Apple has now upgraded its flagship iPad series, launching a new iPad Pro 11 and iPad Pro 12.9, after the 2018 releases of the devices with the same name. The new products come with the majority of the features and updates one might anticipate, which include a new processor, and some unexpected, such as a LiDAR scanner.
A lot of things, however, stay the same. To help you get a broader picture of how the iPad Pro 2020 lineup differs from the iPad Pro 2018 series, we’ve put together a comparison.
iPad Pro 2020 vs. iPad Pro 2018
Price and Availability
The brand new iPad Pro 11 and iPad Pro 12.9 are already on the shelves, but the 2018 models now are not manufactured anymore, which means that if you want them, you have to find them at a third-party store.
The iPad Pro 11 of this year starts at $799 for the Wi-Fi variant with 128GB of storage and goes up to $1,449 for the model with 1TB of internal storage, Wi-Fi, and version. The product has a 256GB and a 512GB model in between. The iPad Pro 12.9 2020’s price starts at $999 for a 128GB of storage with Wi-Fi and goes up to $1,649 for the 1TB, Wi-Fi, and cellular model.
The 2018 iPad Pro 11 started at $799 for a Wi-Fi variant with 64GB of storage and went up to $1,699 for the 1TB with Wi-Fi and cellular variant. The iPad Pro 12.9 of 2018 started at $999 for a 64GB, Wi-Fi model and went up to $1,899 for the 1TB, Wi-Fi, and cellular version.
Design
Although the design of the new products remains similar to that of the models of 2018, there are lots of things that changed. The metal rectangle case with small bezels stays, and the general sizes are the same on the new models as the 2018 ones.
The weights differ by a tiny bit, but all the devices are available in silver or space grey, and none of them pack a 3.5mm headphone port.
Display
The screen dimensions have not changed, with both ranges featuring 11-inch and 12.9-inch sizes. The resolutions and pixel densities, as well as the core technology, are the same. They all have a 120Hz refresh rate and pack ‘True Tone,’ which automatically changes to white balance based on your surroundings. Moreover, they have 600 nits and a wide color display (P3).
Cameras
The major changes on the iPad Pro 2020 variants were made to the camera section, as Apple has added another rear camera to the new models. While they all feature a 12MP f/1.8 main sensor, the iPad Pro 11 and the iPad Pro 12.9 of this year have another 10MP f/2.4 ultra-wide camera with a 125-degree field-of-view. This additional lens has a 2x optical zoom, and the True Tone flash is also brighter.
The front has also changed a bit. While all four models have a 7MP selfie camera, the iPad Pro 2020 products have gotten a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) scanner, which enhances depth-sensing and improves the Portrait mode and the augmented reality apps.
All four models support 4K video recording, but the 2020 models use ‘studio quality’ microphones, which boosts the audio quality of the recordings.
Specs and Features
A good change in the iPad Pro 2020 models is the chipset, as they both pack an A12Z Bionic processor. Other specs include 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB of internal storage in the new variants of the iPad Pro, and four speakers.
The 2020 products run iPadOS 13.4, which comes with trackpad support. All the models also support the latest Apple Pencil, but the 2020 versions also got the new Magic Keyboard.
Bottom Lines
Although there are a lot of changes in the 2020 iPad Pro models, a plethora of other things remains the same. The designs, screens, and battery life, up to 10 hours, as per Apple, are similar to the previous generation, but the 2020 models pack a newer chipset, have an additional camera lens, and a LiDAR scanner, as well as more internal storage and lower prices.
