The next generation iPad Pro went on sale this week with an 8-core A12X Bionic processor and a 7-core GPU coprocessor. The new tablets hit record-breaking performance – even outperforming some MacBook Pro models with Core i7 in benchmarks! In addition, they received the highly anticipated design update and a Apple second generation Pencil. And, of course, unlocking the full potential of these amazing devices requires the right software. What kind? We'll tell you in this article!
Although iOS 12 did not come close to macOS in terms of convenience, some applications are already more comfortable to use on iPad than on MacBook. Given the positioning iPad Pro, it's easy to guess that we are talking mainly about creative applications.
If you've already purchased iPad Pro (2018), don't forget to install these apps to get the most out of your tablet!
This article presents the best apps from different categories. This is not promotional material.
Procreate
If you bought iPad Pro with a new Apple Pencil, then Procreate is a must-buy app for you – even if you're not an artist or designer! This application opens up tremendous possibilities for you. You can create intricate illustrations and drawings, or simply relax by painting mirror designs and patterns. It is also one of the best digital calligraphy apps available at iOS.
There are thousands of tutorials and tips for working with Procreate available online. You will find not only YouTube videos with detailed explanations (including in Russian), but also ready-made templates, brushes and fonts.
Buy Procreate at App Store (RUR 749)
Adobe Lightroom CC
Mobile Lightroom from Adobe is deservedly considered one of the best applications for processing and organizing photos on iPad. It is not a complete replacement for Photoshop – but that is why Lightroom is the hotel software in the Adobe lineup. With it, you can quickly process photos using an extensive set of tools and the ability to create your own filters.
Some features (including sync with desktop Lightroom and Photoshop) are only available to Creative Cloud subscribers, but even the free functionality is more than enough for basic processing.
Download Adobe Lightroom CC in App Store
Microsoft Outlook
Funnily enough, despite its bad reputation among Windows users, Outlook is one of the most convenient mailboxes for both iPhone and iPad. This application is feature-rich, stable and supports a wide range of email services.
But its most important advantage is the ability to replace several applications at once. Here you have a mailbox, calendar, and file storage – all in one program! Thanks to this, you can schedule a meeting in a couple of taps, set up a reminder, download all the files you need and send them to your boss.
Download Microsoft Outlook in App Store
Affinity Photo
Affinity Photo is the closest in functionality Photoshop replacement for iPad Pro (at least until the release of a full-fledged Photoshop for iOS). You will have full access to photo editing and as of iPad Pro 2018 the program is faster than ever. The application allows you to add as many layers with different blending methods and masks as you need. Plus, over 120 brushes are supported.
And, of course, the application is adapted for Apple Pencil for precise processing of individual parts of the image. Also here you can work with RAW and get access to a huge number of tools. Oh yes, last but not least, you can upload PSD files from your computer and process them on your iPad using Affinity Photo.
Buy Affinity Photo at App Store (1,490 rubles)
Affinity Designer
Another drawing app on our list, Affinity Designer lets you sketch wherever you are. If Photo from the same developer is intended to replace Photoshop, then Designer is rather an analogue of Adobe Illustrator. With it, you can create vector images. That is, you can work with any graphics right on your tablet: logos, brochures, posters, etc.
Use a Apple Pencil to draw, then tweak the image with dozens of available tools. Affinity Designer is a must-have for every designer: even if you specialize in UI, you can use your iPad Pro to create mockups.
Buy Affinity Designer at App Store (1,490 rubles)
LumaFusion
Final Cut X is not available iPad (yet), but in App Store you will find LumaFusion – iOS – the video editor with the widest functionality at the moment. Moreover, on new ones iPad Pro, this program literally flies – even when processing and rendering video in 4K!
You get a complete editor with support for 3 tracks for video and 3 tracks for audio. Of course, other important features of the video editor – for example, support for slow-mo, transitions, audio mixing, adding text, and trimming audio and video – are also present.
Buy LumaFusion at App Store (1,490rub.)
Autodesk SketchBook
Autodesk has taken a step towards creative people around the world and made their SketchBook app free for iPad and iPhone. And this is already a reason enough to install SketchBook, grab Apple Pencil and start drawing! Even if you do not consider yourself to be such a creative person or are not very good at drawing, just try it: you never know what such attempts will lead to, and sketches definitely help to relax!
Download SketchBook at App Store
Paper
Paper is another creative app for iPad that is worth installing even for non-creative people. This is one of the first apps of this type that came out for iPad and showed how convenient and fun it is to draw on a tablet display. And that was years before the announcement of Apple Pencil and positioning iPad Pro as tablets for designers and artists! Today, Paper can be used not only for quick sketches, but also for creating full-fledged drawings, as well as notes, tables and diagrams.
If you have so much information in your head that it’s about to explode, with Paper you can bring everything to your tablet screen and organize your thoughts and tasks. You can use templates – from regular spreadsheets to interface iPad – so you can even work on the UI in Paper.
Download Paper in App Store
LiquidText
If you often work with PDFs for study or work, be sure to download LiquidText. This program will change the way you work with such files. It allows you to quickly add comments and annotations, as well as highlight parts of the text in separate notes with the ability to work with them separately in parallel with the main text.
LiquidText makes PDF as flexible as it can get. Just open your document and start drawing, compiling clippings, and making handwritten comments. And yes, you can open links using the built-in web browser without leaving the app!
DownloadLiquidText in App Store
Microsoft Office Package
Programs from the Microsoft Office series do not need introduction – and they are perfectly adapted for iPad. If you already have an Office subscription, you can use your account to access Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. At the same time, you will find almost all the functions of the desktop version on the tablet, including keyboard shortcuts, cloud sync, templates and much more.
Download Microsoft Word in App Store
Download Microsoft Excel to App Store
Download Microsoft PowerPoint to App Store
Annotable
Here you will find everything for annotating images. You can easily crop what you want, blur parts you don't want to show, zoom in on the objects you want with a magnifying glass, and add your own comments.
Download Annotable in App Store
iCab Mobile
Safari is a great browser, but its main problem is its refresh rate. If the developers of third-party browsers update applications regularly and actively respond to comments and comments from users, then Apple Safari updates only with the release of a new one iOS – so the introduction of some features and bug fixes have to wait for years. In addition, the functionality of Safari and most other mobile browsers has been significantly reduced.
Considering that the newer iPad Pro is more powerful than some MacBooks, it is great for surfing the web. The iCab Mobile browser will help you get the most out of your tablet. It is as close as possible to desktop browsers. Here you'll find a Chrome-like interface, easy tab management, a download manager, and more. In addition, you will be able to install additional extensions – here they are called modules. With the help of modules, you can save pages in .EPUB and even do things that are not available in the iOS itself – for example, watch YouTube videos in “picture in picture” mode.
Buy iCab Mobile at App Store (RUR 149)
Good notes 4
If you're looking for an advanced note-taking app on iPad Pro that unleashes the potential of Apple Pencil to its fullest, check out Good Notes. You can paint and write over any image, or choose from template backgrounds.
It's worth noting that in Good Notes (as opposed to standard Notes), the handwriting recognition feature actually works. If necessary, you can easily translate your handwritten text into printed text. You can also import PDF documents into the application and make annotations to them.
Buy Good Notes 4 at App Store (RUR 599)
iA Writer
iA Writer can be safely called one of the best text editors for iPad. It's not cheap, but it will definitely appeal to users who have to write a lot – including on a tablet. It provides a convenient system for storing and organizing files, as well as a special mode that makes all text light gray, except for the sentence that you are typing at the moment. This allows you to avoid distractions and focus on your work.
Also in iA Writer you will find dark theme, text replacement function and much more. For example, there is an interesting function that highlights words of different parts of speech with different colors. The only drawback is the lack of Russian localization. Because of this, if you do not know English, you will have to deal with the functions either with the help of a translator or by typing.
Buy iA Writer 4 in App Store (RUR 699)
Evernote
It's a great lazy read service that lets you save an article on one device so you can read it later on another. With the help of the browser extension Clip to Evernote, you can quickly save a clipping of text or the entire article at once, add tags and choose a folder to save. A free subscription allows you to sync data between your computer and two mobile devices, so you can save your favorite article on your computer and read it from iPad on the way to work.
Up to 60 MB of data can be synchronized per month, while the size of one note should not exceed 25 MB. Of course, this will not be enough for video synchronization, but for articles and images it is quite enough.
Download Evernote at App Store
Commands
New iPad Pro ship with iOS 12 on board. And one of the coolest features of iOS 12 is Commands for Siri. They allow you to start the execution of a whole chain of tasks with one word or phrase. The commands are compatible with a number of third party applications. Their number is constantly growing and already includes Carrot Weather, Streaks, Overcast, Trello and other programs.
Download Commands in App Store
Google Documents, Sheets and Presentations
Google Documents are available for iPad and yes, this app is hardly the best text editor. However, it fulfills its stated functions, is regularly updated and maintained by the developers. And in some cases, when the use of products Google is necessary for work, and a computer is not at hand, it can save you time and nerves.
The same can be said for the search giant's other two office applications. They are free, great for collaborative work with documents and are not much different in functionality from their desktop and browser versions. Considering that the new iPad Pro are equipped with a USB-C connector, you can display your presentations on a large screen without Apple TV and adapters.
Download Google Documents in App Store
Download Google Tables in App Store
Download Google Presentations in App Store
Best app for iPad Pro
Which of these apps did you like? Can you remember which program you downloaded the very first to your tablet? Let us know in the comments!