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.

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Slim Feature Single Camera 1 Redux

'iPhone 17 Air' Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Wednesday January 15, 2025 7:16 am PST by
While the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" is not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the "ultra-thin" device. Overall, the "iPhone 17 Air" is shaping up to be a mixed bag. Due to its thinness, the device is expected to have some limited specifications compared to the iPhone 17 Pro models, including only a single rear camera, only a single speaker, no SIM...
2024 iPhone Boxes Feature

Apple Changes Trade-In Values for iPhones, iPads, Macs, and More

Thursday January 16, 2025 6:45 am PST by
Apple today adjusted estimated trade-in values for select iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch models in the U.S., according to its website. Some values increased, while others decreased. The changes were not too significant, with most values rising or dropping by $5 to $50. We have outlined some examples below: Device New Value Old Value iPhone 15 Pro Max Up to $630 U ...
new magsafe charger

Apple Releases Updated MagSafe Charger Firmware

Tuesday January 14, 2025 11:30 am PST by
Apple today released new firmware designed for the 25W MagSafe Charger that is compatible with the iPhone 12 and later and the latest AirPods and Apple Watch models. The updated firmware is version 2A143, up from the 2A138 firmware that the accessory shipped with. In the Settings app, you'll see a different version number than the internal firmware number. The 2024 MagSafe charger was...
Generic iOS 18

iOS 18.3 Coming Soon: Here's What's New

Monday January 13, 2025 5:33 am PST by
iOS 18.3 is currently in beta for developers and public beta testers. So far, the upcoming iPhone software update is very minor in scope. Below, we outline what is new in iOS 18.3 so far. The only potential new feature coming to iPhones with iOS 18.3 so far is robot vacuum support in the Home app, but this functionality is not yet live. Apple is laying the groundwork for the feature,...
iPhone 17 Pro Dual Tone Feature 1

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 8 New Features

Thursday January 9, 2025 5:45 am PST by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. iPhone 17 Pro concept based on rumors Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of January 2025: More aluminum: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models ...
Generic iOS 18

Everything New in iOS 18.3 Beta 3

Thursday January 16, 2025 12:39 pm PST by
Apple provided the third beta of iOS 18.3 to developers today, and while the betas have so far been light on new features, the third beta makes some major changes to Notification Summaries and also tweaks a few other features. Notification Summary Changes Apple made multiple changes to Notification Summaries in response to complaints about inaccurate summaries of news headlines. For...
severance new york promo 1

Apple Promotes Severance Season 2 Premiere With Lumon Industries Pop-Up and Visits From Actors

Tuesday January 14, 2025 3:47 pm PST by
Ahead of the season two premiere of hit TV show Severance, Apple is marketing the show with a fun Severance pop-up at the Grand Central Terminal in New York City. Apple has assembled a glass cube with workstations that are identical to the setups that Lumon employees use on the show, complete with employees "working," doing yoga, playing catch, throwing paper airplanes, sipping coffee, and...
airpods pro 2 gradient

AirPods Pro 3 Expected This Year: Here's What We Know

Wednesday January 8, 2025 7:05 am PST by
Despite being released over two years ago, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 continue to dominate the wireless earbud market. However, with the AirPods Pro 3 expected to launch sometime in 2025, anyone thinking of buying Apple's premium earbuds may be wondering if the next generation is worth holding out for. Apart from their audio and noise-canceling performance, which are generally regarded as...
Apple Card iPhone 16 Pro Feature

Three Companies Are Now in the Running to Take Over the Apple Card

Thursday January 16, 2025 8:18 am PST by
Apple is in talks with Barclays and Synchrony about becoming its new financial partner for the Apple Card, according to Reuters sources. The report today added that Apple has also been holding discussions with Chase Bank owner JPMorgan since last year, so there are at least three potential companies in the running to take over the Apple Card from current partner Goldman Sachs. Goldman...

Top Rated Comments

fwmireault Avatar
22 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
22 months ago
Cool but I would really like a one time purchase
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Ghost31 Avatar
22 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
22 months ago
What are the chances of having a Final Cut Pro for Apple Watch?

Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jkool Avatar
22 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
22 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)