iPad Pro 2020: detailed technical sheet, price and reviews

The 4th generation iPad Pro was unveiled by Apple at the end of winter 2020, in a rather discreet manner, in any case, without a presentation on stage and without a keynote.  Like its predecessors, it is available in 2 models, one of11 inchesof screen diagonal, the other of12.9 inches. This is not a very innovative new generation at this point, even if some improvements are welcome, particularly in terms of virtual reality and photography.

In fact, you especially have to turn to the new favorite accessory of the iPad Pro to feel the real novelty, with the Magic Keyboard. This new keyboard protection shell with trackpad has many advantages. But before talking about it, let's dissect Apple's new tablet.

The latest news about the iPad Pro

The latest iPad and iOS tutorials

The main features of the 4th generation iPad Pro

Design and case

The design does not really change compared to the previous generation. The iPad Pro once again displays a dress made of an aluminum case, in a refined design with rather thin borders (especially in comparison with the iPad and the iPad Air). The fairly prominent contours are strongly reminiscent of the design of the iPhone 4. Finally, note that like the 2019 10.2-inch iPad, this new iPad is made up mainly of recycled materials.

The dimensions of the beast are as follows:

• 11-inch version: 247.6 x 178.5 x 5.9 mm, for a weight of 471 grams (Wi-Fi version only), or 473 grams (Wi-Fi + eSIM version)
• 12.9-inch version: 280.6 x 214.9 x 5.9 mm, for a weight of 641 grams (Wi-Fi version only), or 643 grams (Wi-Fi + eSIM version)

The front panel is unsurprising, it appears to be completely identical to that of the previous generation iPad Pros. At the back, however, a big change, this new iPad Pro integrates a dual-sensor camera, strongly resembling what the iPhone 11 offers. We are thus entitled to a protruding square with blunt corners, emerging from the shell back of the iPad on the top left.

Otherwise, the Smart Connector is still present on the back, as is the USB-C port on the bottom edge and the magnetic connector for Apple Pencil on the top edge. On the button side, nothing moves either. And no return to Touch ID is expected either, Face ID remains the only biometric unlocking technique on the iPad Pro, knowing that once again, Apple has decided to ignore the notch, which remains currently dedicated to its iPhone range.

Screen: Retina LCD

The iPad Pro 2020 is equipped with a Liquid Retina LCD panel. On the 11-inch model, the resolution is 2,388 x 1,668. On the 12.9-inch model, the resolution is 2,732 x 2,048. In all cases, the brightness of the screen is 600 nits, the number of pixels per inch reaches 264. The machine obviously supports the Apple Pencil. ProMotion and True Tone technologies are also included.

Processor and RAM

The new iPad is equipped with a newocta-core A12Z Bionic chip with M12 coprocessor. For RAM, you have to count6 GB on the iPad Pro 2020, when the previous model only contained 4 GB (with the exception of the 1 TB version, also delivered with 6 GB of RAM).

Autonomy

Concerning autonomy, Apple announces10 hours web/video browsingor listening to music on wifi, or 9 hours of web browsing on a cellular network. The battery of the 12.9-inch model is obviously a little bigger than that of the 11-inch model. But according to Apple, the difference between the two in terms of autonomy is not significant.

Connections

USB-C socket, Smart Connector, Bluetooth 5 and Wi-Fi and cellular networks underpin the connectivity possibilities of the 4th generation iPad Pro. And since 2018, the iPad Pro no longer has a headphone jack, so this is also the case on this 2020 model. You can obviously use a Bluetooth or even USB-C headset, or take advantage of a USB adapter -C to jack to compensate for this lack.

The photo and video capabilities of the iPad Pro 2020

Front camera

On the front there is a photo sensor8 megapixelsaperture ƒ/2.2 equipped with a Retina flash and capable of filming in 1080p with 60 fps.

Rear camera

At the back of the case, two sensors are there, a 12 megapixel wide-angle and ƒ/1.8 aperture and an ultra-wide-angle 10 megapixel and ƒ/2.4 aperture with 125° field of view. A True Tone flash, Smart HDR and a brightness sensor are also included. In video, this camera can film in 4K at 60 fps, or in slow motion in 1080p at 240 fps.

Note that it is possible to take 8 megapixel photos during 4K video recording and to benefit from a stabilization function in video.

What else is under the hood?

Note the presence of eSIM technology, which offers the iPad Pro the possibility of using two SIM cards simultaneously, but also numerous sensors, accelerometer, barometer, ambient brightness, without forgetting the iBeacon microlocation function.

In addition, the iPad 2020, unlike its predecessor, integrates ascanner LiDAR.The latter underpins improved depth perception via the rear photo sensor, which mainly benefits augmented reality applications.

Capacity, colors and price of the iPad Pro 4th generation

Colors and storage: up to terabyte

Only two color variations are offered for the 4th generation iPad Pro: Space Gray and Silver. On the storage side, the choice is wider, with 4 possibilities: 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB and 1 TB.

Prices

The price of the beast obviously depends on the size of the screen, 11 or 12.9 inches, Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi + Cellular connectivity, and the choice of storage. Here is the detail:

iPad Pro 2020 11-inch price

• 128 Go: €899 Wi-Fi version, €1,069 Wi-Fi + Cellular
• 256 Go: €1,009 Wi-Fi version, €1,179 Wi-Fi + Cellular version
• 512 Go: €1,229 Wi-Fi version, €1,399 Wi-Fi + Cellular version
• 1 To: €1,449 in Wi-Fi version, €1,619 in Wi-Fi + Cellular version

iPad Pro 2020 12.9-inch price

• 128 Go: €1,119 in Wi-Fi version, €1,289 in Wi-Fi + Cellular version
• 256 Go: €1,229 Wi-Fi version, €1,339 Wi-Fi + Cellular version
• 512 Go: €1,449 in Wi-Fi version, €1,619 in Wi-Fi + Cellular version
• 1 To: €1,669 Wi-Fi version, €1,839 Wi-Fi + Cellular version

Et le Magic Keyboard ?

The Magic Keyboard is this USB-C keyboard unveiled at the same time as the 4th generation iPad Pro in spring 2020. It differs from other Apple keyboards for iPad in that, on the one hand, it holds the iPad in the air in a way, on the other hand, it integrates atrackpad.

iPadOS has indeed supported mouse pointers and trackpads since version 13.4. This is why this Magic Keyboard is timely. Its touchpad supports multitouch gestures like on MacBook, while the keyboard looks excellent with its scissor mechanism keys.

Once closed on the iPad, the keyboard and its protection provide good security for the tablet, against scratches, falls and other everyday inconveniences.

The Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro is available in two versions11 and 12.9 inches. The price is respectively339 et 399 €.

Conclusion and opinion

The iPad Pro 2020 is a truly beautiful beast. Its processor and components allow it to compete with the performance of laptops and desktop stations. In addition, its compatibility with the Apple Pencil, its screen technologies and its brand new keyboard will appeal to many professionals, in different fields, both graphics and video editing, or even photo editing, editing, 3D creation, among others.

This new generation of iPad Procould well be the best currently on the tablet market. It is also powered by an increasingly powerful iPadOS over its different iterations, so much so that some wonder if the iPad Pro + iPadOS duo would not look too much like a computer.

It is important to remember that with this mobile solution from Apple, you have a lightweight workstation that is easy to deploy or store. In addition, the iPad Pro can always be used in touch mode, and therefore on this point, it clearly stands out from a MacBook Air for example, its closest competitor in terms of mobility, power and reduced dimensions.

Finally, note that with an iPad Pro 2020, you can clearly do without a computer, both for classic and basic multimedia tasks and for more specialized applications, and this, even more so since the support for mice and third-party trackpads. On the other hand, iPadOS still has some work to do in terms of multitasking, a point in which the Mac excels with macOS.

To conclude, we think that the iPad Pro 2020 is thebest tablet of the moment.It shines in video games and office automation and has the potential to appeal to the whole family as well as many professionals. However, we will not put it on an equal footing with a Mac, which obviously has other advantages.