iPad Pro iPad A12X Chip vs M1/2 chip Performance?

[Chairman.Jobbie]

I have read acouple of other threads and they only really cite ram issues for specific app as a bottle neck.

I thought id ask again and add that my usage is content consumpion - web browsing, watching YouTube/twitch. And email, text work.

Ive noticed no issues with my iPad Pro (2018) but realised the battery is 5 years old and it got me thinking.

 

[Longplays]

I have read acouple of other threads and they only really cite ram issues for specific app as a bottle neck.

I thought id ask again and add that my usage is content consumpion - web browsing, watching YouTube/twitch. And text work.

Ive noticed no issues with my iPad Pro (2018) but realised the battery is 5 years old and it got me thinking.

I have the 11" with unchanging use case and scheduled to replace by 2026 after its final Security Update.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

RAM is certainly a big difference. Beyond that I’m not sure what you’re looking for? M1 will be “faster” no doubt; and some iPadOS features only work on M1.

 

[Chairman.Jobbie]

Just curious as I know moving from intel to m1 on laptop was a huge difference. Seeing if there was any justifiable reason to change as my iPad battery is old - but that might not be a reason to change either. I don't need to change anything but if the cost vs benefit makes sense (to me) I might.

 

[Chairman.Jobbie]

I have the 11" with unchanging use case and scheduled to replace by 2026 after its final Security Update.

How old is your iPad and how did you determine the final security update date?

 

[FeliApple]

For content consumption? Your iPad will be fine for many, many years. I don’t think you need to upgrade it. For whatever’s worth, I have a 9.7-inch iPad Pro on iOS 12 and it’s fine for content consumption. Battery life is decent, too.

 

[Longplays]

How old is your iPad and how did you determine the final security update date?

I have the 2018 iPad Pro 11".

Older iPads had up to 110 months of Security Update support.

2011 iPad 2 was released March 11, 2011 and received its final Security Update on July 22, 2019. 100 months support.

2013 iPad Air 1 was released October 22, 2013 and received its final Security Update on January 23, 2023. 110 months support.

2013 iPad mini 2 was released October 22, 2013 and received its final Security Update on January 23, 2023. 110 months support.

2015 iPad Pro 1 was released September 9, 2015 and is still supported today. 91 months and counting.

The 8 years is conservative... if support lengthens to 9+ years I'd likely replace to an iPad model released after it receives the final Security Update.

So from 2018 iPad Pro A12X Bionic 7nm to 2028 iPad Pro M6 1.4nm (A14). That 2028 iPad Pro will likely have more raw performance than all your Apple devices combined.

If you are looking for a new device/toy to buy today I'd buy $AAPL to fund the next purchase.

 

[Digitalguy]

There are 2 kinds of people, those who care about RAM and those who don't even notice it (it all depends on how you use your device). You seem to be in the second category. And other than RAM the A12X is plenty fast and may indeed be supported till 2028 or at least 2027 in terms of security. So you should have no reason to upgrade till then, especially if you are ok with a battery service.
And there are also those that couldn't care less about security updates and will keep using their iPads for several years after the last security update with no issues. And will stop using their iPads when other issues become prevalent like compatibility with apps and features, or worn battery (because they don't want to spend the money to service the battery or simply because Apple does not service it anymore due to it being vintage).

 

[Homme]

I wish but in my alternative universe M1 and M2 were called the A14X and A15X

Older iPads had up to 110 months of Security Update support.

2011 iPad 2 was released March 11, 2011 and received its final Security Update on July 22, 2019. 100 months support.

2013 iPad Air 1 was released October 22, 2013 and received its final Security Update on January 23, 2023. 110 months support.

2013 iPad mini 2 was released October 22, 2013 and received its final Security Update on January 23, 2023. 110 months support.

2015 iPad Pro 1 was released September 9, 2015 and is still supported today. 91 months and counting.

The 8 years is conservative... if support lengthens to 9+ years I'd likely replace to an iPad model released after it receives the final Security Update.

So from 2018 iPad Pro A12X Bionic 7nm to 2028 iPad Pro M6 1.4nm (A14). That 2028 iPad Pro will likely have more raw performance than all your Apple devices combined.

If you are looking for a new device/toy to buy today I'd buy $AAPL to fund the next purchase.

You forgot the A8X the greatest SoC of all time. Not to mention that it’s A8X made iPad then and still nowadays a better faster SoC than the base A8 chips in the iPhone 6 until now since iPad A series chips back then were on par with iPhone ones due to the same power and specs in they’re A series chips.

 

[Digitalguy]

I wish but in my alternative universe M1 and M2 were called the A14X and A15X




You forgot the A8X the greatest SoC of all time. Not to mention that it’s A8X made iPad then and still nowadays a better faster SoC than the base A8 chips in the iPhone 6 until now since iPad A series chips back then were on par with iPhone ones due to the same power and specs in they’re A series chips.

Best of all time? When it came out maybe. Just like any other X chip after that. The main advantage was 2GB RAM, which the mini 4 got to with A8. However both the air 2 and the mini 4 are very slow nowadays after all the updates. Even a first gen pro is a much better device to use...

 

[Longplays]

I wish but in my alternative universe M1 and M2 were called the A14X and A15X




You forgot the A8X the greatest SoC of all time. Not to mention that it’s A8X made iPad then and still nowadays a better faster SoC than the base A8 chips in the iPhone 6 until now since iPad A series chips back then were on par with iPhone ones due to the same power and specs in they’re A series chips.

We were not talking about that.

 

[Greatdreamer]

I updated from the 2018 Pro to the 2022 Pro. The reason we’re a couple of issues in my workflow, especially around using Teams within Stage Manager - here connections dropped frequently, I often had to wait 10-15 seconds until voice was connected and I had frequent issues with my AirPods. All of these vanished when I upgraded. I also got a smother performance in general (even though I have to admit, I didn‘t realize all these milliseconds that an app opens slower etc until I had the direct comparison). So for my specific use case, the upgrade was well worth it. Especially the upgrade meant ghat I also switched from LTD to 5G for wireless connectivity - a difference I recognize our every day.

 

[Shanghaichica]

There are 2 kinds of people, those who care about RAM and those who don't even notice it (it all depends on how you use your device). You seem to be in the second category. And other than RAM the A12X is plenty fast and may indeed be supported till 2028 or at least 2027 in terms of security. So you should have no reason to upgrade till then, especially if you are ok with a battery service.
And there are also those that couldn't care less about security updates and will keep using their iPads for several years after the last security update with no issues. And will stop using their iPads when other issues become prevalent like compatibility with apps and features, or worn battery (because they don't want to spend the money to service the battery or simply because Apple does not service it anymore due to it being vintage).

I agree. I have a 2018 iPad Pro 11. I have no doubt that the M2/M1 is significantly faster. However I only use my ipad for streaming, web browsing, colouring, email, shopping and social media and it’s fast enough for those things.