New iPad Pro Lacks mmWave 5G and Ultra-Wide Camera

[MacRumors]

While the iPad Pro was updated with the M4 chip and more today, the latest 11-inch and 13-inch models lack two features that are available on some previous models, including mmWave 5G support and an Ultra Wide camera.

Apple's comparison page confirms that cellular configurations of the new iPad Pro models are limited to sub-6GHz bands for 5G. mmWave 5G was supported on the previous two iPad Pro generations, but in the U.S. only and never elsewhere.

Apple has yet to explain why it removed mmWave support from the iPad Pro. mmWave is a set of 5G frequencies that can provide very fast speeds at short distances, which is ideal for dense urban areas. By comparison, sub-6GHz 5G is generally slower than mmWave, but the signals travel further, better serving suburban and rural areas.

The 10-megapixel Ultra Wide rear camera on the last three iPad Pro generations is also absent on the latest models, which only have a 12-megapixel Wide rear camera.

As we previously noted, cellular configurations of the latest iPad Pro and iPad Air models also lack a physical SIM card slot, making them eSIM-only devices.

Article Link: New iPad Pro Lacks mmWave 5G and Ultra-Wide Camera

 

[hch720]

Also has one less microphone vs last gen

 

[FlyGuyDEN]

I have the M2 iPad Pro and cannot recall ever seeing the 5G+ signal come up on it. I regularly use it on my WiFi 6E network at home and when at the airport I work out of there's barely any signal there as it is. I will take the OLED screen as a tradeoff.

 

[Delgibbons]

Tim giveth and taketh away

 

[incidentallycheckout]

This part of making it thinner and keeping the cost "down"?

 

[dbwie]

Most people who would buy the iPad Pro also have an iPhone with an ultra wide camera. I don’t mind a couple of trade-offs to keep the price down for an iPad with an M4 and a nice OLED display. I would use it for scanning documents and it looks like it is well suited to that purpose, and apple even demo this in their presentation.

 

[BornAgainMac]

Well, maybe it was for the best.

 

[SactoGuy18]

The lack of mmWave cellular connectivity--no big loss. Especially with T-Mobile USA using the former Sprint frequencies with real 3GPP NR 5G mode and both AT&T and Verizon now using C-band for 5G.

 

[Rychiar]

This is very lame. I would definitely want he ultra wide for work

 

[ThemePro]

That's a major fail - I'm not going to 'downgrade'

 

[Kylo83]

All to make it thinner they had to remove things

 

[poematik13]

The thin design disease strikes again

 

[louis^]

Lol @ Smart HDR 4. I will stick with my 12.9 6th Gen.

 

[patjem]

I actually just compared these specs and noted it too. And now this article on MR. Coincidence?

 

[shadowboi]

I had two iPads with cellular back in the days. Over the course of ten years I have used cellular to insert my phone sim card only TWO times: it was iPhone 6s and its battery was faulty, it gave up on me when I had to make few calls.

Honestly now I would not consider cellular iPad at all since my new phone has great battery life. Anyway wifi is thousands times better than any cellular can ever be

 

[captainjohnsmith]

Super weird omission on the 5G. I don't really mind the ultrawide going away, it was a pretty dated sensor and I always felt students would be better served with an iPad Pro that could zoom in on whiteboards or other materials. I'm surprised these iPads don't have the 48 MP sensor to allow that.

 

[goobot]

Kinda crazy to remove features, also odd how midnight isn’t on the pros but is on the airs

 

[Futhark]

As nice as an Ultrawide camera would be it was needed previously because of it's positioning on the last model, now that it's centre of the landscape mode it doesn't have to do as much in centre stage I'm assuming

 

[SRLMJ23]

In my area I get 5G+ with AT&T and love using it with my M2 iPad Pro when I am out of the house away from my WiFi, so blazingly fast.

Also love the Ultra-wide Camera but obviously have that with my iPhone 15 Pro Max as well, but still nice to have it right in the M2 iPad Pro, plus the extra microphone.

 

[DTphonehome]

Very weird that the cellular upcharge was $129 back in the OG iPad days and is now $200. It would seem the cost to add that functionality is minimal, maybe $50 for licensing fees. Hell, "Pro" Apple Watches (Stainless and Ultra) include cellular... you'd think the Pro iPads would too.

 

[bscheffel]

Removing the ultra-wide camera on iPad kinda makes sense - of all the use cases for camera on iPad, ultra wide is the least essential to most uses.

 

[t^3]

I wonder why there’s still a black circle in the space for the 2nd camera?

 

[cdsapplefan]

Apple gotta keep their margins so they gotta cut cost somewhere, plus they know everyone not gonna jump up and buy a $1000 iPad when they can just save that money for the iPhone 16 this fall

 

[dominiongamma]

The lack of mmWave cellular connectivity--no big loss. Especially with T-Mobile USA using the former Sprint frequencies with real 3GPP NR 5G mode and both AT&T and Verizon now using C-band for 5G.

Honestly I love Verizon’s MmWave speed, this was a deal breaker for me to get the WiFi version only now

 

[Dionte]

I never take pictures with my iPad so I don’t mind the lack of camera. I hope the 5g doesn’t suffer though. My M1 iPad has a stronger signal than my phone most of the time.