Apple iPad Pro 2021 Review
The 2021 iPad Pro packs a desktop-class M1 chip into a small tablet, but mediocre battery life and a high price make it hard to recommend for most people.
Overview
The 2021 iPad Pro is a weird one. It's got the same M1 chip that powered MacBooks, which is frankly overkill for an 11-inch tablet. The one thing you need to know? This is a productivity and creative powerhouse trapped in a small screen with mediocre battery life. It feels like Apple put a Formula 1 engine in a commuter car and forgot to upgrade the fuel tank.
Performance
The M1 chip is still a beast, landing in the 81st percentile for both CPU and GPU. Apps fly, and you can edit 4K video without breaking a sweat. What surprised me, though, is how that power feels wasted. Most iPad apps just can't take full advantage of it, and the battery life, sitting in the 48th percentile, can't keep up with the chip's potential. It's fast, but you'll be hunting for an outlet.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- The M1 chip is ridiculously fast for a tablet. 90th
- Build quality and software support are top-tier. 86th
- Great for artists with Apple Pencil 2 support. 86th
- Center Stage on the front camera is genuinely useful for video calls. 83th
Cons
- Battery life is just okay, especially for a 'Pro' device. 28th
- The 11-inch screen feels cramped for real multitasking.
- Connectivity is in the bottom 16th percentile—Wi-Fi 6 is fine, but no cellular here.
- At $499, it's a steep price for a 3-year-old tablet with a small screen.
Specifications
Full Specifications
Processor
| CPU | 3.2 GHz |
Memory & Storage
| RAM | 8 GB |
| Storage | 256 GB |
Connectivity
| Cellular | Yes |
Features
| Stylus Support | Yes |
Physical
| Weight | 0.5 kg / 1.0 lbs |
| OS | iPadOS |
Value & Pricing
At $499, it's a tough sell. You're paying a premium for that M1 chip and the Apple ecosystem, but you're getting a device with a small screen and average battery. If you're deeply invested in Apple Pencil workflows, maybe. For everyone else, there are better values.
vs Competition
The most relevant competitor is the 13-inch iPad Pro with the M5 chip. It's more expensive, but you get a much better screen and longer support. For the same price, the Microsoft Surface Pro 11 offers a full Windows experience and a better keyboard setup for productivity. If you just want a great media tablet, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10+ has a stunning OLED screen that blows this iPad's 11-inch display out of the water.
| Spec | Apple iPad Pro 2021 | Samsung Galaxy Tab S Samsung 14.6" Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra 1TB Multi-Touch | Microsoft Surface Pro Microsoft 13" Surface Pro Copilot+ PC (11th | Lenovo Idea Tab Lenovo - Idea Tab Pro - 12.7" 3K Tablet - 8GB RAM | Xiaomi Pad 7 PRO Xiaomi Pad 7 Pro Ai WiFi Version Global (No Calls | Teclast TECLAST T65PLUS 13.4-Inch Android 15 Tablet 2025, |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | 3.2 GHz | MediaTek 9300 | Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite X1E-84-100 | MediaTek Dimensity | 3 GHz | 2.2 GHz |
| RAM (GB) | 8 | 16 | 32 | 8 | 12 | 8 |
| Storage (GB) | 256 | 1024 | 1000 | 256 | 512 | 256 |
| Screen | - | 14.6" 2960x1848 | 13" 2880x1920 | 12.7" 2944x1840 | 11.2" 3200x2136 | 13.4" 1920x1200 |
| OS | iPadOS | Android 14 | Windows 11 Home | Android 14 | Android 14 HyperOS | Android 15 |
| Stylus | true | true | true | true | false | false |
| Cellular | true | false | false | false | false | true |
| Battery (Wh) | - | - | 53 | - | - | - |
| Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare |
| Product | Cpu | Gpu | Ram | Screen | Battery | Feature | Storage | User Sentiment | Connectivity | Social Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple iPad Pro 2021 | 85.6 | 85.7 | 74.9 | 28.1 | 46.1 | 90 | 74.7 | 49 | 83 | 75.9 |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab S 14.6" 10 Ultra Compare | 73 | 73.6 | 90.7 | 95.8 | 94.9 | 99.8 | 96.6 | 83.9 | 96.1 | 99.3 |
| Microsoft Surface Pro 13" Compare | 99.6 | 98.3 | 98.2 | 97.9 | 99.8 | 94 | 94.2 | 30.6 | 89.6 | 92.5 |
| Lenovo Idea Tab Pro 12.7" 3K Compare | 44.1 | 45.8 | 74.9 | 92 | 94.7 | 95.6 | 74.7 | 91.1 | 96.1 | 99.3 |
| Xiaomi Pad 7 PRO Pad 7 Pro Ai Compare | 82.1 | 82.3 | 84.9 | 99.2 | 46.1 | 53.3 | 88.6 | 70.5 | 54.2 | 92.5 |
| Teclast T65PLUS 13.4-Inch Android 15 Tablet 2025 Compare | 74.5 | 75 | 74.9 | 45.2 | 94.5 | 24.5 | 74.7 | 70.5 | 92.6 | 95 |
Verdict
I can only recommend this to a very specific user: someone who needs Apple Pencil precision on a smaller, ultra-portable canvas and doesn't care about battery life. For 99% of people looking at an 11-inch tablet, the value isn't there. Look at the newer iPad Air or a competing Android tablet instead.