If this article is true https://appletrack.org/2021-ipad-pr...&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ReviveOldPost, and I suspect it is - it would amount to a colossal waste of horsepower. Why put a processor on par with M1 in a tablet with only 6GB RAM and a hamstrung operating system? Less than 1% of iPad Pro users barely tax the X12 family. Unless...... you give this thing 8GB of RAM and some real Pro apps (Logic, Final Cut, Xcode)... or go really big and let the iPad Pro dual boot Big Sur (minus touchscreen).
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iPad Pro What the 2021 iPad Pro doesn't need.... a faster processor
- Thread starter bscheffel
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The iPad Pro is worse in single-core performance compared to the cheaper iPad Air 4.
I doubt you would see much difference in real world usage between the two on every applications.
It doesn't exactly look good when iPhone 12 series and iPad Air 4 have newer processors than the flagship iPad Pro. In a similar vein, why would you need A14 performance on the iPhone? Indeed, why bother improving processors when A12 and A13 are likely still overkill for most?
Going by performance difference of A12 vs A12X/Z and A14 vs M1, I don't know why anyone's surprised that the iPad's chipset is on-par with the M1. When I saw A14 and M1 benchmarks, I already knew the next iPad Pros would have close performance to the M1 Macs. Pricing-wise, 12.9" iPad Pro actually costs more than the M1 MacBook Air at same capacity.
Going by performance difference of A12 vs A12X/Z and A14 vs M1, I don't know why anyone's surprised that the iPad's chipset is on-par with the M1. When I saw A14 and M1 benchmarks, I already knew the next iPad Pros would have close performance to the M1 Macs. Pricing-wise, 12.9" iPad Pro actually costs more than the M1 MacBook Air at same capacity.
Part of the purpose of a powerful processor is to future proof your device for the next 5-6 years of software updates.
Exactly, problem is, some people upgrade almost every year, so they don't care about future proofing and wonder why Apple give you so much headroom in terms of power....
Apple, contrary to Android, updates devices for 5-7 years if not more, and that headroom is what makes, for instance, the first and second gen iPad pro, overkill for 2015 and 2017, still pretty snappy, especially the second gen, which is still extremely fast.
For comparison the equivalent Android tablet in 2017 (Tab S3) had the same multi-core performance as the ipad 10.5 single core one... 😅 (and almost 3 times the multi-core) and has stopped at Android 9, while the 10.5 will probably get another 3-4 years of updates
PS having said that, the bottleneck now is not indeed CPU power but RAM, that's why I expect 8Gb for the upcoming pro...
So, Apple should abandon the idea of updating the CPU in its flagship tablet because you came up with that 1% theory above? Sounds like an in depth analysis.
But sure, RAM is always welcome. Looking how much a M1 can achieve with just 8GB just imagine what that hamstrung system will do with 6!
This is true. Problem is to be honest I stopped needed Android updates around Android 7-8. At that point I felt the system was mature enough and whatever they would come up with would not matter super much for me so I am willing to use a device that does not get updated in terms of "new" features as long as it receives regular security updates. iOS/iPadOS is to some extent a different story for me in the sense that there are things that I do not enjoy in iOS (Ridiculous fragmented Settings app, Camera settings not in camera, complex and unintuitive gestures (at this point you can trigger either control center or notifications by mistake when you want the other one) but I also highly doubt that Apple would change the system the way I want it so I am meh on the whole thing. I would prefer if they change their release cycle from a year to year and half and produce more stable versions though because I feel like they release something then they spend 5-6 months to fix the bugs they produced and then they release the new thing again. It seems to me that iOS/iPadOs calls for huge reengineering and overhaul for stability and extensibility.
I tend to agree here. I am not arguing the benchmarks results that we see. Problem is I see those numbers and I am blown away. Then I use the device and I do not feel the same way. Maybe it is because I cannot multitask the way I want due to lack of RAM or maybe because there are not a lot of apps that take advantage of these powerful chips. The thing is that on numbers seems OMG and then it is like - ok great table to take notes with the pencil, maybe for some creators working with Procreate/Lumafusion/Affinity. Overall I cannot come up with a lot of apps that would call for this powerful CPU where I as an end user would feel the difference.
RAM I would feel because even with 4GB RAM I encounter tabs and apps reloads often enough to get annoyed and to not treat the iPad as a serious multitasking machine.
You raise 2 interesting points.
1. Concerning Android, I agree with you for phones, there are not many new features (even if I really like dark mode in Android 10) and apps stay compatible for several years after the last update, but the problem is that manufactures don't keep updating security after they stop updating the OS. Even Samsung, who is probably now the best in this regard, only gives you a 4th year of security updates after 3 OS updates. Personally I am fine with being a couple of years without security. Most people have no idea how security works so they are scared if they know that the security is not up to date, as if a virus could enter their phone out of the blue. But mobile OS are much more closed systems and unless you install some sketchy apps the main way of hacking is via social engineering (passwords, fishing etc.). But again those same people are often vulnerable to social engineering, so it's probably for the best that they are scared....
Concerning tablets however, and Samsung tablets in particular, it's a different story. Since I bought the S7+ this summer, Samsung has been constantly updating it with new features, such as, among many others, the ability to use it as wireless second display... with audio (so basically also as a powerful speaker for a laptop), using wireless dex (I can wireless DeX my phone into my tablet with the press of a button), and just this morning an update gave it scribble capabilities all over the OS... So Samsung tablets are the exception
2. As for the second point, the issue is iPadOS limitations that prevent you from really multitasking, even without considering the lack of fully featured apps. Multitasking is not just split screen, there is much more to it... For me there are 2 main limitations:
- proper external monitor support, which is hopefully coming
- proper file system support, and by this I mean being able to choose which app opens which file, so that you can work entirely from the file app as file explorer / finder, and not send things from app to app etc.
I don't know to which extend Apple can implement this on their own or would need developers to update their apps, but that's a major limitation when it comes to working efficiently...
Yes, exactly! For this I commend Apple because they do provide security updates for phones they no longer updates if vulnerabilities are found.
I see your point and I am like you. Like of course I would choose security updates over no updates but I am less worried for mobile phones when it comes to security compared to my computer for two reasons:
1. I spend less time on my phone than on my computer thus my exposure is less
2. Mobile systems indeed are more closed and thus a bit less vulnerable
I have no Android tablet so I cannot tell you my opinion on Android status re tablets. I trust you on this one.
I agree with this. Indeed for multitasking is not actually split screen. I don't use split screen that much because 11 inch is not enough for me to use with two apps you know. I actually switch between apps often enough and this kind of hits the RAM in a bad way. Also hell yeah on file system and external display support.
If Apple wants to use the iPad to eventually take a bite out of the console market, it definitely needs more Ram, but also a better chip is always good for gaming. I hope the new ones coming soon will have 8 gigs, and then if the new chip is similar to M1, that thing could really game. All there would be to do is to bring triple A games to iPad. Too bad fortnite’s gone for now, because that would have helped.
Maybe you see it upside down.
Apple put the M1 both on a Macbook Air and a Macbook Pro. Why put the same exact chip in a two differently targeted products? Thermal headroom and sustained performance. The Macbook Pro can sustain high performance longer than the Macbook Air.
When comparing the iPad Pro with the M1 Macbook, the Macbook will still win in sustained high performance due to better thermal headroom than the iPad.
So the article is misleading. The iPad Pro can provide similar burst performance as the Macbooks, just like how the Macbook Air can perform as well as the Macbook Pro in short bursts. The key differentiator will be in the sustained performance.
As for why putting such powerful chip inside the iPad Pro? Why not? We already have Pro-level apps like Lumafusion and Adobe apps. Add on AR-related stuff. Just because you don't use such apps, doesn't mean the product improvements are not needed.
pro apps are on the way though from all reports. I'm sure apple has a plan for these high powered processors. also ideal for those who want to keep their iPads for a long time.
My point wasn’t that they should literally stop upgrading the CPU - it was that new hardware upgrades don’t enhance the iPad experience at this point until the OS catches up. What i really want is the ability to dual boot iPad Pro into Big Sur when i need real desktop productivity (I’ll use keyboard and mouse so no touchscreen needed). You can spend over $2000 on an iPad + Magic keyboard and yet it is under powered and as thick/heavy heavy as a Macbook that can power through workflow an iPad cant.
Wikipedia says the iPad Air 2 I’m using came out over 6 years ago. It did really well up until the last 6 months or so. That’s about what I’m hoping for out of the next one. I’ll take every last ounce of power they’ll give me.
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iPads pro (with the exception of the 9.7) will age even better than the air 2
Sorry that’s not my experience with my iPad Pro or any other mobile device from the last few years.
While I’d welcome such a device at least to try it out myself I have my doubts if Apple will do it, and when. But fingers crossed!
Despite having the same 2GB of RAM, the Air 2 is noticeably laggier compared to the Pro 9.7 (and iPad 5th gen for that matter). Only caveat are the app/tab reloads and crashes.
It's about future proofing your device and ensuring performance is never an issue; get some perspective. Give a device the bare minimum in processing power to get by today, and you'll have shoddy performance in 2-3 years, look at most Androids. Furthermore, I would expect the flagship PRO Ipad, which is marketed towards professionals who need a device for productivity, as a potential macbook replacement even, to have a top processor. If you're going to skimp out then do so for the cheap base model.
Indeed. Adobe’s finally coming on board.
But more so when FinalCut Pro is on iOS, sales of iPads will fly off the shelves.