iPad Pro 12.9" 4th Gen 2020 vs iPad Pro 12.9" 5th Gen 2021

Swappasaurus says...
Apple released the iPad Pro 12.9” (2020) in March 2020 and released the iPad Pro 12.9” (2021) in May 2021. The iPad Pro 12.9” (2020) serves as the 4th generation model and the iPad Pro 12.9” (2021) serves as the 5th generation model in the 12.9” iPad Pro lineup.
Price Comparison
iPad Pro 12.9" 4th Gen 2020
iPad Pro 12.9" 5th Gen 2021
iPad Pro 12.9" 4th Gen 2020 vs iPad Pro 12.9" 5th Gen 2021 Pricing
Specs Comparison
The iPad Pro 12.9” (2020) features a 12.9-inch Liquid Retina display, an Apple A12Z Bionic chip, up to 1TB of storage, USB-C, and a 7MP TrueDepth front camera. The iPad Pro 12.9” (2021) features a 12.9-inch Liquid Retina XDR display, an Apple M1 chip, up to 2TB of storage, USB-C with support for Thunderbolt / USB 4, and an ultra-wide-angle 12MP TrueDepth camera with Center Stage. Otherwise, these two iPads share many of the same specs, including Face ID, four-speaker audio, five studio-quality microphones, WiFi 6 (802.11ax), Bluetooth 5.0, and a dual rear camera system with 12MP wide-angle and 10MP ultra-wide-angle cameras. Accessory support for the iPad Pro 12.9” (2020) and the iPad Pro 12.9” (2021) includes the Apple Smart Keyboard Folio, Apple Magic Keyboard, and the 2nd generation Apple Pencil.
Size | iPad Pro 12.9" 4th Gen 2020 | iPad Pro 12.9" 5th Gen 2021 |
---|---|---|
Width | 215 mm 8.5 inches | 215 mm 8.5 inches |
Height | 281 mm 11.1 inches | 281 mm 11.1 inches |
Depth | 8 mm 0.3 inches | 6 mm 0.3 inches |
Weight | 641 g 22.6 ounces | 682 g 24.1 ounces |
The iPad Pro 12.9” (2020) and the iPad Pro 12.9” (2021) feature a 12.9-inch display size and measure 11.04” (H) x 8.46” (W). The iPad Pro 12.9” (2020) measures 0.23” (D) and the iPad Pro 12.9” (2021) measures 0.25” (D). The WiFi-only iPad Pro 12.9” (2020) weighs 1.41 pounds and the WiFi + Cellular model weighs 1.42 pounds. In comparison, the WiFi-only iPad Pro 12.9” (2021) weighs 1.5 pounds and the WiFi + Cellular model weighs 1.51 pounds.
Camera | iPad Pro 12.9" 4th Gen 2020 | iPad Pro 12.9" 5th Gen 2021 |
---|---|---|
Primary | 12.0 MP | 12.0 MP |
Resolution | 4000x3000 | 4000x3000 |
The iPad Pro 12.9” (2020) and the iPad Pro 12.9” (2021) feature a 12MP wide-angle and 10MP ultra-wide-angle rear camera array. On the front, the iPad Pro 12.9” (2020) has a 7MP TrueDepth camera and the iPad Pro 12.9” (2021) has an ultra-wide-angle 12MP TrueDepth camera with Center Stage.
Display | iPad Pro 12.9" 4th Gen 2020 | iPad Pro 12.9" 5th Gen 2021 |
---|---|---|
Resolution | 2048x2732 | 2048x2732 |
Screen Size | 328 mm 12.9 in | 328 mm 12.9 in |
Pixels Per Inch | 265 ppi | 265 ppi |
The iPad Pro 12.9” (2020) has a Liquid Retina display and the iPad Pro 12.9” (2021) has a Liquid Retina XDR display. Otherwise, they share many of the same specs. The iPad Pro 12.9” (2020) and the iPad Pro 12.9” (2021) feature a 12.9-inch display with a resolution of 2732 x 2048 at 264 pixels per inch. The key specs include wide color (P3), True Tone, and ProMotion technology. They are both also fully laminated and feature an anti-reflective coating and a fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating. The iPad Pro 12.9” (2020) and the iPad Pro 12.9” (2021) have an SDR max brightness of 600 nits, and the iPad Pro 12.9” (2021) also has an XDR max brightness of 1000 nits and an HDR max brightness of 1600 nits.
Battery | iPad Pro 12.9" 4th Gen 2020 | iPad Pro 12.9" 5th Gen 2021 |
---|---|---|
Capacity | 9660 mAh | 10702 mAh |
Longevity | 10 hours | 10 hours |
USB | USB-C | USB-C |
The iPad Pro 12.9” (2020) is powered by a 36.71-watt-hour battery and the iPad Pro 12.9” (2021) is powered by a 40.88-watt-hour battery. Both models charge via USB-C, and both of these battery capacities can provide up to 10 hours of battery life when on WiFi or up to 9 hours of battery life when on cellular.
Color Choices
iPad Pro 12.9" 4th Gen 2020
Available in 2 colors:
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Gray
-
Silver
iPad Pro 12.9" 5th Gen 2021
Available in 2 colors:
-
Gray
-
Silver
Which color iPad Pro 12.9" 5th Gen 2021 is the most popular?
iPad Pro 12.9" 4th Gen 2020 vs iPad Pro 12.9" 5th Gen 2021 Colors

The iPad Pro 12.9” (2020) and the iPad Pro 12.9” (2021) are available in Space Gray and Silver.
Storage Options
iPad Pro 12.9" 4th Gen 2020
Choose from 4 storage options:
-
128GB
-
256GB
-
512GB
-
1TB
iPad Pro 12.9" 5th Gen 2021
Choose from 5 storage options:
-
128GB
-
256GB
-
512GB
-
1TB
-
2TB
Which storage iPad Pro 12.9" 5th Gen 2021 is the most popular?
iPad Pro 12.9" 4th Gen 2020 vs iPad Pro 12.9" 5th Gen 2021 Storage

The iPad Pro 12.9” (2020) and the iPad Pro 12.9” (2021) are available with options to get 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB of storage space. The iPad Pro 12.9” (2021) is also available in a 2TB storage configuration.
Reviews
iPad Pro 12.9" 4th Gen 2020 vs iPad Pro 12.9" 5th Gen 2021 Reviews
More Comparisons
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