It's no secret: even the best tablet cameras still aren't great. In fact, they're often… well, kind of embarrassing. While smartphone photography keeps getting smarter, sharper and more cinematic, tablets are stuck in a time warp. And for a device that can cost over a grand, I find that hard to swallow.

Before anyone rolls their eyes and says, "But who even uses a tablet for photos?", hear me out. In reality, tablets are no longer just oversized Netflix machines. In 2025, they're used for everything from remote working and video conferencing to note-taking, live sketching and even on-the-go content creation.

Photographers, students, designers, artists: we're all using tablets in ways that would have been unthinkable five years ago. So, why shouldn't the cameras be up to scratch?

After all, a lot of people use their tablet cameras for more than just QR codes. Teachers use them to document student work. Healthcare professionals capture images for patient records. Field workers collect visual data.

For these professionals and others, having to switch between devices disrupts workflow and productivity. Even photographers may sometimes find themselves in situations where the tablet in hand is the most convenient camera available.

Convenience, though, doesn't mean you'll capture high-quality images. Take the iPad Pro M4, for example. This sleek, powerful bit of kit has a 12MP Wide and 10MP Ultra Wide on the back, and a 12MP TrueDepth camera on the front. Sounds decent, right?

But when you compare that to the camera magic happening on the iPhone 16 Pro Max – with its 48MP sensors, deep fusion, night mode, and cinematic features – it's clear that tablets are still the poor cousins at the Apple family reunion.

And it's not just Apple. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra is a stunner in every way – except its cameras. It packs a 13MP rear shooter and a 12MP ultra-wide front camera; perfectly serviceable, of course, but nowhere near the imaging prowess of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra with its 200MP primary sensor.

Not good enough

Of course, megapixels aren't everything: what really matters are things like dynamic range, color accuracy and low-light performance. Unfortunately, these are also areas where tablet cameras fall short.

You end up with images that are soft, noisy or oddly flat, especially when the lighting isn't playing nice. And let's not even talk about how awkward it is to hold a big tablet steady while taking a photo, without looking like you're using a dinner tray to film a wedding.

To be fair to manufacturers, there are obvious challenges here. Squeezing a top-tier camera system into a thin, light tablet without messing with battery life, thermals or the overall design is never going to be easy. But when we're paying such eye-watering prices for a high-end tablet, it's not unreasonable to expect more than "good enough".

What I'd like

So what would better tablet photography look like? Perhaps it's time to demand dedicated camera modules that don't compromise the tablet's slim profile, or computational photography features specifically optimized for tablet use.

Manufacturers could even explore partnerships with camera specialists, similar to what we've seen in smartphones with Leica and Hasselblad.

Certainly, the old "But tablets are for media consumption" excuse doesn't hold water any more. Nowadays, professionals want devices that can do it all: sketch, edit, Zoom, shoot. And if we're already carrying a tablet for work or play, we shouldn't have to reach for a phone just to take a decent picture or shoot video.

So here's my polite plea: if you're developing the next beautiful, high-performance tablet, don't skimp on the camera. I'm not asking for a photo perfection on my iPad or Galaxy Tablet, just something that can hold its own when inspiration strikes and I have a tablet in my hand rather than a phone.

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The best tablets for photo editing and the best iPads for photo editing are still great for on-the-go post production. Even if the cameras are pure potato.

The AirPad Air series has long been the more affordable alternative to the Pro line that doesn’t quite throttle the features like the budget iPad model, but with the iPad Air M3, creatives are gaining a few key features including faster speed and graphics along with native support for ProRes video editing. Unveiled on March 4, the new Apple iPad Air M3 brings the mid-tier tablet a newer processor without touching the list price.

The iPad Air M3 isn’t a radical update but rather an incremental one, with the same design as the earlier version but a speed boost created by moving from the M2 to the M3 Apple-made processor. What is a surprise, however, is when Apple made the announcement. When Tim Cook teased “something in the Air” earlier this week, many analysts expected the MacBook Air. Instead, it’s the tablet that got a March refresh.

While the iPad Air M3 is more of an incremental update than a radically new tablet, the March 2025 launch brings a few key features for creatives. The biggest change over the older model is the move to that M3 processor right in the name, which Apple says is almost twice as fast as the M1 model.

The update also brings around 40 percent faster graphics, Apple says, compared to the M1. In a first for the Air series, the M3 variant also uses Apple’s more advanced graphics architecture that includes dynamic caching, hardware-accelerated mesh shading and ray tracing, which the company says translates into more accurate lighting and shadows on screen.

But the new iPad Air M3 also lists a ProRes engine in the specifications. While earlier models could support ProRes editing in third-party apps, the inclusion of a native ProRes engine should boost speed when working with the video files. The iPad Pro series has traditionally been the better choice for video editing in part due to that ProRes engine and, while the Pro series still carries an edge with the M4 chip, the Air M3 narrows the gap between the two with that integrated ProRes support in the media engine.

Oddly enough, while the M3 includes ProRes in the media engine, the camera specifications don’t carry support for shooting ProRes video, although iPads aren’t as well known for taking photos and videos as Apple’s smartphones. The camera specs for the iPad Air M3 line-up with the older M2 version with a 12MP wide-angle camera with an f/1.8 aperture and 4K at up to 60 fps. Compared to the Pro model, the Air series still lacks a portrait mode and ProRes recording, while the camera also doesn’t have a flash.

The M3 chip and iPadOS 18 brings an AI-based Clean Up tool to remove distractions in the native Photos app. Support for Apple Intelligence also includes Image Playground, Genmoji, and AI-powered Siri. Like the latest iPhones, the iPad Air M3 uses on-device processing for many AI requests while Private Cloud Compute doesn’t store user data for larger off-device processing.

The iPad Air M3’s battery life remains unchanged at up to 10 hours on Wi-Fi or up to nine hours on a cellular network, but Apple notes that, for the first time, the battery contains 95% recycled lithium.

The refreshed iPad Air also comes with a new Magic Keyboard, which includes a larger trackpad, a row of function keys, and a lower price point. The new keyboard lists for $269 / £269 / AU$449 for the 11-inch version and $319 / £299 / AU$499 for the 13-inch.

The iPad Air M3 announcement also comes with the release of a new budget tablet, the iPad A16, which is about 30 percent faster than the earlier budget iPad with the A13 Bionic chip. The new budget model lacks Apple Intelligence.

The iPad Air M3 will be available in 11-inch and 13-inch sizes, with 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB storage options and a choice of blue, purple, starlight or space gray. Pre-orders for the new iPad Air M3 are already open in 29 countries, with shipping and availability in physical Apple Stores expected to begin on March 12. The base 11-inch model starts at $599 / £599 / AU$999 for the Wi-Fi model and $749 / £749 / AU$1,249 with cellular. The 13-inch option starts at $799 / £799 / AU$1,349, and $949 / £979 / AU$1,599 with a cellular network.

The base model iPad is also available for pre-order with an expected March 12 ship date and starts at $349 / £329 / AU$599.

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I love Apple products. They're sleek, they're powerful, and in the immortal words of Steve Jobs, they "just work" (well, most of the time). But their naming strategy? It's a wild ride.

Take the iPhone lineup, for instance. Remember when it was just "iPhone" followed by a number? Those were simpler times. Now along with the iPhone 16 we recently got the iPhone 16 Pro Max, the iPhone 16 Pro and the iPhone 16 Plus. Plus right now, we're expecting the imminent appearance of the iPhone SE 4; like that cousin no-one's quite sure how to introduce at family gatherings.

And let's talk about those chips. The M1 made sense as a starting point. Then came M1 Pro and M1 Max – okay, still following. But then Apple threw in the M1 Ultra, which is essentially two M1 Max chips fused together. Just when you thought you had it figured out, they launched the M2 series, and now we're deep into M3 and M4 territory, each with their own variants. It's like a Russian nesting doll of processing power.

The iPad family tree is another puzzle altogether. We've got the iPad Pro (in two sizes), iPad Air, iPad mini, and just... iPad. But wait – this basic / standard / entry-level iPad comes in different generations, and some older models are still sold new. Try explaining to your non-tech-savvy aunt why the 9th-generation iPad Air might actually be a better choice for her than the 10th-generation iPad Pro, depending on her needs and budget. To be honest, even your tech-savvy teenager might get lost at this point.

I could go on, but you get the point. Basically it's all a hot mess. So I set myself the challenge of trying to create a decoder for Apple's product naming system. Here's what I came up with.

This decoder, I should stress, is by no means perfect or foolproof. And it's certainly not something that's been approved by Apple. Because while the broad principles I've outlined in this table will get you some of the way, the company themselves doesn't apply them universally across the board. 

For instance, sometimes "Pro" means it's the most powerful option (like with iPhones), but sometimes there's an even more powerful "Max" or "Pro Max" version. Sometimes "Air" means it's the slimmer, lighter option (MacBook Air), but the iPad Air actually sits in a middle ground between basic and Pro models. 

It gets even worse when it comes to Apple's accessories. For instance, AirPods come in regular, Pro and Max varieties – but the Max is actually over-ear headphones, not pods at all. The Apple Pencil, meanwhile, has four versions that look different and charge differently, and they're not compatible with all iPads.

The naming convention here (and I'm not making this up) begins: Apple Pencil (1st Generation), Apple Pencil (2nd Generation)... so far so good. But then suddenly it veers off into Apple Pencil (USB-C) and Apple Pencil Pro. Would you know that the third of these was the budget model, just from the name? Of course not. And you need a spreadsheet to figure out which Apple Pencil works with which iPad: the names here are no use at all.

Passion for simplicity?

Personally, I often find myself having to create mental maps and charts just to keep track of which device is which, and more importantly, to explain these differences to readers in a way that makes sense. It's like being a translator for a language that keeps changing its grammar rules every few months. Life shouldn't be this difficult!

The irony isn't lost on me that Apple, a company famous for its clean, intuitive interface design, has created a product naming system that requires a decoder to understand. Steve Jobs was known for his passion for simplicity, famously paring down Apple's product line to a simple quadrant when he returned to the company. I wonder what he would make of it all today.

Yes, Apple's product line has grown and diversified over time. But I can't help but think there must be a clearer way to organize and name these products. Until then, if you really want to know the differences between Apple products, it's best to read our in-depth reviews, along with our guides to the different iPad generations, the best iPhones and the best MacBooks.

The iPad mini's always been a bit of a curiosity. Its display is just 8.3 inches in diameter; barely bigger than some of the best phablets. But it's also small and light, and for some, that makes it one of the best tablets for photo editing. 

Rumor has it, though, that it doesn't do a huge number of sales. So there's often speculation that Apple might drop it altogether. And that speculation reached fever pitch earlier this year, when they brought out new versions of the iPad Air and iPad Pro, powered up nicely by the advanced M2 chip, but made no mention of a new iPad mini.

So the world was surprised to learn this week when Apple unexpectedly dropped a new iPad mini, the first update to its smallest tablet since 2021. 

And when I say "dropped", that's exactly what I mean. Rather than do the kind of big splashy launch we're used to seeing from Apple, they sneaked this new iPad mini out very quietly indeed. No teasers, no high-tech YouTube live launch… they just sent out a press release. 

As this low-key approach should indicate, this is certainly is not a massive update. However, it does brings significant improvements in processing power and camera technology. And so if you're considering buying a new iPad, and not sure which model to get, it's worth knowing what's different about it. 

A faster processor and more RAM

On the outside, the new iPad mini is the same as the last one, except for a couple of new options. So the differences are all on the inside. 

The biggest of these is the updating of its processor from the A15 to the A17 Pro chip, matched by a jump in RAM from 4GB to 8GB. Apple says this new hardware gives it 30% faster CPU performance, 25% faster GPU performance, and a Neural Engine that's twice as fast as the previous generation. 

Why do you need a faster processor? In a word, AI. Apple will be rolling out its much-trumpted AI platform, Apple Intelligence, with the iPadOS 18.1 update within the next few weeks. And it's explicitly said this processor update is to allow it to run on the new Mac mini. All of which sounds great, but as iPadOS 18.1 hasn't actually arrived yet, we can't really tell you a lot about it at this stage.

Better camera tech

As this is Digital Camera World, of course, we're duty bound to mention the camera. Yes, very few of us are ever going to rely on our iPad for photography. But it's good to have a decent tablet camera nonetheless, even if only for things like scanning documents and QR codes.

To be clear, the 12MP rear camera and 12MP ultrawide front camera haven't actually been upgraded from the previous model. However, the software that runs them has received substantial upgrades. 

So for example, you're now getting Smart HDR 4, which leverages the iPad's increased processing power to capture images with greater dynamic range. This should, in theory at least, result in more natural-looking photos across various lighting conditions.

There's also something that Apple have enticingly called AI-Powered Document Scanning. This means that by drawing on the iPad mini's new 16-core Neural Engine, the camera app can now automatically detect and optimise the capture of documents within the frame. 

Thirdly, the new iPad mini will have True Tone Flash; a new addition aimed at reducing shadows when capturing documents or objects in low-light situations. That sounds like it could be the most useful feature of them all, depending on how well it works of course.

Further updates

Other changes from the last model include:

• A USB-C port that's twice as fast as its predecessor (up to 10Gbps) for quick transfer of large photo and video files 
• Support for Wi-Fi 6E and 5G in cellular models for faster wireless connections
• Base storage increased to 128GB (up from 64GB) to accommodate larger image files and AI models 
• New purple and blue finishes

If you want to use your iPad as a drawing tablet, or like using a stylus for photo editing, also note that the new iPad mini now supports the Apple Pencil Pro, as well as the Apple Pencil (USB-C). It doesn't however, support either the first or second generations of the Apple Pencil.

Want to buy one? The new iPad mini starts at $499/£499 for the Wi-Fi model with 128GB of storage. There are also 256GB and 512GB versions for $599/£599 and $799/£799 respectively. Cellular connectivity costs an additional $150/£150 on top of any of those prices. The 2024 iPad mini is available for pre-order now and will be in stores from Wednesday October 23.

The Pencil Pro is the latest iPad-compatible stylus in the Apple Pencil line. It joins the Apple Pencil (second generation), the Apple Pencil (first generation), and the cheaper Apple Pencil USB-C. All four pencils enable you to draw, tap, and swipe on your iPad screen as a more accurate alternative to using your finger. Many people find that a stylus provides a more ergonomic and intuitive way to interact with an iPad’s touch-sensitive screen, especially in relation to drawing or using brush-based tools to retouch a picture.

The Pencil USB-C is the cheapest and most basic model. It requires charging via USB-C, while the latter two models charge as they magnetically clamp to your iPad. The original first-generation model charges via a Lightning connection. The second-generation pencil has tilt and pressure sensitivity so you can write and draw naturally and the new Pencil Pro adds additional features such as the ability to roll your brush as well as tilt it.

As you’d expect, the Pencil Pro also has other unique tricks up its sleeve as we’ll explain. The Pencil Pro is compatible with iPad Pro 13-inch (M4), iPad Pro 11-inch (M4) iPad Air 13-inch (M2), and iPad Air 11-inch (M2). The Pencil Pro was released with the M4-powered iPad Pro and I was lucky enough to borrow both to test out for this review.

Apple Pencil Pro: Specifications

Apple Pencil Pro: Design & Handling

Apple hasn’t reinvented the wheel with the look of the Pencil Pro. Like its three predecessors, it’s still a pencil-shaped stylus that you hold like a pencil or a paintbrush, with the iPad screen being your canvas. The first-generation pencil was round and smooth so it would roll off a desk. The Pencil Pro shares the flattened edge introduced in the second-generation model, which stops the pencil rolling. This flat edge also enables you to magnetically attach the Pencil Pro to the top of your iPad where it’s close at hand.

While docked on your iPad the Pencil Pro is wirelessly charged, so it shouldn’t run out of power during a job. This is a nice design touch. We found that the magnetic connection was nice and strong, though if the Pencil Pro does become dislodged you can hunt it down using Apple’s Find My app.

One welcome new design feature is the ability to squeeze near the tip of the Pencil Pro to activate a variety of commands such as popping up a palette to enable you to switch tools for example. This ‘squeezeabilty’ means that the smooth surface of the pencil isn’t interrupted by buttons like you’d find in some third-party styluses.

Apple Pencil Pro: Performance

I’ve been an iPad owner for years, though I’ve not used an Apple Pencil before. I did however have an old Wacom Art Pad tablet that I plugged into my iMac, so I was familiar with using a stylus as a more ergonomic and intuitive way to draw in various apps or dodge and burn in Lightroom. When I used my old Wacom’s stylus to draw on its tablet that movement was translated to the cursor on my iMac’s screen. This put a distance between me and my onscreen work. By drawing with the Pencil Pro directly on the iPad Pro’s display the interaction was immediate, like drawing with a pencil on paper.

The Pencil Pro does much more than being an alternative to a mouse or a trackpad. The iPad Pro can sense the angle of the Pencil Pro which alters the shape of the brush strokes in a natural way. Older Apple Pencils can adjust the tilt and pressure being applied (which changes brush stokes organically), but the Pencil Pro has a unique gyroscope that lets you rotate (or barrel roll) the pencil to adjust the brush stroke that you’re producing in a more realistic way. When you tilt and roll the Pencil Pro in an app such as Pages you’ll see the onscreen brush tip change shape according to how you’re holding the pencil. This lets you preview if you’ll produce a thin or thick stroke for example. Another clever feature is the appearance of a computer-generated shadow of the stylus which changes according to the angle of the Pencil Pro. This virtual shadow is a clever combination of hardware and software wizardry, but I’m not sure how useful it is in practice.

I also enjoyed the way I could perform commands (such as jumping between a brush and an eraser) by double-tapping the Pencil Pro’s side or squeezing its tip. Unlike a real pencil or brush, I could interact with the iPad’s screen by simply hovering the pencil’s tip near it. You can also customize the shortcuts produced by a double tap or a squeeze in the Apple Pencil Settings menu which is very handy. For example, you can use a squeeze to show ink attributes or between the current tool and the last used. A haptic throb also helps confirm that the Pencil Pro has responded to your double tap or squeeze (and you can toggle this feedback on or off in Settings).

I found the Pencil Pro very useful when doodling in Pages, and in Scribble mode it could turn my atrocious handwriting into legible text in the Pages document. However, it takes me much longer to write with a pencil than it does to type (even when using two fingers!) So this scribble-to-text feature is not something I’d use.

I also tested the Pencil Pro in Final Cut Pro which is an app I use on a daily basis. Here I found the Pencil Pro of less use than it was in Apple's Pages app. In Final Cut Pro I couldn’t see the onscreen preview of the Pencil Pro’s angle or its rotation, but to be fair that would only be useful when drawing. Nor could I see the animated shadow graphic that was visible when using a pen tool in Pages.

I could use the Pencil Pro in Final Cut Pro to select and re-order clips in the timeline and trim them by dragging the trim handle. A long press of the Pencil Pro’s nib summoned a pop-up menu that enabled me to detach a selected clip’s audio track which was handy for performing split sound edits. I could also use the pop-up menu to cut a clip at the playhead. This would be useful if I was using the iPad on its own, but as I had it docked in a Magic Keyboard I was able to summon the same pop-up menu with a double click on the keyboard’s trackpad.

So I enjoyed using the Pencil Pro for the purposes of this review, but now that I’ve returned it to Apple I don’t feel compelled to purchase a replacement. However, I do miss that iPad Pro and Magic Keyboard though!

Apple Pencil Pro: Verdict

Thanks to unique features such as its built-in gyroscope the Pencil Pro enables you to change a brush stroke as you rotate the device (as well as responding to the angle of tilt and the pressure on the nib). This will make it an attractive purchase for artists who use the iPad as their digital canvas and need a tool that behaves like a real-world brush. Photo retouchers should also enjoy tweaking images in Lightroom with much more precise control than they’d get by swiping their finger on the iPad’s display. By being able to fine-tune the Pencil Pro’s behaviour using squeezes and taps this frees you up from the need of a keyboard, allowing you to work quickly and intuitively.

Alternatives

Apple has been intentionally sluggish when it comes to rolling out its new AI features, and it has recently run into some obstacles. 

Apple Intelligence was introduced by the tech giant in mid-June as "the personal intelligence system that puts power generative models at the core of iPhone, iPad, and Mac". 

But what exactly does that mean, and where exactly is it?

What is Apple Intelligence

According an Apple press release dated June 10, the new tech is "deeply integrated" into iOS 18, iPadOS 18 and macOS Sequoia, using the power of Apple silicon "to understand and create language and images, take action across apps, and draw from personal context to simplify and accelerate everyday tasks."

Among the uses promoted in June were tools to help with text creation, as well as a "new era" for Siri, with the new version including "richer language-understanding capabilities" as well as the ability to be "more natural, more contextually relevant and more personal".

Describing himself as "thrilled", Apple CEO Tim Cook said of the launch:

"Our unique approach combines generative AI with a user's personal context to deliver truly helpful intelligence. And it can access that information in a completely private and secure way to help users do the things that matter most to them. This is AI as only Apple can deliver it, and we can't wait for users to experience what it can do."

What's been going on 

In late June it was announced that Apple would withhold the release of new features, such as its Apple Intelligence generative AI tools, across the European Union (EU) due to concerns over regulations with the bloc’s Digital Markets Act (DMA). 

The company will also halt the release of iPhone Mirroring and SharePlay Screen Sharing in the EU. 

Last year the European Commission branded Apple, among other companies such as Amazon and Microsoft as "gatekeepers", providing services judged to be important links between consumers and businesses. 

This means those companies deemed "gatekeepers" must comply with a set of rules outlined in the DMA – most of which require a six-month deployment period. 

Failure to comply with DMA regulations would result in fines of up to 10% of the company's worldwide annual turnover, rising to 20% for repeat infringements. 

In a statement to Bloomberg, Apple expressed its concern "that the interoperability requirements of the DMA could force us to compromise the integrity of our products in ways that risk user privacy and data security".

These delays in Europe are compounded by more recent delays in the US, due to concerns over the stability of the new features. 

Despite Apple's press release in June, it is now expected that the iOS 18 and associated iPad system will now launch without the Apple Intelligence in September – and sources suggest that the commercial release will follow in October. 

Apple has also signed itself up to a set of voluntary commitments created to enhance AI safety, putting itself alongside 15 other companies including Amazon and OpenAI that have agreed to comply with new guidelines. 

The commitments included agreeing to internal and external security testing of AI systems before their release, and being open and collaborative in sharing information about managing AI risks with industry, academia and government. 

The initiative aims to combat harmful, problematic and abusive AI-generated content. 

Take a look at our guides to the best iPhone for photography, the best AI image generators, and the best iPhone charger cable. 

If you’re looking for a premium alternative to the best Wacom tablet on the market, then Xencelabs’ range of creative peripherals is worth a look. We rate its Pen Tablet Medium as one of the best drawing tablets available, so I couldn’t wait to get my hands on its latest pen display, the Xencelabs Pen Display 16. What sets this device apart from its competitors is its 4K OLED screen, a particularly tantalizing feature from a photography perspective that could make it the best tablet for photo editing and photographers. 

If you typically like to work on a larger pen display, Xencelabs has you catered for via its Pen Display 24. But what makes the Pen Display 16 so attractive, is its portability. Sure, it’s certainly not as portable as, say, the XP-Pen Magic Drawing Pad or Apple iPad Pro and Apple Pencil 2, but when you consider it’s a pro-grade pen display with decent screen real estate, it’s surprisingly slender and lightweight. So, if you’re looking for a premium pen display that can slip into a rucksack, read on… 

Xencelabs Pen Display 16: Specifications

Xencelabs Pen Display 16: Price

The Xencelabs Pen Display 16 is available in two guises: Essentials and Bundle, with the former priced at $999 / £969 and the latter at $1249 / £1199. Even the Essentials package includes a healthy haul of accessories including two styluses, a pen case, spare nibs, a glove, and a carrying case. But the Bundle is rammed with all that and more, most notably a power adapter and hub, the Mobile Easel (a stand), and Xencelabs’ very own Quick Keys remote. 

If you already have a Quick Keys device, then you’re probably better off going for the Essentials package. And even if you don’t, the Quick Keys is available standalone for (£95.90 / $99.99). If you’re buying the Xencelabs Pen Display 16 at its RRP, you can pick up the Quick Keys separately totaling just $1,099 / £1,065. But you won't have the hub and Mobile Easel.

At face value Essentials sits within a similar price range to the XP-Pen Artist Pro 16TP ($899.99 / £799.99) and Kamvas Pro 16 Plus (4K) ($899 / £899), but at the time of writing, both of these tablets are available for much less on sale. 

With that in mind, it sits somewhere between the aforementioned competitors and the Wacom Cintiq Pro 16 ($1,599.95 / £1,399.99), but when the Wacom's are on sale, the margins close up a bit more. Overall, the Xencelabs Pen Display 16 splits the Wacom Cintiq Pro 16 and cheaper 16-inch, 4K alternatives, making it competitively priced. 

Xencelabs Pen Display 16: Design & Handling

The Xencelabs Pen Display 16 isn’t a standalone device. It requires a compatible PC or Mac to operate and works as a second, stylus-operated screen for use with your choice of software. How you connect the Pen Display 16 will depend on your computer. If you’re plugging into a USB-C DisplayPort you can simply use the included USB-C cable to connect the Pen Display 16, which will emit a minimum brightness of 170 nits. Otherwise, you’ll need to use the included powered hub (Bundle only) and the necessary combination of cables. 

Xencelabs has helpfully simplified things by color-coding the cables and providing a handy color-coded connection chart. It’s important to note that using the hub will also provide the maximum 300-nit brightness. A QR code is included in the paperwork to download the necessary driver and you only need to select the corresponding driver for your OS, regardless of the Xencelabs product you’re using. 

The tablet itself feels very solid and well-built, it also runs quietly and coolly. A thick 1.3-in border surrounds the 16-inch display and while this may feel a little dated – in a world of slick-looking iPads and Galaxy Tablets with edge-to-edge screens – it’s a great feature for pro retouchers and illustrators, providing run-off areas for the palm of the hand to rest, should the stylus stray close to the edges of the display. And since it surrounds the entire tablet, both left-handed and right-handed creatives will benefit.

I also like how the edges of the tablet don’t have a trim. Other tablets on the market do have this and if the trim is slightly raised or there’s a small gap between the trim and screen, it’s less comfortable on the palm.

Most high-end pen displays are removing shortcut keys from the face of the display nowadays, a huge boon for left-handed creatives. Xencelabs gets around this via its Quick Keys remote (Bundle only, but sold separately), a free-standing shortcut peripheral that fits the bill perfectly. It can be operated wirelessly or wired via the included dongle and USB-C cable respectively. It doesn’t feel as premium as the pen display itself and the buttons feel a bit unsatisfying and plasticky, but the command wheel is buttery smooth and I like the rubber grip on the back of the device. This stops it from sliding, should you work on a slanted drawing surface.

Just like the Wacom Cintiq Pro 16, the Xencelabs Pen Display 16 is not a touch-screen device. This will disappoint those who like to quickly pinch to zoom in and swipe their way around their canvas, while pleasing others who detest wearing a glove, leaving them prone to activating touch controls with their bare palm accidentally. I’m used to using an iPad Pro and Apple Pencil 2 for drawing and although constantly reaching for the mouse, keyboard or Quick Keys takes a bit of getting used to, I certainly didn't miss having to constantly undo or erase accidental palm inputs. 

Kudos to Xencelabs for including a pair of styluses, its Thin Pen v2 and 3 Button Pen v2. As you’d expect, the pens don’t require charging to operate and both feel durable and are made from decent plastics. That said, the buttons do feel a little plasticky and clicky. The thicker 3 Button Pen v2 has a nice rubbery grip, while the Thin Pen v2 will feel instantly recognizable to anyone who’s used an Apple Pencil. 

What pen you prefer is entirely up to you and photographers will likely stick with their favorite. But illustrators who enjoy using, say, a thinner pen to sketch and a thicker pen to ink and add color, are well catered for. 

The Mobile Easel that comes with the Bundle package is plastic and features a pair of flaps that lock into place so you can set the pen display at two different heights. And while it might not look like the sturdiest stand in the world, it cradles the device perfectly and can easily withstand as much pressure as you’d care to inflict on a pen display.

Xencelabs Pen Display 16: Performance

Xencelabs Pen Display 16 is the first pen display with a 16-inch 4K OLED screen and for many, this will be worth the price of admission alone. It delivers beautiful colors and vivid brightness, making it a fantastic choice for illustrators and photographers. This is important. Photographers demand accurate colors and the Pen Display 16 delivers that. That said, some degree of sharpness has been sacrificed in favor of an anti-glare, paper-like coating to the display’s surface. 

What Xencelabs calls its Super AG Etching Display isn’t quite as tacky as some displays (what you prefer is down to personal preference), but it still offers a pleasant surface on which to draw. In my opinion, this is absolutely essential for illustrators. Photographers can work around this by mirroring the pen display’s screen on their computer monitor, so they have a super sharp reference.  

I’m very much of the opinion that more is more when it comes to pen display screen size. If you’re used to editing on your 24-inch iMac, 16 inches will take some getting used to. Then again, if you’re used to drawing on a 12.9-inch iPad, the Pen Display 16 will feel like a marked step up. If you’re drawing or editing at the same workstation 24/7 and budget isn’t a consideration then by all means check out the Xencelabs Pen Display 24. If you’re looking for a decent-value tablet that’s beefy enough to become a desktop staple but small enough to slip into a rucksack, then a 16-inch pen display is ideal. In fact, both versions of the Pen Display 16 come with a soft, padded carry case, with room enough for all of the Bundle’s many accessories. 

I spend a lot of time with my 12.9-inch iPad Pro and Apple Pencil 2, and the jump to 16 inches is definitely noticeable. The larger space is quite simply nicer to draw on. As is the thick, inactive border that surrounds the device. Tablets like the iPad Pro actually encourage you not to use all of the screen real estate, because it’s easy to run out of screen, be it your stylus meeting the edge or an unsupported palm causing your lines to jitter. The Pen Display 16’s border makes these problems much less likely and the overall drawing experience is all the better for it. 

Another key detail when it comes to this display’s suitability for drawing is the lack of any onboard shortcut keys. This means left-handed creatives don’t have to worry about their palms resting on a row of unhelpfully placed shortcut keys and you can happily sit on the couch, swiveling your device every which way while drawing, without fear of accidentally triggering undo or enlarging your brush. However, this device isn’t touch-sensitive. And while that’s good news for anybody who doesn’t like wearing a drawing glove to prevent accidentally triggered touch functions, you will have to frequently reach for your mouse or touchpad. 

Thankfully, Xencelabs has remedied the lack of onboard shortcut keys and touch functions via its existing Quick Keys remote. This wireless device features eight quick keys and a button to toggle between five sets, totaling 40 fully customizable functions. That’s not including a big command dial, with a button to toggle between four additional functions. The Xencelabs software that you install with the driver can be used to customize the pen display, styluses, and Quick Keys. What I really like about the Quick Keys remote is that you can customize it for a specific application. So, if you use Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom, and want it to perform different functions for each, it’ll remember the settings for both. 

With extended use, I’m sure you’d learn to get the most out of the Quick Keys. But even during my limited time with the device, I was instinctively reaching for the command wheel to rotate my canvas, hitting buttons to undo/redo and alter my brush size. Because it’s a separate peripheral, I could rest my palm on it comfortably, just like a mouse, rather than having to reach over my tablet to tap an awkwardly positioned shortcut button. 

According to Xencelabs, the Quick Keys remote is compatible with other pen displays, too. It’s only available in the Pen Display 16 Bundle, but this makes sense because it can be purchased separately if need be and if you already own the device, you won’t end up with two. My only gripe is its build. The buttons feel a bit cheap and the device could certainly be more ergonomic. 

Drawing with the Xencelabs Pen Display 16 is very enjoyable, if not revolutionary. If you’ve drawn with a decent pen display before, you’ll know what to expect. The screen is optically bonded so there’s no noticeable gap between the protective layer of glass and the display itself. The styluses support a 60-degree tilt angle. And pen-to-screen contact feels suitably papery.  I did experience a slight jitter when drawing lines at slower speeds and like most displays, when you draw gentle, sweeping lines, the line itself will lag a cm or two behind the stylus ( this could simply be a processing limitation of my MacBook). 

Ultimately, the Xencelabs Pen Display 16 provides as good a drawing experience as you could hope for on a dedicated pen display. But, I still think the Apple Pencil 2 delivers a better physical digital drawing experience with its whip-fast responsiveness, pinpoint accuracy, and extreme tilt angles. And yet, that’s not to say Apple’s solution is a better professional solution. 

You see, an iPad Pro and Apple Pencil 2 deliver an outstanding drawing experience, there’s no doubt about it. But if you’re a professional illustrator or a photographer looking to add pen display functionality to your editing regime, a tablet like the Xencelabs Pen Display 16 is arguably still the better option. Apple’s iOS ecosystem is its own worst enemy here. You’re locked into some admittedly fantastic iOS apps such as Procreate and Affinity Photo 2 for iPad, but if you want unbridled access to desktop industry-standard software, a device like the Pen Display 16 allows that. After all, it’s running through your MacBook or PC. And of course, the 16-inch screen is bigger than any iPad’s and you can jump up to 24 inches if you so wish. 

Finally, the styluses are really enjoyable to use. Personally, I find having a thin and thick stylus to be really beneficial since I’m prone to a little RSI when using the same stylus for long periods of time. Having the option to swap helps to keep this at bay. 

Xencelabs Pen Display 16: Verdict

The Xencelabs Pen Display 16 is capable of going pound for pound with the biggest name in the drawing tablet biz. The slick 4K OLED screen is a huge selling point and none of its few shortcomings are deal breakers. Crucially, the vibrant and accurate colors make this an excellent choice for photographers looking to add a pen display to their editing workflow and digital illustrators alike. 

Unless touch-sensitive controls are your line in the sand, it delivers an excellent drawing experience and a solid build to boot. Overall, you can expect a premium performance for slightly less than other premium offerings. It’s also incredibly simple to set up and small enough to slip into a roomy rucksack, making it a great choice for those who require a portable display, without giving up too much screen real estate. Even the Essentials package delivers a formidable roster of accessories. However, I would recommend opting for the Bundle package to get the Quick Keys remote (or purchasing it separately), because this really does enhance the pen display’s usability.

Alternatives

The OnePlus Nord 4 and OnePlus Pad 2 are official, and we’ve got our hands on both devices at the launch event in Milan, with each taking on the best from Google and Samsung with gusto. 

Starting with the OnePlus Nord 4, the phone undercuts the excellent Google Pixel 8a and Samsung Galaxy A55 5G, two of the hottest Android midrange phones out now. At its price, the most notable win for the Nord 4 is long-lasting software support, though its metal body, quality display, and 50MP camera all look competitive for a midrange.

We’re arguably more smitten with the OnePlus Pad 2 on first impression. It’s the only mainstream Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 tablet at its price, so packs flagship smartphone power, and with a super-smooth 144Hz display, smart detachable folio keyboard, and pen support with up to 16,000 levels of pressure sensitivity, it could be an awesome option for photo and video editing.

OnePlus Nord 4

The OnePlus Nord 4 is a quirky-looking phone in its hero color, Mercurial Silver (pictured). The striated back panel is set against a glass camera surround, and for anyone who’s been geeking out on smartphones for a few years, it feels like a serious blast from the past, echoing old-school Pixels and HTC phones. This is largely down to the metal unibody, making the Nord 4 the only metal unibody current-gen smartphone, owing to difficulties fitting all 11 antennae required for modern 4G and 5G connectivity.

Other Nord 4 colors include Oasis Green and Obsidian Midnight, with all three colors clocking in at a slim 7.99mm. The phone is also splash resistant and the display works when wet – just like the flagship OnePlus 12. 

While we wouldn’t go so far as OnePlus and suggest the Nord 4 packs in flagship specs, it’s certainly no slouch with the current-gen Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 chipset powering it.

The Nord 4 also has a huge 5,500mAh battery, putting plenty of flagships to shame, and charges up at 100W for a full charge in under half an hour. The one compromise on the battery front is a lack of wireless charging.

As for the camera, OnePlus loads up two around the back and one on the front. The rear cameras mix includes a primary 50MP Sony LYT-600 sensor and f/1.8 lens combo complete with OIS, and an ultra-wide 8MP camera with an f/2.2 lens, while the selfie camera is 16MP with a 24mm wide-angle and an f/2.4 aperture.

In addition to competitive camera hardware are the AI smarts OnePlus packs into its midrange phone, with the Nord 4 following the OPPO Reno 12 Pro by adding AI Best Face, AI Clear Face, and AI Eraser, as well as an updated version of OnePlus and Oppo’s Smart Cutout.

OnePlus Pad 2

Android tablets have struggled to compete with iPads for generations. Apple’s app ecosystem is better than Androids, but Samsung’s Galaxy Tab series and OnePlus’s Pad line have given hope to Android fans, with the Pad 2 looking set to be OnePlus’s most compelling tablet offering yet.

Anyone who read our OnePlus Open review might be familiar with OnePlus’s Open Canvas, an interface feature that supports easy multitasking across up to three apps. While we were disappointed Open Canvas didn’t make it to the original OnePlus Pad, it’s great to see the feature’s tablet debut on the Pad 2. Matched with its flagship power and impressive keyboard folio accessory that can be detached and still control the Pad 2 via Bluetooth, as well as the large, 12.1-inch display, the OnePlus Pad 2 looks set to be an impressive multitasking tool.

OnePlus makes a few smart choices to keep the Pad 2’s price down. Unlike Samsung’s pricier Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra and the iPad Pro 2024, the OnePlus Pad 2 Pro doesn’t have a 120Hz OLED display, instead featuring a 144Hz IPS panel. While it doesn’t get as deep and colors don’t pop with as much gusto, therefore, its fluid smoothness is seriously impressive at the display’s large size. There's also no fingerprint scanner, just face unlock via the selfie camera.

The Pad 2 is also sharp with its 3K resolution, and when matched with the Stylo 2 pen accessory, delivers an impressive 16,000 levels of pressure sensitivity. This looks set to be a winning match for Lightroom and other pen-compatible apps, we’re looking forward to testing it out as part of our creative workflow.

It’s also great to see OnePlus creating a solid ecosystem for fans. You can control your Nord 4 or OnePlus 12 on the OnePlus Pad 2, for example, enjoy a shared folder across devices and more.

OnePlus Nord 4 and OnePlus Pad 2 price and availability

The OnePlus Nord 4 is available in the UK, Europe, India, and other markets for £429 / €499 with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage, or £529 / €599 with 16GB RAM and 512GB storage. Pre-orders are open now, with the phone available from 8 August 2024.

The OnePlus Pad 2 is also launching in the US. A single memory option is available with 256GB storage and 12GB RAM, costing $549 / £499 / €549.

We’ve got both devices in for review, so check back in the coming weeks to find out whether the Nord 4 and Pad 2 live up to their impressive first impressions, and check out some of the best budget smartphones and best tablets to scope out the competition in the meantime.

I own a 6th generation iPad which does an adequate job of letting me browse the web, check my email, and even edit the occasional Digital Camera World video review in iMovie. However, my iPad is now showing its age, as it doesn’t support the iOS Final Cut Pro app which was released in June 2024. I was therefore very happy when Apple loaned me an 11-inch iPad Pro (M4) so that I could test out iOS Final Cut Pro and its integration with the new iOS Final Cut Camera app (especially in relation to broadcasting live video from multiple iPhones to iOS Final Cut Pro on the iPad Pro - more on that workflow in the Performance section). Another exciting thing about testing the iPad Pro is that it is the first device to have an M4 chip powering it. I do my day-to-day video editing in macOS Final Cut Pro on a 15-inch MacBook Air which has an M2 chip. That’s still powerful enough to edit 4K movies in macOS Final Cut Pro, so I was therefore very keen to put the M4 chip through its paces in relation to video and photo editing. 

I tested the Silver incarnation of the iPad Pro, but it’s also available in Space Black. If I could afford one I’d go for Space Black as that fits the look of my iPhone 15 Pro Max, though the Silver iPad Pro does look great on the silver Magic Keyboard that I was also loaned for this review. I reviewed the cellular model which is the first time I’ve used an iPad that can connect to the web from anywhere. This was handy when I tested the iPad in a studio environment that didn’t have Wifi, as I needed to connect to the web to subscribe to iOS Final Cut Pro.  Oh - Apple also kindly popped an Apple Pencil Pro into my review kit, which I’ll cover in a separate review. 

iPad Pro 11-inch (M4): Specifications

iPad Pro 11-inch (M4): Design & Handling

The iPad Pro comes in two sizes - the 11-inch model that I’m reviewing here and a 13-inch version which is the thinnest product that Apple has ever created. Although not quite as thin as the 5.1mm deep 13-inch iPad Pro, the 11-inch model is impressively slim. Indeed at 5.3 mm it’s slimmer than my 8.25mm iPhone 15 Pro Max which was a surprise to me.  Like my iPhone 15 Pro Max, the iPad Pro has rounded corners. However, the iPad Pro’s edges are sharper than the iPhone’s and are almost bevel-free, which is a big contrast in design compared to the highly curved bevel on the edge and rear of my 6th generation iPad (which is also much ‘fatter’ at 7.5 mm - sorry to fat-shame my old iPad!). 

The iPad Pro’s M4 chip blows my ‘ancient’ 6th generation iPad out of the water when it comes to speed courtesy of its M4 chip, but what also sets the latest model apart from my old iPad is the iPad Pro’s Ultra Retina XDR OLED display. This kicks out 1,000 nits of brightness (or a peak of 1,6000 when viewing HDR assets), which is much brighter than my 15-inch MacBook Air’s 500 nits).  This makes 10-bit HDR Pro Res footage shot on my iPhone 15 Pro Max look amazing on the iPad Pro - with a striking contrast range of 2,000,000:1 that produces deeper blacks and whiter whites thanks to the combined light of two OLED panels. Thanks to ProMotion’s adaptive 10-120Hz refresh rate video footage looks smoother than ever. (At this stage in my review my fatter, slower, and duller 6th generation iPad is slinking quietly and forlornly out of the room). 

iPad Pro 11-inch (M4): Performance

Normally when I shoot a video review of a product for Digital Camera World I set up an iPhone on a wide shot and position another iPhone to get a close-up view of the product. After recording I then have to AirDrop the clips from both phones onto my MacBook Air and combine them into a Multicam clip in macOS Final Cut Pro. This can take a while, especially when I need to sync up the multiple takes to find my best performance. I can then tap keys to switch between the two iPhone-sourced camera angles in the timeline to jump cut from a wide to a close-up. This is a time-consuming workflow so I was keen to try out the iPad Pro’s ability to create a Multicam clip from the live stream of two iPhones running the new (and free) iOS Final Cut Camera app.

I popped both iPhones onto tripods and fired up the Final Cut Pro Camera app on each of them. I was able to send their feeds to iOS Final Cut Pro on the iPad Pro via Bluetooth. I placed the iPad Pro in my line of sight so that I could see the feed coming from the two iPhones. Normally I shoot ‘blind’ so using the iPad Pro as a monitor to show me the two iPhone camera feeds was very useful indeed. Occasionally I might move a gadget that I’m reviewing out of shot in the close-up view, but that didn’t happen now that I could see both camera angles courtesy of the iPad Pro’s OLED display.

As well as making my video review shoot much easier (I was recording a review of the Godox ML60II-Bi LED the iPad Pro sped up the editing process. I no longer had to spend time AirDropping footage from multiple iPhones to the iPad and then trying and combine them as a Multicam clip in Final Cut Pro (which can take ages if you’re dealing with multiple takes from different devices.)  The clips from both iPhones were already combined as a Multicam clip in iOS Final Cut Pro. All I needed to do was drop the Multicam clip into the timeline and then click on thumbnails to cut between the close-up and wide-angle footage. 

Editing in iOS Final Cut Pro was a pleasure on the iPad Pro. My iPad Pro review unit had 2TB of storage so I was happy to digitise the footage directly onto it. However, I was also pleased to use a USB-C cable to plug in the external SSD drive that I use when editing with macOS Final Cut Pro on my MacBook Air directly into the iPad Pro. I was then able to import footage from macOS Final Cut Projects into iOS Final Cut Pro projects on the iPad. After editing on the iPad Pro I could export the project (and all its Multicam media) directly to my MacBook Air and carry on editing using the extra tools in the macOS version of Final Cut Pro. 

Talking of Final Cut Pro the macOS version is available with a one-off purchase, but you need to subscribe to iOS Final Cut Pro for £4.99 a month. This may sway some editors to stick with editing on their Mac’s version of Final Cut Pro (which I’ll be doing once Apple takes back my iPad Pro review unit.)

Because I’m writing for Digital Camera World this review focuses on the iPad from a video maker and photographer’s point of view (I didn’t test games on it for example). As with all iPads the iPad Pro has a version of the Camera app. This boasts an optical 3x zoom for video shoots and a 5x zoom for stills (like the iPhone 14 Pro Max). 

The front camera feed looks fairly low-res and grainy compared to the FaceTime camera on my MacBook Air (M2). There’s also no option to shoot video in Cinematic mode on the iPad Pro Camera App. To be honest, I’ve never used any of the iPads I’ve owned as a camera (apart from FaceTime calls), so I don’t think this will change with the iPad Pro, which is much more effective at editing video rather than shooting it.

When docked with the Magic Keyboard the iPad Pro behaves like a mini laptop, and I enjoyed swiping on the Magic Keyboard’s trackpad to move a dot-shaped cursor around iOS Final Cut Pro’s interface to drag clips into the timeline and trim them, etc. I was also able to drag clips using the Magic Pencil and click it to undo an edit or summon a pop-up menu (more on that in my separate Magic Pencil review).  I could also of course tap and drag a clip using my finger on the iPad’s touch-sensitive screen, so I was spoiled for choice when it came to interacting with the iPad Pro.

iPad Pro 11-inch (M4): Verdict

If you’re a video maker who shoots on iPhone then the iPad Pro should prove an attractive purchase, especially if you need to sync multiple camera angles into a Multicam clip as you record them. HDR video footage will look amazing as you edit thanks to the Ultra Retina XDR OLED display. Photo fixers will also enjoy working with a display that makes their images look great - with a wide range of colors and tones on display. The M4’s 16-core Neural Engine should help you work faster when using AI-assisted apps. 

However for me, the iPad Pro is a luxury item as I can still get my photos and videos edited effectively on an M2 MacBook Air (which I’m still paying for on a monthly basis), but if you’ve got the cash then you know that you’ll be purchasing an 11-inch iPad Pro M4!

Alternatives

Back when the super-thin 2024 iPads were launched, a Live Multicam feature was demonstrated whereby Final Cut Pro on an iPad Pro could switch between live footage from up to four iPhones.

Now, finally, the app which makes that possible – Final Cut Camera – has been released into the App Store as a free download. This enables, in Apple's words, the user to "Capture professional footage with full manual control" and "Preview, record, and sync up to four devices with Live Multicam in Final Cut Pro for iPad."

You might ask why this is separate from the standard camera app. It does, after all, have features you'd recognise, like pull focus. When you see the features you'll understand why Apple has chosen to ring-fence more deliberate users into an app which offers easy access to settings including shutter speed, ISO, white balance, and manual focus as well as choosing resolution, frame rate and color space.

Other pro features are Focus peaking and overexposure indicators, though these require more recent iPhones (A13 Bionic or newer). To be fair, that means the iPhone 11 and onward. There are also overlays like grids and aspect ratios.

Preview media is automatically synced and instantly available for edit with FCP, and the app allows you to see your available audio recording time as well as levels.

The app is compatible with all iPhones with iOS 17.2 and up, but one especially useful feature – the ability to record video files directly to an external recording device – does (as the USB-C socket might suggest) require an iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Perhaps more financially significant, if you're headed down this route, is that Final Cut Pro for iPad requires a subscription. At £49/$49 per year or £4.99/$4.99 per month, it's also Apple's first subscription app.

While this feature might now provide a much better reason for some creators to make that investment – immediately synchronising content and doing an on-the-fly edit can save a lot of time – it is still a choice which will weigh a little more on the wallet than a traditional set-up.

If you're planning on using a few iPhones for an event, check our guide to the best iPhone camera grips.

The XP-Pen Magic Drawing Pad is the most recent pen display from the Shenzhen-based manufacturer and one that represents a bold move into uncharted waters. This is XP-Pen’s first standalone tablet. Unlike the best drawing tablets and pen displays, it isn’t a passive peripheral. Instead, it runs independently via an Android operating system. XP-Pen isn’t the only tablet manufacturer to release a standalone drawing device – the Huion Kamvas Slate 10 comes to mind – but the more premium price point and svelte form-factor make one thing abundantly clear. XP-Pen isn’t pulling any punches. 

The Magic Drawing Pad is clearly designed to offer an alternative to the consumer tablets that have traditionally dominated this fledgling market, such as Samsung’s S9 family of tablets and Apple’s iPads. It’s even a contender against the titan of standalone drawing tech, the Apple iPad Pro. And while it might seem unfair to pit this $499.99 / £449.99 device against industry-leading consumer tablet tech, the Magic Drawing Pad doesn't have to appeal to the masses like an iPad. It’s first and foremost a pen display. 

Add in XP-Pen’s ever-expanding heritage as a reputable brand within the digital creative sphere and this might not be the one-sided affair you might think. As a photographer, I’m particularly interested to find out how the XP-Pen Magic Drawing Pad competes with the best tablet for photo editing and photographers.

XP-Pen Magic Drawing Pad: Specifications

XP-Pen Magic Drawing Pad: Price

This little pen display’s MSRP is $499.99 / £449.99 / AU$799, and it can be found for slightly less on sale. It’s notably pricier than the Huion Kamvas Slate 10 ($249.99 / £259 / AU$399), but it boasts better specs across the board, including more screen real estate, higher resolution, larger internal storage, and more.

Equivalent Samsung and Apple tablets would arguably be the iPad Air (2024) and Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE/+. But it’s worth noting that by the time you add 256GB of internal storage (plus an Apple Pencil for the iPad), both the Air and FE+ are considerably more expensive. The S9 FE is right within the Magic Drawing Pad’s price range and boasts similar tablet specs, with slightly less screen real estate but more processing power and newer versions of Android.

Ultimately, the Magic Drawing Pad’s hardware might be at a disadvantage when judged against consumer tablets. But decent screen real estate, competitive pricing, and XP-Pen’s X3 stylus tech, level the playing field.

XP-Pen Magic Drawing Pad: Design & Handling

The XP-Pen Magic Drawing Pad is just 0.3-inches thick, but feels suitably solid in the hand. Its paper-like display isn’t as textured as some other pen displays – such as the Wacom Cintiq 16 – but given the standalone nature of the tablet, XP-Pen has found a good balance between comfortable drawing surface, sharpness and brightness. It also features XP-Pen’s AF (Anti-fingerprint) tech, and while I was initially worried my grubby little digits had managed to smudge it up relatively quickly, this wasn’t noticeable when the screen was on. 

It feels like the trim is plastic and the back of the tablet is alloy, but it’s difficult to tell. Regardless, it feels suitably slick and well put together. We’re becoming increasingly used to drip- and water-resistant tech, so it’s worth noting that the Magic Drawing Pad is not waterproof. If you’re enjoying an outdoor sketching session, make sure you pack it safely away at the first sign of rain.

The portable pen display comes with a surprising number of accessories, beyond the usual spare pen nibs and USB cable, you also get a nib extractor, drawing glove and TPU protective case. The latter is particularly useful, due to this pen display’s portable nature. It’s hardly the most flattering case you’ve ever seen, but it definitely serves a purpose. I for one felt much happier slipping the tablet into my rucksack, against a MacBook, having it on.

Some pen display users wouldn’t be caught without their trusty drawing glove, while others loathe them. But there’s no denying that gloves minimize touch-screen frustrations by preventing you from accidentally activating touch controls with the palm of your hand. You can turn off touch controls via the drop-down settings menu and toggling the ‘handwriting touch’ option. This means only the stylus can be used. However, I had no problem using the glove and enjoyed the ability to draw unhindered, while still being able to pinch the screen to zoom and move around the canvas while working. 

The X3 Pro Pencil is of a similar thickness to the second-gen Apple Pencil, but is noticeably shorter. Some creatives prefer the thicker styluses present with tablets such as XP-Pen’s own Artist 16 Pen Display, while others prefer a more pencil-like form factor. If you’re new to pen displays or drawing tablets, I personally think that thinner styluses are easier to take to – given their likeness to a traditional pen or pencil – but ultimately, this is down to personal preference. 

Regardless, this svelte stylus fits in with the Magic Drawing Pad’s portable M.O. perfectly. One side is flat, just like the aforementioned Apple Pencil, but sadly it doesn’t magnetically attach to the side of the tablet. The flat side does, however, prevent the stylus from rolling off tabletops. The included case does provide a slot in which to house the X3 Pro Pencil, but if you’d rather not use it, you’ve nowhere to store it. The stylus itself features one clickable function button and is lightweight. Its plasticky build doesn’t boast the premium feel of some styluses, but it does feel solid.

XP-Pen Magic Drawing Pad: Performance

At its core, the Magic Drawing Pad is an Android tablet. And that means it’s capable of so much more than just digital drawing. Just like an iPad or Samsung Galaxy Tab, you can watch videos, read ebooks, browse the web, link up your smartphone, and much more. And while these functions are unlikely to be the reason why you’d want to pick up this device, they aid the tablet’s portability, since you won’t feel compelled to pack an additional tablet should you hit the road with it. It even has front (8MP) and rear-facing (13MP) cameras. This is extremely useful if, like me, you prefer sketching on paper, photographing the page, and tracing over the drawing when ‘inking’ on a pen display.

Side-by-side with my 2021 iPad Pro (5th-gen), the XP-Pen Magic Drawing tablet holds up well. Its brightness seems to compare to the iPad offering, with vibrant and punchy colors. Both devices boast roughly the same screen real estate in terms of length, but the XP-Pen’s 3:2 aspect ratio loses out against the iPad’s 4:3 in terms of width. Unsurprisingly, the iPad’s superior resolution of 1668 x 2388 is sharper than the XP-Pen’s 2160 x 1440. However, it’s worth noting that the tablet’s subtle softness on closer inspection is due to the screen’s textured surface. And this is where the XP-Pen really comes into its own. 

Drawing with this little tablet is a thoroughly enjoyable experience. Glossy, slippery surfaces are a bone of contention with many creatives, when it comes to drawing on consumer tablets. And while you can pick up aftermarket, textured screen protectors, the quality can prove a mixed bag. There’s no denying that the feeling of drawing – especially sketching – on the Magic Drawing Pad is better because of its screen. Another upside of the textured screen is reduced glare and reflections. No screen holds up against direct sunlight, but you’ll experience fewer frustrations than working with a glossy screen. If sitting by a lake and drawing is your thing, the Magic Drawing Pad will fare better than a consumer tablet.

The Apple Pencil (2nd gen) is my favorite stylus I’ve used. I enjoy the pencil-like thickness, the texture, the tilt functionality and I’ve come to appreciate the weight. And although the X3 Pro Pencil doesn’t beat it, I think it’s a decent stylus for the price and portability of the package. The X3 Pro Pencil features XP-Pen’s existing X3 Pro Smart Chip tech found on a raft of tablets including the Artist Pro 16 (Gen2) and Artist 22 PLUS. XP-Pen calls it a ‘drawing-dedicated smart chip,’ and it’s situated inside the stylus.  

Ultimately, the X3 Pro Pencil is a utilitarian device. There’s no tilt functionality or touch controls, but its lightweight and svelte form factor is effortless to draw with. The function button does get in the way, so my preference is to disable it. I cannot find any way to disable it via the tablet’s settings. You just have to hope that the application you’re using allows you to. Thankfully, ibisPaint – you receive a three-month membership with the tablet – allows you to assign the button to a variety of functions as well as turn it off completely.

A big plus is that the stylus doesn’t require charging. I’ve lost count of how many times I've picked up my Apple Pencil following a hiatus, only to find it’s dead. The X3 Pro Smart Chip boasts a world-leading 16,384 pressure level. To put that in perspective, the Apple Pencil (gen 2) clocks in at just 4,096. In practice though – taking into consideration my modest drawing background – I found the two styluses difficult to separate here. 

One thing to keep in mind is the Apple Pencil’s tilt functionality, so when you’re applying very light pressure, it can sometimes seem that the X3 Pro Pencil isn’t registering when in actual fact, you’ve just tilted the stylus too far. When I applied more pressure, it was really hard to pick a winner. And yet, in a real-world test, I think I prefer sketching outlines on the Magic Drawing Pad. And that’s because the matte screen and pen combination really does feel great. Heck, it even sounds like you’re drawing if you’re sitting in silence. 

I’m also pleased to say that noticeable jitter isn’t an issue. Lines drawn are smooth and sweeping. However, the Magic Drawing Pad does exhibit notable lag when drawing slow, sweeping lines. Snake a steady line around your canvas and the line will stay a good cm or two behind. I also found that the stylus would stop working for a few seconds on the odd occasion. And although I cannot be certain, I’m wondering if that’s the tablet’s processor playing catch up. Both of these problems aren’t dealbreakers, but the latter in particular is frustrating when you're busy in the creative zone. Overall though, the drawing experience is great. But, here’s hoping the stability of the tech can be improved with a future update. Just like the – now fixed – offset problem.

You see, the tablet was criticized upon its release for the pen being slightly offset. And kudos to XP-Pen for not only fixing this problem, but introducing a Handwriting offset customization tab in Settings, so you can tweak it to taste. You still won’t find the configuration options you would on most standalone tablets – even one as simple as the One by Wacom – but the drawing experience is good enough that I didn’t feel a burning need to tweak. 

What interests us here on Digital Camera World is using drawing tablets and pen displays for photo editing. And sadly, that’s where the Magic Drawing Pad is lacking. And partially, through no fault of its own. You see, the tablet’s biggest problem – as far as photographers are concerned – is the Android operating system’s lack of editing apps. Photoshop, Affinity Photo, and Capture One simply aren’t available on Android. You can still use Photoshop Express and Lightroom, but a lack of layer-based editing in particular, makes tasks that drawing pads and pen displays really excel at – like dodging and burning – difficult. I also experienced lots of lag when editing a big Raw file on Lightroom. 

And where the glossy screens of other tablets hinder drawing, the Magic Drawing Pad’s matte screen really isn’t up to checking critical sharpness and making delicate tonal adjustments. Don’t get me wrong. The stylus does come in handy. It works well with Lightroom’s masking brush and you can certainly edit photos on this tablet. But at the end of the day, that’s not what it’s made for. It’s a digital sketchpad for digital artists. And in that respect, as a hobbyist digital artist, I think it’s a good buy, providing it meets your needs and you don’t already own a decent Samsung Tab or iPad. 

Internal storage is another area where the Magic Drawing Pad shines. You get 256GB, plus the ability to extend it via a microSD card (up to 512GB). This is great for photographers who require plenty of room to store big raw files. 

XP-Pen Magic Drawing Pad: Verdict

I feel like the XP-Pen Magic Drawing Pad is most likely to appeal to aspiring/hobbyist digital artists and students who require a portable drawing device but cannot justify the price of a top-tier Samsung Galaxy Tab or Apple iPad. The tablet’s processor could be faster to prevent lag and I’d like to see more options to customize the X3 Pro Pencil in future updates. But crucially, the drawing experience is great. 

The thin stylus feels comfortable in the hand and the matte, textured screen is a huge step up from glossy consumer tablets. For drawing, I have no problem recommending the Magic Drawing Pad if you require portability on a budget. But for photo editing, Android just doesn’t boast the software that’s available on iOS. And while that beautiful matte screen is a fine tool for drawing, it’s not as suitable for photo editing. On the flip side, you do get a decent amount of storage for Raw files.

Ultimately, the XP-PEN Magic Drawing Pad deserves a four-star rating, because it delivers a great drawing experience in a portable package that’s more affordable than the Samsung and Apple alternatives. But it can't match the photo editing apps available on iOS, making iPad or a desktop pen display such as the XP-Pen Artist 16 more desirable alternatives for photographers.

Alternatives

After the recent Apple press conference at WWDC 2024, Skylum announced that Luminar Mobile Photo Editor (a revamping of Luminar for iPad) is now also available for iPhone and Apple Vision Pro users. This enables both amateur and professional photographers to use AI-assisted photo editing on the go.  

Skylum is one of the pioneers of photo editing software that harnesses the power of AI to assist in smart and subtle enhancements to images. Its Luminar Neo package has developed a loyal following, with the iPad iteration taking its photo editing mobile in March of this year.

"Redesigning and adapting our powerful software for the iPhone was a challenge we knew we had to take on," said Skylum CEO, Ivan Kutanin. 

"With Luminar for iPad, we developed a superior mobile solution, but it's undeniable that many people prefer the convenience of being able to shoot, edit, and share photos using a smartphone while on the go. With Luminar Mobile, iPhone users have cutting-edge tools right in the palm of their hand, allowing them to achieve professional results that they can share immediately.”

Luminar Mobile retains the intuitive controls and ease of use features incorporated in Luminar for iPad that respond to the touch or Apple Pencil with "realistic motion and sounds". 

It also keeps the same AI-powered tools such as Enhance AI, Sky AI, Structure AI and Relight AI. However, Luminar Mobile also comes with two new specialized portrait tools: Skin AI and Body AI. While I am personally not a fan of over-retouched and edited photographs of people, Luminar enables full control for precise adjustments. 

In addition to its use on iPhones, Luminar has also come to Apple Vision Pro. This immersive headset, which enables VR and AR capabilities, is being supported by several companies moving forward; Blackmagic just announced a Vision Pro cinema camera and Canon launched a 3D spatial video lens. 

Luminar Mobile will enable users to immerse themselves and "enjoy enhancing their photos in a VR environment with an adapted application interface". 

At a time when a lot of people are questioning Adobe for its terms of use update, photographers are looking for a new photo editing software that can deliver on quality. Could Skylum step up and fill this potential void? A powerful mobile app could just be reason enough. 

Luminar Mobile Photo Editor is available now as a subscription for $4.99 / £3.99 for 1 month, $19.99 / £15.99 for 6 months or $29.99 / £23.99  for a yearly subscription (Australian pricing to be confirmed). Existing owners of the app and subscription service to Luminar for iPad will receive a free update enabling use on iPhone and Apple Vision Pro. 

You may also be interested in the best iPad for photo editing and the best photo editing software.

Apple CEO announced Apple Intelligence at WWDC, alongside many other extra features coming in iOS 18. One of these AI-powered features which photographers have long wanted to see is the equivalent to the Google Pixel's Magic Eraser which can identify and eliminated unwanted objects from photos.

Called the Clean Up tool, it can identify and remove distracting objects in the background of photos. It works in a very similar way – you can circle areas or highlight unwanted people.

If you're excited to try the tool, though, you need to remember that things shown at WWDC – while they do filter to a lot of iPhones thanks to Apple's upgrade philosophy – don't appear instantly.

WWDC is a summer conference for developers, and it began on June 10 (this was far from the only new thing for developers to get their heads around!)

The final version of iOS 18 with that feature could be a little way of – its not due until fall.

You can get it now...

But you shouldn't.

If you're prepared to run the developer beta on your phone – something most developers caution against doing on your main phone – then you can download the iOS 18 Developer Beta right now.

That, of course, comes with all the risks you can imagine – and if you also run apps related to work or perhaps have essential travel tickets on there that you wouldn't want randomly deleted by an unfinished operating system then, well, there are certainly no guarantees with a Beta!

If you're still determined to ignore common sense – or you have a spare iPhone to try it on – then go to Settings > General > Software Update > and below 'Automatic Updates' you should see an option for 'Beta Updates' where you'll find the 'iOS 18 Developer Beta'

(If you have multiple Apple devices and regularly work across them then you probably need to dive into betas on multiple platforms in an all-or-nothing way... again, on your head be it!)

What if I have more common sense?

You'll have to wait until the general release in the fall. 

Experience suggests mid-September is the time, just before the new iPhones.

An interim solution might be to at least give it a few weeks for the worst of issues to sort themselves out, but even then cross-compatibility between devices could be an issue.

One more intelligent thing...

This looks to be a Photos features, so will be on more devices. 

Apple Intelligence, however, will be quite restricted to newer devices with the needed grunt on-board; specifically iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max and M-series processor Macs and iPads.

Incidentally, if the intelligence is the main appeal and you're not based in the US, you might not get the features anyway – the feature is not coming to other territories straight away, so it might not be worth risking the beta.

I have to confess that I have no problems using software interfaces for making adjustments when editing photos and videos, but I may have been swayed by the Blackmagic Design DaVinci Resolve Micro Color Panel. This is a color grading control panel designed for use with DaVinci Resolve video editing software that can be used with both computers and iPads.

In reality, I don’t spend enough time color-grading videos to justify the investment in this slick, tactile, and ultimately time-saving device. But if you spend a lot of your time doing just that, the Micro Color Panel could be a game-changer for your workflow. Plus, the compact size, internal battery, Bluetooth connectivity, and an iPad slot mean that not only is it highly portable, but it can also be used on the go, practically anywhere.

This could be incredibly useful for content creators because work can be completed on location with an iPad and quickly and easily uploaded to social media or a client for proofing. For professional video editors and colorists, it’s undoubtedly a comfortable and precise input device that’s equally at home connected to a desktop or laptop.

It’s fair to say that given the cost of the Micro Color Panel, it’s not going to be a cost-effective option for casual video editors. Of course, you could still buy one and you would no doubt be happy with yet another high-quality product from Blackmagic Design that makes adjustments incredibly precise and, indeed comfortable. But at $509 / £498 with no copy of DaVinci Resolve Studio included, it’s arguably aimed more at professional users who already own a software license. Although, it can also be used with the free version of the software which provides access to professional color grading controls available in the full version.

Blackmagic Micro Color Panel: Specifications

Blackmagic Micro Color Panel: Price

The DaVinci Resolve Micro Color Panel is a specialist device designed to provide tactile control within DaVinci Resolve’s Color Page. So, in a nutshell, it’s just for color grading and image adjustments. It’s quite expensive at $509 / £498, although it is less expensive than the more advanced, larger and heavier DaVinci Resolve Mini Color Panel. 

The Micro Color Panel is, however, more expensive than products such as Loupedeck and TourBox controllers that can be used with a variety of photo and video editing software. But where the Micro Color Panel lacks this multi-software versatility, it makes up for it in the fact that it’s designed for one job and does it extremely well. 

A point to consider is that where many Blackmagic Design controllers come bundled with a copy of Davinci Resolve Studio, ultimately reducing the cost if you don’t already have the full version of the software, the Micro Color Panel doesn’t come with a software license.

Blackmagic Micro Color Panel: Design & Handling

There’s no getting away from the fact that Blackmagic Design manufactures high-quality products, and the Micro Color panel is no exception. The black finish looks great, albeit a dust magnet. The trackballs, wheels, and dials have a pleasing amount of resistance that adds to the tactility of the device, while the backlit labeled buttons have a positive feel when pressed. Plus, rubber pads on the bottom help to avoid slipping when used on a desk.

The backlighting is fantastic overall because colorists and editors often work in dimly lit rooms, so this naturally makes it easier for you to see what’s what. Unfortunately, the dial labels aren’t backlit and this would be extremely useful because when the buttons are backlit the labels appear extremely dull in comparison. It’s certainly not a dealbreaker, but it would undoubtedly be better if they were backlit.

The setup of the Micro Color Panel is as simple as could be, so you don’t have to be a computer expert to get yourself up and running. The instructions suggest that you can simply connect the device and that DaVinci Resolve will recognize it, which it does. But to make it work with the software I discovered that I had to select it as the Color Panel to be used in the software preferences. 

It’s not a difficult task, and once this is done the Micro Color Panel can be connected via USB-C or Bluetooth. Although it needs to be charged for the latter so you will initially and occasionally have to use it plugged into your computer, or at least charged directly with a USB-C charger. The internal battery, alongside the iPad slot, also allow for the Micro Color Panel to be used on the go, and it can even be charged by the iPad although this has obvious consequences.

Compatibility of the device is for DaVinci resolve version 12.5 and above, so it goes back quite a long way since the current stable version is 18.6.6 and the final release of version 19 is imminent at the time of writing. In terms of operating systems, the Micro Color Panel is compatible with Mac 14.3 and above, Windows 11, and Rocky Linux 8.6. I connected it to computers running Windows 11 and 10 via Bluetooth and had no issues with the latter despite Windows 10 not being officially supported.

Blackmagic Micro Color Panel: Performance

The Quick Start guide that comes with the Micro Color Panel is extremely useful and is clearly laid out so that you can learn what all of the controls are for if you’re unfamiliar with them. It’s essential reading anyway because some buttons have toggle operations – they change what a specific control adjusts – so knowing this will ultimately improve the effectiveness of the device.

The Micro Color Panel at its most fundamental level simply takes the on-screen user interface controls of the Color Page and puts them in your hands. Can you get by without one? Definitely, but there’s no denying that it makes adjusting these controls quicker, easier, and more precise. It would be difficult to justify the expense as a casual user, but for people who spend a lot of time color grading, it would be a worthwhile investment.

I didn’t test the device with an iPad neatly tucked into the iPad slot/holder. However, it’s obvious that using the two in combination would provide a vastly improved user experience than touching the screen to adjust settings; adding precision and also providing a more comfortable working position with the Micro Color Panel positioned on a desk or your lap.

One feature that I found extremely useful concerning the dials is that as well as twisting them to make adjustments, pushing down the dials resets the relevant adjustments. It’s just a small thing, but it helps to reduce the reliance on using a mouse or touching the iPad screen to reset if you’re unhappy with any of the dial-based adjustments you’ve made and would like to start again.

I could list all of the controls available, but that’s not going to explain much and would end up being a boring list. But some of the highlights include Y Lift, Y Gamma, and Y Gain for controlling the luminance of the three main tonal ranges, Contrast and Pivot to control contrast and the balance of how contrast is applied, the three trackballs and surrounding wheels, and much more.

Blackmagic Micro Color Panel: Verdict

The Blackmagic Design DaVinci Resolve Micro Color Panel is an excellent tool for professionals or those who often color grade their video footage and require tactile precision. It’s highly portable – small and light enough to carry around in a backpack – and can be used at a desk with a computer or an iPad, but at $509 / £498 it may be less expensive than the more advanced Mini Color Panel, but it’s still a pricey piece of kit.

That said, it is a pleasure to use and it certainly makes color grading video a more comfortable experience and ultimately faster. The default sensitivity of the trackballs, wheels, and dials is perfect being not so sensitive that adjustments go off the charts, but sensitivity can be customized if you wish. There is a small learning curve to understand all of the controls, and over time this naturally becomes second nature. But there’s no getting away from the fact that the Micro Color Panel is a specialist professional device rather than a consumer product for occasional video editors/colorists.

Alternatives

We have been wowed by the powers of Adobe’s generative AI across the company’s suite of apps, with AI popping up in video, graphics and photo applications to aid content editing and generation. According to Adobe, Firefly has been used to generate over 7 billion images worldwide across Adobe creative tools since its initial debut in March 2023. 

For photographers, we have been treated to some seriously impressive photo editing powers in Express and Photoshop apps for the last year or so now, from AI-powered object removal and replacement to Generative Expand imagining brand-new data around the edges of an image to increase the canvas size.

Adobe’s Lightroom software has so far felt a little left out of the AI party. So far very little of the company’s focus has been directed at what is perhaps its most beloved app by photo editors. That is about to change, however, as Adobe has unveiled the first Firefly-AI-powered tools in the Lightroom ecosystem – via Lightroom CC on mobile, desktop, iPad, and web, and Lightroom Classic.

The first new AI tool in Lightroom’s toolbox will be Generative Remove. Perfect for removing distractions from photos, Generative Remove empowers you to effortlessly eliminate unwanted objects without altering the original image. (As with all Lightroom edits, Generative Remove is non-destructive and can be undone in a click.) 

Generative Remove uses Firefly AI to replace the removed area with AI-imagined content that it hopes seamlessly matches the look and feel of the original image. 

Not stopping there, several other new features are also making their way to the software in the latest update. Lightroom’s AI-powered Lens Blur tool, which aims to artificially create the background blur of using a wide aperture lens, is now generally available after spending some time in an early access beta over the last few months. Adobe has added some all-new presets to the tool, giving more choice over the aesthetic blur effects applied to the photo.

Adobe is also expanding tethering support to Sony cameras, making it more of a seamless experience to shoot and capture images directly into Lightroom to speed up the import and editing process. Lightroom already supports tethering for Canon and Nikon cameras. 

HDR Optimization has been improved, which should enable anyone capturing HDR photos to edit and export their photos with brighter highlights, deeper shadows, and more vivid colors. Instant access to photo libraries in Lightroom mobile and desktop apps should also make getting into photo editing that much quicker. Finally, Lightroom’s mobile experience is improved with an all-new mobile toolbar to prioritize the most popular features, which should make it faster and more intuitive to edit.

The specter of AI will continue to make many creatives wary. For anyone worried about using AI content in their work, Adobe is keen to point out that Firefly is trained on licensed content, including Adobe Stock, and Firefly should generate content suitable for commercial use that does not infringe on copyright and intellectual property rights such as trademarks and logos. And, with Adobe being a founding member of the Content Authenticity Initiative, when using Generative Remove in Lightroom, Content Credentials will be automatically attached to photos edited with the feature.

All the features above including Generative Remove will be available today to all Lightroom users in an early access form. You can find the new updates in the Adobe CC app, or you can manually kick off the update in Lightroom under the ‘Help’ menu. 

For more choices in editing your images check out our guide to the best photo editing software.

Are you disappointed with your tablet's battery life? The new Armor Pad 3 Pro from Ulefone could be the answer. It packs an immense 33280 mAh battery that's around three times the capacity of the battery in an iPad Pro. Ulefone claims it's good for 181 hours of talk time, and 1812 hours (75.5 days!) of standby time. Thankfully there's 66W fast charging to get you juiced up relatively quickly.

Read more:
The best tablet for photo editing
The best tablet camera

As its name suggests, the Armor Pad 3 Pro is also built to survive abuse: it's aimed primarily at industrial and construction sectors, or anyone who needs a tablet built to military standard 810 certification. The Armor Pad 3 Pro is also IP68 rated, meaning it's both dust resistant and waterproof to a depth of 1.5m for up to 30 minutes. Other unusual tablet features include a built-in flashlight with 483 individual LEDS that provide 1100 lumens of light output. There's even support for an optional dual-camera borescope (inspection camera).

Surprisingly for a device which clearly isn't focussed primarily on photography, the Armor Pad 3 Pro still packs a 50MP main camera based around Samsung's GN1 image sensor. This 1.31-inch chip is used in some of the best camera phones like the Google Pixel 7 Pro, so with the right image processing, it's capable of great image quality. In the Armor Pad 3 Pro it can record 1080p video and is fronted by an f/1.95 lens with an 85-degree field of view. On the front of the tablet is a 32MP, 1080p selfie camera that uses a Samsung GD1 image sensor.

The Armor Pad 3 Pro is based around an 8-core MediaTek MT8788 System-on-Chip and features 8GB of memory and 256GB of storage. This is expandable up to 2TB using the microSD card slot. The tablet sports a 10.36-inch IPS display with a 1200 x 2000 resolution and 500-nit maximum brightness. In-keeping with the device's rugged credentials, the display is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5.

But you don't get all that battery life without some compromise. The gargantuan battery inside increases the tablet's overall weight to a meaty 1.24kg - that's around 2.5x the weight of a standard 10.9" iPad. The device is also rather thick at 21.2mm, and measures 262 x 167mm length x width.

The Ulefone Armor Pad 3 Pro is available to order now, priced at $600.

Following on from the big iPad announcements given by Apple, Final Cut Pro has been given a significant update with a ton of new features for the iPad app and Mac. 

Final Cut Pro is Apple's video editing software and ranks highly among creators for creating, editing and rendering video. As is the case with most software updates in 2024, the new 'Final Cut Pro for iPad 2' and 'Final Cut Pro for Mac 10.8' will have a host of new AI-powered features that make editing workflows all the more efficient. 

AI already plays a huge part in Final Cut Pro, with features such as Fast Cut (which accelerates time‑consuming editing tasks) and Auto Crop (which crops your footage for the various aspect ratios required for posting on different platforms).

The new iPad Pro is the first Apple product to come with an M4 chip, meaning that its processing power has enhanced dramatically, enabling fast video rendering and support for more streams of ProRes RAW. This has meant that new and improved features can be added to Final Cut Pro for iPad 2. 

The first on the list is the new Live Multicam feature, which turns the iPad Pro into a portable multicam production studio, as seen in the video above. This enables users to set up four separate camera views that all feed back to the iPad as a central hub, where the exposure focus and zoom can be controlled. 

This on-the-go editing and directing facility can be extremely useful when streaming live events or recording interviews. It does appear that the only cameras that can do this at present are iPhones and iPads, so hopefully this will open to include further cameras in the future. 

In conjunction with Live Multicam, Final Cut Camera comes to iPhone and iPad to enable live monitoring and individual control of each video feed. This changes the camera app used when recording with Multicam, enabling enhanced monitoring and settings adjustments. 

Another improvement that will make Final Cut Pro for iPad 2 more appealing to users is that it now supports external projects. This enables users to create or open projects on an external storage device, and import media without taking up space on their iPad. This is a huge change and will help make the new iPad Pro an even more viable video editing device.

"Editors can quickly hand off external projects to another editor or take them into Final Cut Pro for Mac; create new projects on external storage; and seamlessly import high-resolution files and professional codecs like ProRes and Log," says Apple.

New customizable elements bring more options to projects, with the inclusion of twelve new color-grading presets, eight basic text titles, twenty new soundtracks and additional dynamic backgrounds, overlays, and, title sequences. And the ability to bring controlled and precise adjustments is supported by the new Apple Pencil Pro. 

It's not just Final Cut Pro for iPad that has seen an update, either, as Final Cut Pro for Mac has also benefited from improved features – and of course, they are likewise powered by AI. 

"Available as a free update to existing users, Final Cut Pro 10.8 introduces Enhance Light and Color, offering the ability to improve color, color balance, contrast, and brightness in one simple step, and is optimized for SDR, HDR, RAW, and Log-encoded media," Apple continues.

"With Smooth Slo-Mo, frames of video are intelligently generated and blended, providing the highest-quality movement and more drama to a project."

Improvements have also been made to the naming system, and search functions to speed up workflow efficiency. 

Final Cut Pro for iPad 2 will be available later this spring as a free update for existing users, and available on the App Store for $4.99 / £4.99 / AU$4.99 per month or $49 / £49 / AU$49 per year, with a 1-month free trial for new users.

Final Cut Camera will be available for free later this spring as a standalone app.

Final Cut Pro for Mac 10.8 will be available as a free update for existing users and  $299.99 / £299.99 / AU $299.99 for new users on the Mac App Store. All new users can download a free 90-day trial of Final Cut Pro.

You may also be interested in our guides to the best iPad, the best Macbook, and the best iMac.

Apple unveiled its latest iPad Pro and iPad Air models at the company's recent launch event, and both are now open for preorder. Below, I've compiled where you can purchase these new tablets, along with the top preorder offers available for the brand-new iPad Pro M4 and iPad Air M2, along with some amazing trade-in deals.

The newly announced iPad Pro (2024) comes in either 11-inch or 13-inch sizes, offering storage options up to a massive 2TB, with prices starting at $999 / £999 AU$1,699. While this is $200 more than the base price of the previous generation, the new model features the M4 chip, an impressive tandem OLED display, and doubles the standard storage to 256GB.  - so you're getting a lot more for the $200 price hike.

Meanwhile, the new iPad Air 6 is also available in 11-inch and 13-inch models, with storage starting at 128GB. Prices begin at $599 / £599 / AUS$999 or the 11-inch version and $799 / £799 / AUS$1,299 for the 13-inch – matching the pricing of the previous generation. However, this latest iPad Air boasts the M2 chip, providing up to 50% faster performance compared to its previous M1-chipped predecessor.

Both devices are currently open for orders via your favorite retailers and are scheduled to ship on May 15, 2024. Presently, they are available directly from Apple and on Amazon in the US.

Other retailers are expected to begin preorders soon, so keep checking back for the latest availability updates.

iPad Pro and iPad Air preorders in the US

iPad Pro and iPad Air preorders in the UK

iPad Pro and iPad Air preorders in Australia

After a longer than usual wait, Apple made today a big day for the iPad, with both of the photographer's favourite models getting attention on the same day for the first time ever as the iPad Air series and iPad Pro series got major updates.

Many photographers will be very excited by the arrival of a layered Tandem OLED screen (which Apple is calling Ultra Retina XDR). It has up to 1,000 nits by putting two OLED panels atop each other (with peak brightness of 1,600 nits for HDR content). This offers darker blacks and power saving, which the company has taken advantage of by reducing weight and thickness in batteries. Apple have reduced the iPad to 5.1mm (5.3mm for the 11-inch), making it thinner than the iPod Nano, and given the screen a matt finish.

The new device is the first to be powered by Apple's M4 processor, which hasn't even made it to the Mac line yet. The 3nm chip has an "entirely new display engine," as well as 4 performance and 6 efficiency cores, plus 10 GPU cores. Apple say it'll be "up to" 4x faster than M2, or deliver the same performance as M2 with half the power, and boasts hardware ray-tracing acceleration.

The camera is still 12 megapixel, but gets an 'adaptive truetone flash' – the portrait camera is moving to the landscape edge like the iPad air (and every other laptop ever), and goes with a new magic keyboard that has a function row. It looks a lot like (and feels like, they said) using a MacBook.

These, though, come with a massive sting in the tail in the form of a price increase – the new. iPad Pro starts at 256GB at $999 / AU$1,699 11-inch and $1,299 / AU$2,199 for the 13-inch. They'll be available next week. 

Oh, and there's ANOTHER new Apple Pencil too. Apple Pencil Pro. It has a squeezable side and sensor, a haptic engine, a gyro sensor so you can roll it to select tools, and support for Apple's Find My, as well as charging on the side of the iPad Pro. (The pencil will work with the iPad Air too...)

The more cost-conscious choice in the iPad range has long been the iPad Air, which offered a lesser camera but still a meaty processor. One of the main reasons that creatives like photographers and videomakers had to turn away, however, was that Apple didn't offer a large-screen version. That, however, has changed, with the arrival of the a 12.9-inch version (potentially shooting the Pro in the foot for a lot of wiser consumers!)

The iPad Air is now powered by M2, with 8-core CPU / 10-core GPU, nearly 50% faster than the M1 version according to Apple. The front-facing camera is on the landscape edge, and Wi-Fi 6E and 5G is supported.

Has the event answered the real question, though, which ultimately remains "Will the iPad replace the laptop?" The problem remains that it's not really in Apple's interest to encourage people to buy one device when they could buy two.

So what updates has iPad OS got, if any? Well there are a customizable lock screen, interactive widgets, messages with emoji stickers, Stage Manager for overlapping windows (hmm.... now that sounds like a computer....) and Visual Look Up among new AI features, but it won't be until WWDC – a month or so away – that we find out if there will be anything to really use that trackpad with haptic feedback.

The iPad Air will start at 128GB storage, but stays at $599 / AU$999 base price, or $799 / AU$1,299 for the 13-inch version. There are storage options up to 1TB, too. 

Finally, iPad 10th Gen is being cut in price to a starting price of just $349 in the US only (and the iPad Mini remains untouched by today's news).

Pre-orders US:
Pre-order iPad Pro M4 or iPad Air 6 from B&H (US)
Pre-order iPad Pro M4 or iPad Air 6 from Amazon (US)

Pre-orders UK:
Pre-order iPad Pro M4 or iPad Air 6 from Apple (UK) 

Pre-orders AU:
Pre-order iPad Pro M4 or iPad Air 6 from Apple (AU)
Pre-order iPad Pro M4 or iPad Air 6 from JB Hi-Fi (AU)

The last iPad release was in October 2022, over 540 days ago, in fact. Understandably, there is a degree of pent-up excitement in the run-up to the special keynote Apple event on May 7. 

Enthusiasts can attend the livestreamed event on apple.com or on the Apple TV app at 7am Pacific, 10am Eastern, and 3pm UK. 

Remaining characteristically mysterious about the contents of this announcement, eagle-eyed consumers must once again look for clues in the invitation graphics. 

A hand twirls a pen against a rainbow-hued abstract Apple logo including the colors green, yellow, red, blue, purple, and pink, leading some – including Forbes – to believe that this may indicate new iPad colors. 

Apple Pencil 

My colleague reported back in early March that Apple was likely to release another Apple Pencil this spring, and many speculators believe that this accessory is almost certainly going to accompany, you guessed it, another iPad. According to various reports this alleged Pencil might include a squeeze action to activate certain functions.

iPad Pro updates 

It would appear that Apple inadvertently let slip some of their iPad updates earlier this month when they released the code of the iPadOS 17.5 beta to developers. Website 9to5Mac seemingly discovered new display firmware for four new iPad Pro models: iPad16,3, iPad16,4, iPad16,5, and iPad16,6.

Based on their analysis these are the identifiers of the potential release of the next generation iPad Pro. The firmware suggests that these iPads will come with OLED screens.

iPad Air 

The update is also rumored to include the launch of the larger 12.9-inch iPad Air after accessory retailers ESR began selling cases on Amazon designed for a larger sized Air.

This larger iPad Air might be a direct rival to the heavier iPad Pro of the same size, increasing ease of use by reducing weight. Some analysts have also suggested that the iPad Air might come with a mini-LED display delivering brightness and visual quality to rival OLED, or at least close to it. This might be of particular interest to photographers looking for the iPad Pro screen sizes for image editing but reluctant to pay the price for other features of less use.

The leaked schematics hint to some sources including the Hindustan Times at a redesigned camera bump for the new iPad Air models. Rumor has it that a vertically-oriented camera could be on its way with new camera features and possibly even a flash, suggesting Apple is committed to improving the device's photographic capabilities.

Click here to read whether Apple products are really worth the price tag. 

After weeks of speculation about new iPads, MacBooks, and other Apple gear, the tech community is suddenly reacting to the news there might not be an Apple event at which these rumors can crystallize. Yesterday's announcement of new M3 versions of the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air seems to suggest that – instead of assembling a pack of products to release at a choreographed event, Apple will instead be updating current models as-and-when.

The new MacBook Air not only gains a M3 processor, which boosts power up to 60% over the original M1 versions and add a more powerful Neural Engine, but Wi-Fi 6E and improved external display support. The starting price is $1,099 / £999 and the device is available from March 8th.

Since the M3 MacBook Air was one of the key predictions for the event, it puts a hole in the side of any chance of it taking place. Further cold water comes from none other than Bloomberg's Mark Gurman himself, which means that if you've watched several over-enthusiastic Apple YouTubers spouting their prophecies then you're allowed to feel a little cheated at this point!

Of course, in fairness, the products approaching market are probably still nearing completion. Instead of a specific event, we can expect a separate press release and launch video for each one. 

There has been a good deal of rumor about new iPad Pro models with M3 processors and OLED displays, and yet another Apple Pencil. A cheaper Apple Pencil came our recently, but the premium version might also need a re-design if Apple are to finally re-position the camera on the iPad Pro along the long edge of the screen so video conferencing looks more normal (because at the moment that's where the magnets charge the pencil). This is all widely predicted, alongside a special version of iOS to support the new hardware.

A giant 12.9-inch iPad Air is also anticipated, which begs the question "Just how expensive the iPad Pro is going to get with an M3 processor in it?" The anticipated OLED display might have some use, perhaps, to creators, but at the moment the starting price for the M2 12.9-inch XDR iPad Pro is $1,099 (same as that MacBook Air)  with just 128GB storage – and another $129 for the pencil. The Magic Keyboard (which has a trackpad) is another $349 if you're looking for a vaguely laptop-like experience.

Since the iPad Pro has 8GB RAM (in the bottom two storage configs), you're parting with a lot more cash than for a MacBook Air with 256GB storage. Oh, and you still need to do your work in iOS which many feel has limitations in contexts beyond pen use is limiting in a lot of contexts beyond pen use.

No Apple rumor sources have suggested these limitations will vanish with a new iPad Pro – though almost all have suggested the price will get higher. Forbes had even reported that prices as high as $1,500 and $1,800 had been floated by chattering fans. It's possible that the lowest storage options will disappear, but even then that would probably be enough to kill off the product line.

With no information, I'd be inclined to anticipate Apple will cover their costs and inflation, and ditch (at least) the lowest storage option, ergo 128GB $799 minimum becomes a 256GB $999 or $1,099 minimum depending on OLED costs. Remember, too, there was also talk of a more expensive iPhone Ultra without anything emerging.

On a tangental note, another reason Apple might want to avoid assembling a crowd of journalists on their turf is that – despite a few enthusiastic videos about the Vision Pro – the extremely expensive AR device is in a tricky place at the moment and there have been some social media posts about returning them.

See our guide to the best tablets for photo editing.

I didn't pick up the Oukitel OT8 expecting to be blown away – it doesn't cost much more than an Apple Pencil after all – but I was genuinely surprised by what you get for your money. 

This isn't a natural competitor for the iPad Pro, even if the styling isn't a million miles away (should you choose to remove it from the included protective case). We're more in the territory of a Samsung Galaxy Tab A9, an 11-inch device though, even in a discount corner, that has rather less memory and an older version of Android for a bit more money.

On the other hand, of course, Samsung is a brand people have heard of (they made my fridge, and a lot of people's phones or TVs) and Oukitel, and let's be absolutely fair, isn't. All the more reason to check out a review.

What we've got is a device which runs the latest Android 13 and, since Oukitel simply don't have the clout, it hasn't been tweaked in any weird or confusing ways from the pure version – which means it's pure and straightforward. For many this is preferable than flagship devices with extra features that pose compatibility questions. The OT8 does, however, make a few proud claims next to the retailers, like Amazon, where you'll find it, so it's certainly worth assessing...

Build and handling

On opening the box, I had very mixed first impressions. The device arrived in a lovely white box, in that regard felt like a well-regarded fruit-themed manufacturer, but then as soon as I opened the box I found the lid of a plastic case that seemed a bit cheap. That was until I realised that the tablet was in fact already tucked in an included protective case made of rubberised plastic which also forms a stand; no keys so it's for entertainment only, but still useful.

Under this there was a tiny manual, a USB-C cable and a small-ish charging block. There was also a two-ended white pen with chrome-like bands around each top. One end conceals a real ball-point-pen which feels a bit naff but might be useful I suppose. Me? I don't like ot mix ink and tech too much. The other end is an alternative to finger-tapping the screen. It feels very light – no battery – but it's just in the box. It doesn't need charging and has no varying pressure sensitivity because it's essentially just finger simulator, but it does offer a different grip, albeit one which is stylistically inconsistent.

The main device has a simple rounded-corner design which will be almost suspiciously familiar to Apple fans – spoiled slightly by extremely inelegant camera protrusion and a lip of almost-matched plastic which, I presume, is to assist wireless. On the front is a IPS LCD panel which can manage 350 nits of brightness – fine if you're looking at it straight on; seems bright indoors, even – but at an off angle isn't very forgiving. Oukitel say there is eye-strain protection and I'm prepared to accept that.

My only real complaint about the body design is the excessive camera surrounds – especially gross since one is basically a fake around an LED flash. There is only one 13 megapixel camera which is perfectly reasonable, but why pretend otherwise? It's embarrassing. There is also a selfie camera in the middle top when held horizontally – nothing to write home about, but it does the job (at 720P), and can be set to face unlock.

I checked the Amazon listing and it described the selfie camera as 5MP and 8MP in different places – not very encouraging (the stills it produces are 2592 x 1944, which works out as 5.7MP). Worse still none of the promotional materials were clear on whether the RAM was 30GB, 6+24GB, or (as the device itself told me) just 6GB. Realistically 6GB is the truth – the ability to address up to 30GB including virtual RAM (some of the storage memory) certainly won't speed things up.

On the positive side, the speakers are rather good – there are four of them and they sound strong. Right in the lower-right corner if you're staying horizontal), actually in the corner, is a 3.5-inch headphone jack. That's a nice touch these days, and something that means you might be able to lend this device to the kids with some economy headphones. On this note, Wildvine L1 support means Netflix, Disney+ and similar apps all will work at 1080P, so at least entertainment is covered.

Performance

In my use of the tablet, there didn't seem to be anything to complain about when it came to responsiveness. That might not sound like an especially forthright piece of praise but that's that category we're in. I did run the Geekbench 6 app test, 366 single-core, 1180 multi-core. By comparison, a flagship phone like the Samsung S23 Ultra gets 1886/5000 on that test!

In use, the speed seemed adequate for most tasks, though to be honest you didn't want to be asking the device to be doing to many things at once. When using the camera app I did find the on-screen shutter button didn't always seem to work when I tried taking my indoor sample selfie.

The other case where the lack of grunt became apparent was if you tried sketching – something I wouldn't have noticed had they not throwin in the pen. The Geekbench 6 OpenGL score was 452, so don't expect gaming to be amazing either. In terms of photo editing the lag is the main irritation, so applying filters is OK but using any kind of brush-like tool is a pain.

Oh, I should add that, as a general entertainment tablet, the battery life is more than respectable – I got over 12 hours playing videos continuously on the default screen brightness, in line with the promises.

Sample images

This gallery shows that the main camera takes adequate pictures in daylight (or rooms with OK daylight), but isn't very good at handling 

The below sample is from the selfie camera. 

Verdict

Ultimately this is a decent package for the money but will frustrate photographers and other creators looking for a workhorse. Perhaps because it over-promises a little by including the pen, or more seriously suggesting that being upgradable to 30GB is the same thing as having 30GB of RAM there is the opportunity for frustration. Seriously, this kind of thing really annoys me, but the device can't really be blamed for the dubious marketing.

I also hate the horrible LED maskerading as a second camera, and the giant camera protrusion (that's building questionable marketing into the frame), but the camera also works, up to a point, and Android 13 even lets you take manual command of the settings if you choose.

If you go into this purchase with your eyes open and are just looking for a cheap tablet which will let you consume media and take photos in reasonable light then it will do the job. It will be useful for siting back and browsing through your Google Photos, playing Wordle, or handing to the kids. It's imperfect, but it's not at all bad for the money.

Alternatives

Apple's Magic Keyboard for iPad originally came out in 2020 and is designed for iPad Pro and iPad Air. It comes in two sizes, one for the 11-inch iPad Pro and the iPad Air ($299 / £319) and one for the iPad Pro 12.9-inch ($349 / £379).

The most expensive iPad case that Apple offers, it's both a cover and a keyboard. It's also the only case from Apple where the iPad seems to hover above the keyboard, rather than resting on it. This means you can adjust the viewing angle with more precision than say the Smart Keyboard Folio, which only has two viewing angles. 

I've been using the Magic Keyboard for iPad for about three years now, with my iPad Pro (2021), as well as with the newer iPad Air (2022). In that time I've used it for typing, doing daily tasks like browsing the internet, using photo and video editing apps, as well as sketching. I've also carried it around with me a lot, taken it on holiday, and even dropped it a couple of times. Here's what I've found...

Specification

Build and handling

The Magic Keyboard for iPad is a pretty sturdy piece of kit. Apple fails to mention its weight on its website but my version of the 11-inch iPad Pro/iPad Air weighs 1.34lb or 609g. This takes the weight of both the iPad Pro and the Magic Keyboard together to 2.39lb / 1,086g, which is pretty hefty for what's supposed to be a portable piece of tech. I don't have the 12.9-inch version to weigh, but others state it to be around 1.56lb / 710g, which means the weight of it plus the iPad Pro reaches a whopping 2.97lb / 1,351g.

The iPad Pro plus the Magic Keyboard are also pretty thick – measuring half an inch/1.5cm (the iPad Air plus the Magic Keyboard is very slightly thinner). Again, this doesn't really help the iPad's portability. It does help it withstand knocks though, and it didn't suffer any visible damage the couple of times I've accidentally dropped it.

The iPad attaches to the Magic Keyboard magnetically, and it holds firmly in place, seemingly hovering above the keyboard. You can adjust the angle of it up to 130 degrees, meaning it doesn't go all the way back so the iPad is flat on its stand. This means it's not ideal for things like sketching. 

There are only two colors available, black and white. I've got two white versions. The one that I've been using for just a few months is pristine, while the other is looking a bit grubby after several years of use. I'd personally go for black next time. It's a shame there aren't more colors available, particularly because the case covers up the purple hue of my iPad Air.

Keyboard and touchpad

The keyboard has a scissor mechanism, like in the MacBook Pros, and I find it pretty comfortable to type on. Whether or not you find the same will largely depend on how big your fingers are. The keyboard lights up in low lighting – a small design detail that I appreciate – and this can be adjusted in Settings if you want to turn it off for whatever reason. 

There aren't any function keys on the keyboard, so to adjust brightness, turn up the volume, and so on, you'll have to swipe to get the Control Center, or you can click the cursor on the right-hand side of the screen. Alternatively, you can program keys to take on these functions. I've never found this to be too much of an issue, but the newer Magic Keyboard Folio for the 10th gen iPad has addressed this by including function keys, which does suggest that the Magic Keyboard for iPad might get them too in future updates.

I find the trackpad pretty smooth to use although it can be a bit fiddly as it's so small. Once you learn the tricks for getting round the iPad (e.g. swipe up with three fingers to go home, swipe between open apps by swiping left and right with three fingers), it gets even easier and you don't have to keep switching between using your fingers and the trackpad. 

Charging

The Magic Keyboard for iPad has a USB-C charging port built into one side of it. This means that you can charge up your iPad while keeping the cable neatly out of the way, and without having to awkwardly dangle the cable from the middle of the right-hand edge of the iPad. This also frees up the iPad's USB-C slot for other accessories. This is definitely a bonus point for the Magic Keyboard.

Verdict

The Magic Keyboard for iPad is a solid piece of kit, but it may be too solid for some. While its heft means it protects your iPad well, it also makes it heavy, which makes the iPad less portable. 

The keyboard is decent, the trackpad works well and the angle is good as long as you don't want to draw on it. The only other issue is the price. The Magic Keyboard is certainly not cheap, but if you want to get more from your iPad, getting one (and swotting up on all the gestures) is one of the best ways to do this.

Alternatives

Trouble streaming the above video? View/download it here

Attempting to usurp the humble mouse and keyboard is a little bit like reinventing the wheel. But if you’ve ever used a mouse to perform delicate dodging or burning, try this digital pen technique once and you’ll never want to go back. The best drawing tablets with screens have become increasingly popular over the years and increasingly affordable too. But even the cheapest options can be difficult to justify, unless they’re going to be getting consistent use. 

That’s why tablet styluses, like the Apple Pencil and Samsung S Pen, are so attractive. You may already have a compatible device at home and if you don’t, investing in an iPad or Galaxy Tab will at least provide you with plenty of other benefits, beyond digital drawing. The Apple Pencil (2nd generation), in particular, has received plenty of plaudits and is an excellent tool for artists and photographers alike. It’s pressure sensitive, just like a real pencil, thin and comfortable to use, and a relatively inexpensive investment at £139/$129 (providing you already have a compatible device).

We paired our iPad Pro 12.9 (2021) and second-gen Apple Pencil with Affinity Photo 2 for iPad (£18/$18.50) to create smooth and accurate edits using the Dodge Brush Tool.

We shot this stunning portrait at TankSpace’s incredible underwater studio.

Download the project file(s) to your Downloads folder of your desktop computer

But I don't own an iPad... 

If you don’t own an iPad, you can pick up an entry-level graphics tablet for very little. The One by Wacom retails from just £36/$50 and although you don’t get the benefit of drawing directly onto the screen, it’s still a much more effective method for creating painterly brush strokes than using a mouse. Wacom’s cheapest family of pen displays is the Wacom One and you’ll find even cheaper options out there from brands such as XP-PEN. If you own an iPad and want to pick up an Apple Pencil, there are currently three variants available: Apple Pencil (2nd generation), Apple Pencil USB-C and Apple Pencil (1st generation). Make sure you check what version your iPad is compatible with and which one best suits your purposes before purchase.

01 Add a curve layer

Open your start file in Affinity Photo. Tap the tick icon at the top of the screen to exit the Develop Persona and enter the Photo Persona. Select the Layers icon in the right-hand toolbar and duplicate the background layer by selecting the three-dotted icon in the top-left of the screen. Select Duplicate in the Clipboard menu. With the new layer selected, hit the Adjustments icon in the right-hand toolbar and select Curves. Tap the graph in the Curves Adjustment window to enlarge it and plot a single point (pictured) to boost the highlights.

02 Inverted masks 

Tap and hold the Curves Adjustment layer in the Layers panel and drag it over the top of the layer you’ve just created. Once released, it will snap to and only affect that layer (this is called a clipping mask). Then hit the plus icon in the Layers panel and select Mask Layer. Select the Channels icon in the right-hand toolbar and tap the dotted icon next to the layer called ‘Mask Alpha’ and select the Invert option. This will instantly hide the curves effect, but don’t worry, we’ll be using a white brush to selectively paint the curves layer back in, later.

03 Build a brush

Go to the brush icon and select your preferred brush (we used Round Soft Brush). Then select the brush-size icon in the top toolbar to bring up the brush-editing menu.  From here, you can alter a multitude of properties. We set Hardness: 25% and then entered the Dynamics tab to set Size: 100%. If you hit Save, your new brush will appear at the bottom of the Brushes panel. With your brush selected, you’ll notice three vertical sliders on the left-hand side. This allows you to change Accumulation, Flow and Width as you paint.

04 Painted lady

Now you’ve created a suitable brush, you can start painting to selectively reveal the brighter curves layer. Ensure that the inverted mask is selected and that you’re using a white brush, then paint liberally over any raised areas of fabric, avoiding the shadows. If you make a mistake you can simply switch to a black brush to paint the curves layer away again. The effect will look overpowering at first, but this is easily remedied. Once you’re finished, select the three-dot icon in the Layers panel and adjust the Opacity slider to taste, we used 36%.

05 Extreme highlights

Duplicate the background layer and drag it to the top of the Layers panel. Then duplicate the Curves Adjustment layer and drag it on top of the duplicated background layer to create a clipping mask. Once again, create an inverted layer mask and start painting with your pencil. This time, focus on the skin tones, by brushing over the skin’s highlights before setting the opacity to 75%. Repeat this whole process again, but focus on carefully brushing only the very brightest highlights on the folds of fabric, before setting the opacity to 85%.

06 Underwater rays

Duplicate the background and a curves adjustment layer yet again to create one final mask, used to tease out the rays of light filtering through the water. The technique is the same as before, but you’ll want to keep your brush strokes smooth and straight. If you make a mistake, tap the screen with two fingers to undo (tap with three fingers to redo). The highlights should be very subtle, so set the opacity to around 9%. Click the three dots in the top toolbar, select Merge Visible to create a merged copy and perform any final tonal edits.

At the time of writing, the 6th generation iPad Pro (2022) is the best iPad that Apple has ever released, with the largest 12.9-inch model boasting a spec sheet that should make the competition blush: A wicked-fast M2 chip; up to 16GB RAM and 2TB SSD; Apple Pencil 2 compatibility; a Thunderbolt port; and a beautiful Liquid Retina XDR mini-LED display. This is a serious tablet with loads of power, a great design, and enough features for us to crown it as the best tablet for photo editing and photographers. So what's not to like? 

With the next generation of iPad Pro rumored for an early 2024 release (potentially sporting an OLED display and M3 chip), is the 2022 iPad Pro still a good buy, or are its days of tab dominance numbered? Let's get into it...

Specifications

Display

Though the two iPad Pro models share many features, one big difference is that the larger model sports a mini-LED, Liquid Retina XDR display with 2732x2048 resolution – and that's the one I'm testing in this review. The iPad Pro's ProMotion tech offers the fastest refresh rates of all the iPads, doubling up to 120Hz. What does that mean? Well, when I tested this tablet – soon after testing the entry-level iPad 10th Gen) – I had a buttery-smooth scrolling experience, with both gaming and streaming as silky as I've experienced on a tablet. It may not be a deal-breaker for you, and you may not even notice the difference if you don't have another tablet to compare it to, but if you do, it sure is a pleasurable experience. 

This display is also crisp and bright. Really bright. It will reach 600 nits brightness full screen with SDR content, and hit up to 1,000 nits full screen with XDR content, with up to 1,600 nits for highlights. What does this mean in practice? It means that the image will pop in a darker work room, and will try to compete with the sun outdoors. Drawing and web surfing outside on a fairly well-lit February midday, I found the iPad Pro more than up to the task of giving me a crisp, bright image at all times. Perhaps testing in the middle of summer, under direct sunlight, would offer different results, but in my testing, I was impressed with the brightness and clarity of the image on this tablet. 

And this brightness, as well as its mini-LED screen, is why I'm not too worried about the rumored release of the new iPad Pro (2024) making this 2022 model redundant. It's rumoured that the new tab will have an OLED display, but with the excellent blacks achieved with this tab's mini-LED technology, and its OLED-matching brightness – so what?! This display will still be a stunning feat of technology in a month, even a couple of years' time. 

When you get the Apple Pencil out (the new USB version in my case), sketching and doodling are really fun on the iPad Pro (2022). The stylus is precise, and if other reviews are to be believed, the Apple Pencil 2 is even more so. Offering tilt and pressure sensors, making an array of marks is easy and intuitive with the USB Apple stylus on the iPad Pro. I also love how the Apple Pencil magnetically clips to the side of the tablet – a far more secure connection than with the iPad 10. However, it won't charge while attached like the Apple Pencil 2 will.  

Camera

Although the iPad Pro (2022) could be used by photo and video editors, it's hard to imagine that any serious photographer would ever use the iPad Pro's cameras, other than for video calls and the odd cat capture! The iPad Pro is also way too expensive to be considered a 'family tablet', being passed around a family for casual browsing a snapping. Still, the two cameras on the 2022 model are still worth scrutinizing a bit. 

First off, both front and rear cameras can take pics in portrait mode, which makes sense as the front camera also unlocks face ID. Of course, some photography purists may despise that, but for amateurs, the faux depth of field hack could be a nice touch. The rear camera takes vibrant pics, with decent contrast and as much detail as you'd expect from an Apple 12MP camera. There's also a 10MP Ultra Wide camera, and a LiDAR sensor, meaning quick focus, something that I definitely noticed while taking snaps of my ever-so-shy cat outside.

The front selfie camera is also 12MP and also has Center Stage, so while you're on a video call, the camera will seem to track you if you move. In fact, it just cuts into the ultra-wide view that it has and so appears to be tracking you. In any case, it's a nice feature on a nice camera. But as with the iPad 10, I naturally just ended up using the iPad 2022 as a bigger screen to show photos that I took on other devices, not photos that I took with the iPad. 

Design & Handling

In 2024, some are calling for a new design shake-up to the iPad Pro, as it's sported straight sides for several years now. I think if it's not broken, don't try and fix it, and love the straight edges of the Pro. And not just for aesthetic reasons. When taken away from the Magic Keyboard, I often had the iPad Pro propped up on my belly, or on a bit of duvet/sofa/random material. I noticed that with the straight edges, it was much more likely to stay fixed for longer compared to my (very old) curved-side iPad, which was more prone to slip down. 

One massive detractor when talking about the design of the iPad Pro is the Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil. Not that I don't like them, but that I like them so much, and find that they complete the full iPad Pro experience to such a degree, that I genuinely feel annoyed for the customer who will have to spend even more money on getting them separately to the already-expensive tablet. Although I still don't think the iPad can really compare to a laptop for the same money, it's pretty close with the Magic Keyboard, and with the addition of the Apple stylus, it offers a really unique, enjoyable user experience. But you'll need to pay around $300 more for that experience. And add another $150 if you want the Apple Pencil 2 as well. 

This review could so easily have been a full five stars, but seeing that the true potential of this tablet is only unlocked with two accessories that you have to buy on top of it, I don't see how I can give it full marks. 

Price & Performance

First the price. Right now, Apple is selling the entry-level iPad Pro 12.9-inch, which comes with the 128GB storage, for $1,099. If you want a bit more space, the 256GB SSD model will be $1,199 from Apple, but the best price that I've seen on this configuration is $1,049.99 on Amazon, during Black Friday last year. 

That is, even at the record-low, a pretty beefy price tag. When you add the cost of a Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil, we're talking closer to a grand and a half. So, is the full iPad Pro 2022 experience worth that much? You can certainly get an excellent laptop that will run full-fat digital software for that money. But we need to look at the iPad Pro's performance to fully answer that question. 

Performance-wise, the iPad Pro 2022 is a bit of a beast. When I ran Geekbench 6 – a software that runs a series of timed processor tests – I got better results than I expected. Looking online, you'll find that the average single-core CPU benchmark for the iPad Pro 2022 is around 2,531 (the higher the number the better). My tablet scored 2,649. For context, this is the current best-scoring iPad on the market, beating the previous 12.9-inch Pro model that scored 2,260. It's also the best-scoring tablet on the market, beating Android competition Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 that achieved 'only' 1,946. The short version? This M2-chipped iPad is really powerful, and really quick at performing tasks.

What that means in day-to-day use is it glides through all minor tasks like browsing, streaming, and mobile games. And when you ask a little more of it, shooting and editing ProRes video with an app like FiLMiC Pro, for example, it performs excellently. When looking at digital art, the iPad Pro is an awesome tablet, but it's worth noting that you won't be able to run the full version of Adobe Photoshop on it. However, the Photoshop for iOS that it can run is still really impressive, and with the recent inclusion of the Generative Fill tool, plus Liquify and Drop Shadow, there is loads to do with this tablet in the photo manipulation and digital art sphere. 

It's not all about Photoshop either, with many pro artists having moved to apps like Procreate on the iPad Pro years ago. This model of the iPad is just a little bit faster, and a little bit more powerful for all such art apps. 

Verdict

I really like the iPad Pro, but the truth is, I probably wouldn't buy it if I were in the market for a new tablet. That's because it's just way too powerful and feature-rich for what I need from a tablet. That may be an obvious thing to mention, but I know many people who have gone out and paid the grand-plus for the 2022 iPad Pro, only to basically do office work and movie-watching on it. If that's what you're planning to do, head over to my iPad 10th Gen review. That's the tablet for you. 

If you're a pro, editing video, and photos, or simply have money to burn and want the best tablet experience for web surfing and movie watching, then at the time of writing, this is hands down the best option out there. Not just from Apple, but from any brand. 

But money is the big issue with the 2022 Pro. If you are going to use it to its fullest, you'll want the Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil 2, and that'll cost you around $400 more on an already sizeable price tag. However, with deals events, such as Amazon Prime Day and Black Friday occurring annually, and with the new 2024 iPad Pro set for release soon, you may be able to get a bundle at a more reasonable price. 

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The Apple Pencil 2 came out in November 2018. At the time, it was much lauded as a worthy upgrade from the previous Apple Pencil 1. It did away with some of the issues users had with the first Pencil – namely the removable tip that was easy to lose, and the awkward charging. It also has a matte finish compared with the first Pencil's more glossy look, and one flat edge so it's much less likely to roll away. 

But now that there's a new kid on the block – the Apple Pencil USB-C, which came out in November 2023 and costs $79 / £79 – does the Apple Pencil 2, at $129 / £139, still stack up? Is it still a worthy choice for photographers and other creatives? And how does it compare to the latest model? 

I've been using the Apple Pencil 2 for a couple of years now and over that time have tested it on a range of apps including Photoshop, Procreate, and Notes as well as for general browsing. I've used it on both the iPad Pro (2021) and the iPad Air (2022) and have also compared it to the Apple Pencil USB-C. Here's what I've found...

Specification

Build and handling

The Apple Pencil 2 is pleasant to hold. It only comes in one color, white, and if you buy direct from Apple you can pay to have it engraved. As I mentioned, it has one flat edge, meaning it doesn't roll off surfaces like the Apple Pencil 1. It's also fairly sturdy, mine has survived several drops with no issues.

The first Pencil and the USB-C both charge via the end of the Pencil housing a charging port. Not so with the Apple Pencil 2, which is smooth all the way to the end. The Pencil 2 doesn't come with a replacement tip, as the Apple Pencil 1 does, but I've been using mine for a couple of years without the need for a replacement. If you do need to buy a new tip, they are readily available. 

Charging and pairing

The Apple Pencil 2 has the most intuitive way of charging and pairing out of all of the Pencils. You just place it near the long edge of the iPad and it magnetically attaches. While it's sitting on the edge it charges and you also pair the Pencil this way, which means you don't have to faff around with any cables. 

I tried to run the battery down in order to test out how long it'd take to charge from zero, but I'm so used to putting the Pencil on the edge when I'm not using it, that I kept forgetting to leave it elsewhere and then it would charge up again. Even when I did leave it elsewhere after using it, the charge went down so slowly that I realized it would take me weeks, maybe even months, to get to zero battery. What I'm trying to say is that you don't need to worry about charging the Pencil. You can use it a little or a lot, then pop it back on the top of the iPad and it'll be back at 100% before you know it. This is a much better system than with the other Apple Pencils, where charging and pairing are awkward and rely on cables.

Note that although the Pencil snaps onto the top of the iPad, it doesn't always stay there if stored in a bag and can easily slide off and get lost. Some of the best iPad cases have pen holders to stop this problem although it is a little annoying that Apple doesn't have a built-in solution.

Performance

The Apple Pencil 2 is very good at doing what it sets out to do. It's intuitive, comfortable, and easy to use.

There are also several features that the Apple Pencil 2 boasts that make it superior to the other Pencils. First up is pressure sensitivity. This means that the Pencil responds deftly to any changes in pressure, which is great for drawing though perhaps not so good for those who want to take notes with even lines. 

The Pencil 2 also has a double-tap feature – you tap it twice to change tools. You set this up via Settings. I've used it previously to switch between the eraser and pen, but you can also use it to bring up the color palette or switch between the current and last tool, for example. This is particularly useful if you're using your Pencil a lot for quite repetitive actions.

As with the Apple Pencil USB-C, if you've got an iPad Pro 12.9-inch (6th gen) or iPad Pro 11-inch (4th gen) you can also use Apple Pencil hover, which is where you can hover your Pencil over the screen and the iPad will preview where your mark will appear.

Like all Apple's Pencils, one benefit of the Apple Pencil 2 is it is brilliant for precise work, whether that's coloring something in or making precise tweaks to photos. It also has low latency, meaning that it's super-responsive.

What the Apple Pencil doesn't do is all the things you're able to do with your fingers on an iPad. You can't swipe up to close apps, for example, or swipe down to bring up Control Center. This means that you'll likely still have to switch between using your fingers and the Pencil, which can slow things down a bit. It's also a shame that Apple hasn't included more controls within the Pencil, I'd like to be able to slide up and down to change the thickness of the brush, for example, though perhaps this would end up not working in practice.

Verdict

The Apple Pencil 2 is the best Apple Pencil available and is ideal for anyone who wants to use it plus their iPad to create or edit with high precision. Its pressure sensitivity is ideal for artists and one major advantage over the other Pencils is the way it charges and pairs. The double-tap to change tools feature is also useful.

Whether you should buy this Pencil over the others available will first of all depend on compatibility. Those who have the standard iPad, for example, definitely shouldn't get the Pencil 2 as it won't work with their iPad. 

It also depends on which features you value. If you think that pressure sensitivity, tool switching, and easy charging are valuable enough to you to warrant the extra expense ($50 / £60 more than the Apple Pencil USB-C), then the Apple Pencil 2 will be worth it for you, if you'd rather have the money and don't mind faffing around with charging your Apple Pencil, then the USB-C option may be the better bet.

But if you do want the absolute best Pencil money can buy, then you are unlikely to be disappointed by the Apple Pencil 2.

Alternatives

Now you can put your hand into your pocket and buy Apple's Vision Pro AR headset, in the USA at least, it needs a purpose, and Adobe is here to help – for photographers at least.

Apple being Apple the Vision Pro's purpose was unlikely to be triple-A games (developer kits have only been around a few months) and nor is it likely to be, ahem, well, you know, the kind of entertainment for people over 18 that has traditionally driven internet technologies but that Apple don't allow into their App store.

No, Apple's plans are very much about creating a device for professional creative use. All credit to Apple, the Vision Pro is actually surprisingly reasonably priced given the tech compared to true mixed reality devices, not to mention smaller and more elegant. (It's costly compared to consumer VR gaming devices, which have lower resolution and no 'pass through', but that doesn't seem to be what Apple is going for either).

Since visionOS only needs you to look at the text box and speak what you want, you'll be able to ask the Firefly AI for images within a purpose-built UI. Generated images include metadata indicating that they are generated, and Adobe have also been teasing the possibility that the visionOS version will be able to create panoramas and 360-degree wraparound environments. For now, though, you can populate your AR surroundings with generated images.

A native Lightroom photo editing app was already on the cards since the original Vision Pro announcement in June, and will clearly derive from the iPad edition but from the screenshot looking cleaner and simpler to navigate using hand gestures and eye movement.

Apple's developer kit for the Vision Pro allows all apps for iPads to work – they appear in a compatible apps folder – but creators of those apps can decide to disable that option, as Netflix has famously done (though you can use Apple's web browser to watch video).

Adobe, however, have gone the other way, which is encouraging. Mac users can also use their VisionPro as a virtual giant monitor for their computer, so in a way the device will also let you use the full Creative Suite!

Apple are also hoping that people create their own content for their visionOS products, the Vision Pro presumably only being the first of many (though things didn't work out that way for Google Glass). You can already use your iPhone to record spatial video with a 3D effect. 

AR glasses – better than XR glasses? Yes, but the XR glasses are cheaper.

You’ve got an Android phone and a Windows computer and want a big-screened, high-end tablet for photo edits and on-the-go apps – an iPad seems altogether too Apple – so your obvious choice is a Samsung slate like the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra. After all, Samsung is the go-to for premium Android tech, known for excellent software, design and pen support (ideal for Lightroom). Most of all, Samsung’s premium tablets are known for having the best screens around, also critical for photo edits, a highlight we really appreciated when testing the Tab S8 Ultra. 

Over the last year, though, the Android tablet space got shaken up. Lenovo’s Tab Extreme, another 14+ inch Android behemoth, was launched, and so too was the smaller OnePlus Pad, a much cheaper alternative. Even Google got in on the action, launching the first-ever Pixel Tablet, complete with a booming docking station.

Never one to back down from a challenge, though, Samsung’s loaded up the new Tab S9 Ultra with the very best Android tablet hardware and software. And with its latest update to OneUI 6.0, it also enjoys many of the same features as the new Galaxy S24 series and IP68 water resistance. 

But with a punchy price tag and a potentially awkward, oversized body, would you be better served with an alternative from Samsung or the competition, or is the Tab S9 Ultra a perfect photography companion?

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra: Design

Despite its massive footprint thanks to that 14.6-inch screen, the Tab S9 Ultra is super-slender at just 5.5mm thin (thinner than any mainstream phone out now). Before you think it’s a featherweight, it isn’t. Clocking in at 732g, it’s relatively heavy, so it isn’t comfortable for long bouts of one-handed use. 

Over the last few years, Samsung’s premium design has been a benchmark for Android phones and tablets, and the Tab S9 Ultra carries this quality forward. Its Gorilla Glass front and aluminium frame and back create flat sides and curved corners, making it both easy to grip and not too sharp as the corners nuzzle into the hand.

The only premium tablet with IP68 water resistance, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra can be submerged without fear, and its you can write on it using the S Pen underwater.

Dotted around the frame is a quad-speaker system, an SD card slot, a USB-C port and the power and volume buttons. The back panel has a dual camera and a magnetic charging point for the S Pen, and on the front is the screen, a notch for the selfie camera and an under-display fingerprint scanner.

Available in Beige and Graphite, while we tested the Graphite model, the Beige option looks like it would fend off fingerprints a bit better and it also has a bit more of an ooh la quality to it.

As long as you’re okay with the size, the Tab S9 Ultra is a winning package from a design point of view. The only area it falls short is accessories. Samsung’s official keyboard folio isn’t particularly comfortable for laptop typing, so it isn’t ideal for a commute. Apple’s Magic Keyboard for iPads and Lenovo’s Tab Extreme keyboard folio are much more fit for purpose. So, if you’re picking up the Tab S9 Ultra for productivity, ensure you do most of your typing at a table or desk.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra: Screen

The Tab S8 Ultra’s excellent screen was only let down by a modest maximum brightness. This resulted in a mediocre view in direct sunlight, but the Tab S9 Ultra remedies this by with its brighter panel that peaks at a beaming 930 nits peak brightness. This might sound low compared to flagship smartphones, but tablet peak brightness is always significantly lower.

Bright and sharp, the Tab S9 Ultra is also has a 1848 x 2960 resolution, which equates to a pixel density of 239PPI. With its smooth 120Hz refresh rate, menus glide, and the widescreen 16:10 aspect ratio is a perfect pairing for 16:9 shows, especially when set against much more square iPads and their heavy letterboxing.

Samsung is one of the few tab makers that makes its own screens, so it’s little wonder the AMOLED display on the Tab S9 Ultra looks glorious, especially in darker areas and when playing back HDR content. There is a caveat, though. If you watch atmospheric, dark content in a bright environment, you may lose some detail in the shadows, but when watching indoors or in a darker space, no other tab can touch the Tab S9 Ultra’s rich, atmospheric quality.

The Tab S9 Ultra has a notch for the two front cameras. This keeps the bezel extremely slim, and falls outside the viewing window for 16:9 content and wider, so we didn’t find it interrupted our view.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra: Camera

Tablet cameras are generally significantly lower-spec than smartphone cameras, so we will touch on the Tab S9 Ultra’s cameras without going into too much detail and focus more on ways the Tab S9 Ultra can fit into a photography workflow.

Starting with the cameras, the Tab S9 Utlra has two on either side. Around the back is a 13MP main camera and an 8MP ultra-wide. On the front are two 12MP cameras for selfies and video calls. The main camera is good enough for a document scan and is the only camera on the tab with autofocus, with the rest featuring fixed-focus lenses.

As for the front camera mix, it’s great for video calls – in bright environments, it’s sharp enough for an HD feed – and all the cameras can shoot 4K 30fps video except for the ultra-wide rear camera. Drop the lights, and none of the cameras – front or back – hold up particularly well.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra: Productivity

Samsung pre-loads a few powerful apps on the Tab S9 Ultra to give creatives a jump start, bundling in a two-month trial subscription to Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, as well as a full version of Good Notes for a year, and a half-price offer for LumaFusion video editor.

Running Android 14 with OneUI 6.0, the Tab S9 Ultra features DeX, Samsung’s desktop UI. This year, we have two versions of the interface, a Classic DeX and New DeX. While the Classic version is a full-blown Windows-style interface, the New version looks like familiar Android but adds resizable floating windows to the mix. These two forms of DeX are very powerful, with Classic DeX working perfectly when projecting to an external monitor – ideal for big-screen editing – and New DeX looking better on the tablet itself, particularly suited to the keyboard folio cover or a keyboard and mouse setup.

While DeX works better than anything else in the Android space for both standalone and monitor-connected productivity, the Lenovo Tab Extreme’s second USB-C port supports video input, and gives it a slight edge in a creative workflow, enabling it to double up as a second screen for your MacOS or Windows device. The Tab S9 Ultra is only a wireless second screen for Windows computers – so Lenovo's tab is more versatile.

Samsung’s pressure-sensitive S Pen is also a powerful creative tool. Whether using a brush with precision in a drawing app like Concepts or with the Heal tool in Lightroom, the S Pen’s 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity and almost brush-like feel on-screen has always been a tonic to Apple’s hard plastic Pencil.

The main creative limitation of the Tab S9 Ultra is Android and, more specifically, app support. Yes, Concepts, Lightroom and LumaFusion are excellent. Still, with apps like Adobe Illustrator, DaVinci Resolve and ProCreate available for iPadOS, it is the better creative tool.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra: Performance

Thanks to a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset matched with 12GB RAM, the Tab S9 Ultra does an excellent job of 4K video edits and 3D gaming. The interface glides, even when loaded up with multiple apps on-screen, or projecting DeX to an external monitor. It’s very impressive to get into a rhythm with the tablet, smash out a load of work and realise, it was all powered by a skinny slate.

There’s also plenty of storage on offer, with either 256GB, 512GB or 1TB internal storage and a microSD card slot, so you can bump that up by an extra 1TB.

Talk about multi-function – the Tab S9 Ultra can charge phone in a pinch with its huge 11,200mAh battery – you just need a USB-C to USB-C port. You’ll probably have capacity to spare with Samsung’s tablet easily lasting a few days or longer with modest use – an episode and some browsing here and there. For more intense workloads, expect one or two days out of it. It also charges up at 45W, taking around two hours to power up fully.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra: Verdict

The Tab S9 Ultra has the best screen of any tablet we’ve tested, and the fact it’s water resistant makes it an obvious choice for anyone who needs a slate that can withstand the elements. Paired with your camera’s companion apps, it makes for an impressively oversized external monitor, and there are enough great photo editing and productivity apps for Android to make it the most capable Android tablet around.

There are some red flags to bear in mind before picking one up. This tablet is huge, so make sure the S9 Ultra is what you need, not the more modest, manageable Tab S9 Plus. The keyboard dock isn’t well-suited to resting on a lap; ergonomically, this isn’t a laptop replacement. Finally, even if you have a Windows laptop and an Android phone, you might still be better off getting an iPad, thanks to iPadOS’s superior creative app support.

If none of those caveats faze you, the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra could be the best tablet of 2024 for you and should add a brilliant, big-screened boost to your workflow.

Apple's newest Pencil is marketed as the most affordable Apple stylus. And that is strictly true – it's the cheapest Apple Pencil available, though whether $79 is affordable will depend on your circumstances. 

Apple is aiming this new stylus for iPads at students or those with tighter budgets, who use their stylus for tasks like note-taking and don't necessarily need all the features of the Apple Pencil 1 or 2, like pressure sensitivity, for example.

To test this Pencil, I spent around two months with it, trying it out with the iPad Air (2022) and my older iPad Pro (2021). I used it for drawing, note-taking, and general iPad use including internet browsing, photo editing, and gaming, and I compared it to the Apple Pencil 2, which I've been using for the past year or so.

Specification

Build and handling

The Apple Pencil USB-C is pleasant to hold. It is light in the hand yet weighty enough that you feel it's going to make decent marks, which it does. Like the Apple Pencil 2, it has a matte finish and is flat on one edge. It also magnetically attaches to the horizontal edge of your iPad, though it doesn't charge there (more on that later). Note that unlike the Pencil 2, it's not possible to have this Pencil engraved.

At 155mm / 6.10 inches, the USB-C Pencil is slightly shorter than the Apple Pencil 2, which is 166mm / 6.53 inches. Most people won't notice the difference, but some may find it slightly easier to handle. 

One difference between this USB-C version compared to other Apple Pencils is that its top slides up to reveal a USB-C charging port. The Apple Pencil 2 doesn't have this feature, and the Apple Pencil 1 has the port but it's accessed via a detachable top, which is easy to lose. The USB-C Pencil is definitely an upgrade from the first Apple Pencil in terms of design, though charging it can be a bit awkward...

Charging and pairing

To charge the Apple Pencil USB-C, you need to pull up the top and connect it to the iPad with a USB-C cable. Unfortunately, in a very Apple-like fashion, there's no cable included in the box. You should already have the charger that came with your iPad, but still, this is a bit annoying. Also, once you're charging the Pencil, it will no longer sit quite as nicely on the side of your iPad, which feels like a bit of an oversight.

Once you've plugged it in, charging is pretty fast. It went from 0 to 99 percent in roughly 45 minutes, though then took another 15 minutes to get to 100. Overall I found it took me a long time to use the Pencil enough for the battery to drain right down, and you can still use it for a fair while when it's down to 10% charge or lower. In my testing over several weeks, I only charged it a couple of times. The Pencil automatically goes into low power mode when you store it on the side of your iPad, which helps the battery last longer.

Unlike the Apple Pencil 2, the Apple Pencil USB-C doesn't automatically pair when on the side of your iPad. To pair it, you need to connect it with a cable (the one that isn't included) and then it stays connected via Bluetooth. This is a little awkward, and the Pencil does seem to disconnect if you leave it unattached to the iPad, meaning that you have to keep connecting it, which is quick but inconvenient. 

Performance

I found the Apple Pencil USB-C to be overall really pleasant and comfortable to use. It's especially great for note-taking and it works well for basic photo editing, too. This model doesn't have pressure sensitivity, but unless you're an artist using the Pencil for sketching, you probably won't notice. I found that I preferred the lack of pressure sensitivity as it meant that the marks I made with the Pencil were more uniform. 

Like the Apple Pencil 2, the Apple Pencil USB-C supports Apple Pencil hover, which enables you to preview the mark you're going to make. This only works with the iPad Pro though, and if you're not used to having this feature, you're unlikely to miss it. 

The Apple Pencil USB-C doesn't have the double tap to change tools that the Apple Pencil 2 boasts. Again, if you're not used to having this, you are unlikely to notice not having it. 

One issue with all the Apple Pencils, including this one, is that you can't do everything you can do with your fingers with the Pencil. For example, you can swipe from the left to take a screenshot and swipe from the right to open a Quick Note (you can swap these or disable them in Settings), but you can't swipe down to bring up the Control Center like you can with your finger. This makes the whole experience of using the Pencil not as seamless as it could be, though this isn't necessarily the fault of the Pencil but rather iPadOS and the way they work together. I hope Apple will address this with future releases.

Verdict

Should you buy the Apple Pencil USB-C? If you're looking for an Apple stylus but can't afford the Apple Pencil 1 ($99) or Apple Pencil 2 ($129), then the Apple Pencil USB-C is a good option. 

If you want something for note-taking and general use and don't mind the slightly awkward charging and pairing, then this Pencil is for you. If you need pressure sensitivity for sketching or want to have seamless charging and pairing, then I'd recommend the Apple Pencil 2 instead. 

Alternatives

Amazon is well-known in the tablet world for producing affordable devices that maximize the benefits of Amazon Prime subscriptions. The Amazon Fire Max 11 is the most powerful and expensive Fire tablet to date, and it’s also the best. The Fire Max 11 is a 13th-generation 2023 model boasting a crisp and clear 11-inch screen and a contemporary design that makes the Fire Max 11 look and feel like a high-quality device.

Overall performance is perfect for everyday web browsing, watching videos using streaming services, and also for productivity tasks when paired with office and other productivity apps. But the major frustration with all Fire tablets, including the Fire Max 11 which is the flagship model, is that the Amazon Appstore is extremely limited when it comes to app availability; despite being built on Android, the Fire Max 11 has no access to the extensive Google Play Store.

This is going to be a huge hurdle for many potential users of the device because you’re limited to what Amazon has curated for you in terms of apps, and the App Store feels almost like a ghost town. However, if you’re a Prime subscriber or subscribe to Audible or Kindle Unlimited, the Fire Max 11 is by far the best Fire tablet for accessing this content alongside the likes of Netflix and Dsiney+.

Amazon Fire Max 11: Specifications

Amazon Fire Max 11: Price & Availability

The Amazon Fire Max 11 is available with 64GB or 128GB of storage and can be purchased device only or in one of several bundles. Plus, there are options for ads or to be ad-free on the home screen and it’s barely more expensive to go ad-free. The 64GB Fire Max 11, a device only with home screen ads, costs $195 / £250. The Productivity Bundle, which includes the Fire Max 11, Keyboard Case, and Stylus Pen costs $305 / £375 and is the bundle that was sent for review. It’s a good price for the performance of the tablet, but you can enjoy equally good performance with access to the Google Play store and many more apps with competitor tablets.

Amazon Fire Max 11: Design & Handling

The Fire 11 Max looks great with a contemporary design – it’s undoubtedly a smart-looking device that looks as good as more expensive competitor tablets. The body is made of aluminium while the screen is made of strengthened glass that’s claimed to be three times as durable as the iPad 10.9-inch 10th generation model. It all sounds promising, but the latter hasn’t been tested for obvious reasons, so we’ll have to take Amazon’s word for it.

Overall, it’s a Svelte design for a tablet of this size, and the Fire Max 11 is comfortable to hold with flat sides and curved corners. At just 17.28oz / 490g it’s it’s also fairly lightweight for a tablet with an 11-inch 16:9 screen. The bezel around the screen is nice and narrow which adds to the modern look, but also means most of what you’re looking at is the all-important 2000x1200 213ppi screen rather than a small screen surrounded by a thick black bezel, which is an outdated tablet design. So, that’s a generous amount of screen real estate when the tablet is 10.2x6.4x0.29in / 259.1x163.7x7.5mm.

The screen itself provides great image quality thanks to the resolution, producing a sharp and vibrant image whether you’re watching a movie or typing an email, etc. There are certainly no complaints in this area, and when used with the Keyboard Case, the back of the Fire Max 11 and the screen are protected from damage. This is a high-quality case that connects to the tablet magnetically, with the keyboard attaching to the pogo pin connection at the bottom of the tablet and the half-folding rear section to create a stand simply attaching to the back.

The Keyboard Case and Stylus pen both work exceptionally well, providing a more laptop-like experience with the multi-touch trackpad and physical keys for typing. The Stylus Pen allows you to write notes and draw depending on what apps you have for this, and handwriting recognition is impressive – it could read my almost unintelligible scrawl without any problems using a free note app.

The problem we have here is that we come roaring back to the limitations of the Appstore, where apps are almost blood-boilingly limited; imaging apps such as Photoshop Express, Snapseed, and Lightroom Mobile aren’t available. Not even YouTube or Instagram are available, although there are strangely some apps that can pull YouTube videos through. It’s a shame because the way that the Fire Max 11 performs overall suggests that it could handle these apps with ease. But apps that also have websites can be accessed with the Silk Browser, so it’s not all bad news here.

Amazon Fire Max 11: Performance

Setting up the Fire Max 11 is quick and easy, but you will need an Amazon account to sign into the device rather than a Google account. If you don’t have one, you can sign up during the set-up process. Within this process, you connect to your home WiFi, opt for photos to be shared to  Amazon Photos and activate Alexa etc. It’s pretty much a run-of-the-mill set-up, but once you’re in you have incredibly easy access to your Amazon Account.

In use, the Fire Max 11 provides a pleasant and streamlined experience thanks to the octa-core processor with two Arm Cortex-A78 up to 2.2Ghz and six Arm Cortex A55 up to 2Ghz. RAM is pitched in the midground at 4GB, which is less than flagship smartphones these days, but this combined with the processor showed no signs of weakness during what you would call average use. There were no slowdowns when running multiple apps and navigation was smooth, which ultimately provides a positive user experience.

The front and rear cameras are extremely basic with automatic controls and both feature low-resolution 8MP sensors by today’s standards, with the ability to capture 1080p video. The rear camera has autofocus, while the front camera which is most likely to be used for video calls is fixed focus. The front camera is arguably the most useful of the two with video calls in mind, although it certainly doesn’t hurt to have both front and rear cameras, even if they are extremely basic and low-resolution.

Battery life is advertised at up to 14 hours on a full charge, and during what I would consider to be average use, I was able to get a week’s use out of a single charge. The Fire Max 11 was left on standby when not in use, and I watched a couple of movies on Prime, watched a few YouTube videos, did lots of web browsing, wrote emails and made notes using the Stylus Pen. I tried to integrate the tablet into my daily routine as much as I could alongside my computer and phone, and it did prove useful but mainly for comfortable web browsing and entertainment on the sofa. The Keyboard Case was great when typing anything, whether resting the tablet on my lap or a table.

Amazon Fire Max 11: Verdict

The Amazon Fire Max 11 works extremely well as an entertainment device, especially if you’re a Prime subscriber, and even as a productivity device if you opt for the Keyboard Case. Microsoft Office and other Office apps are available on subscription but, unfortunately, Google Docs, Sheets and Slides are unavailable, which are free to use and just as good as any of the paid options for most people.

It’s here that the main problem with all Amazon Fire tablets lies, including the Fire Max 11, that the highly restricted Amazon Appstore offers such a tiny number of apps compared to Google Play. And what makes it even more frustrating is that Fire OS is built on Android, so the two are compatible. Providing access to Google Play alongside the Appstore, in the way Samsung devices offer both the Samsung Store and Google Play, would be the perfect situation for consumers. But grumbles about the Appstore aside, you can still do many things with the Fire Max 11 and if an app also has a website, you can access this through the Silk Browser. 

There is a strong lean towards Amazon services that you can’t get away from, but overall performance is great with no noticeable slowdowns or lag when running multiple apps, and the screen is fantastic thanks to the size and resolution. Should you buy it? Well, if you’re happy with the limitations of the app store then you can’t go wrong because it’s a great tablet at a good price. But, if you want or need access to specific apps that are unavailable and/or have no website to access them, you’d be much better off with a standard Android tablet – it’s that simple. 

Amazon Fire Max 11 Alternatives

There's a lot to like about the 10th-generation iPad, which first hit stores in October 2022. From its sleek design – more comparable to the Air and Pro than previous iPads – to its A14 Bionic chip and 10.9-inch screen, the iPad 10 beats the previous generation in nearly all aspects, fully justifying its top spot in our list of the best iPads for students.  

Want it to function like a laptop? You can get the Magic Keyboard Folio with trackpad (for an additional price). Want quicker charging and better data transfer speeds? The iPad 10 ditches Lightning for USB-C port. And with improved main camera quality, and the selfie camera usefully positioned in the middle of the landscape bezel, it would seem that this is an iPad improved in all areas... but then there's the $449/£499 price tag!

So, has Apple lost sight of the classic iPad's original, affordable appeal? Or is it providing an iPad fit for modern users? Let's break it down...

Specifications

The first thing that you notice when looking through the iPad 10's spec list, is that it betters the previous 9th generation iPad in all areas. In fact, it looks a lot more like the most recent iPad Air than the classic Apple tab. Let's look at the stats in more detail... 

Display

There's no two ways about it, the iPad 10 looks beautiful, and has plenty more going for it than just aesthetics. The Liquid Retina display, which it shares with the iPad Air 5, offers crisp, detailed images, as a browse through 4K video online will show (picture above). With the home button being replaced for a touch ID button, there's a little extra display space compared to the iPad 9, which is noticeable especially when using the tab at close quarters. The bezels are more uniformly thinner than the 9 too.

Unlike the Air, mini and Pro, the iPad 10's display is not laminated. That means that there is a very slight space in between the glass and the elements under it. What that means in practice is that each swipe and tap will feel that little less immediate. But honestly, it's not something that you will notice, unless you've extensively used an Air, mini or Pro before, so for the majority of new iPad users, I don't really see it as a detractor.

With 500 nits brightness (the same as the iPad 9), you can certainly use it outside if required, though it's less than optimal. I took it out on a bright January midday to take snaps and use it as I usually would indoors. I was impressed that the display wasn't swamped completely by the outdoor light, though at times I did have to angle the tab to make out the picture. As you can see from the first photo below (taken on an iPhone 15 Pro), the display still gets across a clear image and decently represents colours. For context, the best iPad that Apple makes right now – the iPad Pro – offers around three times that brightness. 

Camera

When taking photos indoors, colours can be drained if not making the most of light, though detail is good enough (as seen in the Christmas tree and selfie shots above). Outdoors, with plenty of striking light, the camera picks up detail, achieves rich colours, and offers a nice crisp shot (the pebble and iPad shots above). So far, so 12 megapixels. But there's more...

The iPad 10 offers Smart HDR, an AI tech that helps you out with crappy lighting. Basically when you take a snap, the iPad will input the image at various exposures, and combine them to produce the best option for the final image. For a 12MP tablet camera, that's pretty cool.

The selfie camera, another 12MP compared to the iPad 9's 8MP, also holds a bit of a surprise. That's because it's positioned in the middle of the landscape bezel, making it better positioned for video chats, especially when placed on the Magic Keyboard Folio.

Of course, no one reading a Digital Camera World review would be thinking about buying an iPad primarily for its camera. However, it's a nice addition that can – if all things are aligned – produce decent results. As I use an iPhone 15 Pro, with its 48MP camera, for most of my quick pics, I ended up using the iPad 10 as a display for my photos. A handy step to choose the pics that I want to keep and print out.

Finally, it's worth noting that the iPad 10 shares the same main camera specs as the more expensive iPad Air 5. 

Build & Handling

The iPad 10 is a beautifully designed tablet. I love the back detail and the straight edges that echo the most recent Air and Pro designs. It makes the iPad 9's curved sides seem old-hat. In hand, it feels the exact right weight. You don't want a tablet to weigh you down, or to feel like it could be snapped in two at any moment. You want to be able to easily hold and use the tab with one hand and the iPad 10's 1.05lbs nails this.

Another new detail in this model's build is that the home button of the 9 has been replaced with a touch sensor button, in the top right corner. As a right-handed person, this is great, and feels natural to open and unlock – when I'm holding it in portrait. When I'm holding it in landscape, it's a bit annoying... until I realize that you can capture your right index finger and your left thumbprint, which makes it really easy to access (again, as a right-handed person. Perhaps this will be annoying for lefties?)

If you know anything about lovely shiny tablets, you know that they pick up smears and smudges easily. The iPad 10 is no different, but nothing a lens wipe won't clear up. But as standard iPads are often bought as a house tablet – being passed around from parent to child – this is definitely worth being aware of. As far as I know, this is the case for all current iterations of iPads. 

Performance

The iPad 10's A14 Bionic chip offers a 6-core CPU, a 4-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine. Great, but what does that actually mean day-to-day, and in context to other tablets?

Well, as discussed above, it means some pretty nifty AI tech for producing the best pics possible in the main camera. It also means that I can play a game like PUBG Mobile – a battle royal-style online game – seamlessly. And that goes for every app that I opened on it. YouTube, Netflix, Prime Video, Sketchbook... everything is very snappy and works excellently.

However, the 10 remains the slowest iPad of the current range (mini, Air, iPad, and Pro). The A14 is actually around three years old, and though this should not be a deal-breaker for most if you want an iPad that you won't have to replace for many years to come, the chip's age may become a factor. 

When I first streamed a show on the iPad 10, I was genuinely impressed with the speakers. Now that they're landscape on the 10, there was a fuller sound that I just wasn't expecting from a standard iPad. Don't get me wrong, they can't compete with any half-decent Bluetooth speaker. But I didn't have my JBL Charge 5 speaker to hand, so I watched my show happily, picking out all dialogue and the details of the soundtrack just fine. Sounds were distinct and not merged together, and though you won't get any meaty bass, these speakers can go fairly loud.

I also got to test the Apple Pencil USB-C – the second generation of the Apple Pencil 1. Though I won't review the Pencil here, I will say that it's a nice accessory for the iPad 10. Though you don't know when it's running out of juice, a fully charged Apple Pencil gives an ease of movement and command over the iPad 10 that's really enjoyable. Also, you limit those annoying smudges! However, the hand-to-type text feature (you scrawl words on the iPad, and it digitizes them into text) leaves a lot to be desired.

Verdict

Everyone that I know who owns a standard iPad (including my mum), uses it mainly for mobile games, browsing, reading news, and watching TV shows and films. I can't see that drastically changing with the iPad 10, and yet Apple seems keen on tearing its classic tablet apart from its budget origins. 

At $449 the iPad 10 is currently $130 more than the iPad 9 through Apple. In fact, you can get the iPad 10 for $399 and the iPad 9 for $249 over at Amazon at the time of writing. So you can get the older iPad for $150 less. But you're interested in the latest iPad, so why am I making this point?

Because I don't think the newer specs and features of the 10 justify the extra $150. For what I would be using an iPad for, the 9th Gen model would be absolutely fine. The display won't be as crisp, the colors a little less rich, and the blacks a little less true. But the standard iPad always offered an entry-level, budget tablet that did a handful of useful things really well. With the iPad 10, Apple seems to going back on that promise.

However, if you don't care about spending the extra cash, and you want a pretty fancy 'standard' tab, the iPad 10 is excellent.

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The iPad Air (2022) is Apple's mid/top-level iPad. It's got better tech credentials than the iPad or the iPad mini, but it doesn't have the power of the iPad Pro. It's priced in the middle of the iPad generations lineup too, starting at $599/£699 for the 64GB version with WiFi. 

Apple is known for its well-built, well-designed tablets, and the newest iPad Air, released in March 2022, is no exception. Apple fans will delight in the gorgeous Liquid Retina screen, the fun colorways, the simple yet elegant design, and of course, the super-speedy M1 chip. Compared to the iPad Air (2020) with its A14 chip, this is one nifty tablet, and I found it more than capable of handling my daily tasks, without so much as a stutter.

The iPad Air is almost a year old now, which is getting on a bit in Apple terms, but I still think it's a really decent option for many creative professionals. Paired with one of the best iPad keyboards and an Apple Pencil, it'll be the right iPad for many people. 

To test this iPad, I used it as my main tablet for around a month. I took photos, and videos, and tried out photo and video editing, and I also used it for streaming, sketching, and browsing the internet. 

iPad Air: Specifications

iPad Air: Build and handling

The 2022 iPad Air is not a big departure from the previous version, in terms of design. It's got the same fairly thin bezels around its 10.9-inch Liquid Retina screen (2,360 x 1,640 px). There's no Home button, so you have to swipe up to get to the home screen and the Touch ID button (there's no Face ID on this model) is housed at the top of the tablet. 

Overall, the screen is big enough for most daily tasks and is comfortable for browsing the internet and viewing movies and series on the go – though you'll likely want one of the best iPad stands to hold the tablet in place. It has 500 nits brightness, which is decent for viewing and editing photos, and it does display some beautiful deep blacks and overall shows pretty impressive colors – though more serious professionals may prefer the 600 nits of the pricier iPad Pro 11-inch (2022) or the 1,000 nits of the iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2022).

My only gripe with the design is that when holding the tablet, it's not always obvious where the top of it is, so I found myself searching the sides for the Touch ID/volume buttons on more than one occasion. This problem is solved if you have the iPad Air in a case, such as the Magic Keyboard. 

It's also easier to know where the top of the tablet is if you have an Apple Pencil attached to it. This version of the iPad is compatible with the Apple Pencil 2, and the newer Apple Pencil USB-C, both of which magnetically attach to the top of the iPad (note that the Apple Pencil 2 charges there, while the Apple Pencil USB-C needs to be charged separately).

iPad Air: Performance

I have the now super-seeded version of the 11-inch iPad Pro (2021, M1), and I found the iPad Air (2022) to be comparable to this tablet in terms of performance. This isn't hugely surprising as they both have the M1 chip. 

Both are capable of handling a number of apps open at the same time, and you can stream, create images with several Layers in Procreate, edit some images in Affinity Photo, and browse the internet all at once without the iPad getting at all hot or bothered. It's also good for gaming, and you can even create 3D models in it. 

This is all well and good, but it's worth considering what you'll be using the iPad for. Will you actually be making the most of it, or would you be better off with a cheaper, lower-spec tablet that you can use for photo editing on the fly, and not much else?

It's also worth noting that you are limited by the capabilities of the iPadOS. Sure, you can split screen and technically you can multi-task, but will you really want to on a screen of this size? While testing this iPad, I found that for some tasks, like filling in spreadsheets or doing a lot of copying and pasting, it was easier to open up my laptop and do the task there instead. So that's worth bearing in mind. Whatever Apple claims, this iPad isn't about to replace your main machine or is unlikely to.

Battery life is not bad. Apple says it should last nine or ten hours (nine if you're using Cellular data and 10 otherwise) and I found it lasted around seven hours when looping a video (using WiFi). Charging was fairly speedy, though not amazing, with the tablet going from 0 to 100 in just under three hours. 

iPad Air: Camera

I can't imagine many serious photographers are using their iPad to take photos, but it's good to know that if it comes to it, then this tablet's camera works fine. The rear camera is 12MP wide with a f/1.8 aperture, and a 5x digital zoom. It'll capture HEIF and JPEG, but not RAW. I found it works mostly well and can cope with low lighting, although the image becomes a little grainy when you really zoom in.

The newer iPad Pro, in comparison, has two cameras and a Lidar sensor, so that's the tablet to buy if you want 3D scanning and are really serious about using your iPad for photography.

The front-facing camera is 12MP ultra-wide, with an f/2.4 aperture and a 122-degree field of view. This means it works with Apple's Center Stage feature, where the camera follows you around the room when you're on a video call. Whether or not you'll want to use this feature is up to you, but it can be useful if you want to multi-task and move around a room when on a call, and want to stay in shot.

It's worth noting that Apple has placed the front-facing camera on the top of the iPad, when in portrait mode. The problem is that many people use the iPad in landscape mode when they want to make video calls, meaning that it looks as if they are not looking at the person they're talking to. You may or may not find this annoying, and Center Stage is no doubt supposed to fix this. Note that this issue has been rectified in the new iPad (10th gen), which has the camera along the side of the iPad.

iPad Air: Verdict

Overall, the 5th generation iPad Air is a very capable tablet, which is suitable for a range of uses, whether that's browsing the internet, drawing, or taking or editing photos on the go. It works especially well with the Apple Pencil, although that will cost you extra ($79 or $129 depending on which version you buy).

The iPad Air is slightly let down by its storage options, there's only 64GB or 256GB available with this model, so if you know you want to download a lot of apps then you may find something like the iPad Pro, with its wider range of storage options, is more suitable.

The iPad Air is fast, it looks good and it's comfortable to hold. The camera is decent enough for snapping on the go and the colors are accurate enough to make it ideal for photo or video editing, although the iPad Pro 12.9-inch offers a superior mini-LED LCD panel. Some may also prefer the bigger screen of a laptop or bigger tablet for these tasks, or perhaps even a 2-in-1 machine.

Overall, whether the iPad Air is right for you depends on what you're going to use it for, and whether you'll be making the most of that snappy M1 chip. If you can afford it and you want more storage and a better camera you may want to future-proof your purchase and go for the iPad Pro (2022), you'll want the 12.9-inch version to get the top specs. If you want the same camera as the Air but don't mind so much about the chip, then the standard iPad (10th gen) may be all you need. If you want an all-rounder, then something like the Robo & Kala 2-in-1 may be more suitable.

iPad Air Alternatives

In the fast-paced world of content creation, storage that complements your workflow is vital – and LaCie has built a reputation for providing just that. 

Adding to its already impressive lineup of portable storage solutions, LaCie has announced the LaCie Rugged Mini SSD at CES 2024. The Rugged series of SSDs are world-renowned for being both robust and powerful, placing them among the best portable hard drives on the market. 

The bright orange rubber casing has become iconic and identifiable among creatives, but it's not just the aesthetics that make these great storage solutions. The new LaCie Rugged Mini SSD is a portable storage drive that "delivers up to 4TB of durable, fast, and compact capacity".

Write speeds of up to 2000MB/s provide fast data transfer and feature USB 3.2 gen 2x2 technology. This offers compatibility with USB 40Gbps, USB 10Gps, Thunderbolt 4 and Thunderbolt 3 hosts including the latest Apple iPad, iPhone and Macbooks, as well as other portable computing devices.

"The ultimate storage companion for content creators, this high-performance drive is designed for effortlessly capturing, storing, and transporting essential files, videos, and photos," says LaCie.

An important feature, and one that earned the Rugged series its stature, is its robust form, making it the go-to for creatives on the move. The new Rugged Mini SSD, designed by Neil Poulton, provides the same durable rubber enclosure made from 30% post-consumer recycled materials. The enclosure also benefits from being IP54-rated for dust and rain resistance, offering "3-meter drop protection and 1-ton car pressure resistance" – earning its Rugged name!

The Rugged Mini SSD is compatible with Windows, macOS, and iPadOS straight of the box, and employs the LaCie Toolkit software for on-demand backup and mirroring that enables seamless file access and syncing across multiple devices.

There is a reason these SSDs are adored by content creators, especially those who shoot in challenging environments or travel often. They provide reliable and secure storage for your most treasured projects, and the new mini form makes travel all that much easier.

The Lacie Rugged Mini SSD is available now at the price of $79.99 (500GB), $119.99 (1TB), $189.99 (2TB), and $349.99 (4TB). We will update when we have global pricing.

Take a look at the best SSDs and best portable SSDs you can buy right now.

Apple had a strong 2023, with a raft of updates to their popular products, including the iPhone 15 Pro Max, MacBook Air 15-inch, and brand new M3-equipped MacBook Pros.

Apple's iPhone lineup continues to include some of the best camera phones out there, adding new sensors and an improved telephoto camera. Apple's iPad range still continues to dominate the tablet market as well as our list of best tablets for photo editing.

Last but certainly not least, Apple's latest M3 processors in its MacBook Pro range also bring even more power to photo and video editing, making the MacBooks some of the best photo-editing laptops on the planet. 

I can't wait to see what Apple has in store in 2024 and hope that it has a few shocking reveals for photographers and creatives alike. I have rounded up some of the most prominent rumors for what might be in store over the next 12 months, lets dig in.

iPhones

We are a very long way off the announcement of the iPhone 16 series of phones, with the iPhone 15s only just making its way into the hands of buyers just a few short months ago.

Apple's iPhone 15 devices, were another lineup of upgrades that have all made their way into our list of the best camera phones. Unless you are really into USB-C (which was finally added this year), it wasn't a headline year for Apple, with the regular iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro receiving just marginal improvements to the camera systems. The iPhone Pro Max was the only one to grab significant attention with the upgrade of its 3x camera to a 5x one, making it more competitive with the Samsung Galaxy S23 and Google Pixel 8 Pro.

What can we be sure of for 2024? Well, the release date of the iPhone 16 range is pretty much a certainty, coming at the end of October each year, so start saving now. Although this year Apple could potentially have a little more up its sleeve.

iPhone 16 Pro & Pro Max

The most significant change slated for the iPhone 16 Pro series might be increased screen sizes. Both the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max look set to receive a bump in size, with the iPhone 16 Pro apparently going to 6.3 inches from the 6.1 inches of the current iPhone 15 Pro model, while the iPhone 16 Pro Max will receive an increase to 6.9 inches (up from the 15 Pro Max's 6.7 inches).

Camera-wise, the ultrawide camera might get some love with a new 48MP sensor. Ultrawide cameras have always seemed to get the worst of the sensors, so it would be great if Apple brought it up to the potential of the main sensor. 

Periscope camera rumors that dominated last year continue to pop up everywhere, with a potential 300mm 'super periscope' camera allegedly in the works, although Apple is very conservative with big camera updates, and with the 5x camera just out of the gates, I would take that with a pinch of salt.

As you would expect if you follow Apple's phones, is there of course going to be a new Apple A-series processor, that will undoubtedly offer performance gains over the previous generation, and with current trends, offer lots of new and exciting AI features as Apple plays catchup with ChatGPT and Google.

There are also some potential changes to the body design with the volume, power, and Action Button looking like they might be changed to capacitive (non-click) buttons. There are also mentions of a new "Capture" button, although how this would be used or more useful than current methods remains to be seen.

iPhone 16

Don't expect a huge change from last year's standard iPhone models. Apple seems quite happy to just pass down upgrades slowly from the Pro models from the previous couple of generations, keeping the iPhone Pro and Pro Max as the latest and greatest.

Apple will likely still continue on with both the standard model and the larger Plus model, with both models keeping the same screen dimensions. The only other thing to look out for is a bump in processor from this year's 15 Pro, and possibly some new camera sensors inherited from this year's models as well.

iPhone SE

There is no concrete evidence of when we are going to see the next iPhone SE, or even if Apple is going to make another entry-level iPhone, as it seems quite content selling its older iPhone models for lower prices. Most speculation suggests that we won't see a new SE until 2025, but plans can change quite quickly, especially when a phone contains mostly old parts.

These unknowns haven't stopped people from speculating on what a potential new iPhone SE might include. The most prominent rumors suggest that the iPhone SE might re-use the iPhone 14 body, which would not only increase the screen size to a 6.1-in panel but would also be the first time an SE device has used Apple's Face ID instead of the fingerprint reader and home button.

Any iPhone SE would also have to ship with a USB-C port to comply with new EU rules, so this would mark the end of the final current Apple phone with a Lightning connector, and might expedite the SE 4's announcement.

iPads

Apple's iPads continue to dominate the tablet market, although there is very little giving them serious cause for concern with Microsoft's Surface Pro lineup becoming a little stale, and Google's Pixel Tablet going for the smart home entertainment angle rather than a serious computing device.

Going into 2024, it doesn't look like Apple with add or remove any devices from its current stable of iPads, with Apple's lineup continuing with the top-end iPad Pro range as a serious laptop replacement device, the mid-tier iPad Air for getting stuff done on the go, the iPad, the cheapest tablet aimed squarely at entertainment, and the little iPad Mini for note taking and pocket productivity. 

iPad Pro

The new iPad Pro looks set for a 2024 release to potentially coincide with the release of iPadOS 17.4 in March. 

The most notable change anticipated for the iPad Pro is the adoption of an OLED display compared to the existing mini-LED technology in the 12.9-inch model. OLED has the potential for crisper, brighter visuals, and more accurate color reproduction. There's talk of the 12.9-inch model making a slight shift to a 13-inch screen, however, reports suggest that the 11-inch tablet won't see a size increase.

Another potential upgrade on the horizon is a new glass back for the iPad Pro. Transitioning to a glass back could enable wireless charging for the upcoming iPad Pro and even introduce a form of reverse wireless charging. Could Apple be preparing a similar Google Pixel Tablet experience with a smart speaker dock?

The bad news, speculation also suggests a potential price increase for the rumored OLED iPad Pro, possibly reaching a steep $1,800 for a revamped 13-inch model, with all the models having some level of price increase. This put it over the price of the MacBook Air before even adding a keyboard or mouse, that better be one nice screen!

iPad Air

As I repeat every year, I am of course expecting Apple to bump its iPad Air processor one generation higher. The previous iPad Air is still holding onto the M1 Silicon, so it's likely that the 6th Gen iPad Air would include the M2 chip, which would separate it from the iPad Pro which is expected to get the shiny new M3 processor.

Rumors suggest Apple might be toying with the idea of a larger iPad Air version for 2024. The speculation gained traction due to two codenames associated with the new iPad Air: J507 and J508, a trend seen with the iPad Pro, which comes in two sizes. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo added fuel to the fire by claiming the iPad Air will come in the familiar 10.9-inch and an all-new 12.9-inch model.

Rumors also suggest that Apple will buck the price inflation that has been a hallmark of 2023 and will keep the 2024 iPad Air price the same as the current generation, and with a rumored price hike for the iPad Pro this might make the Air seem even better value.

Macs

In 2023 Apple continued its run of updating its usual stable of devices with its latest and most powerful chips – starting the year with the incredibly powerful M2 Max and M2 Ultra in the Mac Studio.

Apple also introduced the first brand-new MacBook in a few years with a 15-inch version of the MacBook Air, which alongside the 13-inch version was updated with an M2 chip. Finishing the year strong, Apple also updated its MacBook Pro range, giving us the first glimpse at the M3 chips that are sure to dominate Apple's update cycle in 2024.

MacBooks

We have probably seen all we are going to from the MacBook Pro range until next fall when Apple will likely be ready to show off the MacBook Pro with M4 Silicon.

Rumors are fairly quiet this far out from release, but we wouldn't expect much to change about next year MacBook's with Apple seemingly settled on a design it is happy with, banishing the final MacBook with the Touchbar from this year's lineup. 

Except for the expected newer processor, other upgrades would most likely be iterative, with bumps to screen technology, USB-C speeds, or some weight savings.

The MacBook Air got the M2 chip last year. Based on current rumors, don't expect much beyond an upgrade to the latest M3 chip, and maybe some fun new color options. 

If the 13-in and 15-in will get upgraded at the same time though remains to be seen, as the 15-inch with M2 is only a few months old. This would simplify Apple's updates going forward, and give customers better side-by-side comparisons, so I would argue its a good idea, but Apple and its supply chain might not agree.

Apple makes a lot more beyond what I have discussed here, and we are likely to see a lot of other updates coming to Apple's ecosystem, with potential upgrades to its Watches, AirPods range, Beats headphones, AirTags, and more.

What else might we see making its way from the depths of Apple's R&D department next year? Stay tuned for all the latest Apple rumors. 

In the meantime, you can also find all the latest Apple gear in our guides to the best camera phones, the best tablets for photo editing, and the best photo-editing laptops.

If you’re an avid photo or video editor or simply find yourself spending more time at your computer, then investing in a standalone keyboard can be a huge quality-of-life upgrade. Laptop keyboards especially aren’t really suited for extended typing sessions since portability very often trumps comfort and ergonomics.

The Logitech MX Keys S is the follow-up to the MX Keys, a premium keyboard that boasted automated LED lighting, customizable keys and the ability to switch seamlessly between devices. Fortunately, you can expect all of that and more when it comes to the MX Keys S. And while we reckon it’s one of the best Mac keyboards on the market, it’s compatible with Windows, Android and various other operating systems too. 

The keyboard itself is available on its own or as part of the MX Keys S Combo we were sent in to review. But since we’ve already reviewed the excellent MX Master 3S, we’ve delivered our verdict on just the keyboard itself.

Logitech MX Keys S: Specifications

Size: (Full-size keyboard) H 131.63 x W 430.2 x D 20.5 mm / H 5.2 x W 16.9 x D 0.8 in
Weight: 810 g / 1.8 lbs
Battery: Rechargeable Li-Po (1500 mAh)
Battery life: Up to 10 days (up to 5 months with no backlighting)
Charging: USB-C
Connections: Bluetooth and Logi Bolt USB Receiver
Remembered devices: 3
Wireless range: 10 m / 33 ft
Build: Aluminum and plastic
System requirements: Windows 10 (or later), macOS 10.15 (or later), Linux, ChromeOS, iPadOS 14 (or later), Android 8.0 (or later)

Logitech MX Keys S: Key features

The Logitech MX Keys S comes with the Logi Bolt USB Receiver and a USB-A to USB-C charging cable. You can connect the keyboard via Bluetooth or, if you have an available USB-A port, you can simply plug in the Logi Bolt USB Receiver and connect it that way. A switch on the keyboard’s rear panel powers it on and off. 

It’s worth mentioning that the MX Keys S and MX Master 3S are only compatible with the Logi Bolt USB Receiver and not the previous generation’s USB Unifying Receiver, just as the MX Keys and MX Master 2S are not compatible with the Logi Bolt. This is worth considering if you have the older keyboard and mouse and are only planning on upgrading one of them, since you’d need to use both the Logi Bolt and Unifying Receiver. If you’re happy to just use Bluetooth, this isn’t an issue. 

If you decide to connect the keyboard to two or three devices, you can toggle between them using the device keys above ‘insert’, ‘home’ and ‘page up’. Other than the ‘escape’ key and trio of Bluetooth selection keys, you can customize the entire top row of keys to perform a huge range of functions. Do this by downloading the Logi Options+ app, which is only available on Windows 10 and macOS 11 (or later).

The keyboard is compatible with a range of operating systems including Windows, macOS, iPadOS and Android. Firmware updates can be easily managed via Logi Options+, but otherwise the keyboard is simply plug-and-play. We tested it on a Macbook, PC and iPad, and it paired via Bluetooth or Logi Bolt seamlessly.

Logitech MX Keys S: Design

The MX Keys S looks nearly identical to the original MX Keys. It’s a sleek, minimalist keyboard that will look right at home alongside a trendy computer or laptop, right next to that glass coffee mug and pot plant. If you moonlight as a gamer and prefer colorful neon lights and jumbo mechanical keys or simply prefer the tactile nature of typing using the latter, this probably isn’t the keyboard for you. 

It’s available in two colors, Graphite and Pale Gray. We reviewed the former and it looks really smart. Product photos make the keys look black, but they’re definitely a dark gray in person, arguably with a very subtle blue tint. From my experience, white keyboards are a dust and grime magnet, so it’s nice to have the Graphite option. 

If you’re keen to pick up more sustainable tech then the Graphite variant is definitely the way to go. Its plastics comprise 26% recycled materials, as opposed to the Pale Gray’s 11%. The case itself is made from low-carbon aluminum, which is largely responsible for the keyboard’s surprising heft. It weighs in at 810g, making this a nice, solid desktop peripheral, but something you’d want to avoid slinging in your rucksack on a regular basis.

On the keyboard’s rear plate you’ll find the on/off switch and a USB-C port. Just above the former on the keyboard’s face is an LED that glows red when the battery is low. As with the original MX Keys, we’re pleased to report that the keyboard still features dual Mac and Windows compatibility, with ‘opt/start’ and ‘cmd/alt’ buttons. Various buttons may also display a symbol on a white circular background on the left side of the key or a symbol on a clear circular background on the right side of the key. This is to differentiate between functions used on Mac or another operating system, respectively.

Some of the function keys have changed completely. Three keys that were all used to aid navigation with functions such as showing all open windows have been removed to make room for dictation, emojis and mute/unmute mic hotkeys. For students, this might be a boon, but for photographers and creatives, this does take away some pretty useful functionality, *crying face emoji*. 

The keys have a nice, velvety touch to them – much like the Apple Pencil 2 – but I’ve already made a few light marks on them without rigorous use and well-used keys such as the space bar are already beginning to get a bit shiny. Whether this is due to wear or oils from fingers, this is to be expected due to the materials used. And while I can’t comment on long-term use, overall the keyboard does feel very robust and well made. 

Logitech MX Keys S: Performance

The MX Keys S can be paired with up to three devices via Bluetooth or the Logi Bolt. I connected the keyboard to a Macbook, iPad and Windows laptop. Three keys on the keyboard allow you to switch seamlessly between devices. You can mix and match Bluetooth and Logi Bolt devices too, so I connected the Macbook and iPad via Bluetooth and used one of the Windows laptop’s USB-A ports to accommodate the Logi Bolt. Unfortunately, if you’re using a computer with USB-C ports then you’ll need to pick up a USB-C to USB-A Connector.

An easy-to-digest pictorial diagram on the box shows you how to connect devices, but it leaves out a couple of key pieces of information. Firstly, before you pair your second or third device, you need to hold down the corresponding device button for a couple of seconds before pairing. And secondly, when pairing via Bluetooth, you’ll be asked to input a code using the MX Keys S. Simple enough, but what isn’t communicated is that you need to hit return once you’ve inputted the code. Once connected, I had no problems switching between devices, which can prove extremely frustrating with many other Bluetooth peripherals. 

Typing on the MX Keys S will feel like a bit of a luxury if you’ve come from a standard laptop keyboard. In many ways the subtle, additional springiness reminds me of older Mac keyboards. It looks like a slick modern device, but the keys feel comparatively chunkier with a subtle spongy quality. Sure, it doesn’t feel like a mechanical keyboard, but it is comfortable. This is compounded by each key’s velvety texture and the subtle, rounded indents that guide your digits to the center of each key. I use an Apple keyboard – albeit one that’s a few years old now – and replacing it with the MX Keys S would be a definite step up in comfort alone.

The MX Keys S isn’t an ergonomic keyboard. It’s built to offer both comfort and good looks. Our MX Keys S Combo also includes the MX Palm Rest. And while its thin padding doesn’t seem particularly impressive out of the box, it does make the keyboard more comfortable and is a recommended addition if you anticipate plenty of typing.

When the keyboard arrived it was far from fully charged and even then, I managed to get several days of use out of it. And when I finally decided to charge it, it was still at 25%. Logitech quotes a 10-day battery life or five months with the LED backlight disabled, but as is often the case, this is a bit of a moot point. The battery life will vary depending on how rigorously you use the keyboard and how hard the backlight has to work. This is because the backlight intensifies in low light and fades in ample light. It also switches off when inactive, illuminating once you return your hands to the keyboard. Overall, it’s suitably bright without becoming a distraction and can be customized in the Logi Options+ app.

The Logi Options+ app is available for Mac and Windows, and allows you to customize the MX Keys S via an intuitive user interface. Here, you can alter the backlighting such as increasing or decreasing the duration it stays illuminated, when the keyboard is inactive, or switching it off entirely. You can view the devices that are currently connected to the keyboard and you can access a general settings menu, with features such as searching for firmware updates and backing up your keyboard’s settings. 

The main reason to download Logi Options+ is to set up the 17 customizable keys. I mentioned earlier that the new emoji button isn’t exactly a boon for photographers, but you can customize it to perform one of many options, such as minimize a window or copy. You can even assign keys to applications, so you can quickly access photo-centric software such as Adobe Photoshop CC or Affinity Photo 2 with the tap of a button. Using Logi Options+ couldn't be simpler, but it is a shame more buttons aren't able to be customized.

The app’s most interesting feature is its ability to create Smart Actions, something that wasn't available on the original MX Keys. You tell Logi Options+ what you want the Smart Action to do, assign it to one of the customizable buttons and use that button to initiate a single action or sequence of actions. You begin by adding a trigger – in this case the emoji button – and then one or more actions. I selected an application, Photoshop, and browsed a dropdown list of available functions, before settling on undo. 

You can even set up a hotkey for your choice of text, which is extremely useful if you regularly send identical emails to clients; or record a sequence of keystrokes and much more. Smart Actions have their own tab in Logi Options+, so you can make as many as you like and then assign them to keys as and when you need to. This is a neat way to maximize your workflow efficiency. 

Key customizations and Smart Actions are specific to the device with Logi Options+ installed. This means if you set the emoji key to undo on your Macbook, it will still operate as the emoji button on your Windows computer. Unfortunately, Logi Options+ is only available on Windows and macOS, so you cannot customize the keyboard for your Android device or iPad. 

Logitech MX Keys S: Verdict

If you already own the original MX Keys then you may struggle to justify upgrading unless you absolutely have to have the new Smart Actions. But if you’re sick of tapping against your standard laptop keyboard and are looking for a more premium option, then the MX Keys S will prove a familiar luxury. It’ll look great on a sleek minimalist desktop while providing a comfortable – if not entirely ergonomic – typing experience. And if you’ve never delved into the world of keyboard customization, Logi Options+ makes tweaking the MX Keys S a cinch. 

It’s just a shame there aren’t more customizable keys or a Logi Options+ app for iPad and Android. The automated LED lights are a nice quality of life addition and once you’ve paired up to three devices via Logi Bolt or Bluetooth, switching between them is seamless. The fact that Logi Bolt peripherals don’t work with the previous generation’s Unifying Receiver could be a turn-off for existing Master Series users and it’s a shame the palm rest isn't included as standard, but overall, this is a nice keyboard that will provide a significant upgrade for most users.

Read more: Find out about other graphic tablets and pen display options in our guide for the best drawing tablet, or check out the best Wacom tablets

In an earlier column, I shared a circular image of the Tokyo skyline, taken from the top of the Tokyo Skytree in 2016. Several weeks later I was experimenting with an iPad Pro and Apple Pencil, and seeing how I could integrate them into my workflow. I grabbed the circular Tokyo image as it was near the top of the Recent Images folder: I simply needed an image to practise painting on with the brush tools. Using the Color Blending Mode, I started coloring in Tokyo as if it was tinted like an old photograph. 

Being able to zoom in and out with simple finger gestures was an effortlessly joyful creative process. It soon became meditative, and I can understand why the coloring-in books for mindfulness that were the craze a few years ago were so popular. It was therapeutic. Zooming out to see the enormity of the Tokyo skyline revealed just how much there was to color in, but it was an enjoyable process, so I decided to continue and commit to coloring in the whole city. 

Zooming and panning to color in buildings, windows, balconies, fire escapes, air-conditioning vents and so on forced me to explore the city and the photograph with a depth I’ve never really experienced before. It was a really interesting way to spend a lot of time with a photograph – and the more time I spent in this ‘space’, the more intimate it became. I started to get to know the city and explore it in an exciting way. It also stimulated my imagination, and I was soon imagining stories from the little vignettes on my screen. 

I decided to take snapshots of these little vignettes and represent them as single images in their own right. This image is one of about 30. These are extreme crops, and I wanted to make A2 prints, so I decided to commit to the rough and ready vibe and exaggerated this in Camera Raw: rather than trying to get rid of artifacts and grain, I amplified them. I added more grain, to make the images really gritty, contrasting, edgy and garishly colorful.

While they look great as A2 prints, I am planning to make them into a small 32-page ’zine in the spirit of the old fanzines – full-bleed with a homemade gritty aesthetic, which I think will suit the set of pictures and imagined stories. 

• Other articles in the Art of Seeing series

Read more:
• The 50 best photographers ever
• 100 best photography quotes from famous photographers
• The best coffee-table books on photography

When many of us first invested in our cameras, it was with the intention of taking photos of loved ones. But in this issue’s lead feature, James Paterson encourages you to stick at it and, by following his top tips, your casual snaps of the kids can become carefully considered portraits. 

Our apprentice heads into the deep, dark woods of Dartmoor with fine art landscape photographer Neil Burnell to capture atmospheric images of the ancient oak forest of Wistman’s Wood, among other mysterious woodlands. 

In our Gear section, we give the N-Photo verdict on the new Nikon Z f, a full-frame camera that’s full of cutting-edge tech (boasting some features that even the range-topping Z 8 and Z 9 can’t match), all wrapped up in a stunning retro body reminiscent of classic film Nikons of yesteryear. We also put eight super-telephoto zooms that are perfect for sports and wildlife through their paces in our Big Test. 

In our Skills section, we show you how to take great plant portraits, transform scenic shots with a mono makeover, shoot minimalist seascapes and light-paint a landscape, among other great projects. 

N-Photo: The Nikon Magazine is a monthly magazine that's written by Nikon enthusiasts for Nikon enthusiasts, you can be sure that all the content is 100% relevant to you! So for the best Nikon-focused news, reviews, projects, and a whole lot more, subscribe to N-Photo today – with our unmissable subs deal!

Check out our latest subscription offer!

Where to find N-Photo magazine

So rush down to your newsagent today. Or ever better, why not subscribe with this fantastic deal  to a print edition, and have the magazine delivered to your door every month?

Alternatively, we have a number of different digital options available, including:

• Apple app (for iPad or iPhone)

• Zinio app (multi-platform app for desktop or smartphone)

• Pocket Mags (for Android devices)

• Readly (all-you-can-eat digital magazine subscription service)

If you wanted a printed version of any of our most recent issues we have a selection of back issues to choose from in our online store.

Subscription deals: Our guide to the best photo magazines

Apple has introduced a new iteration of its Apple Pencil that is easier on the wallet yet still provides the same core experience.   

The new Apple Pencil will bring more choice and value to the existing lineup that currently consists of the 1st and 2nd generations. The new Apple Pencil is not the 3rd generation, however; it is specified as the Apple Pencil (USB-C) due to its new way of charging. The new pencil will be a more affordable alternative, removing some features that may not be required by the everyday user while keeping many others. 

Costing $50 less than the 2nd generation in the US, the new Apple Pencil gives a more affordable option while still being compatible with the best iPads.  

The Apple pencil has become a staple when buying a new iPad, enabling easy note-taking as well as sketching on the go. Up until now, however, it has included a lot of technology that is only really required by artists. 

The new Apple Pencil (USB-C) has removed a few of these features, such as pressure sensitivity and double-tap gesture, for the everyday user that requires a simpler stylus. You can get a better look at the included features from the graphic below. 

Simpler does not mean simple in this case, though, as it still boasts an array of functions that make it a premium stylus. According to Apple: "with pixel-perfect accuracy, low latency, and tilt sensitivity, the new Apple Pencil is ideal for note-taking, sketching, journaling, and more". When the pencil is used with M2 iPad models it also supports hover, enabling more accuracy when sketching or illustrating. 

As expected from Apple products, the new Pencil is a sleek-looking gadget designed to be both comfortable to use and easy to look at. Much like the 2nd generation it is designed with a matte finish and a flat side that magnetically attaches to the side of an iPad for storage. 

The name Apple Pencil (USB-C) provides an insight into another change as, instead of wireless charging like the 2nd generation, it charges by USB-C via a concealed port. Connecting with a USB-C cable will enable both pairing and charging, and while the pencil is magnetically attached to the iPad it enters a sleep mode that preserves battery life.

Apple states that, "The new Apple Pencil is compatible with all iPad models with a USB-C port, including iPad (10th generation), iPad Air (4th and 5th generations), iPad Pro 11-inch (1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th generations), iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th generations), and iPad mini (6th generation)."

Adding a third, more affordable pencil to the lineup is a smart move by Apple, as not everyone needs the bells and whistles included in the 2nd generation. Artists who rely on pressure sensitivity are still better off with it, but if you're an iPad user who wishes to take notes and use the accuracy of a stylus over a finger then the new pencil will most likely be the best iPad stylus for you. 

The new Apple Pencil will be available to purchase in early November for $79 / £79 / AU$139. 

See our guides on the best iPad for students, the best iPad for photo editing, and the best iPad alternatives to find the best tablet for you.  

Ever since Apple stopped including chargers in the box with purchases of new iPhones, and then every other phone manufacturer followed suit, more and more people need to ask the question of what is the best charger.

However, by Apple taking away the charger, it wasn’t conceding that its own chargers are not worth having, but you should only need to buy them if necessary, saving huge amounts of electrical waste being dumped. Apple still would very much like you to buy one of its chargers, and the Apple 20W charger is its latest.

The plug comes in most countries' plug configurations, and although there are slight design differences, the speed and technology are the same in all versions of the Apple 20W charger, the one I am testing is the UK Type-G plug.

Apple 20W Charger: Specifications

Apple 20W Charger: Key Features

The Apple 20W is pretty much as basic of a charger as they come. But that is no bad thing, as simplicity is also one of its strong suits. The charger has a single port that outputs 20W of power, which will satisfy the charging needs of all iPhone models, as well as Apple’s AirPods, iPads, and the Apple Watch. 

The newer iPhone 15 models support up to 27W of charging, so you can eke out a slightly faster charge by using another more powerful charger, but Apple claims that an iPhone can charge up to 50 percent in 30 minutes.

Apple 20W Charger: Build & Handling

The Apple 20W charger is very small and compact. In the UK the charger comes complete with a set of folding pins for travel so you don’t scratch your other devices in your bag or damage the prongs, but these are missing from the US version, which is unusual as Apple uses folding prongs on a lot of its other chargers. 

Like all Apple chargers, the charger is a shiny white minimalist cube devoid of any branding, with two small divots on either side to help with pulling it out of the plug socket. On the US version of the plug, the USB-C is at the back and is easy to access, while on the UK version, it sits underneath, which is much less handy.

Apple 20W Charger: Performance

With only one power port, there aren’t any complicated maps of different outputs to remember, the charger’s single port simply just outputs as much power as your device can handle up until its 20W limit. In testing this managed to charge my iPhone 14 Pro to 50% in around 30-35 minutes, which is about spot on for Apple’s claims, it then took just under two hours to charge the device to full power.

The charger is not really powerful enough to charge more demanding devices, while it will charge laptops like the Apple MacBook Air while powered down, during use, the laptop will likely drain its battery faster than this 20W can recharge it.

Apple 20W Charger: Verdict

The Apple 20W power adapter appeals to Apple enthusiasts with its sleek and minimalist design, seamlessly blending with your existing collection of Apple chargers and devices. While other power adapters in the market may surpass the Apple 20W charger in terms of power output or the ability to charge multiple devices simultaneously, none can rival the iconic design that Apple's charger boasts.

Although the 20W output falls slightly short of the maximum charging capacity of modern Apple devices, it remains more than sufficient to charge your iPhone, AirPods, or iPad quickly and efficiently.

Read more: check out our top picks for the best iPhone charger, or for something more powerful, check out our guide to the best GaN charger.

The leaves are turning russet shades, the days are getting shorter and golden ‘hours’ longer, and crisp nights are followed by atmospheric misty mornings. The most photogenic season of them all is here, so we’ve persuaded landscape pro Mark Bauer to share his top 20 tips for capturing the colours of autumn.

With no fewer than eight cameras now in the Nikon Z-series range, covering everything from beginner-friendly videocentric models to fully pro workhorses – and everything in-between – it’s a fair bet that your next Nikon will come sans-mirror, so we’ve compared the current range to see which is best for you (and we also have the four remaining F-mount Nikons still in production covered, for all you DSLR stalwarts). We also put Nikon’s new Z 70-180mm f/2.8 fast budget tele-zoom through its paces. 

Elsewhere, our Apprentice heads to the beautiful Cornish coast for a portrait shoot with a difference, taking fantastical images of figures in the landscape with pro photographer Paul David Smith. 

We speak with Scottish wildlife and landscape photographer, Nikon Creator and YouTube star Kim Grant about her photo journey in the N-Photo interview.

Plus we have a mix of projects for you to try your hand at in this issue – capturing butterflies, balloons and exposure-blended landscapes.

N-Photo: The Nikon Magazine is a monthly magazine that's written by Nikon enthusiasts for Nikon enthusiasts, you can be sure that all the content is 100% relevant to you! So for the best Nikon-focused news, reviews, projects, and a whole lot more, subscribe to N-Photo today – with our unmissable subs deal!

Check out our latest subscription offer!

Where to find N-Photo magazine

So rush down to your newsagent today. Or ever better, why not subscribe with this fantastic deal  to a print edition, and have the magazine delivered to your door every month?

Alternatively, we have a number of different digital options available, including:

• Apple app (for iPad or iPhone)

• Zinio app (multi-platform app for desktop or smartphone)

• Pocket Mags (for Android devices)

• Readly (all-you-can-eat digital magazine subscription service)

If you wanted a printed version of any of our most recent issues we have a selection of back issues to choose from in our online store.

Subscription deals: Our guide to the best photo magazines

Apple is gearing up for one of its most exciting app launches to date with Procreate Dreams. Due to arrive exclusively in the Apple Store on November 22, Procreate Dreams has been coined the software that will change animation forever. Building on the popular design and illustration app, Procreate, Procreate Dreams is designed to enable beginners to professionals to enter the world of animation and video editing with an intuitive, affordable and user-friendly app. 

Procreate Dreams will be available for iPad and is designed so that anyone can animate, regardless of whether you have experience in the field. For video editors and content creators, this is poised to be a massive game-changer when it comes to creative video editing as it’ll be possible to add animations to preexisting video files without having to pay for an external animator. 

• Check out the best cameras for filmmaking perfect for professionals needing to shoot high-quality content

For independent video editors, Procreate will open a whole new world of editing possibilities. As well as being a powerful animation tool, you will also be able to import video files up to 8K 120fps to work with. Touch controls enable users to easily highlight a sequence or frame, drag and drop into the timeline and set up complex keyframes. By making the interface so intuitive, it is hoped users will fall in love with their craft all over again and get lost in the magic of creating. 

Unlike some of the best video editing software, there is no buffering so you can edit in real time and see your changes straight away. Using ‘performance controls’ Procreate Dreams lets you affect live video using finger gestures to focus and refocus while working. Another big advantage to Procreate Dreams is you can directly paint over video frames to add cool illustrated animations which are perfect for music videos, social content or impactful video stings. Even if you’re not an advanced illustrator, we have a hunch that people will eventually start to sell effects and design packages you can import and place over videos to give them an extra flair. 

For multi-faceted creatives who already use Procreate, the two apps are designed to work seamlessly together, If you have previous illustrations you want to animate, you can import directly into Dreams and then bring your still image to life with motion effects and sounds. While audio editing is possible in-app, you can’t create audio however, you can use Garage Band if you need to and then import the audio file. 

While Procreate Dreams may at first seem to be geared more towards pure animation, its ability to handle high-res video files makes it a seriously powerful video editing tool for editors looking to get more creative. Whether you shoot with one of the best 8K or 6K cameras or perhaps even one of the best mirrorless cameras, you can transform your footage in a few easy taps with Procreate Dreams. 

Also check out our guide the different iPad generations

The Apple Wonderlust event – the launch of the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro – is very much in view, as the world's biggest company readies its latest flagship product.

The Wonderlust launch event, Tuesday, September 12 at 10 am (Pacific Time) / 1 pm (EDT) / 6 pm (UK) / 3 am Wed (AUS), preceded by the last-minute rumors was they were still flooding in. 

• Check out my opinion on the massive boost to iCloud
• Apple talks a lot about focal lengths – is that good for us all?

You can read them all here, and the official Apple YouTube feed will be in the box below to confirm them when the time comes – so that we can all follow along with the big announcements from Apple HQ in Cupertino, California.

We've been tracking all the rumors on our iPhone 15 – everything we know so far page, but the highlights are:

• iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are expected, as last time – rumours of an 'Ultra' have all but vanished.

• All new iPhones to get USB-C charging sockets – the death of Lightning

• iPhone 15 is expected to get 48-megapixel camera (as seen on iPhone 14 Pro), but possibly a newer sensor.

• iPhone 15 to get the "dynamic island" (as on iPhone 14 Pro) instead of the notch.

• iPhone 15 Pro to get a titanium frame

• iPhone 15 Pro Max (but not smaller pro) to get a variable periscope-style zoom lens

• iPhone 15 colors tipped to be Black, White, Light Yellow, Light Blue, Orange, Coral Pink

• iPhone 15 Pro colors tipped as White, Space Black, Grey, Blue

• iPhone 15 & 15 Pro series will have slightly more rounded edges (not all the. way iPhone 11).

• Rumored delays of up to 4 weeks on the iPhone 15 Pro Max may now be solved

• iPhone 15 price expected to remain the same as the iPhone 14, iPhone 15 Pro expected to cost more than its predecessor.

Perhaps these phones will come out FAST?

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple Stores the world over will be making their updates on the night after the Apple event. That suggests they'll be on sale almost immediately, rather than the 10-14 day wait experienced in the past.

That said, in another tweet on Friday 8th he challenged a MacRumors report that Apple Retail Staff had been drilled to recommend USB-C charging accessories (which, of course, they inevitably will be). Gurman said that the training materials for this hadn't gone out.

MacRumors also says that all four phones will be launched at once, with possible delays for the Pro models all cleared up, and their suggested retail (or at least pre-order) day is September 15th – the Friday after the event.

Oh, and while we shouldn't expect it on Tuesday, it now seems – according to a post be Weibo – that there will be a new iPad Air, perhaps as soon as October (before the holiday season).

Tweet appears to confirm look of iPhone 15 Pro models

Is this the iPhone 15 Pro? X (formerly Twitter) user posted images which were seen on Weibo, and reposted by @Zovac_X. They were apparently taken by a worker at FoxConn, who manufactures products for Apple.

The tweeter poses a good question. Real or fake...? It has to be said the pic seems to confirm the rumors – the softer edges, the titanium look. The 'blue' seems a bit more like the old purple though?

Our friends at T3 have been pondering which of the rumored iPhone 15s will represent the better value and, this morning, with price rises of $100 and $200 respectively now being touted by Mark Gurman for the smaller and larger Pro models.

Those price rises make some sense – inflation has meant the iPhone has slid in price in real terms by more than $200, so some might say fair enough but not everyone!

Another interesting tidbit to emerge over the weekend is something of a twitterstorm (X-storm?) about the retention of 60Hz refresh on the 'standard' iPhone 15, which might be getting a better camera. The question must be will any of these angry tweeters be opting for anything less than the top model? Whatever the case, it seems they strongly feel Apple should let everyone experience the ProMotion feature in some tech altruism. 

Yet another interesting leak doing the rounds today – that there will be four sub-events for media members attending the Apple launch in person. This would normally mean:

1) iPhone 15 series
2) iPhone 15 Pro series
3) Apple Watch 9 – new processor expected here
4) AirPods

It's not unreasonable, given a whole separate briefing, that there might be something more than just new boxes with USB-C sockets for the AirPods. In a related (and not especially photographic, we admit) note, there have long been rumored of colorful AirPod Max big headphones. And we've seen others making similar speculations.

The iPhone 15 Pro Max is going to be lighter – but not as much lighter as some expected – according to Forbes and MacRumors. Oh, it's going to be fatter too!

Specifically the standard iPhone 15 will weight 172g, one 1 gram up on last year, and be 7.8mm thick, but the iPhone 15 Pro will be 188g, shaving 18g from its predecessor and the Pro Max 221g rather than the 240g. That's noticeable, but not as much as Mark Gurman had suggested.

The thickness of the pro models, though, could add almost half a millimeter to the 7.85mm of the iPhone 14 Pro – that's a noticable amount. We're wondering, though, whether it'll be offset by less protrusion of the lenses.

Now you might think that creating special animations just to encourage people to click on them – and to talk about the magic of clicking on them – is on the verge of spamming. We couldn't possibly comment but we can confirm that, once again, Twitter X has done a deal with Apple for just such an event-specific emoji when you 'Like' news of the event.

If you weren't convinced something was about to happen, how's this? The official Apple Store site is now offline with the traditional "Be Right Back" message in advance of today's iPhone 15 launch.

Not to criticise the "journalists" at the British tabloid The Daily Mail, but they seem to have spectacularly misunderstood Apple's launch cycle, reporting that "Apple Store website CRASHES ahead of the iPhone 15 launch event."

Of course the idiocy this headline suggests isn't actually the case – it's more likely shameless clickbait. If the Mail is running deliberately misleading stories about Apple the company can consider itself elevated to the status of royalty!

What is Grade 5 titanium?

The iPhone 15 Pro will (probably) be made of grade 5 titanium. This grade is also known on production floors as Ti-6Al-4V, or just '4-6,' (which, oddly, doesn't have a 5 in it!) 

This is the most common kind of titanium alloy, widely used because it has very high strength and low ductility – that means it can be stretched or hammered thin without breaking. Grade 5 titanium, an alloy, has a higher tensile strength than pure titanium and is more scratch-resistant than Grade 2.

According to metals company Ulbrich, Grade 5 is a popular choice, and has 90% titanium, 6% aluminium and 4% vanadium. The latter is often used in alloys for toughness and shock resistance.

OK, very excited now as the video is live – doing some singing and animation. Don't forget to click the play button above on the live video window. Get comfortable folks – the phone might not be the first thing Apple want to talk about!

Not a total surprise, but the emotional kick off to the video is centering on the SOS satellite rescue and Apple Watch health alerts of previous generations and the people who have celebrated birthdays they might otherwise not have. Shift to uplifting tone. Wonder what's next...

Ah, now we can see Apple Park in what is actually a pre-record. Tim Cook is excited about the ways we use iPhone everyday, but is going to start with Mac updates.

He even quoted our friends at Tom's Guide about how lovely the MacBook Air 15 was.

Plus he's talking about what developers are doing with the Apple Vision Pro. Although no actual specifics. Or an actual launch date, beyond 'early next year'.

Apple Watch first. If this were live and not a carefully curated video, the phone-obsessed majority of the audience might audibly groan at this point. OK, it seems this is going to be an Apple Silicon discussion, with the predicted S9 chip.

18-hour battery life with a more powerful neural engine. Not actually that exciting, is it, even though Siri is now processing on-device.

it does mean you'll be able to ask Siri your health data because it's secure and on-device, though only 'later this year'.

Watch OS10 will also get Namedrop to share contact data, and the ability to ping your iPhone using precision finding (which appears to confirm a prediction about the iPhone location services too). Find My is clearly getting a lot of work.

New display can go to a lower as well as higher brightness – just one nit – so it can't embarrass you at the cinema!

The watch is also getting a single hand finger gesture - you double-tap your finger against your thumb and it can feel it (something learned from the Vision Pro research?)

Tim is back and he is talking about Apple's environmental goals. Oh, and a video. Interestingly there is a mention of increased water shipping rather than air freight – will the iPhone come slowly?

A lot of promises on Apple Watch Series 9 which Apple say is a Carbon Neutral - and certified as so. There is a logo to that effect. Seems at the same exciting, it's also a bit of a tricky thing to say just before you announce a Phone which may well not do so well!

On the same front, leather is out for watch bands and, probably, phone cases. We've seen hints about this elsewhere – a big opportunity for phone case makers serving less vegetarian customers?

Apple Watch Ultra – Ultra 2 – is getting the new S9 chip, a new brighter display – 3,000 nits – and the ability to connect Bluetooth cycling accessories. Lot of swooping drone shots near the coast. Battery life will stay the same, but the environment is getting a nod with 100% recycled materials and (if you choose the right loop) it'll also get Apple's new Carbon Neutral logo.

OK, "Now let's talk about iPhone..." :)

iPhone 15 is here, so the 1,600 nits OLED with 2,000 nits peak is confirmed, as is the dynamic island. New tough glass, water and dust resistance.

Interestingly Apple are talking about holding value (they know it's pricey!)

The new Camera for the dual-camera iPhone 15 is confirmed as 48-megapixels – (though they'll all be reduced to 24-megapixels in processing), 26mm focal length f/1.6. 

The new 48-megapixel sensor allows for a 12-megapixel 2-times zoom mode, a 2x button will appear in the camera. In video mode the pinch-zoom is smooth.

Portrait mode using a depth map will happen automatically – no need to choose portrait mode. The depth map and focus control data will be saved with the image and you can choose later. Or switch focus subject after... hmmm... that rings a bell. Lytro anyone? Here, though, it'll be a software choosing not to apply blurring!

Find your friends in a crowd (assuming they're using an Apple device). Machine learning driven background noise filtering is also being discussed. Roadside assistance (in America with AAA, anyway) is being added to satellite.

USB-C – without a single mention of the European Union mandate – is being given a big promo now by team Apple!

Tim is back – it's time to talk Pro!

Looks nice. Titanium confirmed and we're hearing a lot about how strong it is. Colors confirmed too (the dark blue being the 'interesting' one).

Talking Apple's A17 Pro CPU is impressive – more about the neural engine which finally means better auto-correct and, apparently, better at removing images from backgrounds. ProRes codec is on the chip too and a USB controller is on chip for fast transfer. 10Gb per second.

Energy efficiency, mesh shading and a ray tracing accelerator meaning Apple is shamelessly thinking of games!

Here's a lovely shot of the color choices while the games are being shown!

Joswiak's camera summary says there are effectively 7 lenses in the pocket, though the phone still seems to have 3 cameras!

Ok - predictions about the Pro and Pro Max's periscope zoom seem to have been very accurate.

Apple are also suggesting immediate transfer of RAW images direct to Mac, to treat the phone as a live studio.

We're being told the main camera has a bigger sensor and a coating to prevent lens flare, though it's still 48 megapixels.

The tele will be 120 mm EFL (5x) 

Price-wise $1199 with 256GB – no 128GB option for the iPhone Pro Max (so price hike not so bad after all).

Pre-order starts on Friday, shipping on the 22nd September.

You can create 3D 'spatial video' with the two lenses and share them with anyone with an Apple Vision Pro. Er...

Finally, iCloud is going to get some larger storage options than 2TB! Can't say how long I've been waiting for that (oh yes I can).

Now, back to Tim... (or 'It's all over' in other words!)

If you're looking for a less fruity iPad Pro - one that's more about Windows than iOS - then Robo & Kala's stunning 2-in-1 might be the alternative you've been looking for. It's powered with an ARM processor - the same energy-efficient tech that Apple Silicon is built with, gifting it silent operation and great battery life. The keyboard and pen attachments are magnetic – more in common with the iPad Pro. Oh, and the body is an elegant CNC unibody style. Then again, it has two USB-C ports, lets you upgrade the storage, and runs a full desktop operating system. Now that's a bit different!

Actually, the OS gives it a bit more in common with the Microsoft Surface, which is also available in energy-efficient ARM-based form with detachable keyboard but, like this device, runs Windows 11. We were very impressed with that, which seems to have wiped away the early concerns about running Windows on ARM which have lingered online but should now be consigned to the bin of history. 

Robo & Kala haven't been around long, but they seem determined to use this modern tech to break traditional boundaries, perhaps making a name for themselves as they shatter Apple's tablet-OS-for-tablets approach. We'll explore whether that's a good idea as we go (spoiler – it probably is), but we also need to know if the Robo & Kala 2–in–1, or Robo&kala as they write it on the case, is the right choice. It'd also be nice if they'd given it an actual name, but you can't have everything. Let's see how close we do get...

Specifications

Processor: Snapdragon 8cx Gen3 chip with 8 cores (4 + 4 efficiency)
Ports: 2x USB-C 3.2 (DP)
RAM: 16GB
SSD: 512GB
Screen: 12.6-inch 
Resolution: 2560 x 1600 px (16:10 OLED) 98% DCI-P3
Battery: 'up to' 20 hours / 41.4Wh
Networking: Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2
Cameras: 13 megapixel rear (4K video), 5MP front (1080P), 1MP infrared face unlock
Dimensions: 7.3mm 
Weight: Tablet only: 690g

Key Features

This is a true 2-in-1 laptop and tablet running Windows 11 on ARM. It's desktop mode works with a color-matched keyboard and trackpad attachment (which, at least at first, is being bundled free via Amazon) and a kickstand. That kickstand can also be used alone, with strong hinges and a good range of movement.

Two USB-C ports allow for charging via the included 65W charger at the same time as connecting to a peripheral, while the optional pencil and keyboard need only magnets to be attached (and don't even need to be attached) making the OLED display very useful around the home and office. There are also front and back cameras for full tablet duties, and face unlock. Oh, and being a proper computer the USB-C ports are DisplayPort, so you can just plug into a monitor and start using it too.

Build and handling

Our device arrived in a few separate boxes; the keyboard, tablet, a lovely case, and a pen. These reflect the alternate bundles on offer, and perhaps we were lucky to get the whole set, but one thing that was apparent from the packaging was the height of Robo&kala's aspiration. White boxes, simple clean design, film wraps, need I say more?

Unlike the iPad, though, this tablet can stand up on its own thanks to the kickstand which allows the device to be positioned at a laptop-like angle all the way around to an angled notepad. That goes well with the pencil which works straight out of the box and is clearly inspired by the Apple Pencil 2 – no bad thing. 

The chassis is a rich green aluminium color and I simply cannot understate how good it looks (though it is a fingerprint magnet, so keep a cloth nearby!) The edges reveal drilled-hole speakers in the gorgeous metallic green build. These come around the 12.6-inch AMOLED display and its thin bezel, and the kickstand closes flat against the back with a hinge at either end. Admittedly the stand edge is so thin because it is metal right to the edge, so there is a risk of scratching, but it seems OK.

Aside from acting as a laptop, tablet, or notebook, the device offers an extra trick via a 'separation mode' in which the keyboard's Bluetooth keeps it working remotely from the tablet. Imagine being able to plug into a display system but take the keyboard to the meeting table? It's a great idea, and very handy, though it'd be better if the keyboard didn't disconnect to save battery so readily and then take a few seconds to relink.

Display

The OLED screen's 600-nit brightness is a noticeable strength of the device and colors are rich and easily seen in normal light. The resolution is such that Windows displays natively at 200%, which means it looks phenomenal compared to the grainy pixelation on a typical monitor. The rounded corners also look good, though they do hide a few pixels.

When using the very Apple-like pencil, the point of interaction seems to follow reasonably smoothly, and the 4,096 pressure levels can be used in different ways via Windows Pen setup. Similarly, the screen seems to detect fingers naturally and the small bezel or sensible error rejection means that using it handheld becomes second nature quickly.

Camera

As with most tablets, you won't be holding a phone replacement in your hand (even the iPad Pro has one fewer camera than the iPhone Pro), but the main camera certainly has the ability to capture usable images in adequate light or to perform other duties like scanning QR codes.

The cameras are both flat against the shell of the device which makes it slip easily into the case and makes them easy to wipe clean (and, to be fair, easy to get finger grease on the selfie/conferencing camera).

Admittedly the face unlock feature does like to be looking straight at you, and blinks agressively at you with a red LED which can be a little annoying. Occasionally I accidentally lifted the tablet from the keyboard in the process of unlocking, but it is all resolved in a moment, and you don't have to use it after all.

Performance

In benchmark testing the Robo & Kala wouldn't be expected to perform faster than high-end computers, but in real-world use the machine blasts through day-to-day tasks like web browsing, file management and the like. Even when we try more demanding tools like Photoshop it works.

Given the size of the machine, that is actually a little difficult to get your head around. The idea that this can be a 'proper' computer is almost incomprehensible. The fact it's doing so – and looking so good doing it – in a world Apple seem to want customers to fork out for a phone, laptop, AND a tablet ought to be a real worry for team Cupertino!

Putting it into numbers it's also apparent that, compared to the Surface Pro 9 or a Dell XPS 13 with an Intel processor, that there is little in it, especially in the multi-core tests.

It's also worth pointing out that even though Robo & Kala's battery claim of 20 hours is wildly over the top it's still possible to get around half that which is excellent. This is where the ARM chip's efficiency outlasts ordinary laptops and this difference is significantly more noticeable than benchmarks for many. 

Robo & Kala for photographers

Of course the built-in cameras aren't really the most exciting aspect of the device for serious photographers – what is more interesting is the chance to take control of your favorite software in as many ways as possible. In that regard a lightweight tablet with a bright screen, a pressure-sensitive pen and a long battery life are appealing, before you even throw in the prospect of a full grown-up operating system and the software choice that brings with it.

I tried Photoshop – real Photoshop, which works on ARM – and it seemed reasonably snappy to me, though I could perceive a hint of a lag which I simply don't on a MacBook. This was especially true with the pencil, but it is still handy, and the button can be used to switch from, say, draw and erase.

In contrast to the world of Apple, it has to be said that Windows on ARM still has a few little pauses. On a fanless machine with silent file storage, they can be somewhat disconcerting, but the trade-off is that you have access to a full file system – you can plug in external storage, copy files over and do with them what you will. The screen's resolution is also well-suited to camera remote control apps.

It's also true that a good number of my Adobe apps weren't available in ARM-friendly form; no Premiere Pro, for example. 

Overall verdict

Looking gorgeous and so sensibly priced, with so much to be said for it in terms of flexibility it's hard to imagine why this shouldn't make it to everyone's shortlist. Perhaps only video editors – who can get Final Cut on the iPad Pro might want to skip this.

Admittedly we encountered a few little glitches that aren't part of the tablet experience for Apple loyalists, but in those instances, we were doing things beyond iOS's abilities anyway.

Similarly there area couple of things the pricier Surface Pro has which would be nice here, not least the rather nice dual-magnet keyboard. Typing on the Robo & Kala is still pretty easy as the keys have about 1.3mm travel, but the keys are resolutely level with the surface. The trackpad is fine, too, though perhaps slightly uneven (easier to press at the bottom). Other devices also offer cellular data connections which would be a nice option to have even if, to be honest, you're usually better off using your phone's hotspot.

Mostly, though, the Robo & Kala just feels like a premium product. It feels good in the hand, the kickstand is tough (but not too tough), the backlighting on the keypad doesn't leak round the keys and they're good to type on. Neither laptop mode nor tablet feel like a compromise, and Windows seems well able to handle both.

When weighed against the investment, this is the best Windows on ARM device out there but, more than that, this should be a real fright for Apple too. It is a powerful, adaptable portable computing device that still manages to feel premium in nearly all the right places without being wallet-busting. It serves to elevate my view of Windows as a platform.

This isn't the only device that should have the iPad quaking in its boots – check our review of the Lenovo Tab Extreme as well as our guides to the best iPad alternatives, the best Android tablets, and the best iPads.

As the harsh light of summer begins to subside, there’s never a better time of year to get out and about with your camera to shoot the great outdoors. In this issue’s lead feature, we’ve collated 100 tips to help you get the best images of everything the natural world has to offer, including landscapes, wildlife, astro, macro and plants and flowers. 

We treat our apprentice to a day out at the Gigrin Farm red kite feeding centre in Wales, as she learns to shoot these incredible raptors as they swoop at dizzy speeds to feed on the wing. 

In our Big Test, we try a selection of square slot-in filter systems, beloved of landscape photographers, and we test Sigma’s 16mm f/1.4 DC CN | C wide-angle lens for crop-sensor DX Z-mount Nikons. 

Elsewhere, we reveal how there’s more to the battery that powers your Nikon than meets the eye; speak with a fine-art photographer about shooting mannequins in infrared; reveal the results of the ‘low light’ round of our NPOTY competition (where there’s a Nikon Z 9 up for grabs, no less!); and bring you our usual selection of photo shooting and editing projects to try your hand at.

N-Photo: The Nikon Magazine is a monthly magazine that's written by Nikon enthusiasts for Nikon enthusiasts, you can be sure that all the content is 100% relevant to you! So for the best Nikon-focused news, reviews, projects, and a whole lot more, subscribe to N-Photo today – with our unmissable subs deal!

Check out our latest subscription offer!

Where to find N-Photo magazine

So rush down to your newsagent today. Or ever better, why not subscribe with this fantastic deal  to a print edition, and have the magazine delivered to your door every month?

Alternatively, we have a number of different digital options available, including:

• Apple app (for iPad or iPhone)

• Zinio app (multi-platform app for desktop or smartphone)

• Pocket Mags (for Android devices)

• Readly (all-you-can-eat digital magazine subscription service)

If you wanted a printed version of any of our most recent issues we have a selection of back issues to choose from in our online store.

Subscription deals: Our guide to the best photo magazines

Taking the fight to Samsung and its Tab S8 Ultra and S9 Ultra, the huge-screened Lenovo Tab Extreme has a secret weapon no other Android tablet can match: an excellent, Apple-grade keyboard dock. 

iPads and their Magic Keyboards have kept Android tabs at bay when it comes to productivity, and neither Samsung or its fellow Android tab makers could touch Apple on that front until now. But the Extreme is more than just a stellar optional accessory.

Lenovo's flagship tablet has a giant 14.5-inch Super AMOLED screen, MediaTek Dimensity 9000 power, and a thin chassis, as well as pen support and not one, but two USB-C ports. 

The Tab Extreme also takes advantage of a slew of new tablet software for Android, including the powerful LumaFusion for video edits, Concepts for sketching and mind mapping, and Goodnotes for note-taking. These help Android eke closer to iPad-grade productivity. 

Costing a punchy $949 / £999 for the tablet, and an additional £350 for the keyboard dock, has Lenovo's oversized slate really got what it takes to justify its price and fend off fresh competition from the brand-new Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra? Or should you spend a little more for a tried and tested iPad Pro?

Lenovo Tab Extreme Review: Design

From the front, the Lenovo Tab Extreme and Galaxy Tab Ultra line could almost be mistaken for one another. They both have near-identically sized and specced screens, though Lenovo's slate doesn't have a notch or a dual front camera like Samsung's Ultra.

The back and sides are where Lenovo chooses to stand out with its own highlights. On the right side are no less than two USB-C port, and around the back is a stepped glass panel that runs along the top fifth of the tab, where you'll find the cameras and pen docking point.

The Tab Extreme has a mighty eight speakers under an array of unapologetic speaker holes on each side, a power button and fingerprint scanner combo on the left, and up top is a volume rocker.

Just because the Tab Extreme is a tablet, that doesn't mean it's a featherweight E-Reader alternative. This behemoth is a 740g slab, and with its keyboard dock, it weighs more than many laptops, including the new MacBookAir. While it's elegant for its size and very well built, therefore, you'll absolutely notice it in a bag, and one-handed use for long periods is out of the question.

Lenovo Tab Extreme Review: Display

In addition to its slim chassis, what helps make the Lenovo Tab Extreme pack more appeal than a laptop is its stunning screen and pen support. Shipping with a pen in the box and supporting up to 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity, apps like Concepts feel like they were made for tablets like this.

With a resolution of 1876 x 3000, the Tab Extreme is relatively sharp for such a large-screened tablet, with a pixel density of 244 pixels per inch. Images and text look crisp, and thanks to the OLED screen tech at the heart of the display, it's both deep and vibrant.

With support for Dolby Vision, HDR10+, videos look excellent when playing back optimized content. While the display has a silky 120Hz refresh rate, Lenovo lets users override this in the settings and set the refresh rate to 60Hz or 90Hz, and customize the color temperature and vibrancy too.

The Lenovo Tab Extreme's manual peak brightness edges slightly ahead of the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra, though going on a brief tangent and talking about sound – we prefer the audio from Samsung's slate. The Tab Extreme also has a cooler hue to the screen, while Samsung keeps things a bit warmer. 

Irrespective of differences, these are two of the very best tablet displays available right now, and thanks to their size, they make photo and video editing or working split-screen feel spacious.

Lenovo Tab Extreme Review: Camera

As with most tablets, the Lenovo Tab Extreme's camera isn't going to best your smartphone and should be used for casual snaps, reading QR codes, and document scans when you don't have your phone to hand.

The Tab has two cameras on the back – a primary and ultra-wide – and a front camera for video calls and selfies. The main camera has a 13MP resolution with an f/2.4 lens, while the ultra-wide is a humble 5MP, f/2.2 camera with a fixed-focus lens. Finally, the front camera is a 13MP fixed-focus setup and is likely the one you'll fire up most often for video calls.

None of the cameras do an excellent job in poorly lit environments, and Lenovo doesn't load up a manual mode to help eke out more detail with long-exposure shots. That said, if you do want to get the best from then, a third-party manual camera app is probably the way to go in all but the brightest scenes.

Lenovo Tab Extreme for Photographers

What could be one of the best things about the Tab Extreme for photographers is the screen projection mode. We're not talking about projecting from the tablet to a monitor, but the other way around and using the Tab Extreme's glorious screen as a display for your laptop, mirrorless camera, or DSLR.

The tech you'll need to do this project from your camera will depend on your setup. If, like us, you're testing the Tab Extreme with a Canon R6, you will want a micro HDMI to USB-C solution – not too easy to come by. 

Bear in mind, converter cables are one-way, so if you buy a standard HDMI converter it fires the picture the wrong way – so be sure to hunt around for the right one. Of course, you can use the app for wireless control over your camera.

The Tab Extreme is an excellent plug-and-play second monitor for a laptop, and it will even fire up smartphone desktop interfaces like Samsung DeX, pictured above. This connectivity also extends to pen input which should be a boon for digital artists.

Pressure sensitivity could have meant the Tab Extreme turns into something of a Wacom Cintiq when working in apps like Photoshop across MacOS and Windows devices and using the tablet as a second monitor. Unfortunately, the pen pressure calibration was off on our review unit, so pen taps wouldn't register unless we pressed with a worrying amount of force. If this is the same across all units, this lack of optimization is a missed trick.

When using native Android apps like Lightroom, the pen is a handy, accurate tool for masking and applying edits, and it's also a powerful drawing tool with apps like Concepts, pictured below, though we prefer the softer nib of Samsung's Tab series.

Lenovo Tab Extreme Additional Features

When a piece of tech tries to do too many things, it's at the mercy of its internals, but the Tab Extreme tears through 4K video edits and batch photo processing with gusto, thanks in part to the MediaTek Dimensity 9000 powering the experience. 

Once upon a time, MediaTek was best known for budget chips driving much of the affordable smartphone market, but over the last few years, its Dimensity series has fuelled some of our favorite powerhouses, including the Vivo X90 Pro. 

Taking the fight to Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen series, the Dimensity 9000 in the Lenovo Tab Extreme, matched with 12GB RAM, kept up with everything we threw at it, including a fair bit of big-screen gaming. 

What most impressed us was the Extreme's solid performance when working across two monitors and using Lenovo's second-screen desktop experience. So whether typing on the go with the keyboard case, lounging and watching, sketching, or plugged into a monitor at home, the Tab Extreme kept up with us.

What didn't always meet our needs was Android itself. While iPad OS's tablet apps are mostly optimized for big screens, that isn't always the case with Android apps. It's more than just the apps, though. Apple has added native second-screen support for its newer iPads, and Samsung has been honing its DeX desktop experience for years, but Lenovo's bespoke desktop UI feels half-baked by comparison.

With 256GB storage inside and a microSD card slot to bump this number up, the Tab Extreme gives you plenty of space to work, watch and play. 

Lenovo's interface feels like a relatively stock take on Android, similar to the Pixel Tablet, but is turbo-charged in some areas. There's a floating taskbar at the bottom of the screen for easy split-screen working, and Lenovo's floating window support can display more than 14 apps on-screen at once.

Lenovo also tries to squeeze extra productivity from the tab with FreeStyle – a feature that supports file and screen sharing across your tablet and Windows computer, though we found the experience, which is in Beta, to be hit and miss.

The Tab Extreme's massive 12,300mAh battery is larger than the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra's, and should see you through a full working day – provided you keep an eye on the brightness. 

It charges up at 68W, taking around 90 minutes to power up fully with the plug in the box. Be mindful, though, if you use a third-party plug, you could be waiting around for hours.

Lenovo Tab Extreme Verdict

The Lenovo Tab Extreme definitely isn't the best tablet of 2023 if you're looking to buy a tablet and a tablet alone. We prefer the sound from the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra's speakers, and Samsung's interface is better optimized for big-screened tablet tasks. If you don't need so much size, smaller tablets are far less unwieldy, and Lenovo's Yoga Tabs have handy kickstands and cost a lot less.

As an Android tablet alone, the Tab Extreme is a four-star choice. Performance is smooth thanks to MediaTek Dimensity 9000 internals, so editing 50fps 4K video in Lumafusion didn't grind it to a halt. Software optimization could be better, but Lenovo gets the basics right, and the Extreme's screen is glorious.

What edges Lenovo's behemoth slate nearer to that coveted five-star score is its second-monitor support and its superb keyboard accessory. If you see yourself using those features, nothing else can touch the Tab Extreme. 

It's no secret that Android tablets have broadly failed to be Swiss Army Knife tools for photographers. But with its stunning display, second monitor functionality, two USB-C ports for dongles and card readers, and the best keyboard accessory outside Apple's ecosystem, Lenovo's the first to truly crack that nut despite the Extreme's imperfections.

See our guides to the best iPad alternatives, the best Android tablets, and the best iPads

Everyone loves a nice scenic shot, but the what is the quality that makes for a truly great landscape image? It’s one that evokes emotion in the part of the viewer, argues Carmen Norman in this issue’s lead feature, as she shows you how to use colour, lack of colour, light, reflections and the ‘out of the ordinary’ to take your landscapes to the next level. 

Summer is the season for music festivals, and with that in mind, we arranged for pro music ’tog Matt Higgs to take on a reader as his apprentice to shoot a variety of rock acts at the Todd in the Hole event. 

When you first bought your Nikon, chances are it came bundled with a kit lens of one form or another. These are ‘standard zooms’ that have a very useful focal range, spanning moderate wide-angle to moderate telephoto, but they’re not the only options. For this issue’s Big Test, we check out alternate standard zooms – that won’t break the bank. Elsewhere in our Gear section, we test Nikon’s first dedicated prime for DX-sensor Z-series cameras, the Z DX 24mm f/1.7.

Plus we’ve got photo projects on showjumping, car details, graphic flower backdrops and misty landscapes to try your hand at.

N-Photo: The Nikon Magazine is a monthly magazine that's written by Nikon enthusiasts for Nikon enthusiasts, you can be sure that all the content is 100% relevant to you! So for the best Nikon-focused news, reviews, projects, and a whole lot more, subscribe to N-Photo today – with our unmissable subs deal!

Check out our latest subscription offer!

Where to find N-Photo magazine

So rush down to your newsagent today. Or ever better, why not subscribe with this fantastic deal  to a print edition, and have the magazine delivered to your door every month?

Alternatively, we have a number of different digital options available, including:

• Apple app (for iPad or iPhone)

• Zinio app (multi-platform app for desktop or smartphone)

• Pocket Mags (for Android devices)

• Readly (all-you-can-eat digital magazine subscription service)

If you wanted a printed version of any of our most recent issues we have a selection of back issues to choose from in our online store.

Subscription deals: Our guide to the best photo magazines

Samsung's flagship tablet line has been refreshed for 2023 with the launch of the Galaxy Tab S9 series. Consisting of the Tab S9, the Tab S9 Plus, and the Tab S9 Ultra, while all three look very similar to their Tab S8 predecessors, they have one key difference. The S9 family is the only premium tablet line to pack IP68 water and dust resistance, adding poolside appeal to an already good-looking, pen-toting powerhouse family.

There's much more to these three tablets than an IP rating, with all three showcasing Dynamic AMOLED 2X displays with a smooth 120Hz refresh rate and HDR10+ credentials. While the baby of the bunch clocks in with a respectable 11-inch screen, the Tab S9 Plus climbs up to 12.4 inches, and the Tab S9 Ultra's screen measures a huge 14.6 inches.

The larger the screen gets, the thinner the Tab S9 measures, with its profile clocking in at 5.9mm on the S9, 5.7mm on the S9 Plus, and the super-skinny S9 Ultra is just 5.5mm. That's not much thicker than the USB-C port that powers the tablet, and makes the contrast between a massive screen and svelte profile seriously impressive.

All three tablets pack S Pens in the box with 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity, and just like the Galaxy Z Fold 5 S Pen, also announced at Samsung Unpacked 2023, the tablet's stylus is IP68 water resistant as well.

Samsung's kept the camera setup the same year-on-year, and the system you get will depend on which tablet you pick up. The Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra has the most specced out camera with two on the front, comprised of a 12MP wide and a 12MP ultra-wide. 

It also has a dual rear camera system comprising a 13MP primary camera and an 8MP ultra-wide. If you pick up the Plus, you'll be swapping out that dual front camera for a single 12MP module, and the vanilla Tab S9 has a single 13MP rear camera and 12MP front camera.

While most top-tier tablets out now have last-gen processors, the Galaxy Tab S9 line runs with the latest 2023 Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy. This is matched with between 8 and 16GB RAM, depending on which model you pick up.

Given everything it does to level up the Android tablet experience, Samsung cramming in flagship power makes sense. Specifically, we're talking about DeX, which is a desktop interface that emulates a Windows-style UI. While flagship Galaxy phones require you to plug in a big screen to create a DeX-style UI, the Galaxy tablets can fire it up on their tablet displays. Perfect for mouse and keyboard input, it should help the three new releases bridge the gap between play and productivity in a way only iPads have managed to in the past.

Samsung has also announced that the iPadOS favorite notetaking app, GoodNotes, is launching exclusively for the Tab S9 Ultra before its general release. While Samsung's S Notes has already been ahead of the pen-toting Android pack at getting the best from the pen, the Tab S9 line enjoys another tangible benefit compared to other Android tablets. As for whether it can best iPads, that's a different story.

The updated IP68 rating has inspired a new rugged case accessory for the Tab S9 series, and there's also a smart keyboard folio complete with a trackpad, pictured below. This automatically fires up Samsung's desktop mode, DeX, when connected, which is a nice touch.

Which Tab S9 you go for will very likely come down to how much you're prepared to pay, with the prices of all three varying massively, starting at $799 / £799 and climbing up to $1,619 / £1,699. 

The Tab S9 costs $799 / £799 with 128GB storage and $919 / £949 with 256GB storage. The Tab S9 Plus starts at $999 / £999 with 256GB and climbs to $1119 / £1,099 with 512GB. Finally, the Tab S9 Ultra costs a punchy $1,199 / £1,199 with 256GB, $1,319 / £1,299 with 512GB, and $1619 / £1549 with 1TB storage. Those are the WiFi model prices, but if you want 5G, add £150 (US pricing varies by cellular provider).

We loved our time with the Tab S8 Ultra and its oversized screen – perfect for multi-window working and editing photos, so if you're after a tablet for creative tasks, check back for our review of the Tab S9 Ultra in the coming weeks.

Find out more about the best tablets for photo editing or the best iPad alternatives in our guides.

According to the Financial Times, figures suggest Apple is only ordering parts for as few as 130,000 to 400,000 of their mixed reality glasses in 2024 – less than 10% of some of Wall Street's more optimistic estimates.

The revolutionary Vision Pro glasses were announced to the world with massive fanfare at last month's WWDC, though Apple was no more precise than "Early next year" when announcing the $3,500 / £2,750 / AU$5,250 glasses. Even that might prove too ambitious, some warn, based on this new report. 

Other Apple-watcher are taking a more relaxed stance, pointing out the higher-than-expected price was a clear indicator that Apple was already attempting to control demand since these quality control and parts issues were expected.

The Financial Times story indicated that two unnamed sources close to Apple and the production partner on the glasses, Luxshare, were preparing to make fewer than 400,000 units in 2024. That's a long way short of some of the higher forecasts from investment firms – admittedly Wedbush said a restrained 150,000 but Morgan Stanley plumped for 850,000 and Goldman Sachs touted 5 million as a maximum possibility.

Admittedly that's bonkers – the iPhone sold just 1.4 million in its first year and (if we're honest) back then a phone had a proven daily use case, which is more than can be said for mixed-reality glasses (yet).

The Vision Pro glasses feature a lot of new tech and difficult-to-source components. Because Apple is trying to push a new field, they also need the cooperation of parts manufacturers, including Sony – who produced the prototype high-resolution micro-OLED displays. Sony has been investing in a new plant to produce image sensors for phone cameras, but according to a quote in the FT, "will be watching" rather than rapidly expanding AR display production, though they didn't comment specifically on Apple's glasses.

The FT article also suggests that one more loose-lipped Chinese parts supplier is now saying it is only supplying parts for 130,000-150,000 glasses.

Since the original announcement, Apple – now valued at $3 trillion – has offered little new information about the glasses. It's clear, though, that some need to be out there for developers to start creating a 'killer app' (or great games, if that's how it ends up going).

A launch like this, after all, will be part of a multi-year plan. Products like the iPhone, iPad, and even MacBook all took a few years to settle, and persuading the parts supply industry to join the ride is what Apple do. 

Apple will be much more price-focused on the next generation headset – with which it is reportedly already working with Samsung and LG. Manufacturing partners like Luxshare will no doubt be irritated to have quantities (and income) slip but it may have a limited impact on the timeline for the next generation – which is probably the one you were thinking of buying!

A week ago analysis firm Canalys posted that it believes, setbacks aside, "Apple will surpass all other players in the XR field. Canalys forecasts that the Vision Pro and the related device lineup will reach a 20 million user base by the fifth year after the product launch in 2024." That's a pair of glasses for about 15% of MacBook owners, or just 2% of iPhone users, which would still make it a success.

On the subject of the iPhone, we're keeping an eye on the latest on the iPhone 15, (which should also be with production partners by now). If, on the other hand, it's glasses and you just can't wait, I reviewed TCL Nxtwear S last week – they're cheaper and available now!

If you’re the sort of photographer who spends hours in your image-editing software, perfecting the look of your image, a drawing tablet is a must-have tool for your desktop. Editing with a drawing tablet feels far more natural than using a mouse: you draw with a stylus that responds to how hard you press on the tablet surface. The best drawing tablets provide a roomy, comfortable drawing area, a stylus with a nice heft to it, and a good supply of shortcut keys so you don’t have to switch between tablet and keyboard too often.

The XP-Pen Artist Series offers even more by integrating a display into the drawing area. Just like drawing on an iPad or Android tablet, you are working directly on the screen – except here, the photo and user interface are provided by the Windows, macOS or Linux computer to which the pen display is connected.

The XP-Pen Artist 16 Pen Display is part of a range that also includes the XP-Pen Artist 10 Pen Display. The number refers to the size of the drawing area, measured diagonally in inches. The Artist 16 falls roughly in the middle of the Artist Series range, with a 22-inch pen display as the largest option.

Specifications

Size: W 434 x H 256 x D 13mm
Active drawing area: W 341 x H 192mm
Display resolution: W 1,920 x H 1,080 pixels
Color gamut: 94% Adobe RGB
Contrast (typical): 1,000:1
Connections: HDMI and 2 x USB-A, or USB-C
Pen pressure levels: 8,192
Pen tilt range: 60 degrees
System requirements: Windows 7 or later, macOS 10.10 (Yosemite) or later, Linux

Key features

The XP-Pen Artist 16 arrives in attractive packaging, with labels on the protective screen over the display indicating where the connection ports are. There are two ways to connect the Artist 16 to your computer; the simpler option is to plug in a USB-C cable (not supplied), which delivers power and the video signal from your computer and feeds back your drawing gestures from the tablet. (If you find that the display doesn’t work with this setup, you need a shorter USB-C cable.)

The more involved alternative (although perfectly usual for a pen display like the Artist 16) is the provided three-in-one cable, which splits up the tasks a USB-C lead can handle all at once. An HDMI plug handles the video signal; a red USB-A plug delivers the power; and a black USB-A plug relays your drawing movements to the computer. If the computer can’t provide enough power via its USB port, a power adaptor with major international plug types is included. 

As well as choosing your connection type, you’ll need to install a driver and app to control the tablet and customize your drawing experience. This isn’t as straightforward as just running an installer: because of the security features in modern operating systems, you’ll need to make some manual adjustments to finish the job. A PDF included with the driver software download is a very capable guide. Drivers are available for macOS, Windows and Linux.

The tablet itself looks neat and tidy, perhaps lacking a premium finish, while the supplied stylus is a nice shape in the hand, although it may feel a little light to some people.

Also included in the box are a glove and screen wipe to keep the display smear-free, 10 replacement nibs for the stylus, and an extractor ring to pull out the current nib easily.

There’s no stand to help you set the tablet at a slight angle for drawing, which would typically make working with a pen display more comfortable.

Design

All the basics are covered in the Artist 16 Pen Display’s design. 10 shortcut keys mean you can stay focused on the display without constantly having to switch attention your keyboard to change the brush size or adjust the zoom. The keys are positioned to suit the right-handed majority, but if you’re left-handed, you can rotate the monitor in your computer’s operating system and change the orientation of the tablet drawing area in the app, so that the keys are on the other side.

Some people find it easier to work on a pen display for longer periods when it’s set at a slight angle, so it’s a shame that there’s no stand to tilt the Artist 16.

If you are working at home or in a studio where you have a larger monitor available, you can choose to use the Artist 16 in its Drawing Tablet mode, which blanks the screen: just press and hold the power button for a few seconds.

Performance

The Artist 16 is a very decent pen display. The screen resolution is 1,920 x 1,080 pixels, the same as the smaller Artist 10 display in the same range. This means a minor loss in image detail compared with the smaller display, but more room for your painting strokes. On-screen text and interface elements are also bigger, which makes button selection with the pen more comfortable than it is on the Artist 10.

A larger pen display is available in the range, but the Artist 16 probably hits the sweet spot for utility and cost for most photographers.

Verdict

Owning a pen display is the most civilised setup for image editing compared with working with your mouse or using a drawing tablet. The XP-Pen Artist 16 is an attractive way to enhance your image-editing sessions, hitting the sweet spot between being usable over the long term without breaking the bank. Plenty of shortcut keys help you stay focused on your photo. The pen may feel light in the hand to some, and there’s a little polish missing that other pen displays could offer, but the Artist 16 is satisfying to work with.

Read more: Find out about other graphic tablets and pen display options in our guide for the best drawing tablet, or check out the best Wacom tablets

There’s more to the Google Pixel Tablet than its name suggests. It comes with a stand that doubles as a charging dock and a speaker to create an entirely different product offering. It is surprisingly good, so much so, you have very little reason to take the tablet portion off.   

Really, this is a smart hub. And under this definition, Google may have hit gold because there really isn’t much else on the market that offers a straight comparison here. You’d have to sellotape your Amazon Echo to an iPad to find something similar, but that wouldn’t give you any of the innovative software of Google’s Pixel brand. 

Specifications

Display - 10.95in touchscreen LCD, 2560 x 1600, 276 pixels per inch density

Dimensions (WHD) - 258 x 169 x 8.1mm

Weight - 493g

RAM - 8GB

Storage - 128GB or 256GB UFS 3.1 storage

Processor - Google Tensor G2

Operating system - Android 13

Front camera - 8 MP, ƒ/2.0 aperture

Rear camera - 8 MP, ƒ/2.0 aperture

Dimensions - 258 x 169 x 8.1mm

Weight - 493g

Price:  $499/£599 – includes charging dock and power cable

Design

Starting with the design, it does appear that Google has found a style it likes, one that’s also easily identifiable. The Pixel Tablet is a neat and tidy affair, made from recycled aluminum and glass, with many of the same touches found on the Pixel 7. With the simplistic ‘G’ logo on the back, the calm pastel shades, and even the ‘Material You’ Android interface, this is unmistakably a Pixel device. If there is one fault to its design, it’s the very iPad-style screen bezels that lack a little originality and also slightly sullies some of that great work on the rest of the device. 

The docking station (or stand/speaker) is brilliant. Amazingly, no one has come up with this idea before, and it does now raise the question of why bother buying a smart speaker when it can come as part of a tablet (RIP Google Nest). The accompanying speaker – which is included in the price – is arguably the best thing about it in both looks and function. It includes a power cable and you can place this somewhere centrally, such as the living room, or the kitchen, and it works well as a smart speaker. I found it to be much easier to open apps, such as Spotify, with ‘Hey Google’ than you find with Alexa, though there were occasional moments it couldn’t hear my commands. 

The tablet portion connects to the top via ‘pogo pin’ magnets that also charge the device so it really shouldn’t ever be out of power. It’s also slanted; the tablet will sit on the stand at a decent viewing angle, making it a smart screen. The always-on display can also be set up to showcase your best pictures, provided they’re saved in Google Photos – I couldn’t get it to show images saved in Google Drive, though.

The 11in LCD touchscreen display is crisp and bright with a 2560 x 1600 resolution and 276-pixel density. The refresh rate is only 60Hz, which is a little disappointing, but it still presents smoothly enough for social media and web browsing. Sadly, as an LCD display, it does lack those real punchy colours one would find on an OLED screen which most Samsung Galaxy tablets sport. However, there is enough quality here to please the average user. It isn’t going to offer a suitable experience for editing software, like Adobe, or any illustration apps, but for Netflix or video calls, it's perfectly fine.

Camera and photography

There are just two 8MP lenses on the Pixel Tablet (front and rear) and if you’re expecting the same innovative experience found on the Pixel smartphones, you may be a little disappointed. Images come out crisp with colors grounded in reality, but the options for shot selection and editing are limited.

Portrait mode, for example, can only be used with the front-facing lens so every picture you take with that lens will have the bokeh effect. The rear lens only offers wide shots which are admittedly nice for landscape photos. And there are fewer options for video capture with just standard and time laps, which means there’s no fun with slow motion. What the Pixel Tablets camera system can do is good, but you will feel there were too many things it wasn’t able to do.

Editing tools are good, however, as you can enhance images with a range of filters, change their aspect ratio and also delete unwanted objects with the Magic Eraser. There are also advanced controls for changing contrast, shadows and saturation, and so on. However, it does lack many of the little extras found on the Pixel 7, such as the unblur tool. So you need to get your shots in focus the first time.  

Performance

Having silicon developed in-house is clearly working wonders for Google, allowing the company to really showcase its innovative software. The Pixel Tablet features a Tensor G2 processor, the same chip found in the Pixel 7 and 7a smartphones, which enables the device to run a breadth of machine-learning functions from camera enhancements to battery-saving capabilities. 

Scores are not always amazing here; where Apple and its Bionic chip might blow the competition away in Geekbench, the Tensor chip is a little more modest in its benchmarks. However, it is tailored to its host device so well that the user experience is as good as any smartphone or tablet. Multiple tabs, apps, and intensive gaming, it prioritizes power to where it needs it, so everything is handled with ease.  

What’s more, you can also set up multiple user accounts on the Pixel. My four-person household was simple to set up and it even allows me to add profiles for my children sans a Google account. You can set all your parental controls from the get-go and there is a raft of games and apps tailored for small ones – no panic about what they’re watching on YouTube. 

Unfortunately, the fingerprint sensor is Google’s weak point. It isn’t as poor as one finds on its smartphones, but it still doesn’t quite work as seamlessly as it probably could. Here it is embedded into the power button where it can take multiple attempts to work. 

Battery life was long; admittedly, the stand gives the impression that this is a tablet unlikely to leave the home and correct use means putting it back on the plugged-in dock when not in use. There is also an argument for never taking it off the dock, provided it is in a suitable place. However, I did spend a day with just the tablet and it lasted for almost 14hrs with moderate use, which included streaming a few episodes of TV, a video call, and hours of web and social media scrolling. 

The stand being a dock and speaker is just a brilliant idea, which almost makes up for the fact that there is no keyboard or stylus (it supports USI 2.0 stylus pens but doesn’t include one). I couldn’t directly do much work on the Pixel Tablet, but it was still a nice addition to my home office setup. You can obviously make video calls and tweak or edit Google Docs or Sheets, but it has a clearer use case as a media hub. 

Verdict

It is hard not to love the Pixel Tablet, though the majority of the praise should actually go to the combination of tablet and speaker dock. While ordinary tablets just sit idle on the shelf, the Pixel becomes so much more while it rests on its stand. Smart display, smart speaker, smart hub, it does all that, and more.  

The only issue I can really point to is that the stand only works while plugged in, which is OK, that is the only way to charge it, but that also means the speaker stops working when you remove the charger. The tablet's in-built speakers are nowhere near as loud or crisp, so this is something that would be a good improvement for the next iteration. 

My only other problem was working out exactly where in the home the Pixel Tablet is best suited, mainly because it’s so dam useful in a range of places. I used it in the kitchen and it was superb, I had it in the living room as a central hub and my kids fought over it, and in the evening, it streamed movies till I fell asleep. I would seriously consider getting one for each room of the house. 

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