The new iPad Pro with the M2 chip takes performance one step further, but what has changed from the previous generation iPad Pro? Stay tuned for an in-depth look at what's left and what's new in the iPad Pro M2 vs. iPad Pro M1 comparison to help you decide which is the better choice.
In 2021 11 and 12.9″ iPad Pro comes with the powerful M1 chip, Thunderbolt connectivity, 5G on cellular models, new camera features like Center Stage, and more.
The 2022 iPad Pro M2 lineup now includes a number of tweaks and changes, but many of them are quite minor, which may push buyers to M1 iPad Pro or even iPad Air.
Below, we will break down all the small details of M2 iPad Pro and M1 iPad Pro. We also have a full comparison of the new entry-level iPad and other products:
- iPad 10, 9 and iPad Air: comparison of the new affordable iPad line
- M2 iPad Pro vs. iPad Air : what do you gain or lose?
Content
- M2 iPad Pro vs M1 iPad Pro
- Performance
- Screen
- Battery life
- Storage and pricing
- Cameras, video and audio
- Dimensions, weights, colors
< li>Other small differences
- Why buy an iPad Pro M2?
- Why buy an iPad Pro M1?
< /ul>
M2 iPad Pro vs M1 iPad Pro
Performance
Main difference between new and old iPad Pro – update from M1. to the M2 chip.
This provides up to 18% faster CPU, up to 35% faster GPU (10-core vs. 8-core) and 2x memory bandwidth from 50 GB/s to 100 GB/s .
Note: 128GB, 256GB and 512GB models have 8GB RAM, 1TB and 2TB models have 16GB RAM.
| < /td> | 11″ iPad Pro M2 | 11″ iPad Pro M1 | 12.9″ iPad Pro M2 | 12.9″ iPad Pro M1 |
| Chip | M2 | M1 | M2 | M1 |
| Processor cores | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| GPU cores | 10 | 8 | 10 | 8 |
| Neural nuclei | 16< /td> | 16 | 16 | 16 |
| Storage< /td> | 128 GB – 2 TB | 128 GB – 2 TB | 128 GB – 2 TB | 128 GB – 2TB |
| RAM | 8 or 16GB | 8 or 16GB | 8 or 16GB | 8 or 16GB |
| < strong>Memory bandwidth | 100 GB/s | 50 GB/s | 100 GB /s | 50 GB/s |
| Thunderbolt/USB 4 | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Cellular | 5G | 5G | 5G | 5G |
Aside from a slight increase in CPU and GPU performance, all other specs such as storage, RAM, Thunderbolt and 5G connectivity remain the same between the new and old iPad Pro models.
Display
Same as M1 12.9″ iPad Pro, M2 12.9″ iPad Pro is the only one to feature a Liquid Retina XDR display with mini LED backlighting.
Common display features across all professional models include ProMotion up to 120Hz, wide P3 color, fully laminated displays, anti-glare, and True Tone.
Seems to be between the new M2 11 and 12.9″ The iPad Pro and M1 display is a new Apple Pencil Hover feature.
- New iPad Pro brings smart “hover” feature to Apple Pencil, here's how it works
| 11″ iPad Pro M2 | 11″ iPad Pro M1 | 12.9″ iPad Pro M2 | 12.9″ iPad Pro M1 | |
| Display | 11″ | 11″ | 12.9″ with mini LED | 12.9″ with miniLED |
| Resolution | 2388 x 1668 | 2388 x 1668 | 2732 x 2048 | 2732 x 2048 |
| < strong>PPI (pixels per inch) | 264 | 264 | 264 | 264 |
| Display brightness | 600 nits | 600 nits | 600 nits SDR, up to 1600 HDR | 600 nits SDR, up to 1600 HDR |
| True Tone | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| P3 wide color | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| ProMotion (120Hz) | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Anti-Glare | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Fully laminated display < /strong> | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Retina Liquid Display | ✅ | ✅ | – | – |
| Retina XDR Liquid Display | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Apple Pencil Hover | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
Connection and Accessories
New iPad Pro models work with the same Apple accessories as previous generation models . iPad Pro. This includes the second generation Apple Pencil, Magic Keyboard, and Smart Keyboard Folio.
Some minor updates to the iPad Pro M2 include Bluetooth 5.3 and WiFi 6E.
| 11 and 12.9″ iPad Pro M2 | 11 and 12.9″ iPad Pro M1 | |
| Apple Pencil gen 2 support | ✅ | ✅ |
| < strong>Magic Keyboard Support | ✅ | ✅ |
| 5G | ✅ | ✅ |
| < strong>WiFi 6 | – | ✅ |
| WiFi 6E | ✅ | ❌ |
| Bluetooth | 5.0 | |
| USB-C | ✅ USB 4< /td> | ✅ USB 4 |
| Thunderbolt< /td> | ✅ | ✅ |
| Face ID | ✅ | ✅ |
I wonder what new models iPad Pro doesn't get Magic Keyboard Folio like iPad 10.< /p>
- Apple introduces Magic Keyboard Folio for iPad with detachable two-piece design, trackpad and function keys
Battery life< /h3>
2022 iPad Pro models with the M2 chip have the same battery life as their predecessors:
- 10 hours of surfing the web or watching videos over Wi-Fi
- 9 hours of surfing the web on cellular
Storage and price
Storage remains the same between the old and new iPad Pro models. And the price – the original MSRP price – hasn't changed either. However, stay tuned for discounts on the new M1 iPad Pro models that are now available.
| 11″ iPad Pro M2 | 11″ iPad Pro M1 | 12.9″ iPad Pro M2 | 12.9″ iPad Pro M1 | |
| 128 GB Wi-Fi | $799 | $799 | 1099 USD | USD 1099 |
| 128 GB + cell | $999 | $999 | $1299 | $1299 |
| 256GB Wi-Fi | $899 | $899 | $1199 | $1199 |
| 256 GB+cell< /td> | $1099 | $1099 | $1399 | $1399 |
| 512GB Wi-Fi | $1099 | $1099 | $1399 | $1399 |
| 512 GB + cell | $1299 | $1299 | $1599 | |
| 1TB Wi-Fi< /td> | $1499 | $1499 | $1799 | $1799 |
| 1TB + cell | $1699 | 1699 USD | USD 1999 | $1999 |
| 2TB Wi-Fi | $1899 | $1899 | $2199 | $2199< /td> |
| 2TB + cell | 2099 USD | $2099 | $2399 | $2399 |
Cameras, video and audio
2021 iPad Pro Rear Cameras
flash True Tone.
On the back, you get a 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens with Center Stage support.
The only differences between the iPad Pro M2 and M1 at the moment are Smart HDR 4 and Smart HDR 3 photos, and the ability to shoot ProRes video at up to 4K@30fps (1080p@30fps for the 128GB model).
| 11 and 12,9&# 8243; iPad Pro M2 | 11 and 12.9″ iPad Pro M1 | |
| 12MP wide-angle lens | ✅ | ✅ |
| 10MP Ultra Wide Lens | ✅ | ✅ |
| LiDAR | ✅ | ✅ |
| 4K video | ||
| ProRes video up to 4K 30 fps< /td> | ✅ | ❌ |
| High dynamic range | ✅ | ✅ |
| Slow Motion | ✅ | ✅ |
| Rear Camera Flash | ✅ | ✅ |
| Face ID TrueDepth Camera | ✅ | ✅ |
| Ultra-wide 12MP front camera | ✅ | ✅ |
| 2x optical zoom out | ✅ | ✅ |
| Smart HDR 3 photos | – | ✅< /td> |
| Smart HDR 4 Photos | ✅ | ❌ |
| Auto-track center scene | ✅ | ✅ |
| 4 speaker audio | ✅ | ✅ | Stereo recording | ✅ | ✅ |
| 5 studio quality microphones | ✅< /td> | ✅ |
iPad Pro front camera also supports Portrait Mode, Portrait Lighting, and Animoji/Memoji.
Oddly enough, while the iPad 10 got a handy ultra-wide front camera for landscape orientation, the iPad Pro front camera remains on the top (short) bezel.
p>
Dimensions, weights, colors
The size and weight of the iPad Pro M2 and iPad M1 are identical. Pro according to Apple:
- 11-inch iPad Pro M2 and M1: 1.03 lbs, 9.74 inches (247.6 mm) high, 7.02 inches (178.5 mm) wide, 0.23 inches (5.9 mm) Thick
- M2 and M1 12.9-inch iPad Pro : 1.5 lbs, 11.04 inches (280.6 mm) high, 8.46 inches (214.9 mm) wide , 0.25″ (6.4mm) thick
Color choices remain the same: silver and space gray.< /p>
Other minor differences< /h3>
Two other small differences you'll see with the iPad Pro M2:
- Braided USB connector Cable C in the box instead of a plastic cable.
- & #8220;iPad Pro” inscription on the back instead of “iPad” on previous iPad Pro models
- M2 iPad Pro space gray may be slightly lighter than M1 iPad Pro space gray, and the antenna line for cellular models is more muted
Apple's space gray finish, as shown on its website. M2 left, M1 right
Conclusion of M2 iPad Pro and M1 iPad Pro
Why buy the M2 iPad Pro?
Given all the similarities between the M2 iPad Pro and the M1, you probably only want to buy the new model if you're a pro with workflows that would benefit from M2/ProRes chip support, or are you just willing to spend money on the latest and greatest Apple products.
The iPad Pro M2 is available from Apple, Amazon, Best Buy, BH Photo, and more, and they all look good in stock.
Why buy the iPad Pro M1?
When you can get the vast majority of the feature set iPad Pro M2 vs iPad Pro M1 and the difference in processors is not an issue for most users, buying one at a discount would probably be a popular move.
Also, don't forget. iPad Air offers an attractive package at an even lower price than the last generation iPad Pro. That's if you're happy with the 11-inch size.
Learn more about the in-depth 9to5Mac comparison:
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