iPad Pro Features Improved Storage Controller for Desktop-Class Performance

iPad-Pro-PortraitApple's new iPad Pro is powered by a 64-bit A9X processor that delivers up to 1.6 times faster performance over the iPad Air 2, with up to twice as fast graphics. Apple also says the tablet is faster than 80% of portable PCs shipped in the last 12 months.

Apple's website notes the underlying technology behind the iPad Pro's desktop-class performance is a new storage controller that increases read and write speeds so that large files, such as 4K videos or RAW photos imported from an HD camera, can be opened much quicker (via AppleInsider).

The A9X chip is capable of processing data so quickly, it demanded a new memory architecture. iPad Pro features a revamped storage controller that helps deliver performance better than some desktop computers. This increases read and write speeds, so you can quickly open even the largest files. Like the big 4K movie you just edited or all the RAW images you imported from your HD camera.

iPad Pro launches in November in Silver, Space Gray and Gold, starting at $799 for a 32GB Wi-Fi only model. A 128GB Wi-Fi only model will cost $949 and a Wi-Fi + LTE 128GB model will cost $1,079. A new Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard will launch alongside the tablet for $99 and $169 respectively.

Related Roundup: iPad Pro
Buyer's Guide: iPad Pro (Buy Now)

Popular Stories

iOS 26

6 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.1

Wednesday October 29, 2025 4:22 am PDT by
Apple is about to drop iOS 26.1, the first major point release since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least six notable changes and improvements to look forward to. We've rounded them up below. Apple has already provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate version of iOS 26.1, which means Apple will likely roll out the update to all compatible...
ios 26 1 slide to stop

iOS 26.1 Brings Back 2007 Feature in New Way

Friday October 31, 2025 1:40 pm PDT by
The upcoming iOS 26.1 update includes a small but helpful change for iPhones, and it could prevent you from running late to something important. Specifically, when an alarm goes off in the Clock app, there is a new "slide to stop" control on the screen for turning off the alarm. On previous iOS 26 versions, there is simply a large "stop" button, which could be accidentally tapped. The new ...
iOS 26

iOS 26.1 Coming Soon: New Features for Your iPhone and Release Date

Monday October 27, 2025 7:55 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 26.1 update includes a handful of new features and changes for iPhones, including a toggle for changing the appearance of the Liquid Glass design, "slide to stop" for alarms in the Clock app, and more. Below, we outline key details about iOS 26.1. Release Date Given that Apple has yet to seed an iOS 26.1 Release Candidate, which is typically the final beta version, the...
M5 MacBook Pro

Waiting for New Macs? Apple Just Shared Bad News

Friday October 31, 2025 7:32 am PDT by
Apple has just given a strong indication that it will not be releasing any additional new Macs for the remainder of the year. Apple's CFO Kevan Parekh dropped the hint during the company's earnings call on Thursday:On Mac, keep in mind, we expect to face a very difficult compare against the M4 MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and iMac launches in the year-ago quarter.Parekh essentially gave a heads up ...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

8 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Thursday October 30, 2025 4:42 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
maxresdefault

Apple TV 4K Could Still Launch Before 2025 Ends: All the Rumored Features

Monday October 27, 2025 4:51 pm PDT by
Apple is designing an updated version of the Apple TV 4K, and rumors suggest that it could come out sometime in the next couple of months. We're not expecting a major overhaul with design changes, but even a simple chip upgrade will bring major improvements to Apple's set-top box. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. We've rounded up all the latest Apple TV rumors. ...
ipad mini 7 feature blue

OLED iPad Mini: Release Date, Pricing, and What to Expect

Wednesday October 29, 2025 7:13 am PDT by
Rumors are stoking excitement for the next-generation iPad mini that Apple is reportedly close to launching. So what should we expect from the successor to the iPad mini 7 that Apple released over a year ago? Read on to find out. Processor and Performance Apple is working on a next-generation version of the iPad mini (codename J510/J511) that features the A19 Pro chip, according to...
Coffee Burgundy and Purple iPhone 18 Pro Mock 1

Leaker Outlines Potential New Colors for iPhone 18 Pro

Friday October 31, 2025 8:28 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone 18 Pro models could be available in new rich and warm color option, according to a known leaker. The Weibo user known as "Instant Digital" today suggested that next-year's iPhone 18 Pro models will be available in at least one of the following color options: Coffee, purple, and burgundy. The iPhone XR, iPhone 11, iPhone 12, iPhone 14, and iPhone 14 Pro were all available in ...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, and macOS Tahoe 26.1 Release Candidates

Tuesday October 28, 2025 1:07 pm PDT by
Apple today provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, macOS Tahoe 26.1, tvOS 26.1, watchOS 26.1, and visionOS 26.1 updates for testing purposes. The RCs betas come a week after Apple released the fourth betas. The new betas can be downloaded from the Settings app on a compatible device by going to General > Software...

Top Rated Comments

pgiguere1 Avatar
132 months ago
Still hard to swallow the price tag IMO.

We've come to expect that bigger versions of iOS devices (e.g. iPhone Plus vs iPhone, iPad Air vs iPad mini) usually cost $100 more. And those even have a couple pros other than size over their smaller sibling too (iPhone Plus has OIS and longer battery life, iPad Air has more accurate colors, was thinner and faster until recently).

Now this is $300 more, and the biggest feature besides the larger screen is an active digitizer which can only be used if you buy the $100 Pencil, bringing it to a $400 premium over the iPad Air. Other than that, stuff like the A9X and other incremental hardware updates would have been expected on the $500 iPad Air 3, had it been released this fall as usual instead of the Pro.

Having a bigger iPad is worth an extra $100 IMO. The active stylus + digitizer is worth another $100. I think $69 would have been a reasonable price for the Smart Keyboard (same price as the Bluetooth Apple keyboard). That would have brought the total price to $768. In reality it's $1067, and that's completely nuts. It's a shame because the hardware itself is pretty attractive.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
0815 Avatar
132 months ago
So everything about this iPad is Pro - except the OS .... This one should run MacOS
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AngerDanger Avatar
132 months ago
You'd have to be pretty brave to hold the iPad Pro as pictures in this article.



Attachment Image
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
magbarn Avatar
132 months ago
I still can't believe you can edit 3 4K streams together on this thing. My MacBook Pro from 2011 is feeling underpowered.
Have you actually tried working with 4 k files? They're huge!
It may have the horsepower to edit it, but unless apple secretly upgraded the the Lightning connector to usb 3.0 or thunderbolt speeds, it's going to be painfully slow moving those files in/out of the iPad pro. And no, wifi Ac is nowhere near as fast. The sad 32gb base model is another insult to injury. Even the 128gb would be limiting to a real 'pro' working on multiple 4k recordings due to the lack of fast external storage. I edit 4k videos on my rmbp 15 while on the road and I use a combo of the built in 512gb ssd, an external 1 tb ssd in a thunderbolt enclosure and 2x2tb usb 3.0 hdd.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DolsJ Avatar
132 months ago
So everything about this iPad is Pro - except the OS .... This one should run MacOS
OS X would be horrible on a tablet from a UI standpoint. Apple is clearly hoping that Developers will create more fully featured "Pro" applications for iOS as the hardware evolves and become more capable.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Phil A. Avatar
132 months ago
I have heard this quite a bit since the iPad Pro's introduction so I have two serious questions for everyone in the OS X on the iPad camp:

1. What would be the benefit of running Mac OS X?

2. What apps would you like to run that there isn't already an optimized iOS equivalent available?
An iPad Pro that could run OS X would have been an insta-buy for me, but with iOS it's a non-starter (so I guess I'm not the target market :))
Some apps that I use daily that I can't run on iOS are:

Xcode
Photoshop
Lightroom
MySQL
SourceTree
Online dev tools such as C9.io (doesn't work with mobile safari)
Eclipse


As I said, I'm not the target audience for this device :)
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)