The Apple iPad Pro Review
by Ryan Smith, Joshua Ho & Brandon Chester on January 22, 2016 8:10 AM EST
At this point it probably isn’t a secret that tablet sales have leveled off, and in some cases they have declined. Pretty much anywhere you care to look you’ll see evidence that the tablet market just isn’t as strong as it once was. It’s undeniable that touch-only tablets have utility, but it seems that the broader market has been rather lukewarm about tablets. I suspect at least part of the problem here is that the rise of the phablet has supplanted small tablets. Large tablets are nice to have, but almost feel like a luxury good when they’re about as portable as an ultrabook. While a compact laptop can’t easily be used while standing, or any number of other situations where a tablet is going to be better, a compact laptop can do pretty much anything a touch-only tablet can. A laptop is also going to be clearly superior for a significant number of cases, such as typing or precise pointing.
As a result, large touch-only tablets feel like they’ve been limited to home use as a computer away from the computer. Tablets are great when you’re on the couch or in bed, but once you get to this point there are some obvious questions as to whether it makes sense to drop $500+ USD on a tablet that seems to have relatively limited utility. The Surface lineup has been showing signs of growth, but in general the Surface is more of a mix between laptop and tablet rather than a tablet. I would argue that given the OS and overall design that the Surface and Surface Pro are really more laptop than tablet, even if at the hardware level the Surface Pro 4 and Surface 3 are basically tablets with kickstands and keyboard covers.
If you’re guessing that this means Apple has had some issues with growing sales of their iPad lineup, you’d be right. From my first experiences with the iPad 3, I was impressed with the improved user experience for things like web browsing and other smartphone tasks, but I never really felt like it made enough sense to get one for myself. The iPad Air 2 was once again impressive and I felt like I could recommend it to other people that wanted a tablet, but I personally struggled to come up with a reason why I would buy it.
This brings us to the iPad Pro. This is probably the first time Apple has seriously deviated from traditional iPad launches, putting together a tablet built for (limited) productivity and content creation rather than just simple content consumption, creating what's arguably the iPad answer to the Surface Pro. To accomplish this, Apple has increased the display size to something closer to that of a laptop, and we see the addition of a stylus and a keyboard cover for additional precision inputs. Of course, under the hood there have been a lot of changes as well, so the usual spec sheet can be found below to summarize those changes.
| Apple iPad Air 2 | Apple iPad Pro | |
| SoC | Apple A8X 3 x Apple Typhoon @ 1.5GHz |
Apple A9X 2 x Apple Twister @ 2.2GHz |
| GPU | PowerVR 8 Cluster Series6XT (Apple GXA6850) |
PowerVR 12 Cluster Series7XT |
| RAM | 2GB LPDDR3 | 4GB LPDDR4 |
| NAND | 16/64/128GB | 32/128GB |
| Display | 9.7" 2048x1536 IPS LCD | 12.9" 2732x2048 IPS LCD |
| Size and Mass | 240 x 169.5 x 6.1mm 437g WiFi, 444g LTE |
305.7 x 220.6 x 6.9 mm 713g WiFi, 723g LTE |
| Camera | 8MP Rear-Facing, f/2.4, 1.1 micron, 1.2MP Front-Facing, f/2.2 | |
| Battery | 27.3Wh | 38.5Wh |
| Launch OS | iOS 8 | iOS 9 |
| Cellular Connectivity | MDM9x25 Category 4 LTE + GPS/GNSS in Cellular SKU | |
| Other Connectivity | 2x2 802.11a/b/g/n/ac + BT 4.2, Apple Lightning | |
| SIM | Optional NanoSIM | |
| Price | $499/599/699 16/64/128GB | $799/949/1079 32/128GB/128GB LTE |
At a high level, the iPad Pro gains a larger display with a higher resolution, more memory, a new SoC, and a larger battery to compensate for the change in display size. In addition to these changes, the iPad Pro also brings noticeable changes to the speakers, with an increase to four speakers which allow the iPad Pro to compensate for device orientation when projecting stereo audio.
Design
The most immediate change that you can see in the iPad Pro is the sheer size. The 12.9” display of the iPad Pro basically makes it feel like you’re carrying a laptop around. I would argue that this doesn’t actually affect the portability of the iPad Pro, but this is mostly because the iPad Air 2 was something that I only carried in a backpack to begin with. People carrying their tablets in a small bag, purse, or even just in their hands will notice the difference, so the change in size might be more or less noticeable depending upon how you carry things around.
The increase in size does affect weight. After significant use, I honestly don’t think the mass is a significant issue. It does feel heavier than the iPad Air 2, but the mass distribution is such that there isn’t a ton of battery hanging out at the edges of the device where it’ll affect the moment of inertia. This does raise the question of whether Apple included enough battery for sufficient battery life, but that’s a question best left for the rest of the review.
In terms of design, the iPad Pro is rather unremarkable if you’ve ever seen an iPad Air before; it is for all intents and purposes a bigger iPad Air. On the front, the display dominates, with some bezels on the sides and top. The top has the front-facing camera, and the bottom has the home button with TouchID.
Looking at the sides of the tablet, the top edge has the power button and 3.5mm port, along with two of the four speakers. The right edge has the volume buttons, and the bottom edge has the Lightning port and the other two speakers. The left edge is mostly empty, but contains the Smart Connector for the Smart Keyboard and similar accessories.
The back of the tablet is mostly unremarkable as well. For the LTE model, an RF window is visible on the top of the device to allow LTE and other connectivity to function. For the WiFi variants, it looks like the bottom display bezel and the bottom two speakers are the RF windows, so there aren’t any visible areas that indicate where the WiFi antennas are.
Overall, the iPad Pro feels like an iPad, with nothing all that remarkable beyond its size which is carried well. I never really noticed the mass or size of the iPad Pro even if it is clearly larger and heavier than the iPad Air 2. I also didn’t notice any issues with the back cover flexing, but given enough pressure on the back cover pretty much any device this large will see some screen distortion or bending. The iPad Pro does technically regress in thickness compared to the iPad Air 2, but I never noticed the difference in practice, especially when the larger display is really what matters more.
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Relic74 - Saturday, February 27, 2016 - link
Citrix support isn't very good on the iPad Pro, we have one on the office as a test bed. We've gone with ChromeBooks instead, a little cheaper, though not by much as we bought the Dell 13" ChromeBooks which are about 600 bucks. Works fantastic as a terminal machine. The iPad Pro is just to expensive for such a thing and it doesn't support a mouse, plus external display support absolutely sucks. Their was black bars, resolution looked bad, doesn't support extending the desktop (an absolute must have feature) and the DPI is so large it looks like a children's OS. Though are biggest complaints was the lack of multi-user support, horrible file management, no Open ID support and can't run apps in the background. The iPad Pro just isn't an Enterprise computer. They might use them as data entry and retrieval devices but as an Office computer, nope.name99 - Friday, January 22, 2016 - link
Your comment, like the use of the term "Productivity software", reveals the sort of white collar snobbery that is rampant in supposedly classless America.I agree that an iPad (and for that matter a Surface) are highly sub-optimal devices for the tasks of large amounts of writing, research, constructing spreadsheets, debugging code, etc.
But those are not the only jobs in the world. Musicians are also professionals (in the colloquial, if not the legal) sense, as are designers/drawers/artists, as are those using these sorts of tablet devices to hold large numbers of technical papers [my particular use case] (ie scientists/researchers), or blueprints or CAD/CAM material or medical diagrams.
To claim that those people are not doing "real" jobs, or that they don't "deserve" or "need" a device optimized to their usage models (which are much heavier on finger or pencil/stylus/brush style manipulation, much lighter on keyboard manipulation) is basically one more version of the usual "look at me, I'm the most important person in the world, and only my needs matter".
Constructor - Saturday, January 23, 2016 - link
Perfectly said!MaxIT - Saturday, February 13, 2016 - link
Absolutely correct! To some people on this (and similar) forum if you aren't doing Photoshopping, 3D modeling , CAD or extensive data querying you don't deserve the term "Pro".I know of people making a lot of real money, real big money, using just a notepad and a word processor. Or a sketch device.
In my organization we are managing $36 millions gear with an outdated iPad 4 and PROFESSIONAL APPS (the same apps someone here keep saying it doesn't exist). But we don't deserve the term "pro", do we ?
Wagobert - Saturday, January 23, 2016 - link
regarding software, I have to agree with Ddriver. On the "SOC Analysis: CPU Performance" page, the authors used Apple XCode (running presumably on a Mac). Could Apple's own XCode run on this hardware? This is being discussed on multiple sites, and the consensus seems to be that memory and IOS are the problem - see here, for example: https://www.quora.com/Will-Apple-make-an-iPad-Pro-...Constructor - Saturday, January 23, 2016 - link
Sure it could. The performance is definitely there. Replicating the entire UI would just be a pretty big task, and larger screens are usually a big advantage in coding and debugging.There's also the matter that Apple is reluctant to allow binaray code generation directly on the device because it could be abused for attacks (because the code signing key would have to be on the device and might be exploitable through other vulnerabilities).
MaxIT - Saturday, February 13, 2016 - link
Maybe in the future, but not yet. To do some serious developing you need multiple windows, a good workspace and maybe some virtual machines... That means a big screen, a lot of ram and a different UI.Relic74 - Saturday, February 27, 2016 - link
It can but Apple won't release it for this, it's not a laptop.zeeBomb - Saturday, January 23, 2016 - link
Well I'm lateakdj - Monday, January 25, 2016 - link
Apparently you're oblivious to the amount of resources, time money and man hours being devoted specifically to the development of mobile, companion apps from the likes of MS, Adobe and AutoDesk.None want to be left in the rear view mirror!
Also, to whoever was beating up on the 2 dozen MS apps, there's a 'Glass' app used specifically for Office suite, scanning and the like. Maybe even 'Office Glass' --- but v1 of the suite's 'drop' a year ago ---or has it been two now? Doesn't Matter, I was on board day one and have had nothing but luck and reliability with it. Both on iOS and OS X. Adobe's companion apps JUST underwent ground up re-writes to support 64bit, handoff amnd it's continuity with a home, studio, desk or one's 'main production' --- not necessarily "pro" rig, but possibly the machine with peripheral options, storage, more power with. 110v constantly, etc. I received mine November 6th, ordered around a week, maybe two post-launch. I've owned every iPad and deploy them now and since iPad 4 'in the field' for my business our family's run for three generations. As well as a dozen full and two dozen part time & temp employees, plenty of us pay our mortgages, car payment(s), daycare and taxes using the iPad as our primary, if not 'only' computer while 'making paper' (we own/operate a flight service and mobile A/V production company in Alaska - I've been flying myself nearly thirty years --- & the ½ pound replacement (Mini 4) or 1.5 pound long trip replacement, iPP is an incredible relief from my 45-60 pound flight bag. Faster, more reliable and up to date than anything 'printed' as well --- its ability to file my flight plan, calculate fuel, diversions for safety, real time traffic, weather, or airport 'issues'. Jeep charts, plates 'no fly areas' maybe -- or any diversion from routine T/O or landing cycle knowledge is paramount & the more details, the better when you're flying in & outta the same areas son long
In the air, test/beta versions of NextGen (ADSB's successor and the update to America, if not the world's ATC system --- with 3D display or HUD showing traffic, terrain, and their headings, altitude and speeds - as well, and most importantly where they're going to, whether their path crosses mine @ a certain moment in the future ...& with the info, both (if equipped) planes will be instructed to change heading, decrease/increase speed or altitude. TCAS (collision avoidance) and 'always on' transponders w/GPS & better tracking then radar and the many blind spots on the planet to radar --- as travel increases, your idea of professional should be changing - as these guys are faster than anything we used on our desks in 2010, just six years ago. Solid state, blazing fast storage, always on and always fast LTE connectivity, wifi if you're in range. The horsepower (I've yet to notice frame drops other than in the App Store as its repopulating during an extensive swatch and I'm deep down) to run most anything developers can dream up now and will continue better their apps, integration and aggregation with the 'mainframe' of the business ...whether you're an engineer, architect, car salesman or waitress. Teachers, UPS & FedEx'll update their tabs so,easy and the garbage men can get rid of pen and pencil as well as the monstrous waste of paper generated daily to be thrown straight into the trash.
iPad Pro, the Surface Pro --- they're 'words' but my definition of professional is the ability to help me make money. A tool, usually an invaluable one that's evolved enough in the capacity I need it for to be considered Revolutionary
That's 2010, 2012 the original and the Retina display 'then 2015, with iPP.
I'm with the author(s). I've owned and LOVE Pencil, don't need or want the KB cover after using it for a week. At all
9one thing on the UI side of the equation is the very excellent OS X like software keyboard layout, the Pencil as a helper for typing and picking suggested/predicted words above the keyboard I've found. And with common punctuation including 'shift' 5 for the % -- shift keys on both sides, double shifting does rage cap lock thing and we've got tab/delete, larger emoji key w/numeric and keyboard switcher in both sides of the space bar. The clipboard, undo and redo are awesome as are the 'up down' form filler/maneuver buttons on the right top of the KB UI. Well enough laid out, I've found a very comfortable case in the lap, perfect angle typing with my left thumb and right hand using/holding the pencil as my second hand. Worlds a treat, hard to explain correctly but efficient, effective and my near new 15" 2015 rMBP has been lonely since Thanksgiving (I'm floored by what Adobe's accomplished with their creative cloud, my iPad Air 2 or Pro mad their aggregation with OS X on my iMac, the Mac Pro. Or earlier mentioned MacBook. They're ALL Over It! The software companies are done boxing DVDs up with 300 page instruction manuals and the packaging costs. Get used to it. Lap/desktops aren't going anywhere but iPads can certainly be the tool of choice, primary tool to get their job done, inventory counted or their record produced!
Pro football today had a bunch of problems on the sidelines today with their Surface Pros, had to 'turn em off' for a few. Both teams ...til they 'rebooted the system' lol
iPads man. They're for pros that want to look, sound and be prepared professionally with reliability and extensive functionality, support and longevity. 'Imstiimown kids still use and it's still working great, the original iPad. Also have the Xoom, predecessor to Nexus. Doesn't 'light up'. It's. Broked.