The iPad Pro 2021 is the biggest upgrade to the company’s premium tablet since it debuted over six years ago.
The iPad Pro 2021 is a huge step up for Apple’s best tablet experience, but is it one that you need? If you want the very best tablet that money can buy, and a slate that can achieve almost anything you want a computer to, this is likely to be your perfect purchase. The iPad Pro 2021 12.9-inch isn’t for everyone. The biggest caveats are that it’s incredibly expensive, and that it’s an overwhelmingly large device for those who don’t need a screen this big. For those who can handle both the physical size and the price tag, though, the iPad Pro 2021 is an outstanding offering that boasts next-gen power, a fantastic display experience, and everything else we’ve come to love from Apple’s very best tablets. The new Liquid Retina XDR Mini LED display is gorgeous, with max brightness levels unseen on other tablets – this slate can compete with the likes of Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S7 Plus, which felt like a major upgrade for tablet screens just last year. The screen is one of the best for watching movies on, and it’ll also suit you well for everyday tasks. Then there’s the power – much has been made of Apple’s M1 chipset, and this is the first time the company has included its new, own-brand silicon in an iPad. Do you absolutely need it? Probably not, but if you want some truly impressive power that blows every other tablet out of the water, again the latest iPad Pro is a great choice. You likely won’t appreciate having this much power on tap unless you’re intensively gaming, using power-hungry apps, or pushing the tablet to its multi-tasking limits. This will load apps like YouTube, Netflix and your email faster than before, but in most cases the difference is negligible, and you’ll only really notice when powering up the App Store’s most intensive experiences. Other upgrades are less important, but there are a few other noteworthy tweaks. There’s a higher-capacity storage variant than ever before at 2TB, a new Center Stage camera feature that keeps you in the frame on video calls, and Thunderbolt 4 support in the USB-C slot. These are all great additions, but they’re overshadowed by the display and chipset’s game-changing upgrades. Battery life is solid – in our testing we found that the tablet would last for around 10 hours on a full charge. Your mileage will of course vary depending on what you’re doing, but this is solid battery performance that no one should be disappointed by. All of this comes at a high price, and this is Apple’s most expensive tablet ever. It starts at $1,099 / £999 / AU$1,649, with the price increasing to $2,199 / £1,999 / AU$3,299 for the 2TB model – and you’ll pay more again if you opt for a version with cellular connectivity. The iPad Pro 2021 is a phenomenal machine that’s a must-have if you’re an Apple evangelist, or if money is no object when you’re buying your next tablet. It isn’t the best tablet for everyone, due to its size and staggeringly high price, but is it the very best tablet money can buy right now? Yes, without a doubt. Editor’s note: this review is specifically for the iPad Pro 12.9-inch. We hope to test and give a full verdict on the 11-inch model (which has significantly different specs) at a later date. Apple’s new iPad Pro 2021 is now available to buy around the globe. You can buy it directly from Apple and a variety of other retailers after it came out on May 21,2021. Whether you’ll be able to actually get your hands on one on is a different question. A few days after the May 21 release date, we found orders directly from Apple were taking a few weeks to arrive with estimates of between June 2 and June 9 for delivery. Apple CEO Tim Cook confirmed before the tablet’s release that the company was expecting demand to outstrip supply. That’s perhaps due to shortages of the new M1 chip, but Apple hasn’t confirmed the exact reasoning. The iPad Pro 2021 12.9-inch price is high, and it’s higher than the 2020 version of the tablet. It starts at $1,099 / £999 / AU$1,649 for the 128GB-storage version, with the price topping out at an incredible $2,399 / £2,149 / AU$3,549 for the cellular 5G-ready model with 2TB of storage. That’s notably more expensive than the 2020 iPad Pro 12.9-inch, which started at $999 / £969 / AU$1,649. It’s a big markup, and it’s mostly because the company has noticeably bumped up the specs in this new tablet. If you’re looking for something cheaper, the 11-inch iPad Pro 2021 has lower specs and starts at $799 / £749 / AU$1,199 which is the same price the 2020 model started at. The price for Apple’s top-specced 12.9-inch slate is remarkably high, and as we’ve mentioned, you’ll only want this tablet if you want the absolute best iPad on the market. The iPad Pro 2021 design hasn’t changed much from previous iterations – it’s still a great-looking device with a sleek design that simultaneously feels premium and durable. If you’re looking for a functional yet attractive tablet, you’ll be pleased with what’s on offer here. It’s important to note that the new iPad Pro is big. The 12.9-inch display means this is a particularly large slate, and many will prefer the smaller 11-inch model, or something even smaller, like the iPad Mini 2019.
