Apple iPad Pro 2022 vs iPad Pro 2021: The Apple iPad Pro 2022 is not much of an upgrade over the Apple iPad Pro 2021. Still, there are two ways the 2022 M2 iPad Pro is better than the 2021 M1 iPad Pro. However, are these two changes enough for users to upgrade from the iPad Pro 2021 to the iPad Pro 2022? or is it worth it to leave the now-discounted iPad Pro 2021 and buy the more expensive iPad Pro 2022?
Well, if you’re thinking of upgrading to the iPad Pro 2022, you might want to hold on and read through this Apple iPad Pro 2022 vs iPad Pro 2021 specs comparison first. Truth is, there isn’t much of an upgrade, and the two areas where the iPad Pro 2022 is better than the iPad Pro 2021 might not matter to you. So, let’s dive in and see if you should really upgrade.
See Also: Apple iPad Pro 2022 Price in UK and Availability
Note: The Apple iPad Pro 2022 and Apple iPad Pro 2021 are also known as M2 iPad Pro and M1 iPad Pro respectively. So, in this article, we’ll also be referring to them as M2 iPad Pro and M1 iPad Pro.
Apple iPad Pro 2022 vs iPad Pro 2021
| Specs | iPad Pro 2022 | iPad Pro 2021 |
| Display | 12.9-inches, 120Hz 11-inches, 120Hz | 12.9-inches, 120Hz 11-inches, 120Hz |
| Display Panels | Retina XDR mini-LED Retina IPS LCD | Retina XDR mini-LED Retina IPS LCD |
| RAM | up to 16GB | up to 16GB |
| Storage | up to 2TB | up to 2TB |
| Back Camera | 12MP + 10MP + TOF 3D LiDAR | 12MP + 10MP + TOF 3D LiDAR |
| Front Camera | 12MP | 12MP |
| Chipset | Apple M2 | Apple M1 |
| Software | iPadOS 16 | iPadOS 15 |
| Battery | 12.9-inch (40.88Wh) 11-inch (28.65Wh) | 12.9-inch (40.88Wh) 11-inch (28.65Wh) |
| Stylus Support | YES | YES |
iPad Pro 2022 vs iPad Pro 2021: Display, Design, and Durability
The display and design of the Apple iPad Pro 2022 are the same as those of the Apple iPad Pro 2021. The 12.9-inches model uses the same Liquid Retina XDR mini-LED LCD while the 11-inches model uses the same Liquid Retina IPS LCD. All the models of the 2021 and 2022 iPad Pro have support for 120Hz refresh rate, HDR10, and Dolby Vision. The 12.9-inches model still has the same 1600 nits peak brightness while the 11-inches model still has the same 600 nits peak brightness.
Placed side by side, it’s very difficult for users to tell distinguish between the 2022 M2 iPad Pro and the 2021 M1 iPad Pro. The devices have the same dimension, the same weight, the same bezels, and the same design. Both devices are made of a Glass front, aluminum back, and aluminum frame and are Scratch-resistant glass with an oleophobic coating.
So, the 2022 iPad Pro looks exactly the same as the 2021 iPad Pro. This means if you like the design of the 2021 iPad Pro, then you’ll have no problems with the design of the 2022 iPad Pro and vice versa.
See Also: Apple iPad Air 2022 vs iPad Pro 2021: Which should you buy
Apple iPad Pro 2022 vs iPad Pro 2021: Camera
| Camera | iPad Pro 2022 | iPad Pro 2021 |
| Main | 12MP | 12MP |
| Ultra-wide | 10MP | 10MP |
| Depth | TOF 3D LiDAR | TOF 3D LiDAR |
| Front | 12MP | 12MP |
The camera sensors of the 2022 M2 iPad Pro are the same as those of the 2021 M1 iPad Pro. Apple used the camera sensors from last year’s iPad Pro in this year’s iPad Pro. But, the 2022 M2 iPad Pro has two new camera features that are not available in the 2021 M1 iPad Pro.
Users can now enjoy ProRes and Cinematic mode (4K, 1080p) features in the iPad Pro 2022. These two features are not available in the iPad Pro 2021. So, if you feel you need to record videos in ProRes and Cinematic mode (4K, 1080p) using an iPad Pro, then the M2 iPad Pro is a better option than the M1 iPad Pro.
However, aside from the two new camera features above, all other camera features are the same. Other camera features available on both devices are Quad-LED dual-tone flash, HDR, dual-pixel PDAF, Face detection, HDR, panorama, gyro-EIS, etc.
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iPad Pro 2022 vs iPad Pro 2021: Chipset, RAM & Storage
The operations of the Apple iPad Pro 2022 are handled by the Apple M2 chip while those of the Apple iPad Pro 2021 are handled by the Apple M1 chip. The M2 chip of the iPad Pro 2022 is the newer version of the M1 chip of the iPad Pro 2021. And it has better performance and is more power efficient.
The chipset of the iPad Pro 2022 is also equipped with a more powerful GPU. The M2 chip in the iPad Pro 2022 has Apple GPU with 10-core graphics while the M1 chip of the iPad Pro 2021 has Apple GPU with 8-core graphics. The extra GPU cores of the M2 chip make the iPad Pro 2022 render graphics faster than the iPad Pro 2021. So, when it comes to graphics-intensive gaming and rendering graphics, the Apple iPad Pro 2022 is better than the iPad Pro 2021.
The iPad Pro 2022 and iPad Pro 2021 has up to 16GB of RAM and 2TB of internal storage. None of the devices have support for storage expansion via a microSD card slot and the base models of both devices have 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.
See Also: M2 MacBook Pro Review: Who should buy this device
Apple iPad Pro 2022 vs iPad Pro 2021: Software
Apple iPad Pro 2022 boots iPadOS 16 out of the box while the Apple iPad Pro 2021 boots iPadOS 15 out of the box. Both devices will get up to five years of major software updates and users can download apps and games from the Apple App store.
The software and user experience on both smartphones are very smooth. Animation is fast, apps open very quickly, switching between apps is smooth, and the user interface on both phones looks neat. However, the iPadOS 16 has some new features, and to enjoy these features, users of the iPad Pro 2021 should upgrade to iPadOS 16.
See Also: Apple TV 4K 2022 Price and Availability
iPad Pro 2022 vs iPad Pro 2021: Battery & Other Features
The 11-inches and 12.9-inches models of the Apple iPad Pro 2022 and iPad Pro 2021 are powered by 28.65 Wh and 40.88 Wh batteries respectively. Users also get the same fast-charging features on all of these devices. The battery life on the iPad Pro 2022 s slightly better because of the new Apple M2 chip.
Other features available on both devices are Face ID, USB Type-C 4 (Thunderbolt 4), DisplayPort, magnetic connector, Nano-SIM, eSIM, Stylus support (Bluetooth integration; magnetic), etc.
See Also: Apple iPad 2022 European Pricing
Apple iPad Pro 2022 vs iPad Pro 2021: Price
The starting price of the Apple iPad Pro 2022 and iPad Pro 2021 is $799 for the model with 8GB + 128GB storage. However, the iPad Pro 2021 is enjoying a discount and you can get it for around $749 on Amazon. Details of where and how to buy the iPad Pro 2022 and iPad Pro 2021 are available in the table below.
| iPad Pro 2021 | Prices |
| Buy on Amazon | $749.00 |
| Buy on Amazon (EUR) | €1,378.00 |
| Buy on Amazon (UK) | £2,058.51 |
| Apple iPad 2022 (12.9-inch) | Price |
| Buy on Amazon | $1,099.00 |
| Buy on Amazon (EUR) | €1,449.00 |
| Apple iPad 2022 (11-inch) | Price |
| Buy on Amazon | $799.00 |
| Buy on Amazon (EUR) | €1,049.00 |
Apple iPad Pro 2022 vs iPad Pro 2021: Conclusion
The Apple iPad Pro 2022 with the Apple M2 chip is better than the Apple iPad Pro 2021 with the Apple M1 chip in two areas. One, the 2022 iPad Pro has a more powerful GPU, and two, it has new camera features. Every other feature on both devices is the same from the design to the display and even the battery capacity. Truth is, the Apple M1 chip on the iPad Pro 2021 is more than enough to handle all the graphics work you throw its way. So, for the current discounted price, it’s the better device to buy.
However, if you feel you need the extra GPU power and want to use your iPad Pro to record videos often or you get a very good trade-in deal, then buy the 2022 iPad Pro. Otherwise, this Apple iPad Pro 2022 vs iPad Pro 2021 specs comparison has shown that there are no significant differences between both devices.
