iPad iPad 10th generation vs M4 iPad Pro 11”?

[jkel777]

I recently bought the 10th generation iPad 64 GB for $334 on sale, but after reading reviews and seeing people gush about the display and performance of the M4 iPad Pro, I’m wondering if I should exchange it for that (I’m still within my return window). It’s also slightly on sale on Amazon at $949 right now for the 256 GB model.

The main reason being that my plan for the iPad is to make it my main device while I’m at home, since it basically performs all the functions of my iPhone anyways. My reasoning for splurging on the iPad Pro is that if I’m using it all the time while I’m at home, on flights, etc., why not get the best display and speakers available? 120 Hz and OLED are the main reasons why I want the iPad Pro, in addition to more RAM, more base storage, and four speakers instead of two. While the iPad 10th generation is great, I’ve noticed it’s a bit lacking with the RAM and 64 GB of storage.

However, my only use cases are browsing, YouTube, iMessage, social media, etc. I don’t plan on getting the Apple Pencil Pro or doing any stuff like that. I would get a keyboard case with trackpad (not the Magic Keyboard) to sort of turn it into a laptop, but that’s about it. That’s the current setup I have with my iPad 10th generation.

Is there any reason for me to upgrade to the iPad Pro for my use case? Is it worth nearly three times the price of the iPad for a better screen, speakers, more RAM, and more storage?

 

[Aka757]

Is there any reason for you to upgrade? Based on your use case, hell no. I know this because your use case is pretty much the same as mine (and the same as the vast, vast majority of iPad users), and the iPad Pro really doesn’t offer much extra for this use case. Along the same lines, it isn’t worth 3x the price of the base model iPad.

That being said, I myself have the 11” M4 even though I will never use the power. For me, ProMotion is a dealbreaker. I find it very difficult to go back to 60hz displays for mobile devices so I have kept the iPad Pro since it was first released.

This will ultimately come down to how important the Pro features are. How much do you care about ProMotion? For me it makes a massive difference, but for others it makes no difference. Yes, the speakers will be better, but how much better is subjective. Same thing with OLED vs LCD. More storage is tough; if you use a lot of storage then it makes the decision a bit more difficult because the price delta decreases.

My recommendations would be as follows:

1) Get the 11” M4 and try it on for size. You have 14 days to decide if you like it or not then you can make a more informed decision and not let the sale go by.
2) You may also want to check out other devices, like a used M1 / M2 iPad Pro or the new M2 iPad Air. The used iPad Pro will be much less than a new one, and really the only compromise you’ll be making is the OLED display. The Air loses some of the Pro features but will still be a big upgrade from the base model iPad.

Of course, this also all comes down to your budget. If you can spring for the 11” M4 without breaking the bank, then by all means do so.

In any case, good luck with your decision! They are all great devices and you’ll be happy regardless.

 

[jkel777]

Is there any reason for you to upgrade? Based on your use case, hell no. I know this because your use case is pretty much the same as mine (and the same as the vast, vast majority of iPad users), and the iPad Pro really doesn’t offer much extra for this use case. Along the same lines, it isn’t worth 3x the price of the base model iPad.

That being said, I myself have the 11” M4 even though I will never use the power. For me, ProMotion is a dealbreaker. I find it very difficult to go back to 60hz displays for mobile devices so I have kept the iPad Pro since it was first released.

This will ultimately come down to how important the Pro features are. How much do you care about ProMotion? For me it makes a massive difference, but for others it makes no difference. Yes, the speakers will be better, but how much better is subjective. Same thing with OLED vs LCD. More storage is tough; if you use a lot of storage then it makes the decision a bit more difficult because the price delta decreases.

My recommendations would be as follows:

1) Get the 11” M4 and try it on for size. You have 14 days to decide if you like it or not then you can make a more informed decision and not let the sale go by.
2) You may also want to check out other devices, like a used M1 / M2 iPad Pro or the new M2 iPad Air. The used iPad Pro will be much less than a new one, and really the only compromise you’ll be making is the OLED display. The Air loses some of the Pro features but will still be a big upgrade from the base model iPad.

Of course, this also all comes down to your budget. If you can spring for the 11” M4 without breaking the bank, then by all means do so.

In any case, good luck with your decision! They are all great devices and you’ll be happy regardless.

Great info, thanks! That’s my exact thinking too. The screen is definitely the deciding factor, especially since I’ll be using it as my main device while at home.

I did consider the iPad Air M2, but didn’t feel the upgrades would be worth the extra $250. If it had a ProMotion display, then yes. I have an iPhone 15 Pro Max so going back to 60 Hz on this iPad is noticeable.

Getting the iPad Pro M4 would be a bit of a budget stretch, but if it’ll last me for years and years, then I can justify it.

 

[ProbablyDylan]

My 2020 Pro lasted me a good 4 years, and I expect my M4 Pro to last as least as long. My use case is a little more intensive than yours - my iPad is my primary computer, the only one I truly use every day and the one I prefer for just about everything. To me, the spend was worth it, even if I don't do any drawing.

I'll give same advice I give for laptop shoppers - buy the 'most' computer you can reasonably afford.

 

[Aka757]

Great info, thanks! That’s my exact thinking too. The screen is definitely the deciding factor, especially since I’ll be using it as my main device while at home.

I did consider the iPad Air M2, but didn’t feel the upgrades would be worth the extra $250. If it had a ProMotion display, then yes. I have an iPhone 15 Pro Max so going back to 60 Hz on this iPad is noticeable.

Getting the iPad Pro M4 would be a bit of a budget stretch, but if it’ll last me for years and years, then I can justify it.

Gotcha. The M4 will definitely last longer than the 10th gen iPad, so that is in the M4's favor. What I'll say is that for me, if I had the base model iPad I'd just be thinking about how I could have a better screen, I wouldn't be thinking about how much money I'd have saved. That justified the purchase in my mind.

 

[jkel777]

My 2020 Pro lasted me a good 4 years, and I expect my M4 Pro to last as least as long. My use case is a little more intensive than yours - my iPad is my primary computer, the only one I truly use every day and the one I prefer for just about everything. To me, the spend was worth it, even if I don't do any drawing.

I'll give same advice I give for laptop shoppers - buy the 'most' computer you can reasonably afford.

Good advice. My use case would be somewhat similar; I don’t have a personal laptop anymore and would be using the iPad as my main computing device. But my laptop use case is pretty similar to what I’d use an iPad for anyways; browsing, YouTube, etc.

Gotcha. The M4 will definitely last longer than the 10th gen iPad, so that is in the M4's favor. What I'll say is that for me, if I had the base model iPad I'd just be thinking about how I could have a better screen, I wouldn't be thinking about how much money I'd have saved. That justified the purchase in my mind.

That’s EXACTLY my thought process right now lol. I can’t help but think how many features I’m missing out on, especially the display. And as I said above, I don’t even have a personal laptop at the moment, and I can use an iPad for any of the stuff that I’d do on a MacBook anyways.