Over the years, we have been looking for ways that the iPad can replace the Mac as our everyday computers. However, in order to fully make the leap, you’ll need to find applications that can at least emulate or imitate what you can do on the Mac, from the iPad.
One example of this is the ability to edit videos from your iPad. There have been a few solutions, ranging from iMovie to Adobe Premiere Rush, but LumaFusion has easily been the “gold standard” for video editors on iPad. That was the case until DaVinci Resolve would finally be arriving for iPad owners, being able to fully harness the power of the M1 and M2 chips found in Apple’s iPad lineup.
What Is DaVinci Resolve?
DaVinci Resolve is a professional video editing software developed by Blackmagic Design. It is widely used in the film and television industry for color grading, editing, and audio post-production. It is a comprehensive solution that includes tools for color grading, audio mixing, and finishing, as well as a non-linear video editor and a media management system. DaVinci Resolve has been available for Windows, macOS, and Linux. It is used by professional video editors and colorists to create high-quality video content for movies, television shows, commercials, and other media
In October 2022, Blackmagic Design announced that DaVinci Resolve would finally be making its way to the iPad. In doing so, this provides a fully-fledged video editor capable of harnessing the power offered by Apple’s M1 and M2 chips. Here are some of the features that DaVinci Resolve has to offer:
Cut page for editing and the color pages are optimized for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro display.
Up to 4x Ultra HD ProRes render performance improvement with the M2Â chip.
Supports Apple Neural Engine features in DaVinci Resolve Studio for iPad.
Compatible with DaVinci Resolve 18 project files.
Supports multi-user collaboration via Blackmagic Cloud.
Supports H.264, H.265, ProRes and Blackmagic RAW media files.
Supports clips from iPad storage, Photos library and iCloud.
Import clips from external USB-CÂ disks.
Works with Apple Pencil, Magic Trackpad, Magic Keyboard and Smart Keyboard Folio.
External monitoring via Apple Studio Display, Pro Display XDR or an AirPlay display.
Supports HDR display on 12.9-inch iPad Pro with the M1Â chip.
Compatible with iPadOS 16 or newer.
How to Download DaVinci Resolve
As you likely expected, there aren’t really any hoops that you need to jump through in order to download and use DaVinci Resolve. It’s available now from the App Store, and here’s how to download DaVinci Resolve:
Open the App Store on your compatible iPad.
Tap the Search icon in the bottom toolbar.
Search for DaVinci Resolve.
Select DaVinci Resolve from the list of applications.
Tap the Get button.
If prompted, provide authentication via Face ID or your Apple ID password.
In the event that you weren’t able to find DaVinci Resolve with the traditional search methods, we’ve provided the link to the App Store landing page below. Just tap the link below from your iPad, and you should be taken to the App Store listing so you can proceed with the download and installation.
If you’ve been looking to get into video editing or have been wanting an alternative to LumaFusion on the iPad, then you’re in luck. The main requirement to use DaVinci Resolve on the iPad is that it is capable of running iPadOS 16. Here’s the full list of iPad models that DaVinci Resolve will work with:
iPad 7th generation
iPad 8th generation
iPad 9th generation
iPad 10th generation
iPad Air 3rd generation
iPad Air 4th generation
iPad mini 5th generation
iPad mini 6th generation
9.7-inch iPad Pro 1st generation
12.9-inch iPad Pro 1st generation
9.7-inch iPad Pro 2nd generation
12.9-inch iPad Pro 2nd generation
10.5-inch iPad Pro
12.9-inch iPad Pro 3rd generation
11-inch iPad Pro
12.9-inch iPad Pro 4th generation
11-inch M1 iPad Pro
12.9-inch M1 iPad Pro
11-inch M2 iPad Pro
12.9-inch M2 iPad Pro
Blackmagic Design does recommend that in order to take full advantage of what DaVinci Resolve has to offer, you must own an iPad that is powered by the Apple M1 or M2 chip.
“Recommended for use with Apple iPad Pro M1 or newer models. Earlier iPad models may be restricted to HD, and memory limitations may limit some features.”
This comes as little surprise, given the difference in Apple’s Bionic chips compared to the M1 and M2.
How Much Does DaVinci Resolve Cost?
If you’re worried about the cost associated with DaVinci Resolve, you can kind of rest easy. The app itself is completely free to download, provided that you have a compatible iPad to use it with. However, there is an in-app purchase available, which unlocks DaVinci Resolve Studio, and is one-time purchase for $94.99.
With the in-app upgrade to DaVinci Resolve Studio, you’ll enjoy everything that the free version has to offer, including multi-user collaboration and HDR grading. But upgrading to Studio offers the following:
“DaVinci Neural Engine, dozens of additional Resolve FX, temporal and spatial noise reduction, stereoscopic 3D, film grain, optical blur and mist effects, and more. It also supports 10-bit video at up to 120 frames per second and resolutions beyond 4K.”
For the majority of users, the free version available in the App Store will work just fine. But if you want to get serious about video editing, the $94.99 in-app purchase will definitely be worth it.
Andrew is a freelance writer based on the East Coast of the US.
He has written for a variety of sites over the years, including iMore, Android Central, Phandroid, and a few others. Now, he spends his days working for an HVAC company, while moonlighting as a freelance writer at night.
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