This article may contain personal views and opinion from the author.
We may earn a commission if you make a purchase from the links on this page.
It has been three years since Apple shocked the world by launching the iPad Pro with an M1 chip inside. And that's not an exaggeration — M1 was an industry disruptor when it was introduced with Mac laptops in 2020.
Intel stock fell, everyone was gawking at the benchmark scores and was in disbelief with their battery life. By employing the ARM architecture, Apple had produced chips that were ahead of the competition, probably ahead of their time — tech pundits would chant this at the time.
But then, putting that highly efficient chip inside the iPads was something we did not expect.
And, to be honest, iPadOS wasn't even ready for it. Some might argue — it still isn't. Even though Apple's tablets now have literally desktop-class chips inside them that are capable of rendering video, audio, and 3D graphics at incredible speeds, the apps and general iPadOS workflow are barely making use of that power's full potential.
Yet, Apple wasn't done. In early 2024, it launched the iPad Pro with an M4 chip inside. This was, again, a shocker because the M4 hadn't appeared anywhere yet – not on MacBooks, not on Mac minis or iMacs. The latest generation of Apple's powerful chip launched... on a tablet! (Since then, Apple did refresh the Mac mini and MacBook lines to have M4 in October).
To this I say:
Good time to buy the iPad Pro with M1!
Parner message
Looking for the perfect case to help you use your phone hands-free?
Torras cases have the proprietary Ostand circle, which serves multiple purposes. It can be a kickstand, and its rotation allows you to prop up the phone in multiple angles. It can be a hoop ring so you keep your phone attached to your fingers when doing something else with both hands. And it has a strong magnet array so you can literally stick the phone to a fridge or another metal surface around! Available in multiple styles for iPhones, Pixels, and Galaxies!
I've been using an iPad Pro 11" with the M1 chip pretty much since it launched in 2021. And I am talking daily usage — it's always on my work desk acting as a second screen, and then it proceeds to accompany me through the evening as I am doing house chores and binging YouTube in the background.
Any sort of "professional" use I have for it has to do with audio. I have loaded samples into it and use the Slide Over mode to view lyrics. The iPad Pro M1 has even been with me on stage multiple times (I’m part of a band called Paradox). And, with Stage Manager, I've even had some days when I come to the office with only the iPad, hook it up to a dock, and do my work entirely on iPadOS. It has its kinks, but it's good enough for text-based work.
Still works as a laptop-lite kind of device
Now, to be clear, Apple doesn't officially sell M1 iPads anymore, and I am pretty sure that any new-old stock units out there are long gone. So yes, I am technically sending you off to the swamplands of the used or refurbished market. Though, I dare argue that, with some careful seller research, you can score a unit that has been babied or at least very well refurbished.
I have little issue with buying a second-hand tablet since it's not as "personal" a device as a phone. After all, you don't bring a tablet up to your face and mouth as you do with a phone.
Won't I miss out on a lot, though?
Not entirely. As I previously mentioned, M1 chips were simply ahead of their time. And, to this day, they hold up. Not only am I using an iPad Pro M1, I also have a Mac mini M1, which I don't feel urged to upgrade (although the new Mac minis look sick).
If we look at Geekbench scores, we can see how these chips have evolved:
Tablet and chip
Geekbench Single-core
Geekbench Multi-core
iPad M4
3659
13148
iPad M1
2300
8316
OK, the M4 is about 60% faster, but what do those numbers mean? Well, let's just compare them to a contemporary mid-range chip that you'd find on a not-too-expensive but not-too-cheap gaming setup — an Intel Core i5-14400F.
Chip
Geekbench Single-core
Geekbench Multi-core
iPad with Apple M1
2300
8316
Intel Core i5-14400F
2343
11434
I realize I am comparing apples to oranges here since the software and the setups that will be riding on those chips are vastly different. But we have to start from somewhere, and the point I am trying to illustrate is that by modern "good system for midrange money" standards, the iPad Pro M1 still has the horsepower and is only slightly behind.
As for the latest Apple features — you will still get the full Apple Intelligence suite and anything else iPadOS has to throw at us in the near future. The iPad Pro M1 was launched in 2022, so it should continue getting support until at least 2027.
When it comes to graphics, it also does not underperform:
Beware: I do have to point out that the M1 does not support hardware-accelerated ray tracing. So, if you are a believer in iPadOS' future as a gaming platform, then disregard this tip and look for iPads with M2 and above. However, it bears mention that, despite the hardware having supported ray tracing for the past two years, game developers haven't really hopped on board yet.
You will definitely miss out on the new Tandem OLED screens in the new iPad Pros, I'll give them that. They look awesome, they get very bright, and they have fantastic contrast. But then again, Apple's LCD panels are also expertly tuned, and I can't say they look "bad" per se.
You will miss out on support for the new Apple Pencil Pro, if that's a concern, and you are an artist — you could also look for an iPad Pro with M2 inside. M2 iPads support the new Pencil Pro and also have the Pencil Hover feature, which displays a cursor on the screen as you bring the tip close to the glass.
In conclusion
Big or small - the choice is out there!
So, unless you are a gamer who's champing at the bit to have hardware-accelerated ray tracing, or an artist that does want the comfort of the squeezable Apple Pencil Pro, you can get a pretty good deal if you hunt for an iPad Pro M1.
At the time of writing this, I performed a pretty quick search and found a Geek Squad Certified Refurbished iPad Pro M1 with 256 GB for $550 at Best Buy. And, if you opt for the 12.9" 256 GB model, it's $689.99 right now. That's a lot of tablet and a lot of storage (by Apple standards) for the money! The screen is good, the speakers still sound great, the hardware still keeps up with iPadOS no problem, and it can be used and accessorized to fit your lifestyle and workflow easily.
Yeah, you could be tempted to buy a brand-new iPad Air instead. But I still can't get over how they only have two speakers instead of the Pro's quad speaker setup and are also locked down to 60 Hz screens. Yeah, a brand-new iPad Air M2 is slightly worse than an old iPad Pro M2 and arguably only marginally better than an iPad Pro M1, if we only look at raw benchmark numbers and specs.
iPad Pro 11-inch, M1, 256 GB
Geek Squad refurbished at a great price for the storage option
A huge tablet to use as a canvas, second screen, gaming device, streaming platform. 256 GB is quite a lot of storage for general tablet use and shouldn't run out any time soon.
Preslav, a member of the PhoneArena team since 2014, is a mobile technology enthusiast with a penchant for integrating tech into his hobbies and work. Whether it's writing articles on an iPad Pro, recording band rehearsals with multiple phones, or exploring the potential of mobile gaming through services like GeForce Now and Steam Link, Preslav's approach is hands-on and innovative. His balanced perspective allows him to appreciate both Android and iOS ecosystems, focusing on performance, camera quality, and user experience over brand loyalty.
Loading Comments...
COMMENT
All comments need to comply with our
Community Guidelines
Phonearena comments rules
A discussion is a place, where people can voice their opinion, no matter if it
is positive, neutral or negative. However, when posting, one must stay true to the topic, and not just share some
random thoughts, which are not directly related to the matter.
Things that are NOT allowed:
Off-topic talk - you must stick to the subject of discussion
Offensive, hate speech - if you want to say something, say it politely
Spam/Advertisements - these posts are deleted
Multiple accounts - one person can have only one account
Impersonations and offensive nicknames - these accounts get banned
Moderation is done by humans. We try to be as objective as possible and moderate with zero bias. If you think a
post should be moderated - please, report it.
Have a question about the rules or why you have been moderated/limited/banned? Please,
contact us.
FCC OKs Cingular\'s purchase of AT&T Wireless
Things that are NOT allowed: