Apple iPad Pro 11" M4 Silver 2024

The iPad Pro M4 has the best tablet display we've ever seen and an M4 chip that screams through creative apps. But the GPU is weak, the RAM is stingy, and iPadOS still holds it back from being a true laptop replacement. It's a luxury sketchbook and media machine, not a do-it-all computer.

The M4 chip is a beast for single-core tasks and creative workflows. It rips through video exports and handles massive layered art files like they're nothing. Our database puts the CPU in the 74th percentile overall, which is solid but not chart-topping when you zoom out to include full laptops. The real story is the GPU, which lands in a disappointing 19th percentile. For a device this expensive, that's a weak spot. It's fine for tablet gaming and light 3D work, but don't expect it to hang with a dedicated gaming laptop. The 16GB of RAM is also a bit stingy at this price, sitting in the 39th percentile. It's enough for most iPad workflows, but power users who push dozens of layers or massive Logic Pro projects might feel the ceiling.

Stacked against something like the Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro, the iPad Pro M4 wins on display quality and tablet-specific app polish, but loses hard on OS flexibility and gaming. The Galaxy Book runs full Windows, so it's a real computer that can also be a tablet. The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 and Lenovo Legion Pro 7i are in a different universe for gaming and GPU grunt, making the iPad's 19th percentile GPU score look silly. The MSI Prestige and HP OmniBook X Flip are more direct competitors as premium portables, and they offer full desktop OSes with better multitasking. The iPad Pro is the king of the tablet hill, but it's surrounded by 2-in-1 laptops that are more versatile for less money.

Value is a tricky word here. The hardware is undeniably premium and the display alone is a technical marvel. But we can't ignore that a similarly priced MacBook Pro gives you a more capable OS, better GPU performance, and more RAM. You're paying a serious early-adopter tax for that OLED panel and the impossibly thin design. If your workflow lives entirely within iPadOS and you crave the best screen and pencil experience, it's worth it. For everyone else, it's a lot of money for a device that gets outworked by cheaper laptops in raw performance.

Apple's new iPad Pro M4 is absurdly thin and packs a genuinely stunning OLED display. It's the kind of hardware that makes you stop and stare for a second when you first pick it up. The M4 chip is a monster for tablet tasks, and the new nano-texture glass option is a nice touch if you hate glare. But it's still running iPadOS, which means you're getting a supercar with a governor on the engine. It's the best tablet on the planet that still can't fully replace a laptop for a lot of people.

Look, the hardware here is basically showing off. The Ultra Retina XDR display is the best screen we've ever seen on a tablet, period. Colors pop, blacks are truly black, and it gets bright enough to use outside without squinting. The M4 chip chews through 4K video edits and massive Procreate canvases without breaking a sweat. But that starting price, especially once you add the Magic Keyboard and Pencil Pro, puts it squarely in premium laptop territory. And for that money, some folks will rightfully expect a more desktop-like OS.

Skip this if you need a real gaming machine or a no-compromises laptop. The GPU is a letdown for the price, and iPadOS will frustrate anyone who needs to run desktop-class software or manage complex file structures. If you're a developer, a hardcore gamer, or someone who just wants a single device that does everything, grab a MacBook Pro or a Windows 2-in-1 instead.

Buy this if you're a digital artist, video editor, or student who lives in the Apple ecosystem and wants the absolute best screen and pencil experience in a portable form factor. It's a dream for drawing, note-taking, and media consumption. Just don't buy it expecting it to replace your laptop unless your laptop tasks are very light. Know what you're signing up for with iPadOS.