iPad Pro — The Last 3 Years
It’s been a wild ride since 2017
Back in June 2017, I published three articles on Medium as a series entitled iPad Pro 10.5 as my Main Computer.
Upon logging in to Medium for the first time in years fairly recently, I was astonished to discover I had amassed over 500 followers from writing this little series, and that they had been read tens of thousands of times.
In the first part of the series, I explored the launch of the first iPad Pro in 2015 alongside the first iterations of the keyboard cover and Apple Pencil.
So Apple bucked a few long-established trends and conventions with the introduction of the first iPad Pro. And while there was no doubting the machines had serious horsepower, there was one thing which many felt meant the iPad Pro was not ready to become their primary computing device: the tablet software still sucked.
I mean, it’s true. iOS 10 on the first-generation iPad Pro was a laughably limited experience for such a powerful device. It seemed a nonsense to invest in the iPad Pro back in 2015, where the software was pretty much literally a blown-up iPhoneOS.
But at WWDC 2017, Apple managed to lure me in (as they invariably manage to) with the launch of the 10.5 inch iPad Pro and, more notably, iOS 11 for iPad. As I wrote, “The day had finally come.”
It was quite funny reading my thoughts about iOS 11 for iPad, three years on. I was certainly a very excited man when the update was announced:
iOS 11 for iPad is nothing short of the most revolutionary thing to happen to iPad since its inception.
Cute, right?
But I think I had a point. With iOS 11, Apple introduced the Files app, bringing us closer to having Mac-like file management; it revamped multitasking to more closely resemble Mission Control on macOS and further improved Slide Over capabilities; and they added drag-and-drop.
Ever the King of Hyperbole, I wrote:
By this point I was pretty much close to fainting. Drag and Drop on iPad? Dragging images, text, links from one app to another? Whether in Split View or not? Using the Dock or gestures? Multi-select?
Clearly, I was frothing at the mouth at the developments, and there it was: Apple had finally convinced me an iPad Pro could become my main computer. So all I needed to do was get one!
In Part 2 of the series, I went on to detail what I bought: a 10.5 inch iPad Pro with 512GB of storage and cellular in Space Gray, a Smart Keyboard and an Apple Pencil.
I detailed how I’d been using the iPad as my main computer, as well as the ways I had rethought the way I worked, in Part 3 of the series.
I praised the Smart Keyboard, calling it a “fantastic piece of kit”, and remarked I found the Apple Pencil “exciting to use”. And then I outlined my app choices for everything from task management to social to design work, and more besides.
What a difference 3 years makes
Fast forward from these simpler times to now and we find ourselves in the year 2020, with the entire world in the grip of a pandemic. I wouldn’t have predicted it.
So what’s changed with iPad?
Hardware changes
Apple has steadily iterated on the iPad Pro since its first iteration in September 2015. By the time I wrote the series, it had just released the second generation hardware in June 2017, comprising the new 10.5 inch and updated 12.9 inch models. The second gen iPad Pros packed ProMotion displays with TrueTone technology and camera improvements, and were bundled with iOS 11.
In late 2018, Apple introduced the third generation iPad Pro which featured a mouth-watering redesign that eschewed the thick bezels in favour of an edge-to-edge design. As with the iPhone, it was out with Touch ID and in with Face ID. The headphone jack was gone. And they followed the MacBook line in switching to USB-C.
The 2018 iPad Pro redesign was stunning. I remember being awestruck by the industrial design which echoed the iPhone 5, and marvelling at the practically non-existent bezels.
A second generation Apple Pencil was released too, which fixed many of the problems of the first. It no longer had to awkwardly plug in to the Lightning port to charge, instead magnetically sitting on top of the iPad and charging right there. These new iPads shipped with improved cameras, a blazing fast A12X chip, and iOS 11.
Make no mistake, these updates were sensational. But there was still a feeling amongst many — including myself — that iOS was still not doing these powerful, sexy machines justice.
I still bought one though. In November 2018, I bade farewell to my 10.5 inch and said hello to a 12.9 inch iPad Pro (with cellular, in Space Gray) and a new Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard Folio.
Looking back at my journal on the day I received it, it’s safe to say I was excited:
Oh my fricking, fucking god. It’s arrived and it’s AMAZING. I’m literally in awe of the thing. It’s a perfect size. It looks insane.
It’s going to be such a powerhouse. Typing this on the 10.5 already feels cramped! Downloading photos, music etc in preparation for it.
It was a truly magical experience using that iPad for the first time. The edge-to-edge screen in all its bright, colourful majesty. Face ID making unlocking it a snap. The unbelievably beautiful aluminium design.
I was in love.
In my journal that day, I continued:
It’s testament to Apple that they can, after all these years, still produce experiences which blow the mind. You’d think after a while this feeling would wear off, but in reality it’s only greater with more recent products.
AirPods, iPhone X and now this new iPad Pro: they are all superb products with a real quantum leap up over the product they replace.
I still stand by all this. Apple products may be very expensive, and their walled garden approach in some people’s eyes is too controlling, but their product design and seamless integration of software and services — as well as their relentless privacy-first policies — will always make them the best bet in my mind. Without question.
As I write this in April 2020, it’s almost a year and a half since this third generation iPad was released and Apple recently dropped the fourth generation with a press release (the ongoing coronavirus situation likely was the reason for not holding an event).
This most recent iPad Pro has only a few hardware improvements on the 2018 model: a new LiDAR scanner for AR, an Ultra Wide camera, improved microphones and a marginally better A12Z chip. Otherwise, it is the same device as the sound 2018 release.
But the star of the show was the announcement, alongside this release, of trackpad and cursor support in iPadOS and a new accessory which had jaws dropping far and wide: the Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro.
I’ll cover the software advances in a little while, so let’s talk about that Magic Keyboard.
When I first saw the Magic Keyboard, I’m surprised I didn’t faint with excitement and sensory overload. The successor to the Smart Keyboard Folio, this new accessory features a floating design with smooth angle adjustment, a backlit keyboard and trackpad.
It took a while for it all to sink in. Seemingly out of the sky, Apple had dropped possibly one of the most exciting accessories in recent memory. It fixed literally every complaint I’d had of the previous keyboard accessory, most notably the lack of adjustability.
I was able to accept the eye-watering price (£349 for the 12.9 inch) but was a little more upset by the fact it wasn’t shipping for two months. It’s due for release in May 2020 and I will purchase it the nanosecond it is up for sale.
I have practically been dreaming about the damn thing.
The floating design reminds me of the 2002 iMac and is almost impossibly attractive. I absolutely love the fact the iPad magnetically snaps onto it, but can easily be pulled off to be used in tablet mode. I often use the iPad naked, either with the Apple Pencil or relaxing with articles or books in portrait orientation, so this is going to be awesome.
I’m super excited to see how the cantilever hinge works for smooth angle adjustment — of up to 130 degrees according to Apple— as this is one of the main drawbacks of the Keyboard Folio with its mere two options for angles. It has often not been right for me in various use cases, but this looks perfect.
Backlit, hard-press keys are also welcomed, and were big surprises. All of these thoughtful changes will result in a more laptop-like experience which makes the iPad Pro more appropriate and appealing to use than ever in more use cases.
And to top all of that off, there’s a damn trackpad. It’s not known yet if this will be a haptic-based trackpad as seen in the notebook line or the company’s Magic Trackpad accessory, but whatever the implementation, this changes things forever for iPad.
And all of this was underlined with the release of iPadOS 13.4 alongside the new iPad Pros. This was a software update that, despite being a minor release — and unlike many of the major releases before it — truly changed the game.
Software changes
Before we get to iPadOS 13.4, let’s rewind a little bit and cover everything that has changed with the iPad software in the three years since I wrote the series about iPad Pro.
2017’s iOS 11 was a huge update for iPad. Indeed, it was one of the main drivers which convinced me to invest in the 10.5 inch iPad Pro and all its accessories.
The iPad got an overhauled Dock which was more macOS-like and accessible from any app, drag-and-drop support, a new multitasking interface which allowed for up to 3 visible apps at a time (or 4 if you included picture-in-picture video), amongst other improvements.
It was a little disappointing that iOS 12 in 2018 had so few new features, but Apple had quite wisely opted for a Snow Leopard approach this time, squashing bugs and improving performance updates across the OS.
iOS 12 did come with a few welcome surprises though, most notably the new Shortcuts app, which took Apple’s acquired Workflow app and extended it further. Geeks and power users rejoiced across the land (arguably none louder or with more gusto than Federico Viticci of MacStories, whose Apple-related writing is some of the best you can find and whose increasingly ironically-named website is one of my very favourites).
iPad did get Stocks and Voice Memos though. Oh, and Animoji came screaming into existence. So it wasn’t all bad, I guess? Okay, let’s stop messing around: it was a fairly dull year, but the break was needed to smooth out and optimise the operating systems and that is a great thing.
It was in 2019 though that shit got real. Around six months after the release of the sexy new edge-to-edge iPad Pros, Apple welcomed thousands of attendees — and many more from the world via livestream — to its annual WWDC conference and unveiled the new version of iOS which, for the first time, had a dedicated version for iPad: iPadOS.
And boy was it an upgrade.
The iPadOS 13 home screen featured a new UI which allowed more app icons per row and the option to display widgets directly on the front page itself. This immediately distinguished it from iPhone and made better use of the sprawling screens iPads are blessed with.
Multitasking was improved as well, with the system now allowing multiple instances of the same app to be open at once, as well as improvements to the Mission Control view for the main app switcher, Split View apps and Slide Over, too.
Safari was overhauled to display desktop versions of sites by default, which was a long-overdue feature that further brought the device into laptop territory. And Sidecar was launched, allowing the iPad to function as a second display for your Mac — wirelessly and with no latency.
There were more updates, of course, which extended to both iPhone and iPad: finally a system-wide dark mode, new gestures for copying and pasting text, all-new Reminders and Photos apps, and more.
But the real game changer came with iPadOS 13.4, released six months or so later along with the 2020 iPad Pro hardware refresh and Magic Keyboard announcement.
Without much warning, suddenly iPad supported mice and trackpads with an implementation which was universally lauded by critics and the commentariat. Apple’s press release said:
Designed specifically for the touch-first experience on iPad, the cursor appears as a circle that highlights user interface elements, text fields and apps on the Home screen and Dock, giving a clear indication of what users can click on. Fluid gestures on the trackpad make it easy to switch between apps, access the app switcher and activate the Dock, Control Center and apps in Slide Over.
It was now possible to select text with precision and use gestures to navigate the system with ease — all without touching the screen. Almost instantly, the iPad was made infinitely more powerful and easy to use for even more use cases.
I upgraded my 2018 model to a 2020 edition in Silver upon release. I’m really digging the colour — it reminds me of the vintage, old-school Apple designs. Space Gray is so last year. I have been marvelling at the trackpad support in 13.4 — it feels so fluid and natural with a Magic Trackpad, and has made using the iPad for work, especially text-based work, a joy.
All that is needed is that darn Magic Keyboard. It’s going to be a long month or so!
Approaching its final form?
With the release of iPadOS 13.4’s deep trackpad support and the marvel of engineering that is the Magic Keyboard for iPad, it really feels like the iPad Pro is finally realising its full potential.
I use my iPad Pro for most of the work that I do, which is why I can’t wait to finally get my hands on the Magic Keyboard, as I can already tell it’s going to elevate the experience to new heights. I’m super excited to see where the iPad continues to go in the next few years.
There’s no denying that iPad Pro has developed slowly since 2015. But it’s developed steadily, too. The OS is finally getting somewhere in doing the astounding hardware justice, and the adjustable Magic Keyboard is finally a worthy keyboard accessory that will help the iPad rival a notebook.
But there are still some things I just cannot do on the iPad, even with all the advancements of the last three years. In my next article — and in anticipation of this year’s digital-only WWDC — I am going to write about my current setup, detail some of the things I love about using iPad and a few of the things that are still holding the platform back.
Thanks for reading. If you have any questions or comments, I’d love to hear from you (you can hit me up on Twitter). Until next time, Medium!
