Ultra Retina XDR Display

For years, there have been rumors about Apple switching to OLED displays for the iPad. Finally, it has happened with the Ultra Retina XDR display. Apple, known for its top-notch technology, has introduced Tandem OLED for the new iPad Pro.

Tandem OLED features two stacked organic light-emitting layers. This design allows the screen to be powered with lower input, increasing brightness without the usual OLED degradation. This results in a bright, durable, and long-lasting display.

When compared to the 14.6-inch Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra’s Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel, the 11-inch iPad Pro’s display stands out. The iPad’s screen is brighter and less reflective in SDR mode. In HDR mode, it outshines the competition. 

The iPad Pro’s 11-inch screen has a resolution of 1,668 x 2,420 pixels with a 264 ppi and a 3:2 aspect ratio. It supports HDR10 and Dolby Vision standards, reaching up to 1,000 nits of maximum brightness and 1,600 nits of peak HDR brightness. Additionally, it features a wide color gamut and True Tone enhancements.

 Display Performance

In our tests, the iPad Pro 11’s display showed excellent numbers. It offers 592 nits of maximum manual brightness and 994 nits of automatic brightness. This makes it one of the brightest tablets available. The minimum brightness is just 1 nit, making it comfortable for use in dark environments.

If you purchase the 1TB or 2TB model, you can opt for Nano-Texture display glass for an extra $100. This special glass reduces reflections and maintains color accuracy in various lighting conditions. Although our iPad did not have this glass, tests confirm its effectiveness.

 Refresh Rate

The iPad Pro 11 (2024) has a dynamic refresh rate, adjusting automatically based on content. It can drop to 1Hz for static images and always-on modes, and go up to 120Hz for smooth scrolling. However, embedded content in web pages is rendered at 60fps. High Frame Rate (HFR) games in the App Store can take full advantage of the new GPU’s capabilities.

 Streaming and HDR

The iPad Pro 11 supports HDR10 and Dolby Vision for high-quality streaming. It also has the necessary DRM certifications for services like Netflix and YouTube. Notably, Apple’s HDR video playback is flexible, allowing HDR content to display on only part of the screen, enhancing the viewing experience.

 Battery Life

The iPad Pro 11 (2024) has a 7,606mAh battery, promising up to 10 hours of web browsing or video playback. In our tests, it scored an Active Use Score of 12:37 hours. It can handle over 37 hours of VoIP calls, nearly 10 hours of web browsing, over 15 hours of web streaming, and more than 8 hours of gaming.

 Charging Speed

The iPad Pro 11 (2024) supports 30W fast charging via USB-PD. It comes with a braided USB-C cable, but you’ll need to use your own USB-PD power adapter. Using a 60W Baseus PD charger, we achieved a 20% charge in 15 minutes, 41% in 30 minutes, and 74% in 60 minutes. A full charge took 106 minutes, which is decent for a tablet.

 Speakers – Loudness and Quality

The iPad Pro 11 (2024) has four large speakers, delivering well-balanced and high-quality sound. It scored well in loudness tests and offers excellent audio quality with noticeable bass, clear vocals, and rich high frequencies.

 iPadOS 17.5

The latest iPad Pro runs on iPadOS 17.5. Since 2019, Apple has enhanced iOS for iPad to make it more powerful. The new OS offers advanced multi-tasking, better USB-C accessory compatibility, desktop-like system apps, and expanded support for mouse, keyboard, trackpad, and Apple Pencil. Face ID is also supported.

The interface features home screens with apps and widgets, an App Library for less-used apps, and Notification and Control Centers. Navigation gestures are similar to the iPhone, with additional dock gestures for multi-tasking. The dock allows easy switching between apps and supports ‘Slide Over’ and ‘Split View’ for multi-tasking.

 Performance and Benchmarks

The iPad Pro 11 (2024) is powered by the Apple M4 chip, built on a second-gen 3nm node. The CPU is 1.5 times faster than the M2, and graphics performance can be up to 4 times better. The M4 chip also doubles efficiency, delivering the same performance at half the power.

The 256GB and 512GB models have 9-core CPUs with 8GB RAM, while the 1TB and 2TB models have 10-core CPUs with 16GB RAM. Both versions feature a 10-core GPU with hardware-accelerated ray tracing and a 16-core Neural Engine.

Benchmark tests show the M4 chip is significantly faster than the M2, offering outstanding sustained performance. The tablet maintains 92% CPU and 100% GPU stability without overheating, making it ideal for gamers and professionals.

 Camera

The iPad Pro 11 (2024) has a 12MP rear camera with a 28mm f/1.8 lens and PDAF, plus an LED flash and LiDAR scanner for 3D object scanning. It supports 4K@60 video recording.

The front camera is a 12MP ultra-wide lens with Center Stage support, which keeps you in the frame during video calls. It supports 1080p@30 video recording. 

Photo quality is good but not impressive. The 12MP photos have decent detail and dynamic range but muted colors and an over-processed look. The front camera photos are mediocre, with noise and over-processing.

Video quality follows the same trend: good 4K videos from the rear camera, but the front camera’s 1080p videos are less detailed and over-processed.

 Our Verdict

The Apple iPad Pro 11 (2024) is a powerful, lightweight tablet with a top-tier OLED display, excellent speakers, and long battery life. iPadOS has evolved into a near-desktop operating system, making the iPad Pro a versatile device.

Whether you choose the budget-friendly iPad, the mid-range iPad Air, or the high-end iPad Pro, Apple’s tablets are well-positioned and cater to various needs. With a vast library of optimized apps and advanced features, the iPad remains a top choice in the tablet market.

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