These two changes, along with a few other tangible updates coming in iPadOS 15, make this a more compelling product for photographers than any other iPad that came before it. If you opt for the 12.9-inch model, you get the other major update: one of the most beautiful LCD displays we’ve ever used. They also allow for up to 16GB of RAM, 2TB of storage, and support for proper USB-4/Thunderbolt devices. Both the 11-inch and 12.9-inch versions now come with Apple’s M1 SOC-the same chip that powers the latest 13-inch MacBook Pro and 24-inch iMac. But after watching this year’s WWDC to see what Apple had in store for iPadOS, and using the iPad Pro to write, edit, and illustrate the review you’re reading, it’s clear to me that the iPad is now, and will continue to be, an add-on.Īpple has given the guts of this iPad Pro a huge overhaul, making an already powerful device downright ridiculous for a tablet. Even compared to last year’s blazing fast model with A12Z Bionic, the 2021 iPad Pro is 30 to 40 percent faster across the board and more capable than ever. Apple has indeed created the most powerful iPad ever - by a lot.

The latest iPad Pro has the guts of a powerful ultra book, so surely iPadOS would follow suit with a major update that would unleash all this power. We’ve never reviewed an iPad on PetaPixel, but with the release of the 2021 iPad Pro it seemed like Apple was sending a message.

But even with all this power under the hood, it’s clear the iPad is still an accessory, not a laptop replacement. The 2021 iPad Pro - with its M1 SOC, up to 16GB of RAM, Thunderbolt support, and mind-blowing miniLED display - makes the best case yet for ditching your laptop.

The last few generations of iPad Pro were already powerful enough for serious photo editing, but the benefits of such a small and versatile device have never quite outweighed the cons of a tablet-based workflow.

Lightroom for ipad pro 2020