Early benchmarks prove M1 iPad Pros are 50% faster than previous generation

Apple's new M1-equipped iPad Pro models are up to 50% faster than the previous generation, according to new benchmark results.

The 2021 11-inch iPad Pro and 12.9-inch iPad Pro are Apple's first tablets with the M1 chip. Apple has touted the performance benefits of the previous Mac-only chip, claiming that it offers up to 50% faster CPU performance than the A12Z Bionic and up to 40% faster GPU performance.

According to legitimate benchmark results first spotted by MacRumors, Apple's numbers line up with early Geekbench tests.

The 12.9-inch iPad Pro with an M1 chip, for example, has an average single-core score of 1,718 and an average multi-core score of 7,284. The previous generation iPad Pro with an A12Z had an average 1,121 single-core score and 4,656 multi-core score.

For graphics performance, the M1 iPad Pro averaged a Metal score of 20,578. That's up to 71% faster than the A12Z iPad Pros, and actually better than Apple's own estimates.

Those numbers mean that the M1-equipped iPad Pro models are roughly 55% faster than the previous generation. Additionally, they reveal that Apple's M1 iPad Pro models sport virtually identical performance to M1 Mac models released in 2020.

The M1 MacBook Air has an average single-core score of 1,701 and multi-core score of 7,378.

It also appears that the new M1 iPad Pro models are faster than Apple's top-tier 16-inch MacBook Pro. A maxed-out model with an Intel Core i9 processor had an average single-core score of 1,091 and an average multiple-core score of 6,845.

The 12.9-inch and 11-inch iPad Pro models with an M1 chip became available for preorder on April 30. They're expected to arrive on customer doorsteps and in store on May 21.

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