IPad Pro Showdown: 2018 Vs. 2020 - Which Reigns Supreme?
Hey guys! Let's dive headfirst into a comparison that's been on everyone's mind: the iPad Pro 2018 versus the iPad Pro 2020. Choosing between these two powerhouses can be a bit of a head-scratcher, so we're going to break down everything you need to know. We'll look at the design, the display, the performance, the cameras, and, of course, the price. This way, you can confidently decide which iPad Pro is the perfect fit for you. Whether you're a creative pro, a student, or just someone who loves a fantastic tablet experience, this is the place to be. We'll explore the key differences and similarities, helping you make an informed decision. Get ready to find out which iPad Pro deserves a spot in your tech arsenal. Let's get started and see who comes out on top in this epic iPad Pro battle! Understanding the nuances between these two devices will not only help you in choosing, but also appreciate the evolution of Apple's tablet technology. We’ll cover everything from the subtle aesthetic changes to the significant internal upgrades that set the 2020 model apart. This detailed comparison will serve as your ultimate guide, ensuring you're well-equipped to make the right choice based on your individual needs and budget. So, buckle up, and let's get this show on the road! The choice is yours. Are you ready? Because I am.
Design and Build: A Tale of Two iPad Pros
When you first lay eyes on the iPad Pro 2018 and the 2020 models, you'll notice that the design language is quite similar. Apple played it safe, sticking with the sleek, minimalist aesthetic that we all know and love. Both feature the familiar flat-edged design with rounded corners, a welcome departure from the more curved backs of older iPads. The build quality on both models is top-notch, with premium materials that exude a sense of luxury. You're getting an all-aluminum unibody construction that feels incredibly solid in hand. This design choice contributes not only to the device's aesthetics but also its durability. However, there are subtle differences, and it’s these that become important. The 2018 model was a significant step forward in design at the time, moving away from the Home button and introducing Face ID. This created an all-screen front, maximizing the display real estate and giving it a modern look. It was a massive visual upgrade. The 2020 model, while maintaining this fundamental design, made minor refinements. One key difference is the camera bump on the back. The 2020 model houses a dual-camera system, which we'll discuss later. Another is the introduction of a new color option, offering a slightly refreshed look, but the differences are subtle enough that the general user experience is consistent. Both iPads are thin and light, making them easy to carry around and use on the go. The choice between them won't be as much about a radical design shift as about internal features and functionality. The design is great and well-executed on both, with both iPads feeling premium and solid.
Digging deeper, the 2018 iPad Pro offers a seamless experience with its edge-to-edge display, providing an immersive visual experience. The device's thinness and lightweight design make it easy to hold and use for extended periods. This is a crucial factor for those who spend hours sketching, writing, or simply browsing. The placement of the speakers on both devices delivers a fantastic audio experience, making them ideal for watching movies or listening to music. The subtle refinements in the 2020 model include a more squared-off camera module, which gives it a slightly more modern look. Moreover, the 2020 model may have slightly improved antenna placement, leading to potentially better connectivity. However, the overall impression is one of refinement rather than revolution, ensuring that users familiar with the 2018 model will feel right at home with the 2020. The build quality across both devices remains a standout feature. The meticulous craftsmanship ensures that both iPads can withstand the rigors of daily use. From the feel of the buttons to the smooth finish of the aluminum casing, every detail reflects Apple's commitment to excellence. Both models stand tall in the tablet market, providing a premium design experience that is both functional and aesthetically pleasing, reinforcing the iPad Pro's position as a leader in design and build quality. Overall, the 2018 and 2020 iPad Pros share a commitment to premium design and build quality, with the 2020 model offering slight refinements.
Display: The Window to Your World
Both the iPad Pro 2018 and the 2020 models boast stunning displays, which is one of the key reasons why people love them. You're getting a Liquid Retina display with ProMotion technology, which means you'll have vibrant colors, incredible detail, and a refresh rate up to 120Hz. The 120Hz refresh rate makes everything feel buttery smooth, from scrolling through web pages to playing graphically intensive games. ProMotion intelligently adjusts the refresh rate depending on what you're doing, to save battery life. The displays are fantastic for creative work, watching movies, or just browsing the web. The display quality on both the 2018 and 2020 models is exceptional. You'll be hard-pressed to spot any significant differences between them in terms of general viewing quality. The colors are accurate, the brightness is high, and the viewing angles are excellent. Both iPads offer incredible visual experiences, making them ideal for any task. When using the iPad Pro 2018, you are met with a crystal-clear display that instantly captivates your attention. The Liquid Retina display technology provides a remarkable viewing experience, ensuring that every image is crisp and vibrant. Colors pop, blacks are deep, and the overall picture quality is top-notch. Whether you're watching movies, editing photos, or simply browsing the web, the display delivers a premium visual experience. For the iPad Pro 2020, the display quality remains largely the same, offering users the same stunning visuals they have come to expect from the iPad Pro lineup. The ProMotion technology is still present, delivering a smooth and responsive experience that enhances everything from casual browsing to professional creative work. The key is in the consistent quality. Both models provide excellent viewing experiences. The displays on both models excel in providing great viewing angles and accurate color reproduction. This ensures that the images and videos look great from any angle, making them perfect for collaborative work or sharing content with others. Furthermore, the brightness levels are more than adequate for use in various lighting conditions, including outdoor use, meaning that both the 2018 and 2020 models are suitable for a wide range of use cases. Ultimately, if you prioritize the absolute best in display technology, either of these iPad Pros will likely satisfy your needs, making them excellent choices for any user.
So, if you want a great display, you really can't go wrong with either of these. It's a win-win!
Performance: Power Under the Hood
Here’s where we see a more significant difference. The 2018 iPad Pro is powered by the A12X Bionic chip, and it was a beast of a processor at the time. It offered incredible performance for its day, handling anything you threw at it. Whether it was running demanding apps, editing videos, or playing graphically intense games, the A12X could handle it. The 2020 iPad Pro, on the other hand, comes with the A12Z Bionic chip, a slightly enhanced version of the A12X. While the performance gap isn’t massive in everyday use, the A12Z does offer some improvements, particularly in graphics performance. The A12Z has an 8-core GPU compared to the A12X's 7-core GPU, which results in slightly better performance in graphics-intensive tasks. The A12Z Bionic chip also enhances the performance capabilities of the iPad Pro 2020, making it noticeably faster and more efficient. The improvements in the chip translate to quicker app loading times, smoother multitasking, and improved responsiveness across the board. The 2020 model excels, particularly for professional users who demand the best possible performance for their creative workflows. It can handle complex video editing, 3D rendering, and other demanding tasks with ease.
When we compare the A12X Bionic chip on the 2018 iPad Pro with the A12Z Bionic chip on the 2020 iPad Pro, we find that the enhancements are noticeable, albeit not revolutionary. The A12X Bionic chip offered impressive performance capabilities when it was released, quickly proving itself as a formidable force in the tablet market. It handled everyday tasks smoothly and excelled at more demanding operations like gaming and video editing. However, the A12Z Bionic chip takes performance to the next level by delivering improved graphics processing and overall efficiency. The A12Z Bionic chip is designed to provide better responsiveness, leading to smoother app transitions and improved multitasking capabilities. The addition of the enhanced graphics processing unit ensures that the iPad Pro 2020 excels in graphically demanding applications. Users of the 2020 iPad Pro experience faster loading times, smoother gameplay, and seamless video editing. The 2018 iPad Pro, while still powerful, may show its age more quickly when faced with very demanding tasks. You might notice some lag in certain graphics-intensive applications. The 2020 model, on the other hand, is built to handle the future of mobile computing. It provides a more robust performance foundation. Overall, the A12Z Bionic chip gives the 2020 iPad Pro a slight edge in performance. It offers a more refined, efficient performance profile. Both iPads are incredibly fast. So, if your workload is intensive, the 2020 model might be worth the upgrade.
Cameras: Snapping the Difference
One of the most noticeable differences between the 2018 and 2020 iPad Pro models is the camera system. The 2018 iPad Pro has a single 12MP wide-angle camera on the back. It’s a solid camera, capable of taking great photos and videos, and it was certainly a step up from previous iPad cameras. It's perfectly adequate for taking photos, scanning documents, or using augmented reality (AR) apps. The 2020 iPad Pro, however, brings a dual-camera system to the table. It has the same 12MP wide-angle camera but adds a 10MP ultra-wide-angle camera. The addition of the ultra-wide lens offers more versatility, allowing you to capture wider shots. This is particularly useful for landscape photos, group shots, or capturing more of your surroundings.
Furthermore, the 2020 iPad Pro includes a LiDAR scanner, which is a key distinguishing feature. LiDAR stands for Light Detection and Ranging, and it measures distances by shooting out beams of light and measuring how long it takes for them to return. This technology significantly enhances the iPad’s AR capabilities. It allows for more accurate depth mapping, which leads to more realistic and immersive AR experiences. AR apps can now overlay objects more precisely onto the real world. This is great for apps that allow you to visualize furniture in your home or play games with AR elements. The LiDAR scanner in the iPad Pro 2020 also improves the camera's ability to focus in low-light conditions, resulting in sharper photos and videos. This is a game-changer for those who regularly use their iPad for photography, offering enhanced performance even in challenging lighting environments. The inclusion of the ultra-wide-angle lens greatly enhances the versatility of the 2020 iPad Pro. The ultra-wide lens gives you more creative freedom. The ability to capture a wider field of view allows you to capture more of the scene. This is particularly useful in tight spaces. You can also create more dramatic compositions, making it easier to capture everything in one frame. The addition of the ultra-wide lens, along with the LiDAR scanner, sets the 2020 model apart, offering enhanced capabilities in both photography and augmented reality. The 2018 model, while still competent, lacks these features. For users who prioritize camera features and augmented reality capabilities, the 2020 iPad Pro is definitely the winner. If you're not as concerned about the camera, the 2018 model may still be sufficient.
Battery Life: Keeping You Powered Up
Both the iPad Pro 2018 and 2020 models have excellent battery life, so you're not going to be disappointed either way. They're both designed to last a full day of typical use. The iPad Pro 2018 is equipped with a battery that allows you to surf the web, watch videos, or do light work for around 10 hours. This is pretty standard for iPads and will comfortably get you through a day of moderate use. The 2020 model also boasts similar battery life, with Apple promising around 10 hours of web surfing on Wi-Fi or watching video. The battery life is very comparable on both devices, but your usage habits will play a huge role. If you are a heavy user who is constantly running demanding apps, playing games, or streaming content, your battery life may decrease. If you tend to do a lot of tasks that require a lot of processing power, you might notice that the battery drains a bit faster on both models. But for the average user, you can expect to get a full day of use from either iPad Pro. If battery life is a key factor, both iPad Pros will not disappoint you.
Price: Finding the Right Value
When it comes to price, it’s worth keeping in mind that the iPad Pro 2018 is older, so it might be available at a lower price point, especially if you buy it used or refurbished. However, the price depends on the storage configuration and whether you opt for Wi-Fi only or Wi-Fi + Cellular. The 2020 model, being the newer device, typically has a higher price tag. The price difference between the two models can be a significant factor in your decision. When comparing the two, it's essential to evaluate whether the additional features of the 2020 model, such as the improved camera system, LiDAR scanner, and slightly enhanced processor, justify the extra cost. If you don't need these advanced features, the 2018 model offers great value. It will still provide an excellent user experience at a more accessible price. The availability of the 2020 model at a higher price reflects its upgraded capabilities and features. Ultimately, the best choice depends on your budget and how important the newer features are to you. Consider the storage space you need. Both iPads come in different storage configurations, so choose the one that fits your needs. The 2018 iPad Pro may offer better value for your money, especially if you prioritize cost. In contrast, the 2020 iPad Pro delivers more value for those who want the latest technology and improved performance, particularly in photography, AR applications, and overall processing power.
Conclusion: Which iPad Pro Should You Choose?
Alright, guys, let’s wrap this up! So, which iPad Pro reigns supreme in the 2018 vs. 2020 showdown? It truly depends on your needs and budget. If you want the absolute best performance, the most versatile camera system, and cutting-edge features like LiDAR, then the iPad Pro 2020 is the clear winner. The A12Z Bionic chip, the dual-camera system, and the LiDAR scanner give it a distinct advantage, especially for creative professionals and users who are heavily into augmented reality. The iPad Pro 2018, on the other hand, is still an excellent tablet. It offers a stunning display, great performance (especially for the time), and a premium design. If you're looking to save some money and don't need the latest and greatest features, the 2018 model is still a very capable device. The 2018 model remains a compelling choice, offering a balanced blend of performance and affordability. The decision isn't as simple as declaring a clear winner; both the 2018 and 2020 iPad Pros cater to different preferences and requirements. The iPad Pro 2020 excels with enhanced processing power, an updated camera system with an ultra-wide lens, and the addition of a LiDAR scanner. If you value these features and want the latest technology, then the 2020 model is the better choice. Ultimately, the choice comes down to you. Both offer fantastic experiences! I hope this helps you make the best decision for your needs. Cheers!
