iPad iPad 12.9 M1 owners upgrading to 13 M4?

[Adamj53]

I took a while debating, but I upgraded my 12.9 M1 to a 11 M4 and I couldn’t be happier with my choice. The screen is epic.

 

[smooth0906]

I traded my 12.9 M1 I had since brand new. I traded it in for the M4 13 inch today Same config as my M1, 256 Gig. I went to the Apple store Monday and tried them out on display. I watched a couple of HDR You Tube trailers and the colors are very vibrant. The blacks were unbelievable. I bought it today and am enjoying it home in my lighting conditions.

 

[Rainshadow]

I don’t know if I should go from the M1 12.9” to M4 11” iPad Pro?

This is the toughest thing for me. The weight and screen are huge and I WANT to upgrade. But the price for the 12.9 is a lot - even after selling my m1 12.9. So expensive for what it is right now.

But… I’ve always felt the 13 is just a bit unwieldy. Sometimes I LOVE it. But most of the time, I find it heavy, not portable, and obscene to pull out in public.

On the other hand, I like drawing on it. It’s also the ONLY screen I have in the house. No TV. So it’s nice having a larger screen and best tech possible.

Then again, the aspect ratio of the 13” isn’t really making movies that much better for due to the aspect ratio of movies.

1st world problems…

Any suggestions? Anyone?

 

[rkuo]

This is the toughest thing for me. The weight and screen are huge and I WANT to upgrade. But the price for the 12.9 is a lot - even after selling my m1 12.9. So expensive for what it is right now.

But… I’ve always felt the 13 is just a bit unwieldy. Sometimes I LOVE it. But most of the time, I find it heavy, not portable, and obscene to pull out in public.

On the other hand, I like drawing on it. It’s also the ONLY screen I have in the house. No TV. So it’s nice having a larger screen and best tech possible.

Then again, the aspect ratio of the 13” isn’t really making movies that much better for due to the aspect ratio of movies.

1st world problems…

Any suggestions? Anyone?

Monitors and TV's are much much cheaper than iPad Pro's. If you need a bigger screen at home, get one. Pairing a smaller iPad Pro 11" with a smart monitor that doubles as a TV could be a good combo.

 

[Rainshadow]

I took a while debating, but I upgraded my 12.9 M1 to a 11 M4 and I couldn’t be happier with my choice. The screen is epic.

How has the transition to 11 inch been for you. Considering the same thing for me. But I’m afraid I’ll miss the 13” size.

 

[TechGod]

This is the toughest thing for me. The weight and screen are huge and I WANT to upgrade. But the price for the 12.9 is a lot - even after selling my m1 12.9. So expensive for what it is right now.

But… I’ve always felt the 13 is just a bit unwieldy. Sometimes I LOVE it. But most of the time, I find it heavy, not portable, and obscene to pull out in public.

On the other hand, I like drawing on it. It’s also the ONLY screen I have in the house. No TV. So it’s nice having a larger screen and best tech possible.

Then again, the aspect ratio of the 13” isn’t really making movies that much better for due to the aspect ratio of movies.

1st world problems…

Any suggestions? Anyone?

It is honestly so tough. A few days ago I thought I’d definitely get the 11” but I’ve got a 16” MBP and recently been using the 12.9” with a Magic Keyboard again for lighter things and now I love the screen size again.

Maybe the combined weight and thickness reduction of the new 13” addresses my complaints? Ah well it’s a problem for future me since I don’t think I’m going to upgrade this year.

I think my M1 iPad has at least 1-2 more releases to go before I need to upgrade

 

[UnifiedMelody]

I've went from a 2013 iPad Mini 2 and a 2011 iPad 2 to a 11 inch M4 iPad Pro 256GB wiFi - holy jeez... probably the only thing that can made me upgrade my ipad lol

[both other ipads have near no resale value so i just keep them for mom to play games on] no big deal

 

[Rainshadow]

It is honestly so tough. A few days ago I thought I’d definitely get the 11” but I’ve got a 16” MBP and recently been using the 12.9” with a Magic Keyboard again for lighter things and now I love the screen size again.

Maybe the combined weight and thickness reduction of the new 13” addresses my complaints? Ah well it’s a problem for future me since I don’t think I’m going to upgrade this year.

I think my M1 iPad has at least 1-2 more releases to go before I need to upgrade

Agreed. I don’t need it either. But… you get more selling the current iPad now, and I do think the current form factor will be around for a while. If I wait two years, the design will be aging and I’ll get it right before they do another big update.

Idk. Figured if I liked the 11” form factor, it would be a good excuse. I don’t think I would upgrade from 13” to a 13”

Edit: especially with the screens being closer. I got the 13 with the M1 because of the screen. The 11” didn’t have the miniled

 

[aevan]

I haven’t seen them side by side, I have seen the iPad 13 M4 in a shop. The screen looks very bright and sharp, but is it enough difference to be worth the major cost? I love my 2021 M1 12.9, the screen is also bright and sharp, but not as dazzling. I use it a lot, for work and play, and I never get eye strain. I remember when OLED first came out on phones some people complained about eye strain. How’s that going for people who‘ve been using it a week or more?

what are the most compelling reasons for buying the 13 M4 apart from screen? My iPad does everything instantly, will I even notice an improvement in speed?

Evrerything is a bit better 🙂 Honestly, you won’t notice a big difference. M1 is more than capable and fast. Personally, my main motivator was the new Pencil (although that’s also an incremental upgrade - though I also got Hover which is cool for art) and the fact that it’s noticeably lighter. I just wanted to treat myself. But if you don’t feel like upgrading, your M1 is still great.

 

[aevan]

This is the toughest thing for me. The weight and screen are huge and I WANT to upgrade. But the price for the 12.9 is a lot - even after selling my m1 12.9. So expensive for what it is right now.

But… I’ve always felt the 13 is just a bit unwieldy. Sometimes I LOVE it. But most of the time, I find it heavy, not portable, and obscene to pull out in public.

On the other hand, I like drawing on it. It’s also the ONLY screen I have in the house. No TV. So it’s nice having a larger screen and best tech possible.

Then again, the aspect ratio of the 13” isn’t really making movies that much better for due to the aspect ratio of movies.

1st world problems…

Any suggestions? Anyone?

I’d say that 11” is better for content consumption - reading books, comics, magazines - and even watching movies (as you say, the aspect makes them similarly sized).

However, for productivity, 13” is notably better. It can show two full-sized apps side by side (11” will switch their layout to whatever that smaller side mode is). And for drawing - the larger canvas is great. Finally, it’s better as a Sidecar monitor, too. Also, the new design makes the 13” easier to hold due to reduced weight. It feels really nice in hand.

So, I guess, think of your use case and chose. If I didn’t do drawing on mine, I’d go with 11”. But for my usage, I always go with 13” and it’s especially nice this generation.

 

[Adamj53]

How has the transition to 11 inch been for you. Considering the same thing for me. But I’m afraid I’ll miss the 13” size.

Really good actually, I really like the size of the 11 and don’t miss the 12.9. It was a tough deciding initially but I am very happy with It.

 

[AlexJoda]

Question. I have a working 12.9, 2015, gen 1. A mini., a 2020 Air with a keyboard. I never use the keyboard. Prefer folio type cases. 90% of my use is on my lap. Strictly for personal consumption, including a lot of You Tube and a lot of reading. No games.

The Apple outlet is listing a number of 12.9 M1s of varying storage. The savings are about $ 450 over the M4. Example: $ 849 for the 256 GB. I consider that substantial. I also would take monthly AppleCare that can be extended indefinitely, on either device I buy.

Is the M1 worth buying for a $ 450 savings?

Question. I have a working 12.9, 2015, gen 1. A mini., a 2020 Air with a keyboard. I never use the keyboard. Prefer folio type cases. 90% of my use is on my lap. Strictly for personal consumption, including a lot of You Tube and a lot of reading. No games.

The Apple outlet is listing a number of 12.9 M1s of varying storage. The savings are about $ 450 over the M4. Example: $ 849 for the 256 GB. I consider that substantial. I also would take monthly AppleCare that can be extended indefinitely, on either device I buy.

Is the M1 worth buying for a $ 450 savings?

Just upgraded my 12.9 Gen2 512 cellular to the M1 with the same specs and a battery with 16 cycles and 97% health. That saved me 900€, nearly halve the money. For me that’s absolutely worth the savings. The M1 is a huge upgrade to the A10x and my battery was at only 72%. IPadOS 18 and above will also only run on iPP >Gen2…

 

[Digitalguy]

This is the toughest thing for me. The weight and screen are huge and I WANT to upgrade. But the price for the 12.9 is a lot - even after selling my m1 12.9. So expensive for what it is right now.

But… I’ve always felt the 13 is just a bit unwieldy. Sometimes I LOVE it. But most of the time, I find it heavy, not portable, and obscene to pull out in public.

On the other hand, I like drawing on it. It’s also the ONLY screen I have in the house. No TV. So it’s nice having a larger screen and best tech possible.

Then again, the aspect ratio of the 13” isn’t really making movies that much better for due to the aspect ratio of movies.

1st world problems…

Any suggestions? Anyone?

For me the M4 will be 13". The weight difference with the M1 is massive. Once you go below 600gr it becomes comfortable to hold in one hand for prolongued periods.
Also it helps that I am not selling my 11" 2018 but only my 12.9...
I have no issue with black bars, the video is still clearly larger on the 13" and the bars don't bother me in the slightest, I guess oled it's even better from this point of view

 

[Elusi]

I'm skipping. Though I bought the M1 when the M2 came out. I can't justify full price IPP for my use cases.

The *want* is there though. Them focusing on making it thinner and more lightweight is appealing for my "virtual newspaper" usage. But I made the napkin math on selling off and buying new and no there's just no way I can motivate it.

Maybe when the M5 IPP comes out I'll score a cheap M4!

 

[Isengardtom]

For me the M4 will be 13". The weight difference with the M1 is massive. Once you go below 600gr it becomes comfortable to hold in one hand for prolongued periods.
Also it helps that I am not selling my 11" 2018 but only my 12.9...
I have no issue with black bars, the video is still clearly larger on the 13" and the bars don't bother me in the slightest, I guess oled it's even better from this point of view

Agreed. After owning mine now for 10days i can tell you the weight reduction is great. Next to the screen it’s my favourite new feature of the tablet itself. Maybe even the nr 1.

Those youtubers that said : “nobody asked for a thinner tablet“ are wrong. It was a good choice on apple’s part and with the faster charging and efficiency gain of the chip the battery life hasn’t suffered in mine. (It’s actually better but difficult to compare a brand new device with one that’s been used daily and extensively for 3 years)

 

[prospervic]

I'm skipping. Though I bought the M1 when the M2 came out. I can't justify full price IPP for my use cases.

The *want* is there though. Them focusing on making it thinner and more lightweight is appealing for my "virtual newspaper" usage. But I made the napkin math on selling off and buying new and no there's just no way I can motivate it.

Maybe when the M5 IPP comes out I'll score a cheap M4!

Very sensible! Now that I’ve calmed down from the excitement I experienced in the Apple store while trying out the new 13” M4, my own “napkin math” made me realize I cannot justify the effort and funds it would take for me to upgrade (iPad, Keyboard and Pencil). Truth is, despite the new and really cool hardware features, it’s still just an iPad with basically the same user experience. Maybe WWDC will bring major enhancements (doubtful), but that remains to be seen.

So, despite what I announced on this thread yesterday, I’m sticking with my M1 12.9 — still works and looks great.
Later in the summer I might be tempted by the 11” M4 — I’d like a smaller iPad Pro for travel and my iPad mini 6 isn’t really suitable for this.

 

[prospervic]

Oh boy! Doing another "about face" now that I’ve calmed down from the excitement I experienced in the Apple store while trying out the new 13” M4. Although the new hardware features are exciting, an honest look at the numbers tells me they are not enough to justify the effort and funds it would take for me to upgrade my $2000 M1 iPad Pro, Magic Keyboard and Pencil. Truth is, while this beautiful M4 is soooo tempting, underneath all the "new and shiny" it's still fundamentally an iPad, and I'll get basically the same user experience.
Maybe WWDC will bring major iPadOS enhancements, but that remains to be seen.

So, despite what I announced previously, I’m sticking with my M1 12.9 — still works and looks great.
Later in the summer I might consider a base 11” M4 — I’d like a smaller/lighter iPad Pro for travel (tried using my iPad mini 6, but it's too to tiny for productivity).

 

[richpjr]

I’d say that 11” is better for content consumption - reading books, comics, magazines - and even watching movies (as you say, the aspect makes them similarly sized).

However, for productivity, 13” is notably better. It can show two full-sized apps side by side (11” will switch their layout to whatever that smaller side mode is). And for drawing - the larger canvas is great. Finally, it’s better as a Sidecar monitor, too. Also, the new design makes the 13” easier to hold due to reduced weight. It feels really nice in hand.

So, I guess, think of your use case and chose. If I didn’t do drawing on mine, I’d go with 11”. But for my usage, I always go with 13” and it’s especially nice this generation.

To put the watching movies difference in perspective, here is an image from a thread on this topic on reddit:

 

[haruhiko]

My 12.9 M1 still runs circles around anything I do with it and the mini-LED is still fine enough for me. Would love the new display and pencil, but have no desire to upgrade for the money Apple wants.

Exactly. While I really want to give Apple the money, the total amount of money Apple wants from me by upgrading to the 13-inch together with the Magic Keyboard and the Pencil Pro… I just can’t justify it from what I get.

 

[blkjedi954]

No. From what I could tell, the experience would be basically no different, while I would spend a ton to upgrade. I may buy a new 11” air for more storage and the landscape camera

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I will say I’ve run a two iPad setup for years, so I’m a bit different on that front

I too run a 2 iPad Pro setup. A 12.9 and an 11 in. Both M1. The 12.9 is maxed out; 2TB/cell while the 11 is 256GB/cell

 

[darngooddesign]

My 13” M1 is still chugging right along, no reason to update yet.

 

[Elusi]

I held the M4 13" at the Apple store and I WANT IT VERY MUCH, though. It's about as thin as a MBA-lid holy shee it's the magical paper of my childhood dreams!

Please, deity of all logic and reason, help me resist this temptation.

 

[nicpro]

I may be a little late to the replying, though my M1 11 inch pro screen cracked the other day and without apple care, I think I'd rather spend the extra to just upgrade. I have been wanting the bigger screen for notes in classes and I think I will just pass my iPad down to my nephew.

 

[sparksd]

I held the M4 13" at the Apple store and I WANT IT VERY MUCH, though. It's about as thin as a MBA-lid holy shee it's the magical paper of my childhood dreams!

Please, deity of all logic and reason, help me resist this temptation.

I went M1 12.9" -> M4 13" and the delta in thickness and weight is still striking to me, much more noticeable than the display change.

 

[Digitalguy]

I went M1 12.9" -> M4 13" and the delta in thickness and weight is still striking to me, much more noticeable than the display change.

I remember you were already fine with the M1 weight, so it must be really nice the M4 13 for you...