Apple iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation) vs Apple iPad Pro 12.9-inch (4th generation)
Better figure, where one is clearly better
| AppleiPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation) | AppleiPad Pro 12.9-inch (4th generation) | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Released | November 2018 | March 2020 |
| Display | ||
| Screen size | 12.9″ | 12.9″ |
| Resolution | 2732 × 2048 | 2732 × 2048 |
| Sharpness | 265 pixels per inch | 265 pixels per inch |
| Panel | LCD | LCD |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Brightness | 600 nits | 600 nits |
| Display type | Liquid Retina; LED-backlit IPS LCD; rounded corners reduce the viewable area | Liquid Retina; LED-backlit IPS LCD; rounded corners reduce the viewable area |
| Pixel density | 264 ppi | 264 ppi |
| Brightness detail | 1.8% reflectivity | 1.8% reflectivity |
| Display features | ProMotion adjusts refresh up to 120 Hz; P3 wide colour; True Tone; fully laminated; anti-reflective and fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coatings; Dolby Vision and HDR10 content playback | ProMotion adjusts refresh up to 120 Hz; P3 wide colour; True Tone; fully laminated; anti-reflective and fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coatings; Dolby Vision and HDR10 content playback |
| Performance | ||
| Chip | A12X Bionic | A12Z Bionic |
| Memory | 4 GB – 6 GB | 6 GB |
| Storage | 64 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB | 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB |
| CPU | Eight-core 64-bit CPU with four performance and four efficiency cores; embedded M12 coprocessor; 4 GB RAM on 64/256/512 GB and 6 GB on 1 TB (Notebookcheck) | Eight-core 64-bit CPU; 6 GB RAM on every storage option (Notebookcheck) |
| GPU | Seven-core Apple GPU | Eight-core Apple GPU |
| AI engine | Neural Engine | Neural Engine |
| Cameras | ||
| Rear camera | 12 MP | 12 MP |
| Ultra wide camera | None | 10 MP |
| Front camera | 7 MP | 7 MP |
| Rear camera | f/1.8; five-element lens; digital zoom up to 5x; quad-LED True Tone flash; sapphire lens cover; Focus Pixels autofocus; Smart HDR; wide colour capture | Wide f/1.8; ultra wide f/2.4 with 125° field of view; 2x optical zoom out; digital zoom up to 5x; five-element lenses; True Tone flash; sapphire lens cover; Focus Pixels autofocus on wide; Smart HDR; wide colour capture |
| Front camera | TrueDepth; f/2.2; Portrait mode and Portrait Lighting; Retina Flash; Smart HDR; Animoji and Memoji | TrueDepth; f/2.2; Portrait mode and Portrait Lighting; Retina Flash; Smart HDR; Animoji and Memoji |
| Video recording | Rear 4K at 30/60 fps and 1080p at 30/60 fps; slow-motion 1080p at 240 fps; stabilised time-lapse; HEVC/H.264; front 1080p at 30/60 fps | Wide 4K at 24/30/60 fps; ultra wide 4K at 60 fps; 1080p at 30/60 fps; slow-motion 1080p at 120/240 fps on wide and 240 fps on ultra wide; HEVC/H.264; front 1080p at 30/60 fps |
| Depth sensor | – | LiDAR Scanner; measures surrounding objects up to 5 m indoors or outdoors |
| Battery and connections | ||
| Battery life (maker's claim) | Up to 10 hours | Up to 10 hours |
| Battery capacity | 36.71 Wh | 36.71 Wh |
| Battery (mAh) | – | 9,720 mAh |
| Mobile data option | Yes | Yes |
| Stylus | Supported, sold separately | Supported, sold separately |
| Keyboard made for it | Yes | Yes |
| Battery life detail | Up to 10 hours Wi-Fi browsing, video or music; nine hours cellular browsing | Up to 10 hours Wi-Fi browsing or video; nine hours cellular browsing; 9,720 mAh reported by Notebookcheck |
| Charging | USB-C power adaptor or computer; supplied 18 W adaptor is not a stated maximum charging rate | USB-C power adaptor or computer; supplied 18 W adaptor is not a stated maximum charging rate |
| USB-C | USB-C with USB 3.1 Gen 2 and external displays up to 5K; Smart Connector | USB-C; video mirroring and output up to 4K through compatible adaptors; Smart Connector |
| Wi-Fi | Dual-band 802.11a/b/g/n/ac; HT80 with MIMO | Dual-band 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6; HT80 with MIMO |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.0 | Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Mobile network | Gigabit-class LTE; UMTS/HSPA/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA; GSM/EDGE; nano-SIM and eSIM; data only; cellular model weighs 633 g | Gigabit-class LTE; UMTS/HSPA/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA; GSM/EDGE; nano-SIM and eSIM; data only; cellular model weighs 643 g |
| Stylus support | Apple Pencil (2nd generation) with magnetic attachment, pairing and wireless charging; Apple Pencil (USB-C); sold separately | Apple Pencil (2nd generation) with magnetic attachment, pairing and wireless charging; Apple Pencil (USB-C); sold separately |
| Keyboards | Smart Keyboard Folio through Smart Connector, sold separately | Magic Keyboard with trackpad and USB-C pass-through charging; Smart Keyboard Folio; sold separately |
| Design | ||
| Weight | 631 g (better) | 641 g |
| Thickness | 5.9 mm | 5.9 mm |
| Height × width | 280.6 × 214.9 mm | 280.6 × 214.9 mm |
| Operating system | iPadOS | iPadOS |
| Biometrics | Face ID through TrueDepth camera | Face ID through TrueDepth camera |
| Speakers | Four-speaker audio | Four-speaker audio |
| Microphones | Five microphones | Five studio-quality microphones |
| Sensors | Three-axis gyro; accelerometer; barometer; ambient light sensor; digital compass; iBeacon; GPS/GNSS on cellular model | Three-axis gyro; accelerometer; barometer; ambient light sensor; digital compass; iBeacon; GPS/GNSS on cellular model |
| Materials | – | Recyclable low-carbon aluminium enclosure; 100% recycled tin in solder on the main logic board, True Tone flash and Pencil wireless charger |
| Colours | Silver, Space Grey | Silver, Space Grey |
| Software at launch | iOS 12; subsequently received iPadOS | iPadOS 13.4 |
| In the box | iPad Pro; USB-C Charge Cable (1 m); 18 W USB-C Power Adapter | iPad Pro; USB-C Charge Cable (1 m); 18 W USB-C Power Adapter |
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