 Nobody does it quite like Apple. They've taken this super powerful M1 chip from the latest MacBooks and put it in the brand new 2021 iPad Pro, along with more RAM, more storage, freaking Thunderbolt, and arguably the most advanced display on a mobile device, period. I am really happy about this direction because the thing is, everyone, including us, knows at this point that the iPad Pro is not just a computer, it's a computer for legitimate pros. So if that's the case, why does Apple keep treating it like a toy for children to watch YouTube and play cut the rope? There's still no file copy progress bar. You can't side load apps. It deserves better. And this is bullshit. Yeah, hi, I'm Riley. Linus needs a little break, so I'm gonna tell you about our sponsor, Anker. The Anker Nano 2 uses the latest second gen gallium nitride technology, which allows charging up to 65 watts in a small compact frame. Learn more at the link in the video description or at the end of the video. I'm sorry I lost my composure. It's just that the saga of the iPad Pro has been a bit of a wild ride for me. I went from being excited about the future of truly pro tablets to disappointed about Apple's premature, it's a computer messaging when spoiler, it wasn't yet. Then back to excited about the computer like features of iPad OS, the magic keyboard, learning about the workflows of real professional iPad OS users, they're out there. We even edited the last video about the iPad Pro on the iPad Pro. And according to Mark, it was pretty good. But having just crested a high point, I find myself conflicted about the latest iteration. On the one hand, Apple has upgraded almost every aspect of this machine. It's a hair thicker than last year, sure. But the M1 SoC's eight CPU cores, eight GPU cores, 16 neural engine cores paired with up to 16 gigs of RAM and two terabytes of storage makes it by far the most powerful tablet ever. Because no, that thing doesn't count. Now, most people won't actually end up with that top spec because paying 2100 US dollars for a tablet is actually illegal in many jurisdictions. FBI open up. But hey, if you're the sort of person who buys a new car when you run out of gas, then I guess you're above the law anyway. So Apple's got you covered. Now, in terms of performance, in Geekbench, the M1 absolutely embarrasses its predecessor. But in real world situations like LumaFusion and Premiere Rush rendering, it only boasts a modest improvement. In Procreate, for example, you can work with three or four more layers, but that's it. And it seems like the reason for this is that most iPad apps haven't been updated yet to be able to make proper use of the new horsepower, including not being able to use more than five gigabytes of RAM. I'm sure the situation will improve soon. Procreate is apparently already planning to add the ability to work with 3D models, but for now, you might find yourself in a bit of a driving a Formula One to work type situation. It's also enabled Apple to take the game-changing edition of USB-C on previous iPad Pros and kick it up a notch. Thanks to its support for Thunderbolt and USB 4, this port's bandwidth went from 10 to 40 gigabit per second, allowing the new iPad Pro to connect more displays, drives, and accessories, and even power Apple's 6K Pro Display XDR. Though I suspect that most of the people accessorizing their iPad with a $5,000 monitor treat our high quality LTTstore.com water bottles as single use. The camera and LiDAR sensor module on the back is pretty much the same as before, but this iPad Pro has a new 12 megapixel ultra wide front-facing camera whose true purpose is to enable center stage. This feature is super cool. It allows the camera to zoom in and follow you around in your video calls and can help keep multiple people in the frame at once, even if they're the sort that tends to kind of drift off. That's really cool, even if it reminds me of the Facebook portal, which was less cool. Like, I know Apple is probably stealing my data, even though they say they don't, but for some reason, it's more comforting imagining Tim Apple watching me through the iPad camera than the Zuck. Oh, Linus, I love your passion, but I will never answer your emails. Finally, there's the most forward-facing upgrade, the new Liquid Retina XDR display. That is 10 whole syllables to say every single time, but it's worth it. It's got 10,000 mini LEDs split into over 2,500 dimming zones, a 1 million to one contrast ratio, and a whopping 1,000 nits of sustained brightness, 1,600 peak. Now, mini LED displays aren't capable of the infinite contrast and perfect blacks of an OLED display, so there is some visible blooming in certain scenarios, such as viewing white text on a black background. But when viewing HDR content, the difference between this iPad Pro and the 2020 model is obvious enough that even people who don't get sweaty thinking about hybrid log gamma are gonna notice. The XDR display is also great for creators. Whether you prefer the moving pictures or the still kind, the M1 iPad Pro now has both the horsepower and the display to craft content with rich colors and deep contrast. It's just too bad that this fabulous screen is attached to a tablet that starts at $1,100 before you add the $350 keyboard accessory. Ah, yes. Here comes the tone shift in this video, because the thing is, no matter how many times Apple calls this thing a computer, after five generations of iPad Pros now, they've made it abundantly clear through their actions that they don't actually want it to be as good as your computer. In some of our previous iPad videos, we've opted to look on the bright side of iPad OS' deficiencies, especially in the context of Mac OS or Windows users who are trying to switch. Because the thing is, I get it. iPads aren't for those people. They're for iPad users. And fair enough, once you master iPad OS multitasking, get used to the system's quirks, and learn how to use some of these surprisingly robust apps that are specifically designed for the iPad, it can be a capable and super portable daily driver. But the weird thing is, Apple must know that those people exist, and yet they outright refuse to add functionality to iPad OS to make their lives just a little bit better. I mean, we're talking about stuff here that's just basic on other operating systems. Connecting to servers and transferring large files is still heinously bad. There's no progress bar. And the M1 iPad Pro has more CPU cores and more memory, which helps it go faster. But unless you check in on the file transfer later, you will never know if it actually completed or if it wigged out. And like, I don't wanna out anyone, but I saw some iPad enthusiast content creators that were praising the new iPad Pro because it was able to complete file transfers in the background without failing. That's not a feature. That's the bare minimum. And iPad OS multitasking has come a long way, but there's still some weird quirks, you know? Like you can have three apps active on a screen at once. That's great. Two in split screen and one in slide over. But in order to add an app to slide over, you have to go to the home screen, open the app, go back to the app you were using before, drag up the dock, then drag the app from the recent app section up to slide over. For context, this way of opening a windowed app was also designed by an Apple engineer. The iPad team should hire them. Any monitors that you might connect to the fancy new Thunderbolt port, they will still only duplicate the iPad screen. They won't extend it. Why would you want two of the same thing onto two screens at the same time? And as for the app situation, the truth is desktop versions are still more functional. LumaFusion, Procreate, they're great. But what if you like Photoshop? Apple and Adobe have been beating the full Photoshop on the iPad drum for years. But according to Apple's own time piece, it is now 2021 and they're still working on that, adding basic desktop features like the magic wand, raw file support and sharpening. And don't get me started on the fact that iPadOS, unlike Mac OS, Windows and Android, doesn't allow the sideloading of apps outside of the app store. An issue that's received more attention in the wake of Epic's lawsuit. Just let them win Apple. I would definitely give this thing a higher score if I could just download GIMP on it. The worst part of all of this is that Apple spends almost $20 billion a year on research and development. Let that number soak into your mind and then think. Knowing that the only possible conclusion to draw is that when an Apple product doesn't have some basic functionality, like tracking your rollerblading workout on the Apple watch, it's because they just don't want it to. So coming back to the iPad Pro then, if it's hard to use as a computer, it's because Apple wants it that way. They've added a few things here and there to appease the more computer-minded among us, but they've also refused to do these obvious things that would take it from a usable computer to a great one. And this inner struggle over the identity of the iPad was on full display during the Epic trial where Craig Federighi testified that iOS was designed to be simple and safe enough for infants. Okay, I guess that's fair, but then why market the iPad Pro as a computer replacement for professionals when it's running software designed for babies? In your own words. Now, we're currently filming this video two days before WWDC 2021, where Apple is expected to announce some new features for the iPad OS. And maybe they'll add a file transfer progress bar and support for extended displays and full fat ports of desktop apps and support for third-party app stores while they're at it. But so far the rumors point to more along the lines of allowing you to arrange widgets on the home screen however you like, though that would be an improvement, sadly enough. Speaking of improving, improve your charging speeds with our sponsor, Anker. Anker's Nano 2 wall chargers can charge this iPad up to 80% faster than the stock 20 watt charger and can charge an iPhone up to three times faster than its stock charger. Does it even include a charger anymore? It uses the latest Gallium Nitride technology allowing it to both charge faster and generate less heat and is up to 58% smaller than other foldable wall bricks. There are three different versions, 30 watt, 45 watt and 65 watt and is also compatible with Samsung super fast charging. So why wait? Go check it out. The 65 watt version is capable of charging most laptops that can be charged via USB-C and it's like this big. We're gonna have it linked down below. If you guys enjoyed this video, you might enjoy our previous video editing an iPad video on the iPad because we learned a lot about how this thing really is a professional computer, even if Apple refuses to make it one. And I am not going to put up with it. Hi, I'm Linus.