The new version, arriving alongside a refresh for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro tablet, comes in 10.5-inch form, and packs a load of new hardware and software features. You’ll find the bezel is thinner on the sides of the new iPad, which means the larger screen fits onto a compact body akin to that of the 9.7-inch tablet. You’ll also find a headphone port on both and charging is handled via the built-in Lightning connector. That’s because Apple has added the A10X Fusion chip to the new iPad Pro model, which means you’re getting a six-core CPU that includes a 12-core GPU. It seems a lot of that processing power will be used to run Apple’s new ProMotion technology – display tech that’s included on the 10.5-inch model which doubles the maximum refresh rate of the previous version. That means you’ll be able to get up to 120Hz, making on-screen movements look incredibly slick.
ProMotion tech also means the Apple Pencil, which will work on both models, is now more responsive on the 10.5-inch Pro, with latency down to 20ms. You should also notice some battery life improvements with the ProMotion tech, as it will dynamically adjust the refresh rate depending on what you’re looking at.
True Tone tech comes onboard both the 10.5-inch and 9.7-inch versions, so both will dynamically adjust the white balance of the display depending on your surroundings. The front-facing camera on the 10.5-inch model has also been upgraded to a 7-megapixel sensor with 1080p HD video recording, as opposed to the 5-megapixel offering on the 9.7-inch tablet.
10.5-inch iPad Pro 9.7-inch iPad Pro Screen 10.5 inch Retina 9.7-inch Retina Display Resolution 2224 x 1668 (264ppi) 1536 x 2048 (264ppi) Aspect Ratio 16:9 16:9 Primary Camera 12MP 12MP Secondary Camera 7MP 5MP Chipset Apple A10X Apple A9X RAM N/A 2GB Storage 64/256/512GB 32/128/256GB Battery 10 hours 10 hours Fingerprint Scanner? The company is currently selling a refurbished 32GB 9.7-inch iPad Pro for £439, but you won’t be picking up a new model any time soon.
Whether you need the extra processing power the A10X chip brings will depend on what you want to do with the device, but it certainly looks as if the 10.5-inch model has the edge.
iPad Pro 10.5‑in. vs iPad Pro 9.7‑in.
Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi‑Fi, watching video or listening to music Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi‑Fi, watching video or listening to music Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi‑Fi, watching video or listening to music Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi‑Fi, watching video or listening to music
Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi‑Fi, watching video or listening to music
iPad Pro 9.7 vs iPad Pro 10.5: is it worth the upgrade?
In the grand scheme of things, it is definitely a much needed evolution of the iPad line, proving that Apple can still pull off some innovation, despite the tablet category almost leaving no room for such. If, however, you are the type that values actual physical space over portability, you might want to upgrade to the new iPad Pro 12.9, the 2017 edition. The iPad Pro 10.5 may have a slightly larger screen, but the difference with the 9.7-inch model isn’t that significant in that regard. The combination of iOS 11 and the all-new A10X processor definitely gives the iPad Pro 10.5 more muscle for heavy-duty tasks.
Of course, you will be limited by the apps available, but there are tons of those ready to meet your content creation and document editing needs. Unless you have a specific use case like the ones above, you probably won’t really need to upgrade as soon as the iPad Pro 10.5 hits the market, or even much later.
iPad Pro 10.5 vs. iPad Pro 9.7
Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. It’s filled to the brim with high-end hardware, including a Retina display with a 120Hz refresh rate, a six-core A10X processor, and a camera that’s on par with the iPhone 7. iPad Pro 9.7 iPad Pro 10.5 Size 9.45 x 6.67 x 0.24 inches 9.8 x 6.8 x 0.24 inches Weight 0.96 pounds 1.03 pounds Display 9.7-inch IPS LCD Retina display with True Tone 10.5-inch, 120Hz IPS LCD Retina display with True Tone Resolution 2,048 x 1,536 (264 ppi) 2,224 x 1,668 (265 ppi) Operating System iOS 10 iOS 10 Storage 32, 128, or 256GB 64, 256, or 512GB Processor A9X A10X Fusion RAM 2GB TBA Camera 5 megapixel (front), 12 megapixel (rear) 7 megapixel (front), 12 megapixel (rear) Video 4k video at 30 frames per second 4K video at 30 frames per second Connectivity Wi-fi, Bluetooth 4.3, LTE Advanced Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, LTE Advanced Sensors Touch ID, Three-axis gyro, accelerometer, abrometer, ambient light sensor Touch ID, Three-axis gyro, accelerometer, abrometer, ambient light sensor Battery Up to 10 hours Up to 10 hours Marketplace iTunes iTunes Price $600+ $650+ Colors Silver, Gold, Space Gray, Rose Gold Silver, Gold, Space Gray, Rose Gold DT Review 4 out of 5 stars Coming soon
The iPad Pro 10.5 and iPad Pro 9.7 have four total — two on the top edge and two on the bottom edge — which allow them to blast crisp, AKG-tuned, stereo sound when propped up in landscape orientation.
In benchmarks, the A10X blows the A9X out of the water, achieving an average Geekbench score of 6,588 compared to the A9X’s 4,990. Moreover, A10X’s embedded M10 co-processor — compared to the M9 in the A9 — boosts performance even further by tackling low-intensity tasks such as activity tracking, recording sensor data (from the iPad’s accelerometer, gyroscope, compass, and barometer), and recognizing Siri commands.
The iPad Pro 10.5 and iPad Pro 9.7’s screen also boast Apple’s innovative True Tone, which automatically boosts color gamut and adjusts the temperature based on surrounding lighting conditions. The iPad Pro 10.5 and iPad Pro 9.7 have a Smart Connector port, which provides a power and data connection to plugged-in devices and supports a range of first and third-party accessories.
With a Smart Keyboard attached, the both iPad Pro models could conceivably replace a laptop. Despite the iPad Pro 10.5’s faster processor, brighter screen, and quad-speaker array, Apple’s newest tablet is actually more efficient when it comes to battery life than older models. When plugged into Apple’s 29-watt power adapter, the iPad Pro 12.9 charges from zero to 80 percent in 93 minutes. The wide-angle camera on the rear has the same megapixel count as the iPad Pro 9.7 (12 megapixel), and features a Quad-LED True Tone flash, a f/1.8 aperture (compared to the iPad Pro 9.7’s f/2.2), optical image stabilization, and high dynamic range (HDR).
There’s no question that in terms of raw specs: The iPad 10.5 has a better set of cameras. We’ll have to put it to the test to see if they translate to real-world performance, but for now, we’re giving the win to the iPad Pro 10.5. But they’ll both benefit from the forthcoming, free upgrade to iOS 11, which is expected to be released in the fall. Notes will have a built-in document scanner that the Apple Pencil can launch directly from the lock screen.
You can even search tags across third-party storage providers, and dive into nested folders, recent documents, and various iCloud content. Once released, you’ll be able to mark up any document that prints using AirPrint, and create a PDF — or handwritten email via iOS’s Mail app — on the fly. Some carriers and retailers are even throwing in a few bonuses with the purchase of an iPad Pro 10.5 (Wi-Fi + Cellular). T-Mobile, for instance, is offering the iPad Pro 10.5 on a payment plan, as are AT&T and Verizon. Starting this week, new and existing T-Mobile One customers can even pick up a tablet with an unlimited 4G LTE data plan for as little as $20 a month (with AutoPay).
Best Buy, on the other hand, is throwing in a gift card when you purchase one of the latest iPad Pro models.
iPad Pro 10.5in (2017) vs iPad Pro 9.7in (2016)
The headline enhancement is that you get a bigger screen, with less of an increase in size and weight than you’d expect as a pay-off; for those who find the 12.9in Pro an absurdity this may be the best form factor for work on the go. This screen also offers higher brightness and a doubled refresh rate that may come in handy for gaming and stylus work. The processor is significantly quicker, backed up (we’re fairly sure) by a doubled allocation of RAM – but don’t expect noticeable speed gains for a while.
(Talking of the future, you can also expect free iOS updates for about a year longer than your 9.7in Pro has ahead of it at this point.)
The front-facing camera is a bit better (good news for FaceTime addicts) and we’re pleased to see the wonderful second-gen Touch ID on an iPad for the first time. We’d recommend this (and an Apple Pencil) to digital artists, since the new Pro models really are as good as tablets get, but your average consumer may be better advised to get the plain iPad… assuming you can live with its unlaminated screen. Combined with the more powerful processor, this should result in substantially stronger performance on demanding apps at present, and more widely in the future as software is written with the new hardware in mind. iPad Pro 9.7in (2016): 9.7 inches (diagonal), 2048 × 1536, 264ppi, 4:3, 60MHz refresh rate, 511 nits brightness (tested)
The new iPad Pro has a bigger screen; it also has a higher resolution such that the pixel density (and effective sharpness) remains the same as its predecessor. You’ll note that the refresh rate has doubled, which should result in smoother gameplay and better interaction with the Apple Pencil.
There’s also a new feature that Apple calls ProMotion, which allows the screen to adjust the refresh rate dynamically depending on the requirements in a given app; this may help improve battery life. Finally, Apple points to increased brightness on the new iPad Pro, rated at a claimed 600 nits.
Apple offers relatively minor photographic improvements, largely confined to the front-facing camera: this gets a higher megapixel rating and 1080p video. This is the first time second-gen Touch ID, which is quicker and more reliable than the original tech, has appeared in an iPad. The average user can probably expect longer life than these numbers, although we find that gaming murders our batteries. We can’t imagine ‘normal’ users – ones who don’t have extensive game libraries, or who need to store large audio and video files – needing more than the base 64GB, although it might be said that ‘normal’ users would be better served by a more basic iPad altogether – such as the iPad 9.7in (2017).
Purely for comparison purposes (since this model is no longer available from Apple), here’s what the company charged for the 9.7in Pro as recently as April 2017.
9.7-inch iPad (2018) vs 10.5 inch iPad Pro: Which One Should You Buy?
The 10.5 inch iPad Pro has a slightly larger 10.5-inch display with 2224×1668 pixels resolution. But extra 0.7 inches on the iPad Pro really help when you’re multitasking and try to use two apps at the same time.
The 10.5 inch iPad Pro runs on the A10X Fusion chip and has 4 GB or RAM. But in reality, they make for a huge difference in real life performance. While the single core score is almost the same, the 10.5 inch iPad comes in its own elements when we get to multi-core. It’s clear that if you want the fastest possible iPad Pro where you’re going to be editing photos, videos or creating art in Procreate, the 10.5 inch iPad Pro is the best option. Read more: 11 Must Have Apps for Apple Pencil and iPad Pro Users The 2017 iPad Pro supports a range of accessories that work with the Smart Connector. This attachment works seamlessly and gives your iPad a great keyboard that you don’t need to recharge. It will soon have support for Logitech’s new $49 Crayon stylus (like Apple Pencil), and the rugged case. The 10.5 inch iPad Pros has one of the most amazing screens Apple has ever made. Laminated display : This seems like a small thing but makes a huge difference in real life.
A laminated display reduces glare and improves the viewing angle. With the 2017 iPad Pro, you feel like you’re actually touching the screen through the glass. : This seems like a small thing but makes a huge difference in real life. A laminated display reduces glare and improves the viewing angle. With the 2017 iPad Pro, you feel like you’re actually touching the screen through the glass. The effect is surreal and a huge upgrade in terms of user experience. The effect is surreal and a huge upgrade in terms of user experience. True Tone: This subtle technology changes the color temperature of the screen depending on the environment. If you’ve never used the iPad Pro, you won’t notice the difference. On the surface, this is a seemingly small change but in real life, when you’re going to be unlocking your iPad dozens of times a day, it really makes a difference. The iPad Pro has the newer 2nd generation Touch ID sensor. Doing this multiple times and day leads to a lot of frustrating moments.
It has the same 12 MP f/1.8 sensor, Optical Image Stabilization, Focus Pixels, P3 wide color support, and an actual True Tone flash. It’s hard to believe that these little speakers can produce a sound that’s so rich and so loud, while still retaining the clarity.
The 2018 iPad only as two down-firing speakers that you’ll find next to the Lighting port.
If you want to switch to another carrier, you’ll have to swap out the SIM card manually.
Especially if you plan on working on your iPad for a long period of time, if you’ll be writing on the iPad, creating art using something like Procreate or if you plan on editing photos or videos on the go, the bigger better screen of the 10.5 inch iPad Pro and the superior processor will do you good.
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