The only new iPads you should be buying — our top configurations for M4 iPad Pro and M2 iPad Air
Welcome to The Core — our new weekly rundown of the week in Apple news.
The Core cuts to the heart of the Apple news that matters to you every week. iMore's News Editor Stephen Warwick breaks down all the top stories, along with a helping of deals, tips, insight, and humor.
Apple's May 7 iPad event is finally over and we now have our first look at Apple's new best iPads, the M4 iPad Pro and the iPad Air 6. Apple's new iPad Pro delivers a shiny OLED display and the potent M4 chip, which now comes with a 10-core CPU, improved Neural Engine, and more. The iPad Air 6 got an upgrade too, but it isn't a massive leap over the previous generation. The biggest news there is an all-new 13-inch model that brings the more expansive display to users at a much more reasonable price point. So, with that in mind, which iPad should you actually be buying if you want one of Apple's latest and greatest tablets? When it comes to both models the choice seems clear, but for different reasons. Here are my top configuration picks for each model, based on everything Apple has to offer for 2024.
M4 iPad Pro 11-inch, 1TB, Nano-texture, Wi-Fi
M4 iPad Pro 11-inch, 1TB, Nano-texture| $1,699 at Apple
This is an expensive model no doubt, but this is my top pick for the iPad Pro. The 11-inch choice is purely a cost-saving exercise, with the 13-inch model $200 more. The biggest upgrade here is the 1TB of storage. That might sound like overkill, but the 1TB option is the only way to get the 10-core CPU M4 and 16GB of RAM. If you want an iPad Pro for serious tasks, this is the only clear choice. I also added Nano-texture for another $100. For the full experience, an Apple Pencil Pro and the new Magic Keyboard probably deserve your attention, too.
M2 iPad Air 13-inch, 128GB| $799 at Apple
The new iPad Air makes the most sense in its new larger size, which is much more reasonably priced than the $1,299 Pro model. You don't get the OLED display, but you do get a thin and light tablet with the most screen real estate possible. With no M2 configurations, the 128GB model will do most people just fine in the age of iCloud and streaming. As with the Pro, an Apple Pencil Pro and Magic Keyboard wouldn't go amiss here, but feel less pertinent to the experience.
Boot up
Here's everything announced at Apple's Let Loose event on May 7
A new iPad Pro, iPad Air, Apple Pencil, Magic Keyboard, and the M4 chip wowed onlookers at Apple’s May 7 Let Loose event, get the inside track here.
Launchpad
Here's everything Apple killed at its May 7 Let Loose event: From the Lightning Connector to touch-screen laptops
The circle of life, here’s everything Apple killed at its May 7 Let Loose event, from the iPad’s Lightning connector to touch-screen laptops.
For your reading list
Disillusioned Apple fans hate its new M4 iPad Pro advert — "The symbolism of indiscriminately crushing beautiful creative tools is an interesting choice"
Not everyone enjoyed the iPad event, and one moment in particular has the internet up in arms. Find out why fans hate Apple’s M4 iPad Pro advert.
Genius Bar
This quick iPhone hack will bring Android's ingenious Circle to Search feature to any iPhone, with a bonus for iPhone 15 Pro users
Did you know that you can use Siri to find your iPhone, just by asking where it is? Find out how here!
One more thing
Not all M4 iPad Pro's are created equal — here are the hidden configurations you need to get more RAM and CPU cores
Got your eye on that spicy new M4 chip in the iPad Pro? Read this first. If you want the all-singing, all-dancing 10-core CPU, you’ll need to pay extra.
Stephen Warwick has written about Apple for five years at iMore and previously elsewhere. He covers all of iMore's latest breaking news regarding all of Apple's products and services, both hardware and software. Stephen has interviewed industry experts in a range of fields including finance, litigation, security, and more. He also specializes in curating and reviewing audio hardware and has experience beyond journalism in sound engineering, production, and design. Before becoming a writer Stephen studied Ancient History at University and also worked at Apple for more than two years. Stephen is also a host on the iMore show, a weekly podcast recorded live that discusses the latest in breaking Apple news, as well as featuring fun trivia about all things Apple. Follow him on Twitter @stephenwarwick9
-
Wotchered This is of course depends entirely on whether you really need the newest,best,most expensive iPad.Reply
My concern is more that most people don't, and that the needs of those are being ignored.
The basic entry level iPad is not mentioned in this year's extravaganza,and we are left with a device that will have a length of support that is, or will be, two years short of ideal. At a price that (reduced !) is more than you paid for your outgoing one !