Apple iPad Pro 2024 gets major upgrade with new M4 chip leapfrogging the M3

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Apple iPad Pro 2024 gets major upgrade with new M4 chip leapfrogging the M3
Apple made its fans happy today during its live event, with the announcement of the latest iPad Pro, which is packed with some serious upgrades that push the tablet further into prosumer territory. Beyond sporting a refreshed design and an OLED display for the first time, one of the biggest changes this year include a powerful new chip.

Apple raised the bar with the announcement of its custom M4 chip, leapfrogging past the M3 found in the current MacBooks. The M4 has a new CPU with up to 10 cores, which Apple says delivers up to 1.5 times faster performance than the M2 chip in the previous iPad Pro. This extra power means tasks like editing complex music files or applying effects to 4K video will be smoother than ever.

The M4 is built on a 3-nanometer process that offers a boost in processing speed and significantly enhances AI capabilities — all without sacrificing battery life. It also includes a new display engine that powers the iPad Pro's new Ultra Retina XDR display.

The upgraded GPU also adds new capabilities like hardware-accelerated ray tracing, which should be great news for game developers wanting to bring more realistic graphics to the iPad Pro. However, with Apple claiming this chip contains "the most powerful Neural Engine chip the company has ever built," we of course have to highlight how the AI will be the area where the M4 will really shine. This could be a game-changer for creatives wanting to tackle tasks like isolating objects in videos, transcribing music, or running other AI-powered features.

Source: Apple

Apple also highlights the M4's incredible power efficiency, as it is said to deliver better performance while using just half of the power of its predecessor. The M4 also includes a powerful media engine that provides more efficient video streaming with support for popular formats, including the high-quality AV1 codec. And let's not forget that all this extra power is packed into the new slimmer and lighter design.

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All of this means the new iPad Pro will be a powerful device for creative professionals and those who use their tablets for demanding tasks. However, all of these advancements come with a slightly increased cost. The 11-inch model starts at $999, while the 13-inch version starts at $1,299. While more expensive, the price increase is relatively modest considering the extent of the upgrades. We'll need to go hands-on with the new iPad Pro to determine if the higher price tag is justified.

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