The M1 iPad Pro: 11 and 12.9-inch compared

The newest M1 chip-equipped iPad Pros have arrived, and we've looked at both sizes: 12.9-inch, and 11-inch.

Both new iPad Pros fit in Apple's Magic Keyboard cases and other accessories. But the 11-inch works with all previous iPad Pro accessories going back to 2018, while the 12.9-inch one is slightly thicker and doesn't necessarily fit in all older cases. (It did fit in the older Magic Keyboard we had, though.)

The external design of the new iPad Pros are...the same as last year.

By the way, don't stack iPads like this unless you want to risk getting the screens scratched.

The 12.9-inch Pro has an extra advantage this year: a mini-LED Liquid Retina XDR display that's notably more vivid, like OLED.

The rear cameras feel similar to last year's, with depth-sensing lidar sensors once again on board.

Keep in mind, Pencil and Magic Keyboard don't come included.

iPadOS, for now, is the same as always: not a lot of home screen customization, either.

The footprint of the 12.9-inch Magic Keyboard, and typing feel, is more my style.

Here's what comes in the box: USB-C charging cable, and a 20-watt charger.

Keep in mind that the smaller iPad Pro starts at $799, while the larger one with the better screen starts at $1,099.

The single USB-C charge and data port now allows Thunderbolt-level speeds for faster peripherals and higher-res monitors.

You can still use the same USB-C dongles as before.

Gaming on the iPad Pro depends on the games that are on the App Store, or via streaming. Pairing a PS5 DualSense controller and playing NBA 2K21.

It's hard to show what the mini-LED Liquid Retina XDR display looks like, but this is how black the black levels are while watching a movie at night. It feels just like OLED, and super vivid.

Just a night shot of the new white Magic Keyboard, reflected by the iPad Pro display in my bed.

MacBook Air models now have the same M1 chip as these iPad Pros. The differences may start narrowing, but they're both still pretty different computers.

Also, the MacBook Air opens up to wider angles than the Magic Keyboard.