iPad Professional M4 vs iPad Professional M2: What is the distinction?

Apple’s iPad Professional lineup has been given a redesign and a few highly effective new Apple silicon to make them much more highly effective. However is that sufficient to imply that you must go straight to the M4 fashions or must you benefit from a low cost on the M2-powered iPad Professional? We see how the iPad Professional M4 technology compares to the iPad Professional M2 fashions (often known as the iPad Professional 12.9-inch sixth technology and iPad Professional 11-inch 4th technology).

Design & construct high quality

The M4 iPad Execs obtained one thing of a facelift from Apple in Might 2024, with the brand new tablets being lighter and thinner than the fashions they changed. It’s all a matter of millimeters and grams, however when you think about that the M4 iPad Professional is definitely slimmer than the M2 iPad Air, you get an thought of the impression of this transformation. 

Right here’s how the scale of the units evaluate:

• 11-inch iPad Professional (M2) – 247.6 x 178.5 x 5.9mm; 466g
• 11-inch iPad Professional (M4) – 249.7 x 177.5 x 5.3mm; 444g
• 12.9-inch iPad Professional (M2) – 280.6 x 214.9 x 6.4mm; 682g
• 13-inch iPad Professional (M4) – 281.6 x 215.5 x 5.1mm; 579g

As you possibly can see, the newer variations are barely taller too, however the principle promoting level from Apple was the 5.1mm thickness of the 13-inch Professional, which the corporate claims makes it the slimmest machine it has ever made. 

Petter Ahrnstedt

Petter Ahrnstedt

Petter Ahrnstedt

Other than the scale there are a few different small modifications. All of the aluminum chassis’ include USB-C (Thunderbolt / USB 4) ports and Sensible connectors, however the M4 variants have disbursed with a SIM slot on the mobile fashions, as an alternative choosing eSIMs. There are, surprisingly, no 10MP Extremely Vast cameras on the brand new fashions, one thing that was a characteristic of the M2 Execs, and one of many microphones has been retired too. We’re not completely positive why Apple went with these omissions, however we suspect its pathological obsession with thinness may very well be the explanation.  Not less than the wonderful four-speaker audio stays in place. 

Yet another apparent and helpful change is that the front-facing Face ID digital camera has been moved from the highest edge to the longer edge. This creates a panorama positioning extra akin to that on a laptop computer and positively makes FaceTime calls look higher. Once more, there’s a trade-off although, with the digital camera now taking the area the place the charging magnets for the Apple Pencil 2 have been positioned on the M2 iPad Execs. Which means when you’ve got one of many older Pencils, it’s not going to work with the M4 iPad Professional. As an alternative, you’ll want to purchase an Apple Pencil (USB-C) or the brand new Apple Pencil Professional. Equally, the older Apple Magic Keyboard case isn’t longer suitable, with the new and equally costly model becoming the M4 slimline our bodies. 

Learn Greatest stylus for iPad, iPad Air, Professional, and mini, Which Apple Pencil works along with your iPad, and Greatest iPad keyboards.

Storage choices have modified barely, with the M4 units dropping the 128GB baseline capability provided on the M2 fashions and as an alternative transferring as much as 256GB. 

You is perhaps hoping that this information means you get extra storage on your cash, however sadly, within the U.S. at the very least, the value of the M4 256GB iPad Professional is definitely greater than the M2 256GB mannequin price. The 256GB 11-inch M2 iPad Professional began at $899/£1,019, and now prices from $999/£999 (excellent news in case you are within the U.Ok. the place costs had been inflated for a while).

Right here’s the storage capacities you possibly can select from on both iPad Professional:

• 128GB (M2 fashions solely)
• 256GB
• 512GB
• 1TB
• 2TB

Shade decisions stay the identical as earlier than, with House Black or Silver being the liveries on provide, and none have an IP score for waterproofing.

Show

In the case of the display screen the obvious distinction could also be that the bigger M4 mannequin display screen is bigger than its predecessor: up from 12.9-inches to 13-inches. That’s not an enormous leap although. An even bigger distinction is the display screen high quality on the newer machines. Throughout the 4 fashions, there are some variances with the show applied sciences Apple employs.

For the M2 technology, the variations in display screen know-how have been one factor that set the 2 fashions aside. The 11-inch iPad Professional (M2) had a Liquid Retina show powered by LEDs, whereas the bigger 12.9-inch iPad Professional (M2) featured a Liquid Retina XDR show. The latter makes use of mini-LEDs and eclipses the 600 nits max SDR brightness of its smaller sibling with a blinding 1000 nits most XDR brightness or 1600 nits for HDR content material. You’ll get the equal resolutions on each, delivering 264ppi. 

Each M4 fashions obtained a severe improve on this space. Apple’s new Extremely Retina XDR shows use modern Tandem OLED layering to spice up SDR brightness to 1,000 whereas providing the identical XDR ranges because the 12.9-inch iPad Professional (M2). 

When you purchase both the 1TB or 2TB M4 units, you may as well pay one other $100/£100 and add Nanotexture glass, which makes the floor much less reflective and subsequently simpler to learn in well-lit areas. This may very well be a very good choice if you may be utilizing your iPad Professional outdoors in vivid sunshine.

All 4 iPad Professional fashions mentioned right here include ProMotion, Vast shade (P3), and True Tone. 

Right here’s the related resolutions on every mannequin:

• 11-inch iPad Professional (M2) – 2,388 x 1,668; 264ppi
• 11-inch iPad Professional (M4) – 2,420 x 1,668, 264ppi
• 12.9-inch iPad Professional (M2) – 2,732 x 2,048, 264ppi
• 13-inch iPad Professional (M4) – 2,752 x 2,064, 264ppi

Processor

The M2 processors within the older iPad Execs have been already the spectacular and highly effective beating hearts for these units. Apple isn’t hanging round although, and the leap to M4 is critical, because it signifies that a brand new flagship model of its silicon debuts on an iPad reasonably than a Mac. The brand new MacBook Professional M4 and MacBook Air M4 are anticipated to affix the M4 ranks quickly, however at launch, the iPad Professional M4 fashions have been the one ones to sport the brand new chipset, which seems like an odd determination on Apple’s half. 

The M2 processor comes with an 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU, whereas the M4 goes as much as 10 cores on the CPU. All characteristic a 16-core neural engine. Whereas the M2 has confirmed itself to be a quick chipset, Apple claims that the M4 as much as 1.5x quicker for normal CPU efficiency and a whopping 4x quicker in professional rendering efficiency. Neither will really feel sluggish in any method, however for those who intend to do so much with video or graphics, then the additional energy of the M4 may very well be definitely worth the cash. 

You may see how the CPU’s evaluate within the chart under:

You may see how the M4 fares in opposition to the opposite M-series processors in our iPad Professional M4 evaluate.

Cameras

As talked about above, Apple has taken the bizarre determination to take away one of many cameras on the M4 fashions and never change it with another. 

On all fashions you get a 12MP vast digital camera. This has a f/1.8 aperture, 5x digital zoom, and Sensible HDR 4 for photographs. The M2 variations had True Tone flash, whereas the M4 get the extra versatile Adaptive True Tone flash. 

Video efficiency is standardised too, with 4K/60fps, prolonged dynamic vary (as much as 30fps), ProRes 4K, 3x digital zoom, audio zoom, slo-mo 1080p/240fps, and time-lapse recording. 

The 12MP f/2 FaceTime digital camera is identical on all fashions, simply positioned in numerous areas of the iPads. You get the traditional facial unlocking capabilities, Centre Stage (which retains you in the course of the body on FaceTime calls even for those who transfer round), 2x zoom out, Retina Flash with True Tone, Portrait modes, 1080/60 fps recording, plus all the traditional FaceTime digital camera options. 

It’s odd then that the M2 fashions take a lead right here with the inclusion of two cameras on the again of the iPad – the usual 12MP Vast digital camera and a 10MP Extremely Vast. This second f/2.4 lens permits for a 2x optical zoom on photographs and video, plus the choice to make use of that wider aperture to shoot content material that exhibits extra of your environment. There may be solely the one 12MP digital camera on the again of the M4 iPad Professional. Apple should have eliminated this second digital camera with the intention to cut back the bulge on the again, but when cameras on iPads are vital to you, nicely, the M2 is the one good choice on this space. 

Connectivity

As acknowledged earlier, all these iPad Professional fashions include USB-C (Thunderbolt / USB 4) ports and Sensible connectors. In addition they help Bluetooth 5.3, GPS, WiFi 6E, MIMO, and 5G LTE on the mobile fashions.

Right here’s a breakdown of the technical specs for all of the iPad fashions:

iPad Professional M4

iPad Professional M2

Value and availability

With the discharge of the M4 iPad Execs, Apple has discontinued the M2 fashions. Nonetheless, you must nonetheless be capable of choose them up from third occasion retailers for some time – and fairly probably from Apple’s Refurbished Retailer U.S. and Apple’s Refurbished retailer U.Ok – look out for the iPad Professional 12.9-inch sixth technology and iPad Professional 11-inch 4th technology there.

Right here’s what the present M4 iPad Execs will price you on the Apple Retailer:

11-inch iPad Professional (M4) 

• 256GB, Wi-Fi: $999 / £999 / A$1,699
• 512GB, Wi-Fi: $1,199 / £1,199 / A$2,049
• 1TB, Wi-Fi: $1,599 / £1,599 / A$2,749
• 2TB, Wi-Fi: $1,999 / £1,999 / A$3,449
• 256GB, Mobile: $1,199 / £1,199 / A$2,049 
• 512GB, Mobile: $1,399 / £1,399 / A$2,399
• 1TB, Mobile: $1,799 / £1,799 / A$3,099
• 2TB, Mobile: $2,199 / £2,199 / A$3,799

You may see the perfect costs for the entry-level 11-inch, M4 iPad Professional under, normally $999 / £999:

$899

$899

$949

$999

$999

$1199

13-inch iPad Professional (M4)

• 256GB, Wi-Fi: $1,299 / £1,299 / A$2,199
• 512GB, Wi-Fi: $1,499 / £1,499 / A$2,549
• 1TB, Wi-Fi: $1,899 / £1,899 / A$3,249
• 2TB, Wi-Fi: $2,299 / £2,299 / A$3,949
• 256GB, Mobile: $1,499 / £1,499 / A$2,549 
• 512GB, Mobile: $1,699 / £1,699 / A$2,899
• 1TB, Mobile: $2,099 / £2,099 / A$3,599
• 2TB, Mobile: $2,499 / £2,499 / A$4,299

You may see the perfect costs for the entry-level 13-inch, M4 iPad Professional under, normally $1,299 / £1,299:

$1,114

$1149

$1199

$1199

$1199

$1299

When you can’t purchase the M2 variations from Apple now, right here’s what they’d have set you again after they initially launched in 2022:

• iPad Professional 11-inch Wi-Fi (M2): from $799/£899
• iPad Professional 11-inch Mobile (M2): from $999/£1,079
• iPad Professional 12.9-inch Wi-Fi (M2): from $1,099/£1,249
• iPad Professional 12.9-inch Mobile (M2): from $1,299/£1,429

If the entry-level 11-inch, M2 iPad Professional is on the market you’ll see greatest costs under, was $799/£899:

New
Refurbished

$799

$799

$799.99

$809.95

$1024

iPad Professional 11 (2020) 128GB – Silver – (WiFi)

$538.11

iPad Professional 11 (2021) 128GB – House Grey – (WiFi)

$553

iPad Professional 11 (2021) 128GB – Silver – (WiFi)

$589

iPad Professional 11 (2022) 128GB – Silver – (WiFi)

$689

$Not Obtainable

iPad Professional 11 (2022) 128GB – House Grey – (WiFi)

$725

iPad Professional 11 (2020) 1000GB – House Grey – (Wi-Fi + LTE)

$799

If the entry-level 12.9-inch, M2 iPad Professional is on the market you’ll see greatest costs under, was $1,099/£1,249:

Ought to I purchase the iPad Professional M4 or the iPad Professional M2?

There are execs and cons for the brand new units. Sure, the M4 chip is extra highly effective than the M2, the show is brighter, plus the repositioning of the Face ID digital camera is a welcome and long-overdue enchancment, as is the doubling of the baseline storage. So, it’s a straightforward determination then? No. Not fairly. When you’ve already obtained an Apple Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil 2, you then would possibly really feel a bit put out at having to exchange each if you wish to go for the M4 iPads. Additionally, there’s the unusual omission of the Extremely-Vast digital camera. Certainly the newer fashions ought to have extra tech not much less? 

When you’re a graphic artist and want the perfect iPad for the job, to not point out the brand new Apple Pencil Professional compatibility, then the M4s are fairly the package deal. When you simply need a highly effective iPad, then the M2 fashions would most likely be a more sensible choice, particularly if you have already got a few of the iPad Professional peripherals and might choose up the units on a very good deal.