88 MACWORLD AUGUST 2021
FEATURE REVIEW: 12.9-INCH i PAD PRO (2021)better than its predecessor. The reasons
why it’s not aren’t necessarily a failing of
the iPad Pro but rather the way Apple has
set up iPadOS. Despite breaking it away
from the iPhone two years
ago, the iPad’s operating
system is still stuck in
something of a rut, with no
real benefit to pro users or
gamers. The iPad Pro will run
everything better, but the
speed and graphics boosts
just don’t make as much of a
difference as they could.
And other than raising
RAM limits, the iPadOS 15
update fails to take advantage
of the tremendous speed in
the iPad Pro. We’re still waiting
for professional apps like
Final Cut Pro and Xcode,
and Apple doesn’t give
power users any compelling
reason to jump to the Pro.
Some may argue that Face
ID, the rear camera system,
and the larger screen justify
the cost, but the fact
remains that the tangible
benefit you get when using
a Mac Pro instead of a Mac
mini just isn’t there when
you’re switching between
an iPad Air and an iPad Pro.BOTTOM LINE
The 12.9-inch iPad Pro is undoubtedly the
best tablet Apple has ever made. There’sThe M1 iPad Pro (top) is very similar to the 2020 model, but the
USB-C port is now Thunderbolt and the antenna lines support
5G networks.
The 2021 iPad Pro comes in silver and space gray, which are
starting to feel a little stale.