Apple This

With Apple’s WWDC 2020 Conference scheduled to take place in June, announcements for innovations and upgrades of Apple’s operating systems and products are right around the corner! While the physical conference itself has been canceled in favor of a digital conference format thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, Apple is slated to release new physical products that should scratch the itch of people wanting something new from Apple, which includes the upcoming release of a 2020 model of the iPad Pro.

From the information available from product tester reviews and which has been given to us directly from Apple, it appears that the multinational technology company is still pushing mindset that tablets should replace your laptop. The 2020 iPad Pro is certainly the closest Apple has come to making a tablet capable of standing in for a MacBook or laptop. But does the new iPad Pro pack enough features to truly replace a laptop? Let’s look at some of the hardware specifications of the 2020 iPad Pro to find out.

Screen Sizes and Display

The 2020 iPad Pro comes in two model sizes. There is an 11-inch model that provides more portability, and a 12.9 inch model for people who want a combination of high performance and a larger display for easier reading and additional screen space. Since Apple no longer manufactures or directly sells 11.6 inch MacBook models–and the next smallest MacBook is 13.3 inches–these two iPad Pro models will easily be the most modern and most portable devices in Apple’s stock.

In terms of display quality, the 2020 iPad Pros will be equipped with the latest in Apple’s lightweight display technology, with both the 11’ and 12.9’ models coming equipped with the Liquid Retina display previously only used by the iPhone XR. 

Accessibility, Accessories, and Ports

For the first time in the history of Apple’s iPad line, the iPad Pro will have full built-in trackpad support through iPadOS 13.4. This means when combined with a smart keyboard, the 2020 iPad Pro will have similar functionality to a Chromebook. Something Apple does not seem keen on adding to the iPad Pro line, however, are USB ports. Besides the USB-C charging port, the new model of iPad Pro does not support any additional USB ports due to Apple’s desire to maintain the sleek profile of their mainline tablet. While trying to keep a tablet portable is an entirely understandable endeavor, the lack of ports can prove to be a fairly inconvenient drawback for someone who would want to use their 2020 iPad Pro for work purposes.

Battery Life

Undoubtedly the feature that I think is most impressive about the 2020 iPad Pro line is its battery life. Apple has always excelled at making its devices have longer battery lives than most devices made by their competitors–the newest rendition of the iPad Pro is no exception to this. When the iPad Pro 2020’s battery life was tested through a continuous trial of wireless web surfing, the device stayed on for over 10 hours at a screen brightness of 150 nits!

Can the 2020 iPad Pro replace your Laptop?

While the 2020 iPad Pro is undoubtedly more powerful and more capable than any model of its predecessors, the question still begs to be asked: is it worthy of replacing your laptop? Honest answer: probably not yet.

While Apple has made great strides towards making their iPad Pro line more functional and versatile–the trackpad functionality is still a work in progress, the screen sizes may not be ideal for people who are actually using their iPads for work purposes, the battery life is not any better than the 2019 MacBook, and some quality of life improvements will likely need to be made to the iPad OS before working on it is as quick and efficient as working with a macOS device.

That being said, the 2020 iPad Pro will easily have a place for itself in the market as soon as it releases. Businesses often rent iPad Pros for short term event needs, and now that Apple is getting more into trying to turn the iPad Pro into more of a miniature laptop, businesses will likely find more uses for them. If you need a 2020 iPad Pro rental, technology rental companies like Rentacomputer.com and Rentourtablets.com will be able to provide these rentals very soon!

…Don’t forget to sanitize–and stay safe!