iPad Pro 11" iPad to 12.9" iPad = A significant and (unexpectedly) great upgrade!

[tdbrown75]

I'm upgrading my 4th generation 11" Air to a 5th generation (M1) 12.9" iPad Pro, after snagging one for $300 off (Black Friday). Just seems like a whole lot of upgrade for a heckuva deal. I mostly use mine to game on the couch, and after doing work on my 16" MacBook Pro, the 11 just seems so tiny every time I pick it up.

 

[Digitalguy]

good point on the MK, wonder how the apple folio is, I like it as minimal as possible.

Folio is totally fine since it takes very little space. The angle may be a little steep depending on the angle of the passenger (in front of you)'s seat though...

 

[Traverse]

Honestly, I seem to sway daily between thinking the 12.9" is too much and counting the days until I get rid of it and then liking it. There are some contexts were the 12.9" is amazing and then so many where it's sub-optimal. I've always felt like it's wasteful, but I think dual iPads is a pretty good setup if you can afford it.

Right now I have an iPad mini 6 and a 12.9" iPad Pro. I think my dream setup would be an 11"-12" iPad Pro with OLED fully decked out as my main personal computer and then a 14"+ iPad Studio/Pro for home use for special projects like drawing, external monitor with Mac, etc.

I think if I was forced to commit to a single iPad only I'd likely go for the 11" iPad Pro which gets close to the 12.9" with the scaled display of iOS 16.1 and can expand with external display support if needed.

 

[SoYoung]

Thé big downside of the 12.9 is to use it as an…. iPad. Yes it’s better In every way but it rapidly become uncomfortable to hold in hand and for some reason I prefer the default Apple keyboard (software) on other iPads.

 

[tdbrown75]

Thé big downside of the 12.9 is to use it as an…. iPad. Yes it’s better In every way but it rapidly become uncomfortable to hold in hand and for some reason I prefer the default Apple keyboard (software) on other iPads.

This is the only thing that has me wondering. I will try it out for a while, and if it's just too big, I'll sell on eBay and get a n 11" pro. For what I paid, I can get nearly all my money back on eBay in a month or two.

Tim

 

[sparksd]

This is the only thing that has me wondering. I will try it out for a while, and if it's just too big, I'll sell on eBay and get a n 11" pro. For what I paid, I can get nearly all my money back on eBay in a month or two.

Tim

You really do have to try it for yourself as it's a personal experience kind of thing - I don't have any problem with the size when using it in my hands, etc.

 

[brig2221]

I just recently upgraded from a 2018 11” iPad Pro to a 12.9” M1 iPad Pro (couldn’t resist the $300 off sale at Best Buy).

I have it paired with a Magic Keyboard, and I have to say that is how I’ll use it 99% of the time. It’s not awful using it as a tablet in hand, but it’s not as comfortable and light in the hand as the 11”, but as noted, I expect my use to be mainly paired with the Magic Keyboard.

Loving the extra real estate and the bump up to Mini LED. I suffer from PWM (still rocking an iPhone 11), so this was the perfect time for me to upgrade at a great sale price and get locked in with a really nice screen technology that I can actually use (assuming Apple will flip to OLED in the next refresh).

All in all I’m really happy with the upgrade and find myself using my 12.9’ iPad Pro more than my MBP!

 

[callihan_44]

ive had zero interest in the 12.9 ipad thinking that it was probably too big, until I handled one this week for about an hour. I ordered the m1 from BB since they are trying to clear leftovers out of inventory . My boss got one and I set up his email and office apps, it wasnt enormous feeling while holding it...not like what I thought it would, I enjoyed the larger display. I plan to use it in the smart folio cover for now, maybe get a keyboard later

 

[kp98077]

ive had zero interest in the 12.9 ipad thinking that it was probably too big, until I handled one this week for about an hour. I ordered the m1 from BB since they are trying to clear leftovers out of inventory . My boss got one and I set up his email and office apps, it wasnt enormous feeling while holding it...not like what I thought it would, I enjoyed the larger display. I plan to use it in the smart folio cover for now, maybe get a keyboard later

same for me then you get sucked in! lol

 

[rkuo]

You really do have to try it for yourself as it's a personal experience kind of thing - I don't have any problem with the size when using it in my hands, etc.

The issue for me isn’t the weight per se, more the weight with the size making the tablet feel like it wants to flop out of my hands. I also find the tablet typing experience extremely subpar because it’s hard to reach your thumbs across the screen while keeping your grip. For me, the 12.9 isn’t pleasant to use unless it is with one of the keyboard accessories.

 

[teh_hunterer]

You'll get tired of it, I promise. Then you'll wish you had your 11" back. The 12.9" is really cool at first, then it gets old because it's big and cumbersome and so goofy looking at coffee shops. Good luck with your purchase.

Absolutely this. Loved it for a week, fell out of love and returned it, and very happy with my existing 11".

 

[kp98077]

The issue for me isn’t the weight per se, more the weight with the size making the tablet feel like it wants to flop out of my hands. I also find the tablet typing experience extremely subpar because it’s hard to reach your thumbs across the screen while keeping your grip. For me, the 12.9 isn’t pleasant to use unless it is with one of the keyboard accessories.

What?/don’t think so. Everyone on the plane has them.

 

[Mcuserr]

Absolutely this. Loved it for a week, fell out of love and returned it, and very happy with my existing 11".

I lasted a year lol, 2 years before with 11” before that, back on a 11” for last 4 months.

 

[tdbrown75]

I'm upgrading my 4th generation 11" Air to a 5th generation (M1) 12.9" iPad Pro, after snagging one for $300 off (Black Friday). Just seems like a whole lot of upgrade for a heckuva deal. I mostly use mine to game on the couch, and after doing work on my 16" MacBook Pro, the 11 just seems so tiny every time I pick it up.

On day three of ownership, and no going back now.

 

[teh_hunterer]

I lasted a year lol, 2 years before with 11” before that, back on a 11” for last 4 months.

To simplify it down, I think it's because the 11" is too small and the 12.9" is too big. If you bumped the 11" up to 12" and kept the 11"'s aspect ratio, I think you'd be approaching a sweet spot.

For me, the extra weight and size from the 4:3 aspect ratio was a poor tradeoff - too much heft, not enough utility.

 

[rui no onna]

To simplify it down, I think it's because the 11" is too small and the 12.9" is too big. If you bumped the 11" up to 12" and kept the 11"'s aspect ratio, I think you'd be approaching a sweet spot.

For me, the extra weight and size from the 4:3 aspect ratio was a poor tradeoff - too much heft, not enough utility.

Perhaps for you.

For me, any bigger than 11” and it won’t fit in my purse anymore.

 

[luzsa2004]

Yes, the Pro 2022 12.9 inch is large[r] and feels different carrying around from the 10 or it’s other predecessors. But the trade off to enjoy a larger screen that revs with more power thanks to the M2, allowing far more multitasking, it’s a keeper.

 

[Ubele]

A year ago, I went from a 2017 9.7" iPad to a 2021 12.9" iPad Pro. I've never regretted my decision to get the 12.9 rather than the 11. I also bought the Magic Keyboard and the Apple Pencil, and I already had an extra Magic Mouse. My use case is:

• Almost every morning, I watch video content on my IPP while walking an hour or two on the treadmill. For me, bigger is better when it comes to watching video. The IPP, outside the MKB case, fits perfectly on the treadmill shelf.
• For the first few months, I noticed the screen bloom, but only with white titles on black backgrounds, and only at night in a dark room. I don't know whether Apple has addressed it via software, but the bloom now seems to be gradually diffused around white-on-black elements, rather than looking like distinctive blotchy blocks.
• I've been learning Procreate in conjunction with the Pencil. Again, for me, bigger is better when drawing. I usually keep the IPP in the MKB while drawing, unless I'm doing it in portrait orientation.
• The rest of the time, the IPP stays in the MKB. Depending on the task at hand, I either use it as is on on my lap or put it on a small lap desk so I can use it with the mouse.
• For tasks that require heavy lifting or just more screen real estate, I have a 2019 27" iMac. I recently gave my 2015 13" MacBook Pro to my dad. I used to keep it by the living-room sofa next to my IPP, using it for tasks that I knew how to do on a Mac but not on an iPad. Since then, I've been forcing myself to learn how to do those tasks on my IPP. Some are just as easy. A few are easier. Some are clunkier. A few can't be done (in which case, I go to my iMac in my home office). Overall, my IPP has proven to be a good replacement for my MBP, but I wouldn't give up my iMac. In any case, there has never been an instance in which I wished I had a smaller iPad screen.
• For those who say that the bigger iPad is tiring or cumbersome to hold, especially in bed, that's not an issue for me when it's in the MKB. The combo sits on my lap or stomach, and I don't need to hold it up. If you don't want to get a MKB, an inexpensive foam lap stand works just as well. I used one for years with the 9.7" iPads I owned previously.
• Since I never hold my IPP in one hand for long periods of time, the size and weight aren't an issue. The weight doesn't bother me when I carry it around by itself or in a shoulder bag. I used to lug around a 10-pound Windows laptop in the late 1990s, and I've had various Apple laptops since, so "heavy" is relative.
• I've flown with my 12.9" IPP. Even in cramped economy seats, it fit just fine on the seat tray while in its MKB.

As has been said many times, it all comes down to personal preference and what your needs are. For me, the 11" IPP would have no advantages over the 12.9" version, other than price.

 

[callihan_44]

I played around with my new m1 12.9 in the smart folio over the weekend, I think Im set...interacting with the tablet feels more immersive with the larger display, side x side windows is better than anything smaller. If I choose to use it for more typing activities I will break down and get the keyboard. I also have a 2 in 1 pc laptop with a 14" display, the 12.9 ipad is def lighter and smaller feeling than that lol.

as a side note, it came with os 15.6, battery barely moved after set up of email accounts and lots of app downloads- testing performance -surfing web

 

[Love-hate 🍏 relationship]

Just sold my 12.9 to a 11 and I already feel much better . The bigger size with squared aspect ratio was a nightmare to use .

But I can't deny the screen is MUCH smaller on the 11"

 

[eltoslightfoot]

Just sold my 12.9 to a 11 and I already feel much better . The bigger size with squared aspect ratio was a nightmare to use .

But I can't deny the screen is MUCH smaller on the 11"

User name checks out.

 

[cthompson94]

Honestly, I seem to sway daily between thinking the 12.9" is too much and counting the days until I get rid of it and then liking it. There are some contexts were the 12.9" is amazing and then so many where it's sub-optimal. I've always felt like it's wasteful, but I think dual iPads is a pretty good setup if you can afford it.

Right now I have an iPad mini 6 and a 12.9" iPad Pro. I think my dream setup would be an 11"-12" iPad Pro with OLED fully decked out as my main personal computer and then a 14"+ iPad Studio/Pro for home use for special projects like drawing, external monitor with Mac, etc.

I think if I was forced to commit to a single iPad only I'd likely go for the 11" iPad Pro which gets close to the 12.9" with the scaled display of iOS 16.1 and can expand with external display support if needed.

I am the exact same way! When I gave my 11" iPP to my my brother and upgraded to the 12.9 M1 I instantly was happy since of course the screen size was at least have the reason for the upgrade. After a while of owning it there are sometimes where I think that it is sometimes too much and usually that is when I am on the couch chilling with the iPad in my lap, the 11" one was like the perfect lap size tablet IMO it was just big enough to see clearly from a reasonable viewing distance and have on you like your lap and be comfortable. Now, as much as I love the benefits I have from the upgrade, there are moments where I do miss that 11"

 

[Love-hate 🍏 relationship]

User name checks out.

ehehe

 

[rkuo]

I am the exact same way! When I gave my 11" iPP to my my brother and upgraded to the 12.9 M1 I instantly was happy since of course the screen size was at least have the reason for the upgrade. After a while of owning it there are sometimes where I think that it is sometimes too much and usually that is when I am on the couch chilling with the iPad in my lap, the 11" one was like the perfect lap size tablet IMO it was just big enough to see clearly from a reasonable viewing distance and have on you like your lap and be comfortable. Now, as much as I love the benefits I have from the upgrade, there are moments where I do miss that 11"

It's a bit ironic ... because I use the 12.9 most of the time now (since it gets used most in the house as the screen size and miniLED display are brilliant), but if I had to pick one, it would be the 11" as the all arounder for both inside and outside use.

 

[richpjr]

Clearly which size works best is a very subjective thing. For my use cases, no one size would work well for how I would use them so I have both an 11 and a 12.9, along with a Mac Studio.

The Mac Studio is on my home office desk and what I use most of the time for work, photo editing, general computing and gaming. My 11 iPad is used mainly for reading, playing casual games when not in my office and light media consumption. My 12.9 is used more in the lines of a laptop replacement and especially when I need to type a lot when not at my desk. If I had to pick between only having an 11 or a 12.9, that would be kind of tough - I'd probably go with the 12.9 because I do need to type a lot and the 11 keyboard is just too cramped for me.