In context: Apple's 12.9-inch iPad Pro is being hailed as the best tablet the company has ever made, with its M1 chip and Liquid Retina XDR display packing mini-LED tech. But has that made it less durable? Tests discovered that despite the upgrades, the latest and largest iPad Pro is tougher than its predecessors, though you should still be careful not to bend it.

Zack Nelson of JerryRigEverything carried out his usual physical stress tests on the 12.9-inch M1 iPad Pro 2021 that Apple recently unveiled. He starts with a scratch test that reveals the screen starts showing marks at level 6, followed by deeper grooves at level seven---similar to what you would see with most phones.

One might expect that holding a flame to the iPad Pro's display would be a recipe for disaster, but while the areas do turn black after about 17 seconds, they recover quickly, and the iPad works as normal.

Finally, there's the bend test. The latest iPad is half a millimeter thicker this year, helping prevent it from snapping in half in the same way as its predecessors did during the same experiment. The tablet does retain this bent angle, though it still functions normally. You can even bend it back closer to its usual shape without destroying the device---it's just a lot more wrinkly.

Nelson praises Apple for improving the durability of the latest iPad Pro. Knowing it's not that easy to break or damage one is reassuring for a device priced at $1,099 (Wi-Fi only) and $1,299 (cellular). Still, try not to sit on it.