The “pro” moniker is strange when you think about what it means for Apple products. It doesn’t mean for prosumers; It’s more of a term that the Cupertino team uses to highlight that it has the latest and greatest hardware innovations.
When it comes to the latest iPad Pro, this new hardware includes a jump from the M2 to the M4, a gorgeous OLED display, and support for the new Apple Pencil Pro. After watching the event (and feeling a little weird seeing a bunch of instrument creatives succumb to a hydraulic press), I was left with a key impression. It looks like a great big-screen tablet, but boy, I wish all of this was in a frame the size of an iPad mini.
That’s why I’m here today, dear reader (and for anyone at Apple reading this). I want to explain why it’s time for the iPad Mini to go pro.
1. Size and capacity in place
Yes, making the iPad Pro the thinnest product Apple has ever made will help with portability. However, it is still an important slab of aluminum and glass. If you’re setting up a multi-camera setup in a remote location, the size of each piece of technology is critical.
That’s why it’s imperative to pack pro power into an 8.3-inch tablet to meet those extreme portability requirements. Hell, I even think back to the times I had to set up a quick interview/podcast segment at CES 2024, and it makes me dream big about what I could do with an iPad Mini M4 in terms of capturing every angle, leveling the audio and switch between shots on the fly for seamless streaming.
2. A true middle ground between phone and laptop
When deciding whether I would buy an iPad or a MacBook, I will always go for the laptop. In terms of getting into my creative flow, the desktop UI for my professional creator apps and keyboard shortcuts are simply unmatched by any touch UI.
However, that doesn’t mean it isn’t beneficial to have these apps available on a tablet as well. FCP and Logic have been great for me to make some quick changes while I’m on the move – changes like subtly altering the color correction or adding some ambient sound effects to a beat.
With something like the 11 or 13-inch iPad Pro fitting the size of a laptop, I’m wondering if I’d be better off taking out my M3 Pro MacBook Pro.
3. Apple’s real gaming handheld?
When you take a look at the best gaming handhelds, they typically all offer a 7- to 8-inch screen in a portable package. I just smashed several hours of Persona 5 Royal into my Steam Deck during my flight home from Dubai; It is a dream device to make the hours pass in long-distance transport.
So imagine the scenario… Imagine if Apple created an iPad Mini with an OLED display and M4, and then paired it with something like the arVin gamepad controller to turn it into a supercharged OLED Nintendo Switch.
And I know what you’re thinking. The iPhone 15 Pro with Backbone One is the deciding factor for that, right? Well, with the smaller screen and more energy-efficient internal components, I would question that.
But on a smaller tablet with hardware-accelerated ray tracing, Apple Arcade, and AAA titles that take full advantage of the chipset’s power (not to mention emulators for retro gamers), this could be the all-in-one game and gaming device. Rapid productivity I’ve been dreaming of.
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