Hands-On With the New 2020 12.9-Inch iPad Pro

Apple last week announced new 11 and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models, and as of today, the new iPads are arriving to customers. We picked up one of the new 12.9-inch models and checked it out to see just what's new and whether it's worth buying.


When it comes to design, the new ‌iPad Pro‌ models are identical to the 2018 ‌iPad Pro‌ models, but with one important distinction -- a new square-shaped camera bump that accommodates a new camera setup.

ipad comp
There's a 12-megapixel wide-angle camera and a 10-megapixel ultra wide-angle camera, which, notably, is not the same as the 12-megapixel ultra wide-angle camera that's in the iPhone 11 Pro, though it's very similar when it comes to image quality.

Along with the two cameras, there's a new LiDAR Scanner, which is meant to add some pretty nifty new AR capabilities. The LiDAR Scanner uses reflected light to measure the distance from the sensor to surrounding objects up to five meters away, indoors and outdoors. It can basically create a more complete and detailed understanding of a scene and what's around you, which is useful for AR.

ipadpro2020applepencil
There are some improvements you'll see immediately in AR apps like people occlusion and better motion capture, but right now, there aren't a lot of AR apps that can take full advantage of the LiDAR Scanner. We'll have to wait to get a more complete picture of what it does, and we can also expect this same technology in next-generation iPhones.

camerasipadpro
The cameras look great, and are basically equivalent to what you're going to get with the ‌iPhone‌, but improved camera capabilities may not be what most people are looking for in an iPad as it's not the easiest device to capture images and video with.

Though there are two cameras, there's still no rear portrait mode, which is something to be aware of. The front-facing TrueDepth camera system hasn't changed and it's still 7-megapixels.

ipadprocamerabumps
Along with the new square-shaped camera bump, the ‌iPad Pro‌ comes with an upgraded A12Z Bionic chip. It's an improvement over the A12X in the previous-generation ‌iPad Pro‌, but only when it comes to GPU performance. CPU performance is just about the same based on Geekbench tests, though there's an 8-core GPU instead of a 7-core GPU, so there are some modest performance gains.

The processor in the 2018 ‌iPad Pro‌ was powerful enough for gaming, 3D rendering, video editing, and other intensive tasks, and the 2020 ‌iPad Pro‌ is just as capable, though not really more capable. Base RAM in the new ‌iPad Pro‌ has been bumped up, though, and all models now ship with 6GB RAM. In 2018, only the ‌iPad Pro‌ models with 1TB of storage had 6GB RAM, while others had 4GB.

ipadprooncouch
Apple's 2020 ‌iPad Pro‌ models also have more LTE bands, which is great if you're traveling, and they're WiFi 6 compatible, ideal for future proofing. WiFi 6 isn't widely used yet, but it may be much more widespread in a few years.

There are also now five studio quality microphones, and audio recorded with the new ‌iPad Pro‌ sounds great.

In May, Apple will release the new Magic Keyboard that's compatible with 2018 and 2020 ‌iPad Pro‌ models, bringing trackpad functionality. Trackpad and mouse support on the ‌iPad Pro‌ is great so far in our testing, but it's not an ‌iPad Pro‌ specific feature and so isn't a key reason to purchase one of the upgraded tablets.

ipad back
Given the minor upgrades in the 2020 ‌iPad Pro‌ models, it's not worth picking up one tablets if you've already got a 2018 ‌iPad Pro‌. Sure, there's a better AR experience, but as of right now, with no AR apps taking advantage of it, it's not a major selling point.

If you have an older ‌iPad‌ model and are thinking of upgrading to an ‌iPad Pro‌, the 11 and 12.9-inch 2020 ‌iPad Pro‌ models are an excellent choice and are more than powerful enough to replace a computer. And with the upcoming Magic Keyboard and the built-in trackpad support, they're also much more capable of serving as a Mac replacement.

What do you think of the new 2020 ‌iPad Pro‌? Let us know in the comments.

Related Roundup: iPad Pro
Buyer's Guide: iPad Pro (Don't Buy)

Popular Stories

iOS 26 Battery Glass Feature

iPhone 16 Pro Max 80% Charge Limit: One Year Later, Was It Worth It?

Wednesday September 24, 2025 3:58 pm PDT by
With the iPhone 15 series, I did an experiment and kept my iPhone's Charge Limit set at 80 percent for an entire year. It provided an interesting look at the impact of charge limits on battery longevity, so I decided to repeat it for the iPhone 16 line. Since September 2024, my iPhone 16 Pro Max has been limited to an 80 percent charge, with no cheating. As of today, my battery's maximum...
AirPods Pro 3 Newsroom

Apple's 'Back to School' Offer Ends Soon, Now Applies to AirPods Pro 3

Wednesday September 24, 2025 7:20 am PDT by
Apple's annual "Back to School" promotion for students ends soon, so act fast if you want to score free AirPods with the purchase of an eligible new Mac or iPad. Until Tuesday, September 30, college students and qualifying educational staff in the U.S. can receive free AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation when they purchase an eligible new Mac or iPad from Apple. This is a $179 value. ...
iphone 17 pro dark blue 1

Apple Blames In-Store MagSafe Chargers for iPhone 17 Pro Display Model Scratches

Wednesday September 24, 2025 10:22 am PDT by
The marks on the iPhone 17 Pro models that people have noticed at Apple retail stores are caused by the chargers that Apple uses, Apple confirmed today. Apple told 9to5Mac that worn MagSafe charging stands in stores are causing marks on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Apple says that the marks are not scratches, and are instead material transfer from the stand to the phone. The...
iPhone 17 Pro Colors

Skipped the iPhone 17 Pro? Here's What is Rumored for iPhone 18 Pro

Tuesday September 23, 2025 8:55 am PDT by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are still a year away, there are already a few rumors about the devices that offer an early look ahead. Below, we have recapped some of the early iPhone 18 Pro rumors so far. This story was published previously, and it has been updated to reflect the latest rumors. Many early rumors prove to be true, but nothing is confirmed yet, and Apple's...
Home Hub Command Center with Dome Base Feature

Apple Working on All-New Operating System

Thursday September 25, 2025 1:11 pm PDT by
Apple is developing an all-new operating system codenamed "Charismatic," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple smart home hub concept based on rumors This is likely Apple's long-rumored "homeOS" operating system. In a report last month, Gurman said both Apple's rumored smart home hub in 2026 and tabletop robot in 2027 will run the new operating system. He said the software platform ...
iOS 26

Everything New in iOS 26.1 Beta 1

Monday September 22, 2025 12:44 pm PDT by
Apple released the first beta of iOS 26.1 today, just a week after launching iOS 26. iOS 26.1 mainly adds new languages to Apple Intelligence, but there are a few other features that are worth knowing about. New Apple Intelligence Languages Apple Intelligence is now available in Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (Traditional), and Vietnamese. AirPo...
ios 26 digital id passport wallet

Apple Confirms iOS 26 Wallet Passport Feature is Coming in 2025

Tuesday September 23, 2025 1:06 pm PDT by
Digital ID, the iOS 26 feature that lets U.S. passport holders add their passports to the Wallet app, is coming later in 2025, Apple confirmed today. Apple updated the release timing wording of Digital ID on its iOS 26 features page. "Digital ID will be coming later this year with US passports only," it reads. Prior to today, the footnote for the feature said "Digital ID will be available ...
apple tv 4k new orange

Next Apple TV Expected to Launch This Year With These New Features

Monday September 22, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
The next Apple TV is expected to be released later this year, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the next Apple TV, according to rumors. Likely Features N1 Chip With Wi-Fi 7 Last year, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the next Apple TV would be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, which is...
iPhone 17 Pro USB C Port

iPhone 17 Pro Max's USB-C Charging Speeds Tested With Apple Chargers

Monday September 22, 2025 7:29 am PDT by
The website ChargerLAB has tested the iPhone 17 Pro Max's USB-C charging speeds with a variety of Apple's chargers, from 18W to 140W. The device reached a peak charging speed of around 36W with the following Apple chargers:40W Dynamic Power Adapter with 60W Max 61W USB-C Power Adapter 67W USB-C Power Adapter 70W USB-C Power Adapter 96W USB-C Power Adapter 140W USB-C Power AdapterFor...

Top Rated Comments

Falhófnir Avatar
72 months ago
Continuing complaints about this being a non-upgrade with the CPU, but I think that's the wrong way to think about this. If mini LED isn't ready until late this year they had 2 options, one they just wait, and people complain they need a new iPad now, but don't want one that's approaching 2 years old, or two they do this refresh, giving people who need an iPad now quite a few new features and enhancements before the new model debuts at the end of this year (high end 12.9") and/ or rolls out fully this time next year. It's a solid release. More graphics power, 6GB RAM, already plentiful CPU power, base storage bump, LiDAR and wide angle camera systems and stereo sound recording. If you were happy to buy the 2018s a few months ago, no reason you shouldn't be even more happy to buy these now?
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CWallace Avatar
72 months ago
Jason Snell noted one of the more likely reasons to launch a refreshed iPad Pro now and a more significant update later this year is for the AR capability so that Apple can talk about AR during WWDC and developers can start working with it now without having to wait for the iPhone 12 Pro (and which may be delayed past late September).

The A12X was already a beast of a CPU, so the immediate need for "more powah!" (to quote Jeremy Clarkson) is not really necessary. Jason Snell also thinks that Apple might use the iPad Pro as the platform to test "macOS ARM Edition" which could explain the boost in memory from 4GB to 6GB (or perhaps the AR sensor needs more RAM to work with).

As Falhófnir noted, it's a nice update to the 2018 line for those that do not already have a 2018 model. The Late 2020 model will be the one for those, like myself, who do have a 2018 model (as we'll be at the two-year mark).


Macrumors you didn’t mention the screen once. Don’t you think the most visible feature should be touched upon? Is there any difference to the 2018?
Per 9to5Mac, the displays are identical to the 2018 models. Have to wait till this Fall for an upgraded display (assuming the miniLED rumors are true).
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jase1125 Avatar
72 months ago
Personally, I have not found a compelling reason to upgrade from my 10.5” iPad Pro. I was thinking I would upgrade this year, but with the minor graphics performance bump I will just continue on with my 10.5. Quite surprised they didn’t do essentially anything with the CPU.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Ghost31 Avatar
72 months ago

I'll stick with my 10.5" iPad Pro for a while longer. $1K for a basic 128GB 12.9" model and then add another $300 for the new Smart Keyboard with Trackpad. I'd rather buy the new MacBook Air.
The MacBook Air and the iPad are nothing alike. No idea why people say “well for this price I’d rather buy a laptop that has no touch screen, pencil support or iOS”. Well ok. Different products.

for a lot of us: price doesn’t matter. iPad is what we want. We aren’t just getting it because it’s supposedly cheaper than a MacBook. We want it
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
calzon65 Avatar
72 months ago
Sure there are some additions/improvements compared to the 2018 model, but from 2018 vs 2020 benchmarks in a previous MacRumors story, the performance increase is insignificant. After two years, there should have been a greater performance increase.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
stownsend3 Avatar
72 months ago
Waiting until WWDC to hear if there is any news on Xcode for iPad or not. Would love to retire my 2013 MBP and 10.5 iPad Pro and move to just the 12.9in + new Magic Keyboard.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)