, Apple introduced the excellent iPad Air (4th generation). That latest version of the iPad Air added many of the traditional advantages of the iPad Pro, such as the edge-to-edge screen and support for the second generation Apple Pencil. You can get a 256 GB version of the iPad Air for $749 or a 256 GB version of the iPad Pro 11" for $899. The extra $150 gets you the much faster M1 chip, a slightly better screen, and a few other minor advantage that I mentioned in my post on the iPad Air. For many attorneys, I suspect that the only difference that you would really notice is the M1 chip, which Apple says is up to 50% faster. But the iPad Air is also quite fast, so you need to decide if the extra $150 is worth it to get a faster, more responsive, iPad Pro. And remember, the Apple Pencil is $129, so you could put the extra $150 towards that instead of the M1 chip. On the other hand, if you want the latest and greatest, go for the new iPad Pro.
If you are like me and you want the larger screen to make it easier to work with documents, to give you more space to take handwritten notes, and to have a better view of pictures and videos, then the new iPad Pro 12.9" is the one to get. Again, I recommend 256 GB. For myself, I may decide to spend the extra $200 to get the 512 GB version just to have room to grow.
Whichever model you choose, the iPad Pro is so incredibly powerful that I suspect that it will remain the high-end iPad for several years. The last major iPad Pro revision was in 2018, so this new iPad Pro may be at the top of the heap until 2024. If you have been in the market for a new iPad Pro, this is a good time to get one.
