The vanilla iPad, the last Apple tablet that still used Lightning, switched to USB-C this week. The slate has also taken other steps towards usability, such as placing the front camera on the long side – no one will 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 video editor DaVinci Resolve will be coming to iPad in Q4. Paired with the powerful M2 chip, the new Pro could be the perfect device for editing video in the field.
Where are they? Let’s go around. An Apple iPad Pro 11 (2022) with 128GB starts 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 is probably not practical. You might also want to spend an extra $200 on 5G connectivity (or not – tethering is pretty straightforward). And you almost certainly want a keyboard (touchscreen controls don’t replace keyboard shortcuts when you’re doing serious work). It will be another $300.
Apple iPad Pro (2022) with Apple M2 chipset
If you’re editing short videos that fit in 128GB storage, you’re looking at a $1,100 bill. $1,450 if you opt for the iPad Pro 12.9 (2022) for its larger screen and battery (the larger keyboard costs $50 more). 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 need to opt for the $1,500 512GB model.
We don’t have to tell you that macOS is much better at multitasking and file juggling than iPadOS. Additionally, 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 outside of video editing, Excel on the iPad is sadly buggy. Is there an actual business where iPad Pros are better than a MacBook, or even an Air? Maybe jobs that use the Apple Pencil, but we can’t think of anything else.
So, are you going to buy an iPad Pro (2022), whether it’s the 11″ or 12.9″ model? Or do you prefer to opt for a Mac? Vote below or if it doesn’t work, vote here.
Back to Apple’s iPad (2022), the 10th edition. It uses an older Apple A14 chipset (also used in the iPhone 12 generation in 2020), 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 chip M1.
Well it’s not enough precise – we have already mentioned the best position of the front camera. But there’s also a downside, the iPad’s newfound love of USB-C doesn’t pair 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 tired of the dongles.
Apple iPad (2022), the 10th generation
Either way, it’s not a bad deal for $450, although pricing outside North America is a little less appealing – €580 / ₹45,000. Also, the old iPad (2021) sticks around for $330 / €430 / ₹34,000 as a cheaper alternative (well, the 2021 model costs $330 at launch, so it’s actually the case that the new one is more dear). You lose the USB-C port, some performance and some screen real estate, but the two tablets are quite similar. Finally, you can also have a keyboard with this one, although it costs almost like the tablet itself, $250/€300/₹25,000.
Will you buy an iPad (2022)? Tell us below or vote on this page.
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