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iPad Pro 2020 Review - Overkill

2020-03-28 · Tech review, setup or bag tour · Ali, Ali Abdaal (channel) · recording, 12:11 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Tools, apps and tech · mode: Review and recommendation

Ali reviews the 2020 iPad Pro in its 11-inch and 12.9-inch versions and calls it overkill: its slightly faster processor, ultra wide and LiDAR cameras and studio-quality microphone add little over the 2018 model, so he returns both and recommends it only to genuine professionals or buyers with spare cash to burn.

What is said

The parts of the video and what is said in each (★ — how much it matters to the video).

00:00:00 — Introduction: the 2020 iPad Pro review in three parts

00:00:36 — Upfront conclusion: the best iPads ever made, but overkill; he is returning both

  • ★★★ Ali calls the 2020 iPad Pro the best tablet on the market but, in one word, overkill: it has far more power and features than most people will use. — 00:00:36 · iPad Pro

    “that word is overkill”

  • ★★ Ali says he bought the iPad Pro in 2018 without needing it, because he had spare cash and considers himself a tech reviewer; he could have got by with the iPad Air. — 00:01:35 · iPad Pro, iPad Air

  • ★★★ For the first time ever, Ali is returning both new 2020 iPad Pro models, because his own 2018 iPad Pro is still overkill enough. — 00:01:35 · iPad Pro

00:02:15 — New features: processor, cameras and LiDAR, microphone, trackpad support

  • ★★ The 2020 iPad Pro has basically three new features; the first is a slightly upgraded processor, the A12Z instead of the A12X. — 00:02:15 · iPad Pro
  • ★★ Ali calls the iPad Pro's processor speed pointless to discuss: his 2018 iPad Pro has never felt too slow, and his cousin could not tell his 2017 and 2018 iPad Pros apart. — 00:02:45 · iPad Pro
  • ★★ The 2020 iPad Pro has a square camera hump on the back like the iPhone 11 Pro's, and iPads come with a 12-megapixel camera. — 00:03:14 · iPad Pro, iPad
  • ★★ The 2020 iPad Pro adds a 10-megapixel ultra wide camera, similar to the iPhone 11's. — 00:03:43 · iPad Pro
  • ★★ Ali does not care about the iPad's camera at all: he cannot remember last using it, though he uses his iPad Pro for hours every day. — 00:03:43 · iPad Pro, iPad
  • ★★ The 2020 iPad Pro's new LiDAR camera detects 3D space, helping the iPad sense depth and slightly improving augmented reality. — 00:04:12 · iPad Pro, iPad
  • ★★ Ali passes on other tech reviewers' view that the 2020 iPad Pro's LiDAR is a feature for the future, not the present, and so kind of pointless to have. — 00:04:12 · iPad Pro
  • ★★ The 2020 iPad Pro's microphone has been improved slightly and is now, by Apple's description, studio quality. (hedged) — 00:04:46 · iPad Pro, Apple
  • ★★ Ali sees little need for a studio-quality microphone in an iPad: for video calls on his iPad he has always used his AirPods' built-in microphone. — 00:05:15 · AirPods, iPad Pro, iPad
  • ★★ Ali thinks trackpad use on the iPad will become more interesting in May, when the Magic Keyboard for the iPad Pro, with a built-in trackpad, is released. (hedged) — 00:06:06 · Magic Keyboard, iPad Pro, iPad
  • ★★ Trackpad support comes with iPadOS 13.4 and is not exclusive to the 2020 iPad Pro: basically every iPad gets it. — 00:06:47 · iPad Pro, iPad

00:07:15 — Who should buy the iPad Pro, and why he keeps his 2018 model and Smart Keyboard Folio

  • ★★ Ali calls trackpad support one of the minor additions to iPadOS 13.4 rather than an upgrade to the 2020 iPad Pros. — 00:07:15 · iPad Pro, iPad
  • ★★ A genuine professional who does video editing, photo editing or music production on an iPad and needs every ounce of processing power should get the iPad Pro, Ali says. — 00:07:15 · iPad Pro, iPad
  • ★★ For practically everyone else the iPad Pro is overkill, Ali says: you will not notice its processor speed over the iPad Air, and the Apple Pencil attaching and charging on top is too minor to be worth the extra money. — 00:08:03 · iPad Pro, iPad Air, Apple Pencil

  • ★★★ Unless you are a genuine professional, the only reason to get an iPad Pro, Ali says, is being desperate for the best hardware, objectively slightly nicer than the iPad Air, with a ton of spare cash to burn. — 00:08:32 · iPad Pro, iPad Air

    “You're desperate for the best hardware and you have a ton of spare cash to burn.”

  • ★★ As a wannabe tech YouTuber with about half his channel's tech content about iPads, Ali says he has every reason to upgrade to the latest iPad Pro, but is not doing so. — 00:08:56 · iPad Pro, iPad

  • ★★ Ali prefers the 2018 Smart Keyboard Folio to the 2020 one with its changed keys, calling the old model one of the nicest typing experiences ever invented. — 00:09:25

00:10:05 — Which iPad to buy, a refurbished 2018 iPad Pro, and the Magic Keyboard

  • ★★ Ali's 2019 video "Which iPad should you buy", analysing the budget iPad, iPad mini, iPad Air and iPad Pro, is still as relevant, he says, because basically nothing has changed between the 2018 and 2020 iPad Pro. — 00:10:05 · iPad, iPad Air, iPad Pro
  • ★ Ali's video "Which iPad should you buy" recently passed a million views. — 00:10:05 · iPad Pro, iPad
  • ★★ If you can get a refurbished 2018 iPad Pro for about the iPad Air's price, Ali says go for it: it is really no different from the Air, but the Apple Pencil locks onto it. — 00:10:34 · iPad Pro, iPad Air, Apple Pencil
  • ★★ Ali will stick with his 2018 iPad Pro throughout 2020 and will review the Magic Keyboard when it comes out. — 00:10:34 · Magic Keyboard, iPad Pro
  • ★★ The Magic Keyboard is not exclusive to the 2020 iPad Pro and should be compatible with the 2018 model. (hedged) — 00:10:34 · Magic Keyboard, iPad Pro

00:11:14 — Summary and sign-off

  • ★ Anyone with spare cash to burn should enjoy the iPad Pro, Ali says; it is one of his favourite pieces of tech of all time. — 00:11:14 · iPad Pro

In the description and comments

  • ★★ Asked whether the Paperlike screen protector wears out the Apple Pencil tip, Ali says he has used the same Apple Pencil since 2018 and it has not worn out yet. — creator comment · Apple Pencil, Paperlike
  • ★★ Asked about the IQUnix F96 Coral Sea keyboard he has been using, Ali says he is doing a review of it sometime the next week. (hedged) — creator comment
  • ★★ Ali Abdaal (channel): To a viewer who wants an iPad Pro that keeps up for many years, the channel answers that the iPad Air will keep up for many years too. — creator comment · iPad Air, iPad Pro
  • ★★ Ali does not think Apple is trying to get people to upgrade their iPad every year. — creator comment · Apple, Magic Keyboard, iPad Pro, iPad
  • ★★ Ali Abdaal (channel): Because the 2020 iPad Pro's changes are in processor speed, not screen size or the Pencil, the channel says artists will likely find no difference between the 2018 and 2020 models. (hedged) — creator comment · iPad Pro
  • ★★ Ali Abdaal (channel): Asked about artists and graphic designers who use the iPad for illustration, the channel says the 2020 iPad Pro is overkill for them too. — creator comment · iPad Pro, iPad
  • ★★ Ali Abdaal (channel): Upgrading from a 2019 iPad Air to the 2018 iPad Pro is pointless unless you have cash to burn, the channel says. — creator comment · iPad Air, iPad Pro
  • ★★ Ali has used a 64 GB iPad Pro for two years, which is only slightly annoying; if the 64 GB 2018 and 128 GB 2020 models cost the same, he says get the 128 GB. — creator comment · iPad Pro
  • ★★ Ali Abdaal (channel): To someone looking to buy a MacBook who sees the iPad Pro as a substitute, the channel says to get the MacBook. — creator comment · MacBook, iPad Pro
  • ★★ Ali Abdaal (channel): The channel says a proper video on choosing between a MacBook and an iPad Pro is being worked on. — creator comment · MacBook, iPad Pro
  • ★★ Ali Abdaal (channel): To a viewer choosing between the iPad Pro and the iPad Air to replace a laptop, the channel suggests the Air. — creator comment · iPad Air, iPad Pro
  • ★★ Ali Abdaal (channel): Asked why he prefers the 11-inch iPad Pro to the 12.9-inch one, the channel answers portability and says a video on the sizes is coming out next week (week of 30 March 2020). — creator comment · iPad Pro
  • ★★ Ali has used the 11-inch iPad Pro since 2018, is trying out the 12.9-inch that week, and will report back on which size he prefers for note-taking. — creator comment · iPad Pro
  • ★★ Ali Abdaal (channel): Asked for a Notability versus GoodNotes video, the channel says it is on the to-do list. — creator comment · Notability, GoodNotes
  • ★★ Ali Abdaal (channel): Told that the new Magic Keyboard had come out early, the channel says Ali has just ordered it. — creator comment · Magic Keyboard
  • ★★ Ali Abdaal (channel): Asked which phone app he uses to scan documents, the channel names Scannable. — creator comment

Threads in this video

Where the stories that moved here went next

Mentioned

Central: iPad Pro

Also: Organizations: Apple · Instagram

Products: AirPods · Apple Magic Trackpad · Apple Pencil · Bear · iPad · iPad Air · iPad mini · iPadOS · iPhone 11 · iPhone 11 Pro · Magic Keyboard · Rode NTG4 · Smart Keyboard Folio

Only in the description or credits: GoodNotes · IQUnix F96 · MacBook · Notability · Paperlike · Scannable

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