The new iPad Pro
I can’t find a thermometer, face mask, or bottle of hand sanitizer anywhere, but I have surprisingly received the new 11-inch iPad Pro at my (quarantined) review desk. I’ve been using it constantly for the past 24 hours. Here are my first impressions:
- This looks and feels just like the 2018 iPad Pro. Of course, that’s not a bad thing.
- The iPad Pro costs at least $200 more than the regular iPad, and it’s completely worth it.
- The new A12Z Bionic chip really speeds things up, especially when it comes to photo and video editing.
- The screen is perfect, and I have to keep reminding myself that the Liquid Retina display is not an OLED one.
The 2020 iPad Pro has a beautiful screen.
- I wish I had the 2nd generation Apple Pencil. I have the 1st gen Pencil, but it’s not compatible.
- I am thumb typing this right now from the iPad Pro, and it works very well when holding the device up with both hands in portrait mode.
- The four speakers, like they were in the late-2018 model, are fantastic. The soundstage may be slightly wider on this new model. The bass is amazing for a device like this.
- With intense use, I get between 9 and 10 hours of battery life. That is great for a device this powerful, but perhaps some would want a tablet to last longer on a full charge.
- Verizon’s LTE network works very well on the new iPad Pro. Even with WiFi available almost everywhere, having an LTE connection wherever you go is still very helpful — even in 2020.
The battery life on the new iPad Pro is good but not fantastic.
- The 2020 iPad Pro feels very naked without a sleeve, but it’s difficult to find one now that’s available for instant delivery.
- The coating on the screen is thick and strong, but this new tablet still feels like it could use some sort of screen protector.
- Multitasking works very well with iOS 13.4.
- The camera is excellent, even though I don’t see myself using a camera on a tablet much. But if the iPad Pro’s new camera was my main one, it would still be more than satisfactory.
So, I know what you are thinking. Can the iPad Pro 2020 finally replace a laptop? The answer is a little complicated, and it will be revealed this weekend in my full iPad Pro 2020 review.
