iPad Pro 2020 vs iPad Pro 2018: is it Worth Updating?

iPad Pro 2018 vs iPad Pro 2020

The 2018 iPad Pro marked a significant leap within the iPad range . With a renewed design and powerful hardware, it positioned itself as a great device that only lacked good software to earn that Pro name on its own merits.

That software came with iPadOS and if you are iPad users you will already know what we mean: possibility of connecting external units, better integration of shortcuts or the option of using an external mouse among many other novelties.

Now, with the launch of the new iPad Pro the question is whether it is really worth updating having this 2018 model. We have already told you that it is not. If you are not interested in augmented reality topics or use apps or games that make use of it, you will not need to change your iPad. Anyway, keep reading and we will argue each of the aspects that you would have to consider if you want to renew.

Those yes, before we talk about design and quickly because there is not much to tell. Physically both generations of iPad Pro are identical. Only the camera is what will allow you to differentiate if it is the third or fourth generation. Because by thickness, dimensions and screen diagonal they are the same product.

The cameras, as we already told you, come in a square package similar to that of the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro. In it you have a double camera and a LiDAR sensor that is specially designed for use with augmented reality applications. This allows you to improve the experience by better measuring the distance between the different objects in a room or place where you are.

All in all, the only physical difference is in weight. It is minimal, although it could be an indicator of possible improvements that they had made in order to give it greater resistance against the bending problems they suffered. But hey, that is something that will be seen with the product on the market. Now, let’s talk about its interior.

iPad Pro: CPU, RAM and Storage

A short time ago, the possibility of Apple introducing a new Apple A14 Bionic processor was discussed. This would represent a significant leap in terms of performance and power, but it has not been the case. The CPU that accompanies these new iPad Pro is the Apple A12Z with the same M12 coprocessor .

The A12Z Bionic chip offers eight cores and according to Apple improves performance on tasks with 4K video, 3D modeling and, logically, on augmented reality tasks. But beyond that, Apple makes no reference to how it improves on the Apple A12X that we had in the third-generation iPad Pro. They do indicate that this new CPU places your tablet as a more powerful device than many computers on the market. But that is not surprising, because the previous iPad Pro was already a better computer than many PCs on the market and even some Macs.

Something similar happens with RAM and storage, although here there are some details to qualify. First of all, Apple finally eliminates the 64 storage model and the options are 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB and 1 TB . As for RAM, all models have 6 GB of RAM instead of the 4 GB that all the previous ones had, except for the model with 1 TB of storage that did have 6 GB of RAM.

Therefore, even if there is a processor change, the difference that you will find in the execution of the tasks that you have already been performing on your 2018 iPad Pro will be minimal. The increase in RAM will give a little more ease in the face of the execution of several apps, but do not look for an abysmal jump in performance issues because there will not be.

Same Liquid Retina display

The Liquid Retina screen of the 2020 iPad Pro is the same as that of the 2018 model. Identical in screen diagonals, resolution and other technologies that have positioned it as one of the best on the market.

That is, we have 11 and 12.9 inches with resolutions of 2388 x 1668 pixels and 2732 x 2048 pixels respectively. All of them with a pixel density of 264, 600 nits of maximum brightness and other advantages such as True Tone, support for DCI-P3 color space and ProMotion. So, as we already pointed out, another reason less to justify a change of model.

Battery

The data provided by Apple on its website indicate that the autonomy of both generations is identical. Using Wi-Fi connectivity, about 10 hours of use are achieved consuming information on the internet, playing music and video. In the case of using cellular / LTE connectivity, they would arrive until 9 hours.

Cameras

In the camera is where there are clearly visible news. The new 2020 iPad Pro integrates an encapsulation reminiscent of that of the iPhone 11 and offers a dual sensor plus a LiDAR scanner . In this way, you go from having a single 12MP angular sensor to two. The former with the same 12MP resolution and focal length, and the latter with 10MP resolution and ultra-wide angle slow motion.

Although the most differential is the included LiDAR scanner that improves the use of augmented reality applications by providing more reliable information on the depth of field and distance between objects. But if you are one of those who has hardly used the camera on their current iPad, all these news will not bring you any real benefit.

Reasons to update or not your iPad Pro

Are the new iPad Pro worth it? Yes, they are very capable devices thanks to the latest version of the system and have more than proven power for a good number of daily tasks and other demanding ones, such as video editing. But the question is not whether buying it is interesting or not, the question is whether it is worth updating with the 2018 model .

The answer is no, because the differences in performance level are going to be very small. The only great incentive is that the topic of augmented reality is interesting to you, but beyond educational, professional or taking advantage of certain games it is not something that still has a lot of pull.

Therefore, although having two cameras and being able to take advantage of functions such as the views on the iPhone, which allow the recording of two cameras simultaneously through Filmic Pro-type applications, we do not believe that it is worth updating even by the camera. In addition, it will be necessary to see how it performs, but it could be very similar to what was seen on the iPhone 11, where in good light it is interesting, but with little noise and overall quality it falls noticeably.

So, with all this and knowing that the great attraction of this iPad Pro is the new keyboard cover with trackpad along with the improvement in the use of an external mouse or trackpad, our advice is not to update. Because the cover can also be used on your current iPad Pro from 2018. And the mouse and trackpad support will reach all iPads that can update to version 13.4 of the system.

After the time between renovation and renovation an extra was expected and has not arrived. It is true that it is not so easy to improve these types of products and we are also seeing it with smartphones, they have reached a point of maturity that beyond the software and some novelty in their cameras do not leave room for much more.

Anyway, when we analyze them we will already tell you in detail everything you should keep in mind if you consider your purchase. For now, if you are an iPad user, stay tuned for March 24 when the new version of iPadOS arrives.