Apple’s new iPad Pro is an interesting piece of hardware
Ever since the time of the first iPad’s launch, Apple has been trying to push the idea of a ‘post-PC era’ really hard, by trying to claim that regular desktop and laptop computers (with the exception of the Mac range) are no longer relevant to users in the age of the tablet and the smartphone (again, supposedly the iPad and the iPhone in particular). The phrase was tossed around quite liberally by Apple’s ex-CEO, the late Steve Jobs until his retirement, but it never quite turned out to be a prophecy. Even Jobs’ phenomenal ability to put a revolutionary spin on mundane things to make them look extraordinary was not enough to wipe proper computers off the map.
Before long, even diehard Apple fans realized that while the iPad is excellent for reading articles or books, or watching videos while relaxing on the living room couch, or playing around with an occasional interesting app that worked well on a large screen, was about as far as its utility went. The device’s svelte form factor and long battery life was a result of it having smartphone-tier hardware, belied by a computer-sized display (similar-sized tablets made by other manufacturers in the past used comparatively heavier laptop hardware, and ran a desktop operating system, usually Windows, which was not at all touch-friendly at the time). Sure enough, the operating system of the iPad was the same as that of the iPhone – iOS. It was essentially a very large iPhone, running smartphone-format apps modified or optimized to better suit the larger screen and form factor. This nifty approach certainly did wonders in terms of usability. However, at the end of the day, it was still just a tablet. Other manufacturers quickly picked up on the idea of making similar devices, and thus followed a massive boom of Android tablets, ranging from the mediocre to the fantastic.
With smartphones continuing to grow in size and power every year – with superior processing hardware, taller screens, shrinking bezels, and often, highly annoying notches – the demand for tablets grows lower and lower. Furthermore, with the advent of new ULV (ultra-low-voltage) processors, it is now possible to get fully functional laptops (such as Microsoft’s excellent Surface range or LG’s Gram series) with proper operating systems and serious horsepower without compromising thinness. This has pushed tablets into a rather uncomfortable niche of the market, even though manufacturers, including Apple, still continue to make new ones. Apple attempted to breach this utility ceiling by launching the iPad Pro in late 2015. It was larger than the regular iPad, and supported additional peripherals, namely a keyboard cover (not unlike the Microsoft Surface’s own) and a proprietary stylus dubbed ‘The Pencil’. While the Pencil was excellent for the purpose of note-taking, painting or even just doodling, its overall scope of use was still rather limited, and it was limited even further by the iPad Pro’s lack of computer-grade software and hardware.
Apple’s 2018 iteration of the iPad Pro is yet another stab (their third one, to be precise) at attempting to invade the professional segment of the market and upon taking a look at the device for the first time, it almost manages to put up a convincing first impression that it may actually hit the mark this time. For the first time, the iPad has ditched the physical Home button, and made the bezels thinner, which makes it look like it was ripped out of a MacBook. It looks gorgeous and the 12.9” (or 11”, if you got the smaller model) screen with its beautiful color reproduction and ultra-high refresh rate only adds to it. The thinner bezels allow a larger screen to be used for the device without increasing the size of the chassis, and it makes the device feel much bigger than it actually is (in a good way, though). The display has a very unusual resolution of 2732×2049, which is just a tad more than those of most flagship smartphones, but in terms of use, it doesn’t make a huge difference, because usually a tablet is held further away when it is being used, and the pixel density is not exactly paltry at any rate.
Equipped with the mighty A12X Bionic CPU and 4GB of RAM (or 6GB for the larger model), to say that the iPad is a strong performer would be a bit of an understatement. The system can definitely hold its own in synthetic benchmarks as well as most workloads thrown at it. The storage options are also superb, going as high as a stunning 1TB, which makes the usual lack of a microSD card slot sting much less than usual. The quartet of speakers sounds outstanding and media consumption on the device continues to remain a joy. The battery promises ten hours of active use, and actually delivers on it. The Pencil has also been improved, and it now snaps to the top of the iPad magnetically for quick and easy wireless charging. Additionally, the age-old lightning port has been replaced by a much more versatile USB-C port, a much-awaited step in the right direction. This makes the connection of peripherals much easier. However, since that is the only port on the tablet (no headphone jack on the iPad), it still spells the need for a myriad of dongles, and that is not something a professional-grade device should be held back by.
However, the iPad Pro’s operating system continues to remain its biggest weakness. Despite its excellent optimization, and promises of superior software arriving for the platform (Adobe has already promised to release a ‘full form’ of Photoshop as an iPad Pro exclusive), iOS is at its heart a very different operating system compared to robust platforms like Windows, macOS or Linux, and its hobbled attempts at multitasking are still very much un-Pro. The operating system’s simplistic nature also prevents support for a great many types of peripherals and esoteric hardware that would be perfectly at home when connected to a computer, but are simply not recognized by the iPad. Furthermore, the lack of support for mouse input (the keyboard cover does not include a touchpad either) puts the device in a rather unfortunate space in terms of user experience, given that it expects said users to ditch their powerhouse laptops in favor of it. Thanks, but no thanks. The keyboard cover, while nice to use, is prohibitively expensive at $180 and coupled with the thousand-dollar price tag of the iPad, it simply doesn’t make sense to get it. If you need a dedicated keyboard, chances are you don’t need a tablet, especially not a tablet that is being crippled by its own operating system.
In conclusion, it can be said that Apple has probably created their best iPad to date. It’s a tremendously powerful machine, with immense potential, but it suffers from the same drawbacks that plagued its predecessors. So, everything considered, this is still not a professional-tier machine, and it will not be replacing any laptops anytime soon. However, if you are an artist who needs a really good portable digital painting solution, or have a lot of money to throw around, or simply want to show the world that you have the best tablet Apple has made so far, the 2018 iPad Pro is for you. Otherwise, stay clear of it.
