Hands-On With Final Cut Pro for iPad

Apple today brought its Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro software to the iPad for the first time, allowing content creators to use their tablets for video editing and sound recording. We decided to test out Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro to see how they measure up to the Mac versions.


MacRumors video editor Dan Barbera uses Final Cut Pro to edit the videos that you see on MacRumors, so it's software that he's very familiar with. He doesn't use Logic Pro as often, but takes a look at the interface differences.

Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro for iPad promise to deliver many of the same features that are available on the Mac, with a touch-first interface that's optimized for the ‌iPad‌. Dan will be editing a full video on the ‌iPad‌ using Final Cut Pro, so keep an eye out for that follow-up to the initial hands-on look.

Final Cut Pro requires an M1 chip or later, so it is limited to Apple's newest iPads. Logic Pro requires an A12 Bionic chip or later. The apps are priced at $4.99 per month or $49 per year in the United States, with a one-month free trial available.

Top Rated Comments

fwmireault Avatar
12 months ago

The problem with subscription pricing is that it removes the incentive for the developer to improve the product. Back in the day when companies hard to earn their sales through separate releases, they actually had to offer something new and compelling to get the user to pay again.

Now, because subscriptions are often the only option, they have their audiences captive and the users have no choice but to pay indefinitely, even if the software stagnates or declines, and even if massive new bugs and unwelcome UI/UX changes make the software unusable.
From my experience it’s quite the opposite. I am far from a subscription model fan, but I have to admit that for the few apps where I transitioned from a one-time purchase to a subscription model, I see quite a big difference in how fast new features are added and how bugs are fixed. I know it receives a lot of hate on this forum, but for example, Fantastical is always very proactive on implementing new features and new APIs, and fixing bugs, rather than waiting 2-3 years for a new major version. Because I pay a low monthly fee and not a high one-time fee, i can switch to competitors whenever i think the product isn’t worth it anymore, so they have an incentive to keep me satisfied
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mrr Avatar
12 months ago
Cool but I would really like a one time purchase
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Ghost31 Avatar
12 months ago
For years we’ve seen people criticize Apple for not having Final Cut on iPad. “It’s not a pro device without it!” Now it’s here anddddd…of coarse we just move the complaint to something else. The complaining never stops. Pro tools. For $5 a month. Or $4 a month if you pay yearly. Jesus. If you told me in the 1990’s or early 2000’s we would have a device as capable of this and I could have a pro app for a whopping $4 a month, I would have lost my freaking mind
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
12 months ago
What are the chances of having a Final Cut Pro for Apple Watch?

Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jkool Avatar
12 months ago
Anybody else wonder if there would be a market for a reborn subscription version of Aperture?
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Ion-X Avatar
12 months ago
The problem with subscription pricing is that it removes the incentive for the developer to improve the product. Back in the day when companies hard to earn their sales through separate releases, they actually had to offer something new and compelling to get the user to pay again.

Now, because subscriptions are often the only option, they have their audiences captive and the users have no choice but to pay indefinitely, even if the software stagnates or declines, and even if massive new bugs and unwelcome UI/UX changes make the software unusable.

I keep hearing from developers that subscriptions are the way to sustain further development. Except that back in the 90s and 00s, developers had no issue making money. It’s that they want to make much more money now. That’s their right — but it’s also our right to boycott.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 18 Siri Integrated Feature

iOS 18 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Friday April 12, 2024 11:11 am PDT by
iOS 18 is expected to be the "biggest" update in the iPhone's history. Below, we recap rumored features and changes for the iPhone. iOS 18 is rumored to include new generative AI features for Siri and many apps, and Apple plans to add RCS support to the Messages app for an improved texting experience between iPhones and Android devices. The update is also expected to introduce a more...
Delta Feature

Delta Game Emulator Now Available From App Store on iPhone

Wednesday April 17, 2024 9:58 am PDT by
Game emulator apps have come and gone since Apple announced App Store support for them on April 5, but now popular game emulator Delta from developer Riley Testut is available for download. Testut is known as the developer behind GBA4iOS, an open-source emulator that was available for a brief time more than a decade ago. GBA4iOS led to Delta, an emulator that has been available outside of...
iOS NES Emulator Bimmy Feature

NES Emulator for iPhone and iPad Now Available on App Store [Removed]

Tuesday April 16, 2024 11:33 am PDT by
The first approved Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) emulator for the iPhone and iPad was made available on the App Store today following Apple's rule change. The emulator is called Bimmy, and it was developed by Tom Salvo. On the App Store, Bimmy is described as a tool for testing and playing public domain/"homebrew" games created for the NES, but the app allows you to load ROMs for any...
iGBA Feature

Apple Removes Game Boy Emulator iGBA From App Store Due to Spam and Copyright Violations

Sunday April 14, 2024 9:22 pm PDT by
Apple today said it removed Game Boy emulator iGBA from the App Store for violating the company's App Review Guidelines related to spam (section 4.3) and copyright (section 5.2), but it did not provide any specific details. iGBA was a copycat version of developer Riley Testut's open-source GBA4iOS app. The emulator rose to the top of the App Store charts following its release this weekend,...
iPhone 15 Pro Action Button Translate

All iPhone 16 Models to Feature Action Button, But Usefulness Debated

Tuesday April 16, 2024 6:54 am PDT by
Last September, Apple's iPhone 15 Pro models debuted with a new customizable Action button, offering faster access to a handful of functions, as well as the ability to assign Shortcuts. Apple is poised to include the feature on all upcoming iPhone 16 models, so we asked iPhone 15 Pro users what their experience has been with the additional button so far. The Action button replaces the switch ...
iGBA Feature

Game Boy Emulator for iPhone Now Available in App Store Following Rule Change [Removed]

Sunday April 14, 2024 8:06 am PDT by
A week after Apple updated its App Review Guidelines to permit retro game console emulators, a Game Boy emulator for the iPhone called iGBA has appeared in the App Store worldwide. The emulator is already one of the top free apps on the App Store charts. It was not entirely clear if Apple would allow emulators to work with all and any games, but iGBA is able to load any Game Boy ROMs that...