Except for the base iPad, all of Apple’s new iPads have substantially fresh appearances. The new iPad Mini has also been completely redesigned. So, when comparing the Apple iPad 9th gen vs. iPad Pro 4th Gen, the iPad 9th was launched in the year 2021, after the launch of the iPad Pro 4th gen. However, the iPad 9th launched after a year of iPad Pro 4th gen; it still comes with an old classic Apple design, with big bezels around the screen and a round home button at the bottom. On the other hand, the iPad Pro 4th gen comes with a new design, a substantially seamless display with no home button at the bottom.
Apple iPad 9th gen comes with Apple’s new A13 Bionic Chip, which Apple claims is faster than the A12 Bionic Chip found in the older generations of iPad. In contrast, the iPad Pro 4th gen comes with an A12Z Bionic Chip. It’s a year older than the Bionic A13 Chip but way faster.
The most significant difference between the Apple iPad 9th gen vs iPad Pro 4th gen lies in the display & cameras. The iPad Pro 4th gen offers a massive liquid Retina Display that is crisp and provides a 120hz refresh rate. iPad 9th gen comes with a single rear camera; in contrast, iPad Pro 4th gen comes with two cameras. Let’s compare these two Ipads in detail to help you decide which one’s a great deal for you.
What will you see here?
Overview
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Our Pick
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The Apple iPad 9th Generation was released on September 14,2021. The 64GB model costs $329, which is around £319. iPad 9th gen shares the same old classic design of Apple phones. Big clunky bezels around the display with a round home button at the bottom. The iPad Pro 4th gen is a stylish, well-designed iPad that feels every bit as expensive as its asking price. The 10.2-inch (25.91 cm, 322.2 cm2) IPS display of the Apple iPad 9th generation is not entirely laminated. Apple made a significant increase in the brightness compared to its predecessors. Because it is an IPS LCD panel, consumers will have some trouble reading the screen in direct sunlight. iPad 9th gen comes with the latest Bionic A13 Chip. However, comparing it with a year-old A12Z Bionic Chip, it's a bit slow. It comes with 3GB of LPDDR3 RAM, which is 50% less than the iPad Pro 4th gen. iPad 9th gen has an 8MP rear camera with f/2.4, 31mm (standard), 1.12µm, and AF. Also, it has a 12 MP Front camera with 122-degree (ultrawide). Image processing is fast and crisp thanks to its new processor chip A13 Bionic. |
iPad Pro 4th gen was launched in March 2020, with 128GB storage costing $999. The variations go up to 1TB, which costs $1499(£1,469). Apple has discontinued selling both iPads, but you can find them as refurbished products on Amazon. iPad Pro 4th gen looks a lot like its predecessor, the iPad Pro 3rd gen. The huge display with a thin metallic composition will fetch a lot of attention. It offers flat corners with a metallic finish on the edges and a huge screen size. iPad Pro 4th gen comes with a 12.9-inch IPS LCD display. It supports DCI-P3 wide gamut colour, so your colours will be bright and sharp. It's impossible to switch back to plain old sRGB monitors after using this one. iPad Pro 4th gen has top-of-the-line A12Z Bionic processor with an 8-core CPU and new 8-Core GPU. Chip paired with 6GB of LPDDR4 RAM makes this iPad a beast. Can run multiple apps and can do multi-tasks without having to worry about lags. iPad Pro 4th gen has two cameras at the rear. A 12MP of Wide Standard Camera with the addition of a 10MP Ultra-Wide Camera. The iPad Pro also features a LIDAR and AR Scanner, which was never seen on an Apple device prior to its launch. |
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$249.00
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$769.95
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The Apple iPad 9th Generation was released on September 14,2021. The 64GB model costs $329, which is around £319. iPad 9th gen shares the same old classic design of Apple phones. Big clunky bezels around the display with a round home button at the bottom. The iPad Pro 4th gen is a stylish, well-designed iPad that feels every bit as expensive as its asking price. The 10.2-inch (25.91 cm, 322.2 cm2) IPS display of the Apple iPad 9th generation is not entirely laminated. Apple made a significant increase in the brightness compared to its predecessors. Because it is an IPS LCD panel, consumers will have some trouble reading the screen in direct sunlight. iPad 9th gen comes with the latest Bionic A13 Chip. However, comparing it with a year-old A12Z Bionic Chip, it's a bit slow. It comes with 3GB of LPDDR3 RAM, which is 50% less than the iPad Pro 4th gen. iPad 9th gen has an 8MP rear camera with f/2.4, 31mm (standard), 1.12µm, and AF. Also, it has a 12 MP Front camera with 122-degree (ultrawide). Image processing is fast and crisp thanks to its new processor chip A13 Bionic.
- Speedy performance thanks to A13 Bionic
- True Tone added to display
- Apple Pencil (1st Gen) support
- Headphone jack
- Better storage capacity
- Upgraded selfie camera for video calls
- Design feels dated
- No support for Magic
- No Face ID
- No touch-to-wake screen
- No USB-C
- Weak camera quality
- No landscape stereo speakers
iPad Pro 4th gen was launched in March 2020, with 128GB storage costing $999. The variations go up to 1TB, which costs $1499(£1,469). Apple has discontinued selling both iPads, but you can find them as refurbished products on Amazon. iPad Pro 4th gen looks a lot like its predecessor, the iPad Pro 3rd gen. The huge display with a thin metallic composition will fetch a lot of attention. It offers flat corners with a metallic finish on the edges and a huge screen size. iPad Pro 4th gen comes with a 12.9-inch IPS LCD display. It supports DCI-P3 wide gamut colour, so your colours will be bright and sharp. It's impossible to switch back to plain old sRGB monitors after using this one. iPad Pro 4th gen has top-of-the-line A12Z Bionic processor with an 8-core CPU and new 8-Core GPU. Chip paired with 6GB of LPDDR4 RAM makes this iPad a beast. Can run multiple apps and can do multi-tasks without having to worry about lags. iPad Pro 4th gen has two cameras at the rear. A 12MP of Wide Standard Camera with the addition of a 10MP Ultra-Wide Camera. The iPad Pro also features a LIDAR and AR Scanner, which was never seen on an Apple device prior to its launch.
- Fast performance and WiFi speeds
- All-screen design
- Adventurous color choices
- Works with Pencil 2 and Magic Keyboard
- Healthy battery life
- Impressive spatial audio
- USB-C means better support for chargers and dongles
- Trackpad support means true laptop replacement
- Compatible with iPad Pro accessories
- Still no Face ID
- Selfie camera could be better
- No rear camera flash
- No 120Hz or OLED screen
- Screen only medium brightness
- Lacks the extra rear cameras and lidar of the iPad Pro
- The Magic Keyboard is still pricey
- Only step-up storage option is a big jump, $749 for 256GB
Comparing the Specs
| Feature | iPad 9th Gen | iPad Pro 4th Gen |
| Price | $299.00 | $799.00 |
| Display Size | 10.2 inch | 12.9 inch |
| Display Resolution | 2160 x 1620 pixels | 2048 x 2732 pixels |
| RAM | 3GB | 6 GB |
| Storage | 64 GB | 128 GB |
| CPU Clock Speed | 2.65 GHz | 2.5 GHz |
| CPU Cores | Hexa Core | Octa Core |
| Rear Camera | 8 MP | 12 MP + 10 MP |
| Front Camera | 12 MP | 7 MP |
| Weight | 498 g | 642 g |
| Thickness | 7.5 mm | 5.9 mm |
| Unique Features | True Tone Display, 500 nits Brightness, Fingerprint-resistant Oleophobic | ProMotion Technology, Wide Colour Display (P3), True Tone Display, Fingerprint-resistant Oleophobic Coating, Fully Laminated Display, Anti-reflective coating |
iPad 9th Gen vs. iPad Pro 4th Gen – Price & Availability
The Apple iPad 9th Generation was released on September 24, 2021, with two storage options. The 64GB model costs $329, which is around £319. And the 256 GB model costs $479, which we don’t recommend until you need extra capacity on an iPad.
The Apple iPad Pro 4th gen was launched in March 2020, with the 12.9-inch variant with 128GB storage costing $999, which is around £969. The variations go up to 1TB, which costs $1499(£1,469). iPad Air Pro also offers LTE support, which is costlier than the basic Wi-Fi models, pricing at $1,149 (£1,149) for 128GB of storage. Apple has discontinued selling both iPads, but you can find them as refurbished products on Amazon.
iPad 9th Gen vs. iPad Pro 4th Gen – Design
iPad 9th gen shares the same old classic design of Apple phones. Big clunky bezels around the display with a round home button at the bottom. iPad 9th Gen is 9.87 inches tall, 6.85 inches wide & 0.30 inches in thickness. In contrast, The iPad Pro 4th gen is a stylish, well-designed iPad that feels as expensive as its asking price. Compared to the smaller 10.2-inch iPad 9th gen version, the bigger 12.9-inch size makes it awkward in one hand, but its enormous screen makes it an unquestionably superior device for watching videos.
The 4th gen looks a lot like its predecessor, the iPad Pro 3th Gen. It offers flat corners with a metallic finish on the edges. Talking about the looks of these two iPads, the iPad Pro 4th gen is a clear-cut winner. The huge display with a thin metallic composition will fetch much attention. However, if you want a compact one-hand tablet that shares the classic Apple iPad aroma, consider the iPad 9th gen.
Speakers
Moving toward the speakers. iPad 9th Gen only offers a dual speaker setup at the bottom of the screen. They are loud enough to listen to your favorite music and binging on Netflix. On the other hand, iPad Pro offers a quad-speaker setup. Two speakers are on the top, and the other two are on the bottom. Quad speakers on the iPad Pro really enhance the overall experience of watching a movie or listening to music. If you’re a gamer, these speakers will provide you with the best gaming experience.
iPad 9th Gen vs iPad Pro 4th Gen – Display
The 10.2-inch (25.91 cm, 322.2 cm2) IPS display of the Apple iPad 9th generation is not entirely laminated. Although writing with a pencil seems a little empty at first, this is an advantage in terms of maintainability. Apple made a significant increase in the brightness part of the iPad 9th generation compared to its predecessors. The iPad is brighter than its predecessor. However, because it is an IPS LCD panel, consumers will have some trouble reading the screen in direct sunlight.
On the other hand, the 12.9-inch IPS LCD display takes up practically the whole front of the tablet. However, there’s a half-inch bezel that goes all the way around it. The iPad Pro 4th gen comes with a bright, crisp screen; although its successor’s Liquid Retina display has surpassed its IPS LCD technology, the display you’re getting here is still outstanding. It also supports DCI-P3 wide gamut color, so your colors will be bright and sharp. Adding DCI-P3 wide gamut color support significantly improves your sketching experience on the iPad Pro 4th gen. It’s impossible to switch back to those plain old sRGB monitors after using this one.
Specifications & Performance
The iPad Pro 4th gen comes with an A12Z Bionic processor with an 8-core CPU and a new 8-core GPU, which significantly jumps in graphics performance. A12Z Bionic Processor is the top-of-the-line processor at the launch of iPad Pro 4th gen. It’s one of the Apple tablets that dominates the tablets industry. This powerful chip, paired with 6GB of LPDDR4 RAM, makes this iPad a beast. You can easily run multiple apps and can do multi-tasks without having to worry about lags.
In contrast, the iPad 9th gen comes with the latest Bionic A13 Chip. However, comparing it with a year-old A12Z Bionic Chip, it’s a bit slow. It comes with 3GB of LPDDR3 RAM, which is straight 50% less than the iPad Pro 4th gen. If you’re an enthusiast creator, you should go with the Pro 4th gen. However, if you’re on a low budget and want an iPad that offers decent performance for day-to-day tasks, then the iPad 9th gen is for you.
iPad 9th Gen vs iPad Pro 4th Gen – Camera
The iPad 9th gen has an 8MP rear camera with f/2.4, 31mm (standard), 1.12µm, and AF. Also, it has a 12 MP Front camera with f/2.4, 122-degree (ultrawide). The image processing is fast and crisp, thanks to its new processor chip A13 Bionic. iPad 9th gen is perfect for you if you do a lot of face timing with your close ones. It features Center Stage, which keeps you in the frame while on a video call. The selfie camera’s video capture has been upgraded to 1080p to match the primary camera, and it can even shoot at 60 frames per second. Furthermore, gyro-EIS is applicable here. Unfortunately, the lens still has a relatively small f/2.4 aperture.
This is pretty much the same 8MP camera from the 8th gen, as well as the 7th gen iPad. It has 1.12µm pixels and a pretty dim f/2.4 aperture lens. You get the same basic autofocus as well. The only new addition is gyro-EIS, which is now a thing on the 9th-generation iPad. A minor upgrade if we ever see one, but we’ll still take it.
On the other hand, iPad Pro 4th gen has two cameras at the rear. A 12MP of Wide Standard Camera with the addition of a 10MP Ultra-Wide Camera next to it. Simply press the zoom button to go from 1x to 0.5x to see the ultra-wide view. The iPad Pro’s cameras produce reasonably crisp and vivid images but are below the iPhone 11 Pro. However, if we compare the iPad Pro 4th gen cameras with the iPad 9th gen, the iPad pro 4th gen is a clear winner. The iPad 9th gen can only shoot up to 1080p video. However, on the other hand, the new iPad Pro can also record 4K video. The iPad Pro also features a LIDAR and AR Scanner, which was never seen on an Apple device before the launch of the iPad Pro 4th gen.
Differences
- One of the key differences between the iPad 9th Gen vs. iPad Pro 4th is the generation gap. iPad 9th gen was released on September 24, 2021. Whereas iPad Pro 4th gen was released on 25 March 2020.
- The other difference is price. iPad 9th gen is priced cheaper than the iPad Pro, which is $329 compared to the iPad Pro, which costs around $999.
- Another key difference is the processor; the iPad Pro comes with an A12Z Bionic chip, which is a bit slow but offers the neck to neck performance as the new generation A13 Bionic Chip on the iPad 9th gen.
- iPad Pro also offers a full edge display with less-to-body ratio bezels with no home button compared to the iPad 9th gen which has clunky bezels around the screen with a dedicated home button.
- Coming to the cameras, iPad Pro offers two cameras at the rear, a 12MP wide and another 10MP Ultra-Wide, which, combined with A12Z Chip, takes fantastic photos compared to the one camera only on iPad 9th gen which is 8MP. Also, at the front, the iPad Pro offers a 12MP front camera with a Center Stage feature, which is great for Video calling.
Similarities
As both iPad shares a big generation gap and is made for two different audiences, they don’t share many similarities. However, both offer similar display quality as they both are IPS LCD displays. Also, they share the same battery life performance. Both have 12 MP f/2.4 camera.
iPad 9th Gen vs iPad Pro 4th Gen – Battery Life
Apple states that the iPad 9th generation has a battery life of 10 hours. In terms of real-world performance, the iPad 9th Gen typically lasts roughly 8 hours on a single charge. However, in iPad Pro 4th gen, Apple also claims 10 hours of battery life which also contains wireless web surfing. Talking about the real-life experience, the iPad Pro delivers a strong battery life of up to 10 hours & 16 minutes, which is up to the company’s claim.
Apple offers fast charging up to 30W on both of the iPads. The Apple iPad Pro gen 4 can charge 17% in just 15 mins. In my opinion, it’s not that fast compared to other companies offering up to 65W of fast charging on budget phones, like Xiaomi & Vivo.
Which iPad Pro has 5G?
Certain carriers’ 5G cellular networks support the iPad Pro 12.9-inch (5th generation), iPad Air (5th generation), iPad Pro 11-inch (3rd generation), and iPad Mini (6th generation).
Does the iPad 9th Gen come with a charger?
Yes, unlike the iPhone, the 9th Generation iPad comes with a 20W USB-C converter and a USB-C to Lightning connection, regardless of its beginning price of $329.
Conclusion
The iPad 10.2, often known as the iPad 9th generation, is a well-known gadget. Apple essentially upgraded the 8th and 7th generation iPads before equipping them with an Apple A13 Bionic CPU, a fancy ultrawide FaceTime HD 12MP selfie camera, and increasing the base storage to 64GB. If your budget is low and wants a classic design apple tablet that can do day-to-day tasks easily and play movies & music, then you should go for the iPad 9th gen.
In contrast, The iPad Pro 4th gen is a milestone for the iPad at the time of its launch. It is a closer rival to the Surface Pro 7 and Surface Pro X than ever before, thanks to the inclusion of a genuine keyboard with a touchpad. And, for the same price, the iPad Pro offers faster performance and longer battery life. The iPad Pro also has stronger cameras and the capacity to run a new class of AR apps, both of which the Surface Pros lack. If you want an expensive flagship Apple tablet with higher performance that also helps you as a creator, you should consider the iPad 4th gen.
