The vanilla iPad, Apple’s last tablet still using Lightning, switched to USB-C this week. The slate also made other strides toward usability, like putting the front-facing camera on the long side — no one’s going to be video conferencing in portrait mode.
Apple also unveiled new iPad Pros with the M2 chipset, putting them on par with the 2022 MacBook Air, one of the most powerful passively cooled machines money can buy. Also starting this week, Blackmagic Design announced that DaVinci Resolve video editor will be coming to the iPad in the fourth quarter. Combined with the powerful M2 chip, the new Pros could be the perfect device for video editing in the field.
Or are they? We’re going shopping. An Apple iPad Pro 11 (2022) with 128GB starting at $800. You might want more storage, so here are the prices: 256GB for $900, 512GB for $1,100, 1TB for $1,500, and 2TB for $1,900. Yes, the USB-C port is fast, but editing video from a card reader probably isn’t practical. You might also want to spend an extra $200 for 5G connectivity (or not, connecting to the network is simple enough). And you’ll almost certainly want a keyboard (touchscreen commands are no substitute for keyboard shortcuts when doing serious work). That will be another $300.
Apple iPad Pro (2022) with Apple M2 chipset
If you’re editing short videos that fit into 128GB of storage, you’re looking at a $1,100 bill. $1,450 if you go for the iPad Pro 12.9 (2022) for its larger screen and battery (the larger keyboard is $50 more expensive). Meanwhile, a MacBook Air M2 (13.6-inch screen, 256GB SSD) will set you back $1,200, albeit with an 8-core GPU. To match the 10-core iPad Pros, you’ll have to go with the $1,500 512GB model.
We don’t have to tell you that macOS is much better at multitasking and juggling files than iPadOS. In addition, the MacBook Air has two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports (plus a separate MagSafe 3 port for charging) and a 3.5mm jack so you can listen to recorded audio without Bluetooth compression.
Even apart from video editing, Excel on the iPad has an infamous bug. Is there an actual professional activity where iPad Pros are better than a MacBook, even an Air? Maybe jobs that make use of the Apple Pencil, but we’re hard-pressed to think of anything else.
So, will you buy an iPad Pro (2022), either the 11″ or 12.9″ model? Or do you prefer to go with a Mac? Vote below or if that doesn’t work, vote here.
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Let’s go back to the Apple iPad (2022), the 10th edition. It uses an older Apple A14 chipset (also used in the 2020 generation iPhone 12), which is a step up from the A13 used in the 2021 model. A succinct way to describe this tablet is an iPad Air (2022) without the M1 chip.
Well, not that enough accurate: we have already mentioned the best position of the front camera. But there’s also a downside, the iPad’s new found love for USB-C doesn’t play well with its original Apple Pencil-only support. You know, the one that needs a Lightning port to charge. Apple includes an adapter to USB-C, but we’re a little sick of dongles.
Apple iPad (2022), the 10th generation
Still, it’s not a bad deal for $450, although the prices outside North America are a little less attractive: €580/₹45,000. Also, the older iPad (2021) remains at $330 / €430 / ₹34,000 as a cheaper alternative (well, the 2021 model cost $330 at launch, so it’s actually the case that the new is more expensive). You lose the USB-C port, some performance, and some screen, but the two tablets are similar enough. Finally, you can get a keyboard with this one too, though it costs almost as much as the tablet, $250 / €300 / ₹25,000.
Will you be buying an iPad (2022)? Tell us below or vote on this page.
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