Apple has overhauled its midrange and high-end iPads with new Air and Pro models for 2024. The revised tablets feature advanced displays, turbocharged processors, revamped camera systems, and are compatible with the brand-new Apple Pencil Pro.
While these upgrades are all welcome and appreciated, even Apple's most powerful slate comes up short in some places. With that in mind, these are the features we wish it included.
1. Ultra-Wide Camera
The iPad Pro's rear camera system no longer includes a dual-camera setup. Where the 2022 iPad Pros both offered two rear cameras—a 12MP wide angle and a 10MP ultra-wide angle—the new iPad Pro drops the ultra-wide in favor of a single-camera arrangement. When asked, Apple wouldn't comment on the decision behind the change.
With only a single 12MP rear camera, the iPad Pro is still able to capture 4K video in ProRes and rich HDR photos, but zoom is limited to 1x through 5x digitally. There's no 0.5x wide-angle shooting anymore. On the plus side, the iPad Pro has a new LiDAR sensor, a new TrueTone flash, and a new microphone.
2. More Ports
Ports are clutch when it comes to improving the effectiveness and versatility of computers through accessories. Like every iPad before them, however, the 2024 iPad Air and iPad Pro ship with just a single USB-C port each. Rumors of MagSafe charging fell through, too, which means the lone port is needed for charging and connecting to other gear like SSDs, hubs, or external displays. At least the Pro supports Thunderbolt 3 and USB4 for fast data transfers.
3. mmWave 5G
Apple nixed support for mmWave 5G on the iPad Pro even though the feature has been available to the line for several generations. The company didn't provide a reason for dropping support for the fastest wireless service, but the reason is likely cost and the limited availability of mmWave 5G service. With sub-6GHz 5G only, top cellular speeds in the new iPads will likely be limited to under 1Gbps. We've tested mmWave 5G to speeds faster than 2Gbps, so it makes a big difference when it's available and you can connect to it.
4. Physical SIM Cards
Along with mmWave 5G, Apple removed the physical SIM card tray from its latest iPads. The Air and Pro both ship with eSIM, which relies on an embedded SIM card that is programmable via downloadable eSIM profiles. eSIM is meant to be user-friendly, but in practice, it's not as simple to use as swapping out physical SIM cards when needed to change between data service providers.
5. Apple Pencil Compatibility
The new Apple Pencil Pro is a wonder thanks to its haptic engine, gyroscope, and built-in Find My functions. It's a natural fit for the new iPad Air and iPad Pro. If you have an old second-generation or other Apple Pencil, however, you'll have to buy the new one. Apple's latest tablets only work with the new Pencil Pro and the Apple Pencil USB-C.
6. Better Battery Life
The first-generation iPad, released in 2010, offered 10 hours of battery life when surfing the web over Wi-Fi. The new iPads Apple announced this week offer 10 hours of battery life when surfing the web over Wi-Fi. That's despite 14 years of advancements in the efficiency of processors and other components.
While Apple is putting a lot of the computing improvements into delivering raw power, it would be nice if the company directed some of that toward longer battery life. There's no reason the latest iPads can't provide 12 or more hours of battery life, particularly the large 13-inch models which have more internal room for batteries.
More on the New iPads
We'll have full reviews of the new iPad Air and iPad Pro in the days ahead, so make sure to check back soon. Until then, we'll show you how to preorder a new iPad and determine which one is right for you.