iPad Pro 2024 vs iPad Pro 2022: What’s different this time around?

After months of anticipation, Apple finally took the wraps off of its latest generation flagship tablets – the new M4-powered OLED screen iPad Pro models, as well as the new M2-powered iPad Air and Apple Pencil Pro at the brand’s ‘Let Loose’ event.

Now, the new iPad Pro is being touted as just about the closest you will get to PC-like performance on the go, at least by Apple. And if you tend to subject your devices to particularly heavy workloads, whether in the form of heavy video and photo editing, graphic designing, gaming, or running heavy simulations, the iPad Pro is perfect for you.

However, a question that arises with this is whether the 2024 iPad Pro models are worth the high prices, or if you’re better off buying or keeping the older 2022 iPad Pro models. To help with the same, we’ve put together this little comparison of the two generations, to tell you just what’s different. Read on.

2024 iPad Pro vs 2022 iPad Pro: Performance

The 2024 iPad Pro is powered by the new M4 chipset from Apple, which gets a 10-core CPU, a 10-core GPU, and a 16-core neural engine. The M2-powered iPad Pro models from 2022 on the other hand, both the 12.9-inch and 11-inch models, get an 8-core CPU and a 10-core GPU, with a 16-core neural engine.

ALSO READ: Apple iPad Pro 2024 launched with new M4 chip, OLED display

The improved CPU architecture with four performance and six efficiency cores, Apple says, makes the M4-powered iPad Pro up to 1.5x times more powerful than the M2-powered models. At the same time, the former also consumes only 50 per cent of the power of the older ones. The new GPU also gets dynamic caching and ray tracing, which makes the latest-generation iPad Pro models much more capable of handling graphically intensive games such as Diablo.

The new neural engine on the 2024 iPad Pro model is also much more powerful, capable of 38 TOPS, compared to the M2’s 15.8 TOPS.

2024 iPad Pro vs 2022 iPad Pro: Display and audio

Coming to the displays, the new M4-powered iPad Pro models come in 11 and 13-inch sizes, nearly the same as last year’s models. However, both of them this time, get Apple’s Ultra Retina XDR OLED displays. Moreover, the display units get not one, but two OLED panels, which Apple refers to as Tandem OLED. What this ensures, in essence, is far brighter colours, sharper contrasts, deeper blacks, and of course, increased brightness.

Resolution on the displays stands at 2,752×2,064 pixels in the case of the 13-inch model and 2,420×1,668 pixels in the case of the 11-inch model. Peak brightness is rated at 1,000 nits for SDR content, and 1,600 nits for HDR content.

The 2022 iPad Pro models on the other hand, get a Mini LED Liquid Retina XDR display in the case of the 12.9-inch variant, and an LED Liquid Retina display in the case of the 11-inch variant. Resolution on the two stands at 2,732×2,048 pixels and 2,388×1,668 pixels respectively. Peak brightness on the other hand, is rated at 600 nits for SRD content, and 1,600 nits for HDR content.

All four displays though, do come with Apple’s ProMotion technology, which means they get a refresh rate of up to 120Hz. All variants also get fully laminated displays, an anti-reflective coating, and True Tone.

For audio, both the 2024 and 2022 models come with a quad speaker setup, although the latter do get five microphones, compared to the former’s four.

2024 iPad Pro vs 2022 iPad Pro: Cameras

The 2024 iPad Pro models get a 12MP camera at the rear with LiDAR and True Tone flash. On the front is a landscape-oriented 12MP TrueDepth camera with Centre Stage, which using AI, can always keep a subject in the center of the frame even if they’re moving around.

ALSO READ: Apple iPad Air 2024 launched in 11 and 13-inch variants; here’s what’s new

The 2022 iPad Pro models, rather surprisingly, get a dual camera setup at the rear with a 12MP primary camera and a 10MP ultra-wide-angle camera, with a portrait-oriented 12MP TrueDepth camera on the front, which also gets Centre Stage.

Connectivity options on the 2024 iPad Pro models and 2022 iPad Pro models are pretty much the same, with a USB Type-C port that gets support for Thunderbolt and USB 4, Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3. However, the new iPad Pro models support only Magic Keyboard for iPad and Apple Pencil Pro, whereas the older models support both, the Magic Keyboard and Smart Keyboard Folio, as well as the 2^nd-gen USB Type-C Apple Pencil.

2024 iPad Pro vs 2022 iPad Pro: Pricing and availability

The 2024 Apple iPad Pro models are available in Space Black and Silver colourways. Prices for the 13-inch Wi-Fi-only model start at Rs 1,29,900, whereas those for the Cellular variant start at Rs 1,49,900. The prices for the Wi-Fi variant of the 11-inch model start at Rs 99,900 for the Wi-Fi variant, and those for the Cellular variant start at Rs 119,900.

The 2022 Apple iPad Pro models on the other hand are available in Space Grey and Silver colourways. Prices for the Wi-Fi-only 12.9-inch variant currently start at Rs 105,290, whereas those for the cellular variant start at Rs 1,19,390. On the other hand, prices for the 11-inch Wi-Fi-only model currently start at Rs 78,900, and those for the cellular variant start at Rs 90,390.

ALSO READ: Apple iPad Pro M4, iPad Air M2 price in India revealed

The new 2024 iPad Pro certainly offer a ton of upgrades over the 2022 models and make for a great investment. Make no mistake, however. The 2022 iPad Pro models are still some of the most potent ones around, and still serve as a great entry point to the iPad Pro lineup of flagship tablets, should you happen to be on a budget.