iPad Pro 2022 vs. iPad Pro 2021: Should You Upgrade

It has been nearly a year since last iPad Pro 2021 launched. As iPad Pro 2022 replace the previous model from 2021 in tablet lineups and iPad Pro 2021 is discontinued, many customers may consider whether to buy the new iPad Pro 2022 or keep their iPad Pro 2021.

iPad Pro 2022 with the upgraded chip does level up productivity for drawing, content creating and multitasking. Other than that, we saw not much difference.

Anyway, here's the overall comparison between iPad Pro 6th-gen and 5th-gen.

iPad Pro 2022 vs. iPad Pro 2021: Performance

iPad Pro 2022 is powered by an M2 chip. The M2 chip is powerful enough to run MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro.

M2 chip features an 8-core, 3.49 GHz CPU that’s up to 15 percent faster than 3.2 GHz M1 chip from iPad Pro 2021. The 10-core GPU in the M2 chip provides up to 35 percent faster graphics performance than the 8-core M1 chip.

Combined with the CPU and GPU, the 40-percent-faster Neural Engine is capable of processing a combined 15.8 trillion operations per second, supporting up to 16 unified memory. As iPadOS 16 comes out, it also helps a lot for the Stage Manager.

iPad Pro 2022 can run drawing tools like Davici Resolve and the Procreate for iPad Pro as desktop-class thanks to the M2 chip. Most people say the launch of M2 chip is mainly for running those powerful creative digital tools, which are beyond the processing capacity of the M1 chip on iPad Pro 2021.

In addition, compared with iPad Pro 2021’ 68.25GB/s memory bandwidth, the M2 chip offers 100GB/s memory bandwidth to boost multitasking.

iPad Pro 2022 vs. iPad Pro 2021: Apple Pencil Experience

Along with the launch of M2 chip in iPad Pro 2022, Apple introduced Pencil Hover, a new feature created mainly for digital drawers.

Reaching the Apple Pencil almost close to the screen enables you to see the different color effects until actually drawing on iPad Pro 2022. You can tilt your Apple Pencil at different angles to put down different effects on color. Pencil Hover gives you a preview of the images and the drawing works you have done.

And when placing your Apple Pencil within 12mm close to the screen, the apps that Apple Pencil is over will zoom in slightly.

This new feature is exclusive only to iPad Pro 2022 currently. Whether iPad Pro 2021 owners will get the Pencil Hover function remains unclear.

iPad Pro 2022 vs. iPad Pro 2021: Rear Camera

The iPad Pro 2022 has the same camera system as the iPad Pro 2021. You can see dual-camera, including a 12 MP wide sensor and a 10MP ultra-wide one on both devices. But the optical image stabilization is so far not included in iPad Pro 2022.

Thanks to M2 chip, motion sensors, the Image Signal Processor (ISP) and Neural Enginemake the camera system more capable on the iPad Pro 2022, which also boost the capacity of ToF 3D Lidar scanner to improve AR experience.

iPad Pro 2022 features Smart HDR 4 and ProRes video recording up to 4K at 30 fps and ProRes RAW this year that iPad Pro 2021 doesn’t have.

iPad Pro 2022 still has Center Stage. It helps you to place yourself in the frame of video calls. But it would be nice to see the front camera on iPad Pro 2022 could be positioned on the long side of the tablet’s display like iPad 10 does.

When you use iPad Pro 2022 with a Magic Keyboard, the long-side front camera can make you easier to put you in the middle of the frame. Perhaps the position of the front camera on iPad Pro 2022 is for the sake of Face ID system instead of Touch ID which is also on the front side.

iPad Pro 2022 vs. iPad Pro 2021: Design

iPad Pro 2022 and iPad Pro 2021 share the same dimensions and weights, with the same edge-to-edge mini-LED display and narrow bezels. They both are built with slim aluminum frames and rears in flat edges.

But the design of iPad Pro 2022 is slightly different from the iPad Pro 2021. iPad Pro 2022 has “iPad Pro” written on the back, and it has one less speaker hole.

iPad Pro 2022 vs. iPad Pro 2021: Wi-Fi 6E

iPad Pro 2022 now supports Wi-Fi 6E to get faster and more reliable Wi-Fi connectivity, lower latency, which is important for heavy duty. If you are making a video or doing some Photoshop stuff, it boosts the speed of transmitting your content from your iPad Pro 2022 to another device like a desktop or laptop.

iPad Pro 2022 vs. iPad Pro 2021: Battery & Charging

iPad Pro 2022's battery life remains unchanged from last year's model. They both guarantee up to 10 hours of use on Wi-Fi and 9 hours using cellular data network. You can use the same power adapter to charge them via the USB-C port.

And the newest iPad Pro still doesn't come with wireless charging or MagSafe, which is not a common feature on tablets. But the good news is that you can wirelessly charge your iPad Pro 2022 and 2021 now.

PITAKA's MagEZ Case Pro has a built-in contact charging module, allowing it magnetically attaches to the MagEZ Charging Stand, which features metal pins to pass through charging. So without frequently plugging and unplugging the cable, just snap your iPad Pro on the stand to enjoy a stable and hassle-free wireless charging experience. And in this way, your tablet will be ready when you grab it to leave the office.

iPad 2022 vs. iPad 2021: Which One Should You Pick?

Compared to the iPad Pro 2021, iPad Pro 2022 is not a great upgrade. If you have an iPad Pro 2021, you don’t have to buy an iPad Pro 2022 because you can still get the best tablet experience.

If you are a content creator and video editor, the 12.9-inch iPad Pro 2022 with mini-LED Liquid Retina XDR display actually meets your professional needs. The screen has nice color accuracy giving you vibrant and rich images.

The iPad Pro 2022 is indeed your best pick for design, creation, study, or any common office work.