iPad Pro Review: The Best Ever... Still an iPad!

The iPad Pro 2018 review opens by establishing that while the hardware is absolutely remarkable, the device remains an iPad at its core. Marques Brownlee emphasizes the thirst for a laptop-replacing experience, but he is clear that iOS 12 still keeps it grounded in tablet territory. He highlights the design as a standout, noting the extreme thinness of 5.9 millimeters, the boxy, edge-forward silhouette, and the carefully milled speaker holes that contribute to a premium aesthetic. The 11 inch and 12.9 inch options are introduced, with a preference for the larger display by the reviewer due to a love of big screens, and Space Gray is the favored color. He also calls out the lack of a traditional home button, replaced by Face ID sensors that work in any orientation, a feature he praises for its convenience and reliability. The screen is described as one of the best he has ever used, featuring a 120 Hz display with True Tone, broad viewing angles, strong brightness, and an anti-reflective coating that enhances outdoor usability. On the performance front, the A12X Bionic chip is called the fastest mobile chip he has seen, with robust RAM configurations and the ability to handle heavy multitasking, photo editing, and productivity tasks with ease. Brownlee also notes a refined Apple Pencil experience and improved magnet-connected accessories like a thinner folio and a new keyboard case, all of which snap into place with magnetic alignment. Yet he remains balanced about the value proposition, acknowledging price increases for the Pencil, folio, keyboard, and tablet itself, and he points out that while the hardware is superb, iOS 12 still limits it from becoming a true laptop replacement. The video concludes with thoughtful reflections on whether future software updates, such as iOS 13, and potential integration of more powerful MacBook-grade chips could finally realize the iPad Pro’s laptop-replacement potential, while leaving room for the possibility that a standalone computer line might be the inevitable next step for Apple. The camera, battery life, and speakers are all noted as solid but not revolutionary improvements in the context of a premium device, and the overall takeaway is a celebration of an incredible iPad that remains an iPad, superbly engineered yet bound by the software ecosystem. Brownlee highlights the USB-C port as a point of friction due to existing accessory compatibility, while commending the improved USB-C-based workflow for photographers who can leverage the high-quality display and Pencil for edits. The review threads together the idea that this iPad Pro is the best iPad ever and a landmark device, while also questioning whether Apple will finally unlock its full laptop-replacement potential in the near future through software and hardware evolution. The closing sentiment is that, for all its brilliance, the iPad Pro’s true transformation hinges on future software features and Apple’s broader hardware strategy, leaving viewers with a definitive verdict that this is the greatest iPad to date but not a complete laptop substitute just yet.

Topics · technology · hardware · mobile-computing · consumer-electronics