iPad Pro 11” iPad Pro M4 2 TB Standard display Day 2 thoughts

[DougFNJ]

Seeing tons of 13” reviews and impressions. I wanted to share my experience day 2 of ownership with my 11”.

First of all, I’m coming from the 11 inch M1. The M2 was probably the only generation I skipped since the 1st generation. my thought was I’d sell my M1 to Gazelle, they give 30 days to send it in and sell the other accessories on eBay. Gives me time to work with it, and see if the differences were enough to make the change, or keep what I have.

I chose the 2 TB because I have a LOT of music, photos, videos, and I plan to use Final Cut and prefer the data on board when I’m mobile. I also purchased the Pencil, Magic Keyboard, and Portfolio case, I use the portfolio when walking around and the keyboard when I’m typing a lot, they interchange well. I just wish Apple kept the keyboard portfolio option. That’s what I used on the M1, and it was great.

I picked it up at the store yesterday. Removing it from the box, the weight and thinness were the first thing that impressed me. M1 is thin, eyeballing it, the M4 looks like it’s 3/4 the thickness of the M1.

I went through the setup. I backup and restore the full device using my MacBook and Thunderbolt cable to make it straight forward and faster, and I have to say, this was the fastest restore I’ve seen on a device. Almost a TB of data in less than an hour.

When I was able to turn it on and use it, I saw the difference in displays immediately. Everything is so crisp. Those black levels make everything pop. The details in my photos and videos really stand out. Text is so clear. Some threads discussed a graininess in some lighting, I attempted to reproduce, and it’s either my eyes, my threshold of what I see, or it isn’t there, I’m not seeing that at all.

The camera placement will be handy for Facetimes and Zoom calls. I don’t know if it’s the curve, the matching color, or the camera downgrade, but the camera bump doesn’t seem as obtrusive as the M1. It easily flattens with the portfolio case, but the less bump, the better for me.

Part of my job is measuring some rooms, and drawing up placements of items used to utilize the space in those rooms. I primarily use Goodnotes for this, and that’s where I’m walking around using the iPad. The squeeze feature on the Apple Pencil Pro is so much better than double tap which I accidentally engaged often. The squeeze is a lot more straight forward. The scan is also so valuable, I’m regularly working with paperwork, and iPads have always gotten me as paperless as possible. The updates on the Keyboard were also a welcome upgrade. A little lighter is always better, I like that it color matches the iPad, and the typing experience feels like I’m working on my MacBook.

Many call the iPad a consumption device, and there is plenty there for entertainment. For me, it’s always been a valuable tool that removed a lot of paperwork, and notebooks, and has made my work so much more efficient. My MacBook Pro is for the major work, my iPad makes my computing very manageable and mobile.

So far, I’m enjoying the M4 a lot. I will likely have the M1 erased, restored, and in the Gazelle shipping box ready to go, and if this experience stays consistent, will likely ship it next week.

I hope this contributes to someone on the fence with a decision to be made.

 

[klasma]

M1 is thin, eyeballing it, the M4 looks like it’s 3/4 the thickness of the M1.

It’s really 88.5% (5.268 vs. 5.953 mm), excluding the camera bump.

the camera bump doesn’t seem as obtrusive as the M1.

It actually got minimally thicker (1.95 vs. 1.91 mm).

(Source: https://developer.apple.com/accessories/Accessory-Design-Guidelines.pdf)

 

[DougFNJ]

It’s really 88.5% (5.268 vs. 5.953 mm), excluding the camera bump.


It actually got minimally thicker (1.95 vs. 1.91 mm).

(Source: https://developer.apple.com/accessories/Accessory-Design-Guidelines.pdf)

Appreciate the actual numbers. The design left the impression when eyeballing it that feels like a smaller bump and thinner. To me, the device is a home run.

 

[Surfsalot]

Thanks, been waiting for a 11" thread.
My base model and keyboard arrives today.

 

[Devyn89]

I’ve been rocking my new 11” all day at work and man I forgot how good the smaller iPad size really is. Blown away by this thing.

 

[ProbablyDylan]

I picked up a 1TB 11" (peasant glass) and love it. I'm surprised the "reviewers" online didn't go on more about how good the new MKB is! Really feels night and day different compared to the old model.

The screen is incredible, too. Though I did notice a slight green cast in black areas of the screen in bright sunlight, but that just seems to be a trait of OLED.

 

[Nrwrit3r]

Thanks for sharing! Do you think it’s a lot easier to read smaller text on the OLED? Just curious!

 

[Aka757]

Count me in on the fan club of the 11” M4. I got both the 13” and 11” to try out after using the M1 12.9”, and am heavily leaning towards keeping the 11”. The size is so nice and portable, and I feel like it’s still plenty big enough to do everything that would give more screen real estate on the 13”. Works really well with the Magic Keyboard as well!

 

[DougFNJ]

Thanks for sharing! Do you think it’s a lot easier to read smaller text on the OLED? Just curious!

Definitely a little easier on high res text, it’s so crisp! The deep blacks help make that difference.

Glad to see others are enjoying theirs as well! This is like having the 12” MacBook and being able to remove the display. Just can’t beat the portability.

One other note, so far I am seeing improved battery compared to the M1 which is impressive as it usually eats battery while indexing. Usually by mid noon I’d be down below 50% on the M1. Still in the 70’s on M4.

 

[Surfsalot]

I am struggling a bit with the keyboard, 11” seems small with it but the perfect size/weight in hand without it, a lot of my use is on couch or bed so holding it.
Might return the keyboard for the folio which I have been using for years, never use a keyboard.
Maybe it’s better with the 13”.

 

[Surfsalot]

Thanks for sharing! Do you think it’s a lot easier to read smaller text on the OLED? Just curious!

Yes I do, I have gone down a size in settings and safari v my M1.

 

[DougFNJ]

I am struggling a bit with the keyboard, 11” seems small with it but the perfect size/weight in hand without it, a lot of my use is on couch or bed so holding it.
Might return the keyboard for the folio which I have been using for years, never use a keyboard.
Maybe it’s better with the 13”.

I’m definitely finding the keyboard much improved from the last version. I have no issues typing on it, but it’s only usable on a desk or lap. If they could had made it to fold flat, or put magnets to secure the iPad to the front or back somehow so we could use it in tablet mode while walking, it would had been perfect.

 

[DougFNJ]

One other thing I forgot to mention. I strongly considered the Nano texture. Initial hands on videos were not complimentary to that screen, particularly when they showed them at angles. The main reason I was comfortable with the standard display is I find on my iPhone very little glare and fingerprints don’t really affect it while on in any lighting. I think the increased brightness helps that. I’ll get a better idea when the sun finally comes back out in NJ.

 

[ZombiePete]

One other thing I forgot to mention. I strongly considered the Nano texture. Initial hands on videos were not complimentary to that screen, particularly when they showed them at angles. The main reason I was comfortable with the standard display is I find on my iPhone very little glare and fingerprints don’t really affect it while on in any lighting. I think the increased brightness helps that. I’ll get a better idea when the sun finally comes back out in NJ.

At the end of the day, you can get a textured screen protector if you decide you want one; there are even removable/reusable textured screen protectors that get good reviews. I’d much rather do something like that than have my screen permanently textured.

 

[thirteen1031]

Love the new iPad Pro and Keyboard...but there's One Keyboard issue....

Let me start with the good: I am loving my new iPad Pro 11". Lighter (always a plus as I haul mine around everywhere), thinner, and, honestly, simply *beautiful!* When I first took it out of the box, I just gazed at it in admiration. The jump from my M1 iPad is, of course, impressive in speed, in screen brightness and crispness. It's just lovely.

As to the keyboard...I actually love it, too. I type a lot. A lot, a lot. And maybe it's just that my old Magic Keyboard was old and tired, but the keys are really bouncing on this new one and my typing is faster and more effortless and more accurate. But I agree that this 11" keyboard won't work if you have large hands. I have small hands and, like the goldilocks metaphor from one of the other iPad threads, this keyboard is just right for me.

And now on to the issue: ironically enough, it's an old one from days of yore. The lock key above the delete key. If I'm typing quickly, I end up hitting it instead of delete. The screen goes black and I have to swipe up to get back to my writing. If you search, you can find old posts on Apple's own forums about this issue on old iPad and Mac keyboards.

I'm guessing there's no way, yet, to disable that lock key. I hope they arrange for one soon so those of us who type a lot can avoid this issue.

 

[Surfsalot]

Love the new iPad Pro and Keyboard...but there's One Keyboard issue....

Let me start with the good: I am loving my new iPad Pro 11". Lighter (always a plus as I haul mine around everywhere), thinner, and, honestly, simply *beautiful!* When I first took it out of the box, I just gazed at it in admiration. The jump from my M1 iPad is, of course, impressive in speed, in screen brightness and crispness. It's just lovely.

As to the keyboard...I actually love it, too. I type a lot. A lot, a lot. And maybe it's just that my old Magic Keyboard was old and tired, but the keys are really bouncing on this new one and my typing is faster and more effortless and more accurate. But I agree that this 11" keyboard won't work if you have large hands. I have small hands and, like the goldilocks metaphor from one of the other iPad threads, this keyboard is just right for me.

And now on to the issue: ironically enough, it's an old one from days of yore. The lock key above the delete key. If I'm typing quickly, I end up hitting it instead of delete. The screen goes black and I have to swipe up to get back to my writing. If you search, you can find old posts on Apple's own forums about this issue on old iPad and Mac keyboards.

I'm guessing there's no way, yet, to disable that lock key. I hope they arrange for one soon so those of us who type a lot can avoid this issue.

Just double tap the space bar

 

[ssledoux]

Got mine Wednesday, and I’m loving it! So glad I went with cellular again too since our power went out last night from storms, and my husband didn’t feel like plugging in the generator before he went to bed. It was nice to still be able to use my device without having to burn up all my iPhone battery.

 

[DougFNJ]

Love the new iPad Pro and Keyboard...but there's One Keyboard issue....

Let me start with the good: I am loving my new iPad Pro 11". Lighter (always a plus as I haul mine around everywhere), thinner, and, honestly, simply *beautiful!* When I first took it out of the box, I just gazed at it in admiration. The jump from my M1 iPad is, of course, impressive in speed, in screen brightness and crispness. It's just lovely.

As to the keyboard...I actually love it, too. I type a lot. A lot, a lot. And maybe it's just that my old Magic Keyboard was old and tired, but the keys are really bouncing on this new one and my typing is faster and more effortless and more accurate. But I agree that this 11" keyboard won't work if you have large hands. I have small hands and, like the goldilocks metaphor from one of the other iPad threads, this keyboard is just right for me.

And now on to the issue: ironically enough, it's an old one from days of yore. The lock key above the delete key. If I'm typing quickly, I end up hitting it instead of delete. The screen goes black and I have to swipe up to get back to my writing. If you search, you can find old posts on Apple's own forums about this issue on old iPad and Mac keyboards.

I'm guessing there's no way, yet, to disable that lock key. I hope they arrange for one soon so those of us who type a lot can avoid this issue.

Great writeup! I have sausage fingers and have no issues typing. These keys are big enough. I’m also a touch type, so that probably helps my cause.

@zombiepete, I thought about getting one of those matte screen protectors, and maybe down the line I will, but I’m loving this display too much to put something over it that could wash it out.

 

[KUKitch]

I went from a 12.9 Pro back to a 6th gen Mini when I got my 14” MBP, and that lasted about a year - it was fine, but I eventually had to agree with my wife that the 11 (which I’d also had in a previous generation) Pro was the ideal size for me/our use. We upgraded her 11 Pro when I got my Mini a year ago, so she had her old 11 Pro - I used that after selling my Mini and it was generally still good, though the display seemed to have frequent phantom touches (particularly noticeable in Youtube) and the battery life was terrible.

Moving back to the new 11“ w/Magic Keyboard is perfect. I haven’t even noticed that it’s small (compared to my MBP or my old Magic Keyboard for the 12.9), which was a surprise given that I’d read others’ comments of at least a small adjustment period. It feels almost identical, apart from some keys certainly being shrunk to fit the space.

 

[thirteen1031]

Just double tap the space bar

Thank you so much! That's a really valuable tip. I still want to disable the key entirely, but at least this way I can get back to writing from the keyboard.

 

[Surfsalot]

Thank you so much! That's a really valuable tip. I still want to disable the key entirely, but at least this way I can get back to writing from the keyboard.

it's how to unlock it too fast