The iPad Pro 2021 is now available for pre-order, which means that Apple has updated its Apple Service and Repair chart to highlight the price of an official fix, should your new tablet break in use.
While the price of repair for the 11-inch model iPad Pro remains the same as the previous generation at $499, the 12.9-inch version has shot up another $50 to hit an eye watering $699. That is almost certainly down to the brand new mini-LED technology powering the screen, given the 11-inch model hasn’t seen the same inflation.
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Screen tech aside, the two new iPad Pro models feature the same upgrades: an improved TrueDepth camera, optional 5G support, Thunderbolt compatibility and the performance boost of the M1 processor.
On one level, it’s unsurprising that mini-LED technology increases the cost of repair. Each panel apparently requires over 10,000 LEDs, which is an enormous increase on the 72 used in previous versions. On the other hand, $699 is a huge outlay for a device that starts at $1,099 brand new.
Of course, you can avoid the huge fee if you purchase AppleCare+ with your device. It’ll set you back $149 for two years, or can be extended indefinitely for $7.99 a month. Obviously, that’s an outlay that most people would like to avoid, but given it brings the cost of out-of-warranty repairs down to $49 a time, it certainly offers peace of mind to the accident prone, with Apple offering two accidental damage repairs every 12 months.
If you’re planning on buying the new 12.9-inch iPad Pro, you do have time to mull over your options. The current delivery time for the iPad Pro 12.9-inch has been pushed back to late June or early July. Once again, it seems likely that the complicated mini-LED screen is behind the delays as the 11-inch version is still listed as being delivered in May.
With a longer wait and increased repair costs, you may be wondering if the upgrade to mini-LED technology is worth it. While we won’t know for sure until we get to benchmark it in person, in theory mini-LED should be a gamer changer with richer visuals for both media and games.
