AUGUST 2021 MACWORLD 85Unless you’re directly comparing the 2021 iPad Pro (top)
against the 2020 model (bottom), it’s extremely difficult to
see the improvements.is now using mini-LED tech and changes
$100 more.
That’s not necessarily a criticism.
Although the prior iPad Pro displays were
all LCDs, they were among the best in the
business, rivaling some competitors’ OLED
screens. While you can certainly see the
difference in the Retina XDR
display when you compare it
side by side to the Liquid Retina
display on the previous model,
the visual difference isn’t nearly
as stark as the specs would
have you believe.
It’s definitely brighter (Apple
says it can hit 1,600 nits but I
couldn’t get it to go past 900
no matter how bright the
surrounding light was), though
most people will probably keep
it at a much more visually
palatable level. There’s also far
better contrast that’s in line with
OLED quality (1,000,000:1
versus 1,800:1), but again,
unless you’re doing very
specific tasks or watching very
specific HDR movie scenes,
you probably won’t notice.
The upgrade will likely be
more noticeable for creative
professionals who use the
Apple Pencil often and whose
eyes will appreciate the kind of
crisp color accuracy the Retina XDR
display provides. If you have the need—
and more important, the money—the
12.9-inch iPad Pro’s display won’t be a
disappointment, but it also won’t be the
tremendous visual upgrade the leap to
Retina or OLED was on the iPhone.