Technology

The new iPad Pro is Apple’s best iPad, but it’s overkill for most people

Published

2 years ago

October 24, 2022

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2022 iPad Pro.

Sofia Pitt

I’ve been testing Apple’s new 12.9-inch iPad Pro for the past several days. It hits store shelves Oct. 26 and comes in 11-inch and 12.9-inch sizes.

The biggest upgrade is the M2 chip, which is faster than the M1 processor used in last year’s Pro model. It also supports the new Apple Pencil Hover feature. That means the screen can now detect the tip of the Apple Pencil up to 12 millimeters above the surface of the screen, which might make it attractive to digital artists who often sketch on their iPads.

Unlike the entry-level iPad, the iPad Pro’s price didn’t increase from last year’s model. The 11-inch iPad Pro starts at $799, and the 12.9-inch iPad Pro starts at $1,099.

If you’re a 2021 iPad Pro user, it might be hard to justify upgrading to this year’s model, as there aren’t all that many noticeable improvements. And if you’re a standard iPad user – meaning you stream, read, play basic games and surf the web – shelling out $800 or more for the Pro is probably overkill.

This is more for video and photo editors, or for people who just want the best iPad with the biggest screen available.

Here’s what you need to know about Apple’s new 12.9-inch iPad Pro.

What’s good

The M2 processor is fast, which you’ll notice if you’re editing videos, or running multiple complex applications at the same time. I tried editing a video on the Pro. It quickly imported large video files and didn’t hiccup when I added filters to specific frames and rendered the video. Exporting my video file was also super fast. This was just a video capturing highlights of a trip to Europe; it was by no means a complex video project.

The screen is massive and the picture quality is excellent, but it’s not an upgrade from last year’s model. And if you opt for the 11-inch over the 12.9-inch Pro, you’ll notice the picture isn’t as good. The 11-inch model doesn’t have a “Liquid Retina XDR” display, which is just a fancy way of saying it uses mini LEDs that get super bright and colorful.

Here is the 12.9-inch Pro, compared with the 10.9-inch entry-level iPad.

2022 iPad Pro and iPad.

Sofia Pitt

I noticed the screen was brighter on the 12.9-inch Pro than any iPad I’ve used before. While watching HBO’s “House of the Dragon” on my TV at home, I often have to go into a dark room to see everything because the show is shot in dark locations and it’s often hard to see if there’s too much light reflecting on the screen. When I watched the show on the new iPad Pro, however, I noticed it was much easier to see the details on the screen, even when I was in a bright room.

The large screen also makes it easier to multitask on the iPad Pro. I liked reading the news while keeping YouTube TV open at the same time.

iPad Pro split screen view.

Sofia Pitt

The Apple Pencil Hover experience is useful if you’re using your iPad to draw. Let’s say you want to mix colors. In the picture below, you can see a demo where I’m hovering red paint over a blue circle. The iPad Hover mode shows what the purple color will look like before I tap my Apple Pencil on the screen.

iPad Pro Apple Pencil Hover experience.

Sofia Pitt

The speakers are clear and loud and better than on any other iPad I’ve used. I tried streaming music from the Pro in the bathroom while blow-drying my hair and I could easily make out a song’s lyrics.

The iPad Pro’s camera is excellent, but it’s also not an upgrade from last year’s model.

2022 iPad Pro camera.

Sofia Pitt

What’s bad

The iPad Pros’ two major improvements are the M2 chip and the Apple Pencil experience. New iPad models often get camera upgrades, or an increase in the screen’s brightness, but this year’s models didn’t.

This year’s entry-level iPad has a new placement of the front-facing camera. It’s now on the long side of the tablet, instead of the short side, which helps you look more centered on the camera during video chats, not to mention it’s more flattering. I’m not sure why Apple didn’t choose to do the same thing on this year’s iPad Pro.

The offset cameras cause it to appear as if I’m not looking directly at someone else during a video chat, since I have to look off to the left to look at the camera. It’s distracting.

I’m a big fan of the Magic Keyboard because it transforms the iPad Pro into a laptop. But the keyboard drains the battery faster. I was watching “The Stranger” on Netflix and started with 78% battery. I kept my keyboard attached the whole time and by the end of the movie, my battery was at 19%.

Should you buy it?

Pick the 2022 iPad Pro if you want the extra power and better screen over other iPads. It’s very fast, the screen display and speakers are excellent for kicking back and watching movies, and it’s a great tablet for creatives who need added power for video or photo editing. It gets expensive at the high end. If you opt for the maximum storage space of 2TB and choose the 12.9-inch iPad with Wi-Fi and cellular, you’re looking at a price tag of $2,400, and that doesn’t even include the $129 Apple Pencil (2nd generation) or the $350 Magic Keyboard.

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Technology

Cryptocurrencies rise to start the week, bitcoin jumps above $102,000

Published

5 hours ago

January 6, 2025

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Cryptocurrencies rise to start the week, bitcoin jumps above 2,000

The photo illustration shows the Bitcoin cryptocurrency on November 12, 2024 in Shanghai, China.

Vcg | Visual China Group | Getty Images

The price of bitcoin leapt back above $100,000 to start the first full trading week of the new year.

The flagship cryptocurrency was last higher by about 4% at $102,234, according to Coin Metrics. The broader crypto market, as measured by the CoinDesk 20 index, gained more than 3%. Bitcoin and ether are coming off their best weeks since Dec. 6, while Solana had its best week since Nov. 22.

“Overall, we are in a bullish environment and traders appear to be risk-on as we head into the new year,” Mario Jurina, CEO at crypto swaps platform Jumper.Exchange. “With Trump’s election set to be certified today, and January often being a bullish month — six of the past 10 years saw positive price action — it’s no wonder markets are moving upward.”

Stock Chart IconStock chart icon

Bitcoin rises above $100,000 to start the week

The moves in crypto coincided with a rebound in tech stocks as Nvidia and shares of other chip names jumped. The tech-heavy Nasdaq was last higher by about 1.7%.

Crypto stocks Coinbase and MicroStrategy advanced nearly 6% and 5%, respectively. MicroStrategy Monday morning reported it has purchased another 1,070 bitcoins for about $101 million, bringing its total bitcoin holdings to 447,470.

Activity is coming back into the crypto market after a post-election rally that was driven by promises of a more supportive regulatory environment. The optimism sent prices rocketing for weeks before cooling at the end of the year. The price of bitcoin is expected to roughly double under the new administration this year, with some price predictions, like Fundstrat’s Tom Lee’s, being as high as $250,000.

Don’t miss these cryptocurrency insights from CNBC Pro:

Technology

Amazon’s Ring announces smart smoke alarm as CES tech palooza kicks off

Published

5 hours ago

January 6, 2025

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Amazon's Ring announces smart smoke alarm as CES tech palooza kicks off

Ring security cameras are displayed on a shelf at a Target store on June 01, 2023 in Novato, California.

Justin Sullivan | Getty Images

Amazon‘s Ring is partnering with fire safety product maker Kidde to launch a connected smoke alarm, the company announced Monday at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

The companies plan to launch Kidde smoke and carbon monoxide alarms that integrate Ring’s home security technology and can deliver alerts to the Ring mobile app. The Kidde Smart Smoke Alarm with Ring will cost $54.97, while the Kidde Smart Smoke and CO Alarm with Ring will cost $74.97. Both products will ship in April.

As part of the launch, Ring will also roll out a $5-per-month subscription service that gives users access to round-the-clock professional monitoring and emergency dispatchers.

Amazon acquired Ring in 2015 for a reported $1 billion. The home security company is primarily known for its video doorbell devices, which allow users to record activity in front of their homes, though it has expanded to include a portfolio of products ranging from camera-equipped floodlights to flying security camera drones.

Amazon doesn’t disclose unit sales for its Ring division, but Ring and rival home security company SimpliSafe comprise one-fifth of the U.S. market for professional monitoring systems, according to data from market research firm Parks Associates. Ring CEO Liz Hamren, who took the helm from founder Jamie Siminoff in March 2023, told Bloomberg last May that the company “recently” became profitable.

Users aren’t required to subscribe to Ring Home, the company’s program that enables video recording storage and other security features, in order to access the new smoke alarm service.

Technology

Global chip stocks climb as Foxconn’s bumper results show a continuation of the AI boom

Published

9 hours ago

January 6, 2025

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Global chip stocks climb as Foxconn's bumper results show a continuation of the AI boom

Jakub Porzyck | Nurphoto | Getty Images

Global semiconductor stocks climbed on Monday after contract electronics giant Foxconn announced record fourth-quarter revenues, suggesting the artificial intelligence boom has far more room to run.

Hon Hai Precision Industry, which does business as Foxconn internationally, said in a Sunday statement that the company’s fourth-quarter revenue totaled 2.1 trillion New Taiwan dollars ($63.9 billion), growing 15% year-over-year.

Foxconn — which is a supplier to Apple — also set a record, posting the highest fourth-quarter revenue ever in company history, according to the statement.

The firm’s bumper revenue performance was driven by growth in its cloud and networking products — which includes AI servers like those designed by the likes of chipmaker Nvidia — and components and other products segments.

Computing products and smart consumer electronics — which numbers iPhone and other smartphones — saw “slight declines,” Foxconn said.

Shares of several semiconductor firms across Asia, Europe and the U.S. rose, as a result.

In Asia, TSMC hit a record high Monday and closed 1.9% higher in Taiwan.

The largest semiconductor manufacturer globally, TSMC produces chips for the likes of AMD and Nvidia.

Other Asian chip firms also logged share price gains — South Korea’s SK Hynix and Samsung rose nearly 10% and 4%, respectively.

In Europe, globally critical semiconductor equipment firm ASML saw its shares jump almost 6%, while fellow Dutch chip company ASMI’s stock rose almost 5%. Germany’s Infineon surged more than 6%.