Apple in April 2021 refreshed its iPad Pro lineup, introducing a faster M1 chip from the Mac, a Liquid Retina XDR display on the 12.9-inch model, 5G connectivity, a Thunderbolt port, and more.
When it comes to design, the iPad Pro is unchanged, available in 11 and 12.9-inch sizes with an all-screen design and an edge-to-edge display that does not include a Home button. Like the 2018 and 2020 iPad Pro models, the 2021 iPad Pro features a TrueDepth camera system with Face ID that uses facial recognition for biometric authentication, but it now features an upgraded 12-megapixel front-facing camera for selfies.
Both of the iPad Pro models feature an aluminum chassis in Silver or Space Gray with flat, rounded edges that wrap around the Liquid Retina display.
The 12.9-inch model features a new Liquid Retina XDR mini-LED display, bringing extreme dynamic range to the iPad Pro for the first time. The Liquid Retina XDR uses more than 10,000 LEDs across the entire back of the display and can deliver up to 1,000 nits of full-screen brightness, 1,600 nits of peak brightness, a 1 million-to-1 contrast ratio, and true-to-life HDR to enhance creative workflows for a “stunning” visual experience.
On the 11-inch model, the Liquid Retina display is unchanged from the 2020 model, featuring wide color support, True Tone for adjusting to ambient light, an anti-reflective coating, and ProMotion 120Hz refresh capabilities.
The rear camera system remains the same with two cameras, including a 12-megapixel wide-angle camera and a 10-megapixel ultra wide-angle camera that can zoom out two times for a wider field of view, as well as a LiDAR Scanner for AR experiences.
The 2021 iPad Pro’s front-facing TrueDepth camera gains Center Stage to follow a user around a room during video calls, extended dynamic range for video up to 30 fps, and a brighter True Tone flash.
Inside, the 2021 iPad Pro is equipped with an M1 chip with the next-generation Neural Engine, featuring an 8-core CPU and an 8-core GPU. The M1 chip in the iPad Pro delivers up to 50 percent faster CPU performance than the previous A12Z Bionic. The 8-core GPU similarly delivers up to 40 percent faster GPU performance.
Through the M1 chip, the iPad Pro now comes with up to 16GB of RAM and up to 2TB of storage, just like Macs with the M1 chip.
The 2021 iPad Pro features a Thunderbolt port for the first time, allowing for much faster data transfer and support for Thunderbolt peripherals.
With the M1 chip, the 2021 iPad Pro models continue to feature an all-day battery life on a single charge. Other iPad Pro features include WiFi 6 support, Gigabit-class LTE for cellular models, and storage options ranging from 128GB to 2TB.
The 2021 iPad Pro works with the second-generation Apple Pencil that attaches to the iPad magnetically and charges from a direct physical connection, and the Magic Keyboard for iPad. Apple has also launched a new white color option for the Magic Keyboard alongside the 2021 iPad Pros, but be aware that the 2020 Magic Keyboard for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro does not fit the 2021 model perfectly.
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