I underestimated nano-texture screens until I tried the M4 iPad Pro outside

I’ve always been skeptical of nano-texture display technology. In fact, I’d heard that the matte coating is so bad that I put a glossy screen protector on my Steam Deck OLED almost immediately after I received my review unit from Valve (this negates the effect of nano-texture almost completely).

Losing those deep blacks an OLED display offers? No, thanks. Washed out colors? That’s definitely not something I want to deal with. So, when I finally got my hands on Apple’s M4 iPad Pro, I was prepared to be disappointed and annoyed at the misty display I was about to experience.

But to my surprise, I really like the new 11-inch iPad Pro’s nano-texture screen. In fact, I hope we see a nano-texture coating on a phone someday, whether it’s on an iPhone or an Android device.

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Say goodbye to that nasty glare

And hello to a silky smooth surface

First, let’s discuss nano-texture in general. Though a matte finish, nano-texture aims to reduce the glare that displays often suffer from when used in direct sunlight. If you’ve ever attempted to use your iPad outside, you will know what I’m talking about. You can still sort of view the display, but not really, and you likely need to move it around a bit to keep the sun at the right angle, alongside turning the brightness up to max.

Apple’s take on nano-texture combats this issue by diffusing the light and breaking it down through small etchings. Under some lighting conditions, this looks great, but it has the potential to make the display slightly blurry and reduces the deep blacks OLED screen technology is known for.

Over the last few weeks I’ve spent with the 11-inch M4 iPad Pro with a nano-texture screen, I haven’t really noted many downsides to the technology. Yes, there are instances where the blacks aren’t as deep as they would be with a standard OLED iPad Pro display, but these instances have been rare and usually only occur when I’m using the tablet under very low light in a dark room. The only major downside I’ve noted is the screen can sometimes have a slight blur to it when looking at content from certain angles or when it’s very close to my face. It’s not a dealbreaker, but some people might find it annoying.

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How nano-texture has changed the way I use the iPad Pro

Working outside is now possible

Now that I work from home all the time, I do my best to spend at least a few hours every day writing or editing photos in my backyard. This used to mean that I’d grab my 15-inch MacBook Air and sit on my backyard patio under my raised deck, allowing me to hide from the sun and still view the laptop’s screen. Thanks to the nano-texture iPad Pro, I have more options regarding where I can work outside, depending on what I need to get done, of course.

For example, I can work in direct sunlight and soak in the rays on my backyard deck, beside the very bright windows in my living room, or take the iPad Pro on the go and get work done while being the passenger princess I was born to be. Overall, the locations where I’m able to get writing done, chill out and a TV show or a movie, or even play a game, are far more varied now.

I primarily use the iPad Pro as a writing, photo editing, and media device, but I could also probably get 70-80 percent of my job at Pocket-lint done with the tablet if I wanted to put the effort into creating a workflow full of workarounds. Will I do that? Probably not, but it’s nice to know I have a device better suited to outdoor use if I decide to make the jump.

On another note, I really like how the Apple Pencil Pro feels when it runs across the nano-texture display. It feels more like paper and has a satisfying drag to it that I haven’t experienced with a tablet stylus before. Given I’m constantly cleaning my devices to keep their displays grease and smudge-free, I also like that the nano-texture seems to hide unwanted debris more easily (though, it can be more difficult to clean sometimes).

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Is nano-texture for you?

It might not be

My suggestion regarding whether nano-texture is the route you should take with Apple’s already pricey M4 iPad Pro comes down to how you use the tablet. Are you primarily using it at home in a relatively dark room and rarely outside or on the go with it? Then, you can probably get away with skipping the extra $100 for the special display coating.

That said, at least in my time with the M4 iPad Pro, I haven’t experienced any notable downsides to the iPad Pro’s nano-texture screen, so if you’re willing to shell out the extra cash it costs, it’s worth it. The M4 iPad Pro’s OLED display still looks stunning across the board, and the number of instances where blacks were a little washed out has been minimal so far.

In fact, I like the nano-texture coating so much that I’m considering peeling the glass screen protector off my Steam Deck OLED so I can experience the screen in its original matte glory.