The Apple iPad Pro 11-inch (2024) represents a bold redefinition of what a modern tablet can achieve. Announced in May 2024 and released shortly after, this generation is more than just an update—it is a complete transformation of Apple’s premium tablet line. It arrives with two groundbreaking innovations: the introduction of the Tandem OLED Ultra Retina XDR display and the debut of Apple’s new M4 processor, both of which set entirely new standards for performance, efficiency, and visual brilliance. The 11-inch model, in particular, strikes the perfect balance between portability and capability, making it a device that professionals, creators, and power users can depend on as their primary computing tool.
Apple has always been admired for its design, but the 2024 iPad Pro takes minimalism and refinement to new levels. At just 5.3 millimeters, the 11-inch version is the thinnest product Apple has ever created. It feels impossibly light at under 450 grams, and yet its construction remains impressively rigid, with a recycled aluminum body that feels premium and durable in the hand. Apple offers the iPad Pro in two sleek finishes, Silver and Space Black, both of which highlight its professional, futuristic aesthetic. Small but significant design changes—such as moving the front camera to the landscape edge—make it more natural to use for video calls, presentations, and entertainment. Holding the device makes one appreciate just how far mobile engineering has advanced, as it delivers incredible power in the form of a razor-thin and lightweight frame.
The display is the crown jewel of this generation, and it sets a new standard for portable screens. Apple has equipped the 11-inch iPad Pro with an Ultra Retina XDR display powered by Tandem OLED technology. This system uses two OLED panels working together to deliver sustained brightness of up to 1,000 nits across the entire screen, with peaks reaching 1,600 nits when viewing HDR content. The result is unparalleled contrast and vibrancy, with a 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio that delivers pitch-black shadows alongside stunning highlights. The 2420 by 1668 resolution ensures crisp details, while support for wide color (P3), True Tone adjustments, and ProMotion adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz guarantee smooth, color-accurate visuals for everything from sketching to video editing. The screen is fully laminated with anti-reflective glass and features an oleophobic coating to resist fingerprints. For users in professional creative fields, Apple also offers a nano-texture glass option on higher storage models, which dramatically reduces glare without sacrificing sharpness. Whether used for watching movies, drawing, editing photos, or browsing the web, the iPad Pro’s display is arguably the best screen ever fitted into a tablet.
Performance on the iPad Pro 11-inch (2024) is driven by the new M4 chip, making it the first Apple product to launch with this advanced silicon. The M4 chip is built on second-generation 3-nanometer technology, which delivers impressive performance gains while consuming less energy. In its base configurations with 256GB and 512GB of storage, the iPad Pro features a 9-core CPU with three high-performance cores and six efficiency cores, paired with a powerful 10-core GPU. Higher-end models with 1TB and 2TB of storage step up to a 10-core CPU and include a remarkable 16GB of RAM, compared to the 8GB in lower-tier versions. The 16-core Neural Engine inside the M4 is capable of performing up to 38 trillion operations per second, enabling advanced artificial intelligence tasks, real-time video editing, photo manipulation, and cutting-edge generative AI workflows.
The M4 delivers around 1.5 times faster CPU performance compared to the M2-powered iPad Pro from 2022 and up to four times the GPU performance, bringing support for advanced features like hardware-accelerated ray tracing, mesh shading, and AV1 video decoding. This means gaming experiences are smoother, editing 4K or even 8K videos is seamless, and working with professional 3D design software feels effortless. Benchmark testing has shown that the iPad Pro with M4 outpaces many laptops, proving that this is not just a tablet but a legitimate replacement for a high-end portable computer. Despite the enormous leap in processing power, the iPad Pro maintains cool operation and extraordinary energy efficiency.
Battery life is another highlight of this device. The 11-inch iPad Pro offers up to 10 hours of web browsing or video playback on Wi-Fi and around 9 hours on a cellular connection, but in practice many users report getting between 11 and 13 hours of mixed use. This is thanks to the efficiency of the M4 chip and the tandem OLED display, which conserves energy while still delivering stunning visuals. Fast charging is supported via the Thunderbolt-enabled USB-C port, which can reach 50 percent charge in under an hour with a 30W adapter. For professionals constantly on the go, this combination of long-lasting battery and rapid charging ensures that the iPad Pro keeps up with demanding schedules.
The camera system on the iPad Pro 11-inch (2024) continues Apple’s tradition of excellence, though it is tailored more toward professional workflows than casual photography. On the back, the tablet is equipped with a 12-megapixel wide camera with an f/1.8 aperture and adaptive True Tone flash for low-light performance. It supports 4K video recording at up to 60 frames per second, ProRes recording for filmmakers, and slo-motion up to 240 frames per second. The inclusion of a LiDAR scanner enables precise depth mapping, which enhances augmented reality applications and improves low-light focusing for both photography and video. On the front, the 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera is positioned along the landscape edge of the device, making video calls feel more natural. Center Stage technology keeps the user in frame even as they move, ensuring smooth, professional video conferencing. Complementing the cameras is an impressive audio system with four speakers that deliver rich, immersive sound, and four studio-quality microphones that make recording podcasts, music, or conducting meetings feel crystal clear.
Connectivity and storage options further establish the iPad Pro as a laptop-class machine. Storage tiers now begin at 256GB and go all the way up to 2TB, removing the smaller 128GB option that often felt too limited for professional users. Networking capabilities include Wi-Fi 6E with 2×2 MIMO for ultra-fast wireless connections and optional 5G cellular connectivity with support for sub-6GHz bands and eSIM. The iPad Pro also includes Bluetooth 5.3 for stable connections to accessories and audio devices. Its USB-C port with Thunderbolt 4 support allows transfer speeds of up to 40Gbps and enables connection to external monitors up to 6K resolution, fast external drives, and professional-grade docking stations.
The 2024 iPad Pro experience is greatly enhanced by its accessories, particularly the Apple Pencil Pro and the new Magic Keyboard. The Apple Pencil Pro introduces several features that elevate the creative process, including squeeze gestures for quick tool switching, barrel roll for brush angle control, haptic feedback for tactile precision, and hover preview to see where strokes will land before committing them. It pairs and charges magnetically on the side of the iPad and now integrates with the Find My app so it is never lost. The Magic Keyboard, redesigned for this generation, adds a row of function keys, a sturdier aluminum palm rest, and a larger glass trackpad with haptic feedback. It attaches magnetically and draws power directly from the iPad, making the experience seamless and turning the iPad into a lightweight laptop alternative.
On the software side, the iPad Pro runs iPadOS 17 at launch, optimized to take advantage of the M4 chip. This includes features like Stage Manager for advanced multitasking with resizable windows, desktop-class apps like Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro, and Apple Intelligence, Apple’s integrated AI system that powers smarter writing tools, image editing, and contextual workflows. Upcoming versions of iPadOS expand these features even further, introducing tools such as Math Notes for handwritten equations, Smart Script for improved handwriting-to-text conversion, and App Lock for securing sensitive apps. This transforms the iPad from a device for media consumption into a true creation and productivity powerhouse.
Critics have universally praised the iPad Pro 11-inch (2024). The display has been called the best screen ever put into a tablet, the M4 chip is recognized as a massive leap in performance, and the design has been celebrated for achieving thinness without sacrificing quality. The only recurring criticism lies in its cost, particularly when factoring in the Apple Pencil Pro and Magic Keyboard, which together add several hundred dollars to the total investment. As a result, while the iPad Pro is considered the ultimate portable studio for creative professionals, many reviewers note that the iPad Air may remain the better choice for students or casual users.
Ultimately, the iPad Pro 11-inch (2024) is designed for those who demand the very best. It is the perfect device for digital artists, video editors, musicians, and professionals who need desktop-class performance in a portable form. Its OLED display is unmatched, its M4 chip is groundbreaking, its battery life is reliable, and its accessories extend its versatility beyond that of any competing tablet. While it carries a premium price, it also delivers a premium experience, offering unmatched power, creativity, and efficiency in the slimmest tablet Apple has ever built.
The Apple iPad Pro 11-inch (2024) is not just another tablet—it is the future of portable computing, condensed into a device that is thinner than a pencil, brighter than any screen in its class, and faster than many laptops. For those who want the ultimate creative tool, it stands as an unrivaled choice.