Apple iPad Pro 11" Silver 2024

The M4 iPad Pro is stupid fast with a stunning display and best-in-class storage and connectivity. But the battery life is disappointingly mediocre and the price climbs fast once you add accessories. It's a near-perfect tool for artists and a tough sell for everyone else.

The M4 9-core chip is a monster. It sits in the 94th percentile for tablet CPUs, and the GPU isn't far behind at the 92nd percentile. That means rendering 4K video or layering up massive Procreate files happens with zero lag. The 512GB NVMe SSD is blazing fast and rocks 95th percentile storage performance, which is as good as it gets in a tablet. Connectivity is equally impressive with Wi-Fi 6E and Thunderbolt, landing in the 94th percentile. The 8GB of RAM is solid middle-of-the-pack, but for a Pro device, doubling that would have been nice. The real weak spot is battery, which drags at the 31st percentile. Expect to charge more often than you'd like.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra throws a gorgeous OLED screen and better battery life at you, but its app ecosystem for creative work can't match what iPadOS offers. The Microsoft Surface Pro runs full Windows, making it a true laptop alternative, but its tablet experience feels clunky and its raw GPU muscle lags behind. Then there's the Xiaomi Pad 7 Pro, which is a killer value pick with solid specs but lacks the polished accessory support. The iPad Pro sits at the top for pure tablet performance, but it forces you to trade off battery life and OS flexibility to get there.

At $1200, the iPad Pro M4 is a big investment, and that's before you factor in the keyboard and Pencil. If you're a digital artist or video editor who will actually push that chip, it earns its keep. For everyone else, the iPad Air offers a nearly identical experience with a slightly less insane chip for hundreds less. The premium is only worth it if your workflow demands the absolute best tablet performance on the market.

Apple packed their M4 chip into the thinnest iPad yet. It chews through creative work like a desktop processor, and the 512GB of storage means you won't feel cramped. But the battery life is a noticeable step down from what we expect at this price, and iPadOS still feels more like a big phone OS than a laptop replacement.

For artists and designers, the combination of the M4 and Apple Pencil Pro is basically unrivaled. The Liquid Retina XDR display is crisp and color accurate. Just know that if you need a real multitasking machine or all-day battery, you'll hit some walls.

If battery life is at the top of your list, look at the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra. If you need a real desktop OS for work, the Microsoft Surface Pro is a much better fit. And if your daily use is mostly streaming, reading, and light note-taking, the standard iPad or iPad Air will save you a lot of cash without any real compromise.

This is the tablet for creatives who need the fastest chip and best stylus experience in a portable package. Photographers, illustrators, and video editors will love it. If your days are more about emails, web browsing, and movies, you'll find cheaper tablets that last longer on a charge and feel just as nice.