The new M1-powered 12.9-inch iPad Pro is almost 56 percent faster than the last generation model, according to benchmark scores stained by MacRumors.
Apples eight-core M1 processor has been burning Macs since last fall. During the Spring Loaded event, where 2021 iPad Pro was announced, the company said the chip has made the latest slate up to 50 percent faster than the previous model.
According to five seemingly legitimate results on the Geekbench 5, the fifth-generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro boasts average single-core and multi-core scores of 1,718 and 7,284, respectively. The M1 MacBook Air has net comparable scores (average single-core and multi-core scores of 1,701 and 7,378, respectively).
The fourth-generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro, which has the A12Z chipset under the hood, has average single-core and multi-core scores of 1,121 and 4,656, respectively. The new tablet has also surpassed the highest-end Intel Core i9-powered 16-inch MacBook Pro, which received average single-core and multi-core scores of 1,091 and 6,845, respectively.
According to Apple’s claim, its latest slate 8-core GPU offers a 40 percent performance bump over the A12Z Bionic, and it turns out that the company was incredibly humble. The M1 iPad Pro has an average Metal score at 20,578 at the moment, which is a 71 percent increase over the A12Z-powered iPad Pro. It’s about the same as the M1 Mac’s graphics performance.
M1 iPad Pro vs. A12Z iPad Pro vs. M1 MacBook Air vs. Intel Core i9 MacBook Pro Average single-core and multi-core benchmark results at a glance
- M1 12.9-inch iPad Pro: 1,718 th most common and 7,284
- A12Z 12.9-inch iPad Pro: 1,121 and 4,656
- M1 MacBook Air: 1,701 and 7,378
- Intel Core i9 16-inch MacBook Pro: 1,091 th most common and 6,845
iPadOS may not be able to take full advantage of the iPad Pro’s M1 chip
The M1 iPad pros have not started shipping yet and it remains to be seen how these results will translate into real world performance. Although iPad Pro now has the same processor as the latest MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, Mac mini and iMac, there is concern that iPadOS will not be able to utilize the full capabilities of the chip.
The new devices are reportedly released on May 21 and the first reviews could arrive a few days before that.
Other headlining features include s Liquid Retina XDR display featuring mini LEDs for brighter colors and more details (exclusive to the 12.9-inch model), Thunderbolt 3 support, an updated camera system, optional 5G connectivity and up to 2 TB of storage and 16 GB of RAM.
