Apple’s M4 delivers startling headroom in a 5.1mm chassis. In Lightroom and LumaFusion, export and render times rival ultraportable laptops. The Tandem OLED panel is a highlight: superb contrast, 120Hz fluidity, and strong HDR brightness.
Battery life reached ~10 hours in mixed creative use with Wi‑Fi. The new Magic Keyboard improves ergonomics but pushes total cost near a MacBook Air, which remains more flexible for multi-app desktop workflows.
iPadOS continues to limit certain pro pipelines: external display support is better, but not full desktop parity. If your core apps are on iPad (Procreate, Lightroom, LumaFusion), this hardware is unmatched; if you need desktop apps, a laptop is safer.
Strengths
- M4 performance in an ultrathin body
- Stunning Tandem OLED at 120Hz
- Solid 10h battery for pro tablet use
- Excellent accessory ecosystem
Limitations
- Expensive with keyboard + pencil
- iPadOS still restricts some workflows
- Single USB-C/Thunderbolt port