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I returned the M4 iPad Pro

Chris Langley
4 min readMay 17, 2024

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Spot the difference. Beautiful hardware, but for whom?

Like many, I had been eagerly awaiting Apple’s announcement of new iPad Pros. Having parted with an ungodly amount of cash and having spent a few days with the device and the new Apple Pencil, I am struck by two things: 1. the hardware is breathtakingly good. 2. I don’t see why anyone would buy one.

Apple’s iPad Pro marketing banner

I was looking to replace my second-generation 11 inch iPad Pro. I purchased it as a refurb model some years ago but felt it was looking a bit worse for wear. I use my iPad every day but for pretty mundane tasks: note taking, reading and some photo editing. I’ve been tempted to try to do more but resisted the urge. My needs are adequately met by the iPad Air or iPad Mini but I have become accustomed (spoiled) by Pro Motion since the feature’s introduction on the 10.5 inch iPad Pro. I knew the M4 iPads would offer be more power than I would ever need and hesitated before ordering. Hint: if you hesitate, it probably means you don’t need the thing.

The M4 iPad Pro’s OLED screen received rave reviews from the usual array of excited YouTubers (all posing, mouths agape, in their thumbnail photos, naturally). My experience was rather more mixed. The OLED panel was crisp and had tremendous contrast, but the colour temperature of the screen is quite different to my previous iPad:

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