Apple has finally taken wraps off its long-awaited 2024 iPad Pro during today’s Let Loose event, and it comes in two sizes, as expected, 13- and 11-inch. The biggest update with today’s iPad Pro models pack an M4 chip, as rumored, skipping the M3 chip.
| Tool | Product Type | Use Case | Notable Features | Ease of Use | Performance | Pricing Model | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Final Cut Pro | Pro app | Professional filmmaking & editing on Mac | Magnetic Timeline, 360° video, Multicam, seamless Mac integration | Moderate | Excellent on Mac (optimized for Apple Silicon) | One-time $299 (90-day trial) | Professional editors in Apple ecosystem, indie filmmakers |
| Adobe Premiere Pro | Pro app | Industry-standard editing, cross-platform | Unlimited tracks, Lumetri Color, Adobe CC integration, AI tools | Moderate/Hard | Very good; heavy projects tax system | Subscription ~$20/mo (Creative Cloud) | Cross-platform pros, Adobe CC users |
| DaVinci Resolve | Pro suite | High-end post-production, color grading | Elite Color Correction, Fusion VFX, Fairlight audio, Cloud collaboration | Hard (steep learning) | Very good, hardware demanding | Free; Studio $295 one-time | Budget-conscious pros, colorists, advanced post-production |
| iMovie | Consumer app | Beginner video editing | Drag & drop editing, themed trailers, built-in effects | Very easy | Great for small projects | Free (with macOS) | Beginners, casual home users |
| Movavi Video Editor | Consumer app | Quick polished videos (vlogs, casual edits) | Intuitive UI, effects library, motion tracking, chroma key | Very easy | Good (HD/light 4K smooth) | ~$40/yr (trial; watermark on trial) | Beginners/intermediates wanting effects w/o complexity |
| Wondershare Filmora | Consumer app | Social media & YouTube videos | Templates, AR stickers, motion tracking, preset filters | Easy | Good (4K can slow) | $50–70/yr or perpetual (trial watermark) | Content creators who want stylish videos fast |
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| HitFilm (Express) | Prosumer app | VFX-heavy creative projects | Built-in compositing, free effects, add-on packs | Medium/Hard | Decent; GPU heavy with VFX | Free; Pro/add-ons cost extra | Aspiring filmmakers, VFX artists, gamers |
| Lightworks | Pro app | Traditional film editing | Precise trimming, customizable layouts, Hollywood pedigree | Hard (old-school) | Excellent stability | Free (720p export); Pro $24/mo or $240/yr | Experienced editors, broad format workflows |
| Adobe Premiere Elements | Consumer app | Home movies, guided editing | Guided edits, collages, auto-trim, Sensei AI | Very easy | Good for short videos | One-time ~$99 (no subscription) | Families & casual users who want more than iMovie |
The new iPad Pros come with a tandem OLED, a major upgrade from last year’s LCD and mini-LED displays, and can achieve a peak brightness of 1,000nits and 1,600nits for HDR. Meanwhile, the 13-inch variant is 5.1 mm thick, and marks Apple’s “thinnest product ever”.
Under the hood, both the variants pack an M4 chip instead of an M3 and Cupertino claims a 50% increase in CPU speed compared to the previous iPad Pro models with an M2 chip. In terms of the camera, there’s a 12MP Wide lens and another 10MP Ultra Wide lens. It can record ProRes videos at 4K resolution and 30 frames per second. Apple also includes a LiDAR sensor in the camera setup. At the forefront, it packs a TrueDepth Camera with a 12MP Ultra Wide lens.
Besides that, there are also new accessories to complement the setup. An all-new Magic Keyboard has arrived with a more “premium” finish with an aluminum palm rest and a Function key row, giving it a more “laptop-like feel” as previously rumored. The rumors come true about the Apple Pencil; the new Apple Pencil Pro supports new squeeze gestures, haptic feedback, and Find My Location tracking.
It’s intriguing to see Apple kick off the iPad Pro with an M4 chip, positioning it as the first non-Mac device to introduce an M-series chip. The specifics say that the M4 chip has a 10-core CPU and GPU with upgrades such as 50% faster than M2 and its GPU is four times faster. On top of that, it packs a Neural Engine for AI tasks.
The new iPad Pro starts at $999 for the 11-inch model and $1,299 for the 13-inch model, which is a straight $200 price hike than before. For the cellular models, you’ll have to shell out an extra $200 on each model. That said, the pre-orders begin immediately with plans to hit the shelves on May 15. The available storage options for both variants are 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB.
