Product Reviews: 2020 iPad Pro Review

2020 12.9” iPad Pro 4th Generation

4.5

Portability

4.5/5

Battery life

4.8/5

Picture quality

4.5/5

Video

4.0/5

Sound quality

4.8/5

Pros

  • Lightweight and easy to store in a briefcase or purse. Perfect for people on the go
  • 10 hour battery-life
  • Will connect to a TV monitor wirelessly with Apple TV or with an AV to USB-C  adaptor
  • Photo shop, Adobe and Procreate will run on the iPad
  • Easy navigation with the touch screen

Cons

  • Hand gestures are hard to master
  • The included 4 ft. cord may not be long enough to plug in outside
  • Camera lenses are not protected and may scratch if the iPad is placed on a surface
  • Not compatible with Type A USB connectors
  • Certain software and apps may not be compatible

Is the 2020 iPad Pro 12.9-inch 4th Generation Worth Buying?

In this article, we are going to review the iPad pro-2020 covering the pros and cons, the different models, and how the iPad can help artists.  Even if you are not an artist, the new 2020 iPad Pro has plenty of other features for students, writers, architects, entrepreneur and teachers.

This information should help determine whether or not the iPad Pro is for you.

Why Should Artists Buy the iPad Pro?

Procreate is a powerful drawing and illustrating app that is loaded with tons of features and tools for  digital art. And to date, Procreate can only be used on the iPad pro.

Most professional artists, illustrators, and cartoonists use Procreate to draw realistic landscapes, format coloring books and produce digital art for magazines and other publications.

Procreate converts the iPad into a digital Canvas

Here are some professional artists that use Procreate

  • Eric Merced Cartoonist, Marvel, and DC
  • Jorge Colombo, illustrator for the New Yorker Magazine
  • Mike Henry Zatransis – designer and illustrator for Gaming World
  • Kyle Lambert and the L.A. movie industry
  • and BeeJay Del, cartoonist, author and illustrator, etc.

The Augmented Reality (AR) feature makes Interior designing a snap!

If you are an interior decorator, or a DIYourselfer, the iPad’s Pro Lidar system uses lasers to measure every square inch of a room even around corners. Which is great for estimating materials needed for remodeling projects.

 

With FREE downloadable apps, you can design landscapes,  remodel rooms, see how furniture will look in a room before purchasing it.

 

You can also plan your outdoor flower box with the iScape app.

The iPad is also compatible with MS office 365 and comes loaded with familiar Apps like

  • iCal,
  • Email,
  • Reminders,
  • Google Maps
  • Notes etc.

Plus there are plenty of FREE Apps in the apple store which makes the iPad a perfect companion to any computer.

 

The iPad has a Split Personality

Here’s the split screen being used to view a web page and a document in MS word.

The split screen makes it easy to multi-task on one screen. You can edit documents on one side and the surf the net on the other. No more closing down one app and opening up another. It’s like having two monitors in one.

 Which Ipad Pro to buy?

 There are only two things to consider when deciding to purchase the iPad Pro:

Storage capacity and screen size.

128 GB of storage should be sufficient for most projects and  you can back up work to the cloud or some other web based storage service. iCloud storage accounts start as low as $0.99/month for 50 GB of storage.

The screen size is a matter of perference. Most digital artists go with the 12.9” version which gives more room to draw. When it comes to which size is better it doesn’t really matter.  If you feel the extra one inch is worth the extra money then go ahead and get it.  Keep in mind the actual working space is measured on the diagonal. Therefore, the working space is a little smaller than the actual size of the screen.

Check out the specs below.

The iPad won’t take up much room on a tabletop or desk either which makes it easy to work with on the go. The built-in 28.65-watt-hour rechargeable lithium-polymer battery will provide up to 10 hours of power.

iPad 2020 inside Apple’s Magic Keyboard with the Apple pencil mounted on top

Specs for the 11 inch and 12.9 inch  iPad Pro

Finish: Silver, or space grey

Capacity:

  • 128GB
  •  256 GB
  •  512 GB
  •  1 TB

Size and Weight:

 

 

 

iPad Pro-11inch  9.74 inches long and 7.02 inches wide

1.40 lbs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

iPad Pro-12.9inch

11.04 inches long and 8.46 inches wide

1.41 lbs

 

 

 

Buttons and connectors

  • Microphone
  • 4 speakers
  • Top button
  • Volume buttons
  • Magnetic connector across the top
  • USB-C connector

In the box

Comes with:

  • iPad Pro
  • USB-C Charging cable (1 meter )
  • 18W USB-C Power Adapter

Display

  • 11” diagonal LED back lit liquid retina display
  • Multi-touch display with IPS technology
  • 2388 by 1668 pixel resolution at 264 pixels per inch (ppi)
  • Wide color display (P3)True tone display
  • Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating
  • Antireflective coating
  • 1.8% reflectivity
  • 600 nits brightness
  • Pro motion technology

Chip

  • A12Z Bionic chip with 64 bit architecture
  • Neural engine
  • Embedded M12 coprocessor
  • 6GB of RAM (The procreate drawing App can take full-advantage of the memory)

Front Camera

7MP True Depth front camera with Portrait Mode, Portrait Lighting, and Smart HDR

Camera

  • Wide: 12MP, f/1.8 aperture.       
  • Ultra-wide: 10MP, f/2.4

 

 Sensors

  • Face ID
  • LiDAR Scanner
  • Three-axis gyro
  • Accelerometer
  • Barometer
  • Ambient light sensor

 Power and Battery

  • 11 inch Built-in 28.65-watt hour rechargeable lithium battery
  • 12.9 inch Built-in 36.71 watt hour rechargeable lithium polymer battery

My thoughts

Overall the iPad Pro is a nice high-tech gadget and a must-have if you are a digital artist. Just like any other device, there is a bit of a learning curve if you are not familiar with touch-screen technology. I find the touch screen cumbersome at times. But, the split-screen feature is the reason why I love using the iPad. It’s great for multi-tasking.

The video and the speakers will rival any high end home theater equipment. The 12.9 inch model has a resolution of 2732 x 2048 pixels per inch. The iPad Pro 11 inch has a resolution of 2388 x 1668.

They both support P3 color range which enable richer reds and vibrant greens. The anti-reflective coating has been applied to the iPad Pro display, to hide reflections and glare across the screen.  You can play movies, read books and listen to music on the go in full HDR format.

The AR feature allows pictures of objects to be placed in a room.  Imagine seeing how a piece of furniture will look in your home before you purchase.  No more guessing if something will match the colors and decor of your home. With the Ikea app, the item will be accurately rendered inside your house.

I found some of the drawbacks mildly disappointing but not deal breakers. The formatting in MS Word is different along with Powerpoint and Excel but, I can still write, edit documents, and make slide show presentations. However,  for the money I was expecting a seamless transition.  For example, the FULL version of Scrivener will not run on mobile devices such as the iPad.

Bottom line:

Strengths:

The iPad Pro along with Procreate is a welcome addition to any budding digital artist.

The FREE apps, size, and weight make the iPad Pro worth purchasing if you are on the go.

The iPad connects to a TV monitor with an adaptor, or wirelessly with subscription services like Apple TV. Be sure to check with the TV manufacturer for the proper cables. It also syncs up with other Apple devices without a problem.

Weaknesses:

The iPad Pro is a mobile device, not a computer and will not respond like a computer.  Let me repeat the iPad is not a computer.

Certain Apps and software may not run at all.  Be sure to check with the software developer for compatibility. For example, MS Office is compatible but runs differently on the iPad.

The power cord is 4 meters long and may not be long enough to plug outside in a restaurant or library. The cameras on the back are not protected and may scratch when placed on a table or desk.

If you are transitioning from a windows based computer, MS Office will look different on the iPad or other Apple products.

Do some research. You may be able to purchase the 2018 version for less money. According to most users, there isn’t much of a difference between the two models.

Would I recommend it to a friend?

Yes,  the iPad’s size and weight makes it the ultimate portable device. If you are an artist, the Procreate app is the reason to purchase the iPad Pro.  The FREE downloadable apps make the iPad a versatile tool for many DIY projects.

It is pricey no doubt, but if you can afford it you won’t be disappointed. The price ranges from $800 – $1200 depending on the size and storage capacity. Research later models for a better price. Amazon may have a Renewed model for a reduced price.

If you found this article helpful please let me know in the comments below.

Thanks for reading and here’s to good drawing.

Where To Purchase

  • Best Buy
  • Amazon
  • Walmart
  • Online
  • Apple Store

 

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Future articles

The 5 Best Accessories to have for the iPad Pro

5 thoughts on “Product Reviews: 2020 iPad Pro Review”

  1. Hey there! 

    have always been a huge fan of drawing, but honestly talking about the iPad the Procreate is a powerful drawing and illustrating app that is loaded with tons of features and tools for  digital art.  And it can only be used on the iPad Pro. Just because the particular iPad is built for this, if you want to go full time into drawing, you can buy this gadget 

    Reply
    • I’m a new user to the iPad Pro and still learning the hand gestures and getting used to the touch screen. I started drawing a year ago and haven’t stopped. So I thought I should learn about digital art and include some gadget reviews on my site. Thanks for the comment. 

      Reply
  2. My wife has an iPAD Pro but I don’t know which version it is, probably 11. She uses it as a computer which we are aware it will have limitations. But it good enough for her with the keyboard. I think one point to share is that MS Word or PPT documents that were created in Windows will look different when opening in Apple side. That is probably the only thing that bothers, else iPad Pro is fantastic to have, and especially useful for artist it seems.

    Reply
    •  I haven’t used a windows based computer in a long time and not familiar with the format or how it looks on a Mac. I’ll be sure to include the difference in my discussion. Thanks for pointing that out!

      Reply
  3. I do not iOS so much but trust me I think that for a person who into drawing like this is truly best and that is what this post is all about. I would myself recommend this  product to anyone who wants to draw or learn how to. The software that apple has on this iPad are all so awesome.

    Reply

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