5 reasons I just bought Apple's iPad Pro OLED 2024 today
The 2024 iPad Pro OLED upgrade is already in my brain's shopping cart. I'm just waiting for Apple to announce it on May 7 to check out.
Update: The iPad Pro OLED is official, and Apple did just enough to convince me to buy it today, May 7. Here’s why I’m choosing the 13-inch new iPad Pro.
Signed (with the Apple Pencil), sealed, and soon to be delivered: my iPad Pro OLED 2024 pre-order is in and I’ll be picking it up at the Apple Store on May 15. Apple just announced the new iPad Pro along with a new iPad Air in two sizes.
I want the new iPad for writing an in-depth iPad Pro OLED review, of course. But, as much as I enjoy being an iPad tech expert, I need a lot more reason to justify spending my money, confirmed to be $999, on a tablet. And I suspect consumers, especially in this economy, have the same valid concerns. Based on the official iPad Pro 2024 news during Apple’s live stream, here’s convinced me today.
1. First major iPad Pro since 2018
🙌 It’s a big iPad Pro design refresh. It’s only been a little over a year and a half since the last-gen iPad Pro 11 and iPad Pro 12.9 launched, but they were iterative updates. The transition from an LED-backlit screen to an OLED screen represents the first major iPad Pro upgrade since 2018. It isn’t an iterative update.
This iPad Pro is six years in the making. It isn’t an iterative update.
Think about that. This iPad Pro is six years in the making. The older iPad Pro design had the dated home button and a lot more bezel, and it felt like a big change. I’m expecting a similar jump in this year’s iPad Pro update. The cynical Apple watchers might not understand the immediate benefits of OLED, but having tested a bunch of OLED TVs, like the recent Samsung S95D OLED, I’m a fan of the technology.
2. iPad Pro is my travel multi-monitor display
🤝 Best ‘Sidecar’ companion. This is the reason I went with the 13-inch iPad Pro. I didn’t always rely on an iPad Pro when traveling, especially because I would always have my MacBook Pro 14 with me. I find the MacBook and macOS more efficient for working on The Shortcut. But as soon as I started using Apple’s Sidecar functionality, things changed.
Sidecar allows me to use any recent iPad as a multi-monitor display. Suddenly, I can leave my six-monitor setup (powered by a Mac Pro) at home without regret and at least travel with two screens (I haven’t fallen in love with the idea of travel monitors because an iPad Pro can do so much more in the same form factor).
I enjoy the stacked dual-screen Lenovo Yoga Book 9i design even more than a combo MacBook and an iPad and, as I noted in my Apple Vision Pro review, I use Apple’s AR headset for virtual monitors. But since I often prefer macOS to Windows and two physical screens based in reality, upgrading to a new iPad Pro is my preference.
3. Battery life benefit of the iPad Pro OLED
🔋 OLED battery life boost. While we’ll have to wait for reviews, I expect Apple packed the iPad Pro OLED (tests will confirm this). Apple CEO Tim Cook didn’t make a big deal about this and show us some major performance graphs, but it’s probably going to come out in reviews next week.
The screen technology can exhibit true black colors by turning off individual pixels, something LED-backlit displays cannot do. So, like the current line of OLED-equipped iPhone displays, like the one I used in my iPhone 15 Pro Max review, we’ll see better battery life from the new iPad Pro (especially when using Dark Mode).
Longer battery life via the Apple M4 chip efficiency will also benefit marathon gaming sessions, whether you play Apple Arcade or stream PS5 games through remote play. Since not everyone was able to find a PlayStation Portal restock this fall and might, at this point in 2024, opt to wait for next year’s Sony PSP 2, the iPad Pro OLED may act as a perfectly fine placeholder.
4. iPad Pro OLED will be thinner
⚖️ The iPad Pro is much thinner. The new iPad Pro 5.3mm (11-inch) and 5.1mm (13-inch) thin, a nice reduction from last-gen girth of 5.9mm (11-inch) and 6.4mm (12.9). If I’m carrying both an iPad and a MacBook Pro with me in a bag, I won’t argue with a thinner and lighter design. I very much welcome the sleeker iPad Pro 2024.
New iPad Pro dimensions always mean I have to rebuy accessories. But there are perks this time around. Apple announced refreshes of both the Magic Keyboard with a function row and an all-new Apple Pencil Pro with haptic feedback today.
5. iPad Pro OLED with AI features
🤖 Future-proofing for Apple’s AI push. We haven’t gotten the full scope of Apple’s AI roadmap (wait for the WWDC 2024 keynote on June 10)_. However, the new iPad Pro OLED specs may include Apple’s M4 chipset that’s expected to have new artificial intelligence capabilities, beating the rival Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus and X Elite chips to the market by a couple of weeks.
Apple’s phone-based chip, the Apple A17 Pro already beats Qualcomm’s mobile chip found in Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 phones (as tested in my Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra review). So it’ll be no surprise to see Apple fiercely challenge its competition that has already announced plans to release AI processors.
Why I chose the 13-inch iPad OLED
The new iPad Pro 11-inch costs $999, a $200 price bump from the last-gen iPad Pro at this size. OLED isn’t cheap, and you’ll need to spend more for the 1TB or 2TB option to get the nano-textured glass benefit. Keep in mind, Sony might price the PS5 Pro at $599 this fall, so you’re going to have to make tough tech buying decisions by Black Friday 2024.
But I went with the 13-inch iPad Pro in the end, even though it starts $1,299 and the nano-textured glass option put me at $1,899. It’s hard to find a true winner between the 11-inch vs 13-inch iPad Pros, as as my comparison testing of the two iPad sizes. I’ve been left with the results time and time again: I love the 13-inch screen size (when used in Sidecar mode, it mimics a MacBook Pro 14 or MacBook Air 13 display for a more seamless workflow). But the 11-inch version of the iPad Pro fits into a smaller backpack or even a Sling bag along with the laptop, and it’s cheaper. This time around, I’m going big and going home with the 13-inch iPad Pro OLED.
I’m only disappointed that the iPad Pro 2024 colors are limited to Silver and Space Gray (the iPad Air 2024 sees more dynamic colors). I’m a fan of the bolder Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra colors and the leaked iPhone 16 colors. I do fear that the more dynamic hues will be reserved for the rumored iPad Air 2024.
I’ll be able to answer all of these questions on May 7 in the comments, replies and on X, as we just hosted an X Spaces where to walked about the iPad Pro benefits and how it’s becoming more and more like a MacBook with its M4 chip.
Hey Matt.
Thanks for this article. For a change this year I have the funds to purchase a high priced tech item and the new iPad Pro + accessories will be the one.
Considering I have used nothing but Nokia then Android for 30 years and C64 ZX81 Atari ST Commodore Amiga then PC's forever, you might understand how massive this decision is.
I do not see an Android variant now and in the future, maybe forever, that matches what it looks like we're getting this month.
I think a lot of people like me are looking at this item as our switch device as well as an item we can use for the next decade.
As I'll be nearly 70 at that stage, God willing, it's a huge event.
Derek