iPad Pro 11 or 12.9 Pro ?

[aZZaneko]

I tend to have a really hard time making choices like this. Actually, I'm still rather torn on whether I should have a Max sized iPhone, iPad Pro or a 13" Macbook as my portable device.

But the iPad size choice feels really easy to me for some reason.

I know 12.9" would be much better for drawing and graphic work
I know it would be better for reading PDFs (I prefer Kindle for my novels)
And for coding split screen mode and good keyboard are more or less a must

Yet, I also know that 11" just looks and feels "right", barely fits in the bag I prefer to carry and is a size I can see myself grabbing to carry around the house and to work without much thought like I do with my big phone these days.

12.9" would most likely either stay upstairs in my home office as a graphic tablet and a secondary screen to my desktop Mac (and I have enough screen estate and a Wacom for that) or become my living/dining room entertainment (which is also stupid as I have a huge tv with Nvidia box there). I travel by car, so weight isn't an issue, but it would be awkward to carry it to my office where I have a proper desktop as well.

So if my leaning towards the iPad does lead to a purchase anytime soon, 11" is a no brainer for me.

 

[jaybar]

I have been using the 12.9 with the new Magic Keyboard. I like it very much but tend not to do a lot of typing on the iPad. When I do type, however, I much prefer they keyboard to the virtual one.

Where I remain torn, is what to do when using it in tablet mode, while in bed. Since I do have the Smart Folio cover, I suppose I could remove the iPad from the keyboard and put on the smart folio cover. However, that strikes me as a lot of swapping. Am I better to just remove to iPad from the keyboard, which bus easy and use it naked? In essence, the MK would be a docking station then. Your thoughts?

 

[subjonas]

I have been using the 12.9 with the new Magic Keyboard. I like it very much but tend not to do a lot of typing on the iPad. When I do type, however, I much prefer they keyboard to the virtual one.

Where I remain torn, is what to do when using it in tablet mode, while in bed. Since I do have the Smart Folio cover, I suppose I could remove the iPad from the keyboard and put on the smart folio cover. However, that strikes me as a lot of swapping. Am I better to just remove to iPad from the keyboard, which bus easy and use it naked? In essence, the MK would be a docking station then. Your thoughts?

So you’re torn between using it with a cover or without a cover while in bed? Why do you need a cover when using it in bed?

 

[jaybar]

Good question. It feels slightly slippery. However, even if I dropped it while reading, it would just land on the mattress, so no harm done. It is so easy to take it off the MK. It feel much lighter without a case/keyboard.

 

[subjonas]

Good question. It feels slightly slippery. However, even if I dropped it while reading, it would just land on the mattress, so no harm done. It is so easy to take it off the MK. It feel much lighter without a case/keyboard.

Yeah, I always avoid cases if at all possible since they tend to detract from the experience. If you’re dropping it a lot though, another option is to get a grippy skin for it.

 

[jaybar]

Have not dropped it yet.

 

[Jamacfer]

I have been using the 12.9 with the new Magic Keyboard. I like it very much but tend not to do a lot of typing on the iPad. When I do type, however, I much prefer they keyboard to the virtual one.

Where I remain torn, is what to do when using it in tablet mode, while in bed. Since I do have the Smart Folio cover, I suppose I could remove the iPad from the keyboard and put on the smart folio cover. However, that strikes me as a lot of swapping. Am I better to just remove to iPad from the keyboard, which bus easy and use it naked? In essence, the MK would be a docking station then. Your thoughts?

I put my 12.9" 2020 in the Magic Keyboard when working on the desk, naked when in the couch or in bed and in the Smart Folio the rest of the time. It is very fast and easy. I have also ordered a skin for the back.

 

[MacMandy]

Thank you everyone!



Congratulations on your 20th Anniversary Mandy. That’s a big shame about your holiday, I’m sorry that you had to cancel. This has been a terrible year. I’m in Australia where we lucky that it wasn’t as bad as elsewhere. Although the Government is trying to open up things again and we have outbreaks in clusters occurring. Schools are returning in a week for the lowest and highest school levels, then 2 weeks later for the rest of students. Pubs and restaurants are opening up too to reduced numbers of customers. I’m concerned about how we will go getting out of this with more local transmission and outbreaks occurring than before we went into lockdown. With the opening up of things, people are acting like it’s all over and it’s not.

Yes, back on topic. As much as I think that the typing experience would be best on the 12.9”, I’m afraid of the bulk and weight. I feel that the 12.9” is large enough and heavy enough with just the Smart Cover. I’ve heard of people saying it’s like a laptop with the MK. I can use the Brydge with it still or use a regular (older) Magic Keyboard that I have here. I might add a Magic Mouse though as I think I’d like that instead of a trackpad for it. I’ll decide on that later. Anyway, that means that I think I’ll get the MK for the 11” so as it would be more portable with the MK.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the AMK for the 11” when it arrives ?

 

[millydog]

I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the AMK for the 11” when it arrives

I spent all of yesterday with the 11” and didn’t touch my 12.9” at all. The 11” is cute and easy to hold, but the 12.9” remains my favourite and my whole aim with this was to see if the 11” was the goldilocks size for me. Well now I realise it’s not. I’m realising that the 12.9” is my favourite size and it really isn’t that much heavier. Keeping the 11” is just adding one more device and not helping me achieve my aim of trying to consolidate my devices. Also, If I was to carry the 11” with MK to work it’s going to be around the same weight as carrying the 12.9 with Smart Cover to work.
My husband is generous in letting me keep the 11”, but I feel it’s overkill to keep both and I was trying to consolidate. Keeping the 11” doesn’t make me want to give up my 12.9”. I’m going to stick to my plan of returning the 11”. I’m glad that I spent another day with it to help make that decision though.
I’ll order the MK for the 12.9” now.

 

[mac.cali]

I spent all of yesterday with the 11” and didn’t touch my 12.9” at all. The 11” is cute and easy to hold, but the 12.9” remains my favourite and my whole aim with this was to see if the 11” was the goldilocks size for me. Well now I realise it’s not. I’m realising that the 12.9” is my favourite size and it really isn’t that much heavier. Keeping the 11” is just adding one more device and not helping me achieve my aim of trying to consolidate my devices. Also, If I was to carry the 11” with MK to work it’s going to be around the same weight as carrying the 12.9 with Smart Cover to work.
My husband is generous in letting me keep the 11”, but I feel it’s overkill to keep both and I was trying to consolidate. Keeping the 11” doesn’t make me want to give up my 12.9”. I’m going to stick to my plan of returning the 11”. I’m glad that I spent another day with it to help make that decision though.
I’ll order the MK for the 12.9” now.

12.9 is the way to go. Stop doubting yourself, you’re making the right choice here.

 

[Erlendks]

Got the 11 2020 right after release. Really love it, but now my wife wants one. Do I want to give her mine and buy the 12.9? I might. The only thing stopping me is that I use it a lot in the couch casually browsing in portrait mode.

 

[Jamacfer]

I think the 12.9” is great for couch or bed (I do the same). Just use it without case. However for reading a lot of novels better the 11”.

 

[mac.cali]

Got the 11 2020 right after release. Really love it, but now my wife wants one. Do I want to give her mine and buy the 12.9? I might. The only thing stopping me is that I use it a lot in the couch casually browsing in portrait mode.

12.9 should be just fine on the couch, unless of course you have a super tiny couch.

 

[Nikhil72]

I finally made my decision. Going to stick with the 11” with magic keyboard. I’m a New Yorker so it’s always in my bag to and from work which both were fine for, but that spontaneity with the smaller one just wasn’t there with the 12.9 for me which just required a little more intention for use. That and also I read a ton of novels plus PDFs and the latter is fine on both but the former gets weighty. I’ll have a 2020 MBP for the more “intentional” times.
that being said, I used the 11” for 98% of my work over the last 1.5 years wonderfully so this shouldn’t change. The casual use cases for me were where I leaned back, but the 12.9 really is spectacular.

 

[Erlendks]

I think the 12.9” is great for couch or bed (I do the same). Just use it without case. However for reading a lot of novels better the 11”.

Will use it without a case when not using the Magic Keyboard. Have a Kindle Oasis 2 for novels.

12.9 should be just fine on the couch, unless of course you have a super tiny couch.

I worry that it wont be as easy and relaxing to use like that.

 

[augustya]

I was 100% in the 11” inch Camp but now gradually i have started to drift and have started to think and make up my mind, most likely my next iPad will be a 12.9”

 

[Jamacfer]

Will use it without a case when not using the Magic Keyboard. Have a Kindle Oasis 2 for novels.



I worry that it wont be as easy and relaxing to use like that.

So you might go ahead with 12.9” especially if you plan to use it also as a laptop for work and not only for content consumption. Anyway is a matter of personal preferences.

 

[Nikhil72]

So you might go ahead with 12.9” especially if you plan to use it also as a laptop for work and not only for content consumption. Anyway is a matter of personal preferences.

Totally a question of personal preference. I actually had both and returned the 11” last week but slowly realized that while my productivity was comparable to when I had the 11” with keyboard portfolio, my casual consumption use felt more laborious when I was trying to read casually in bed, etc., so I was resorting to using my phone more. The magic keyboard for the 11“ is only slightly cramped but for me worth the trade-off. Then again, I’m still commuting to work regularly and not around my house, so the casual portability of the smaller was valuable to me.

The large screen is fantastic for movie watching and split screening but I’m pretty comfortably able to split screen even with the smaller 11” with a PDF while handwriting notes in goodnotes, so I think *for me* the compactness won out in the end. But I agree, this is totally a personal preference and in an ideal world, if there were some in between, that would be the most satisfying.

 

[iAdamator]

Just a quick update. I am still very torn on which one to keep as I Like a lot of aspects of both.
I ask myself questions like: If the keyboard on the 11 MK didnt feel cramped, would I have ever considered the 12.9?

If I keep the small one am I going to wish I had the bigger one? If I keep the bigger one am I going to wish it was smaller?

I did buy the 11 first as it was what I thought I wanted. But got the bigger one to try it’s MK. The bigger iPad is nice No doubt and not as bad to manage as some make it out to be.

I also have read that on average the bigger one has about an hour worse battery life and that more than anything is making me rethink the 11.,

Hey all. I wanted to give an update on my decision. I've decided to give the 12.9 a try this generation. I debated it quite a bit, as most have on here, but for me it came down to how much more I like the typing on the bigger one. Plus, I had told myself for the longest time I would try the bigger iPad the next time I upgraded, especially after all the over all design got smaller with the 2018 iPad.

The real star of the new 2020 iPads for me was the keyboard and that alone was almost enough for me to upgrade my 10.5 to the 11 + MK and be happy. But also having the newness of the bigger size really helps me justify this expensive purchase. I returned my 11 yesterday and while I still love it's size, it seems so tiny to me now. Hopefully I wont regret the big iPad when we all start leaving our homes again. But every day I have had it I get more use to it's size. Ordered a skin for it's back last night as well.

I still have the tinniest bit of hesitation when I hear people deciding on the 11 and it gives me a moment of second thoughts. Hopefully it will pass. I have yet to subscribe to AppleCare on my 12.9.

I do have access to my wife's Air 3 should I ever need it for some reason.

I've really enjoyed everyone's thoughts in this thread. In particular @millydog has been very enjoyable.

 

[SurferJoes]

After giving my wife my 2018 11" iPad and just using my new Macbook Air only for the last 3 weeks, if i ever got another iPad pro i would definitely get the 12.9" just for the bigger screen.

 

[subjonas]

in an ideal world, if there were some in between, that would be the most satisfying

I’ve seen several people say the ideal device is in between the 11” and 12.9” (usually 12”). But I can’t help but wonder if for some of them it’s just because of the psychology of having to choose between two sizes (assuming they don’t consider non pro iPads as options)—the in between size is always the default “ideal”. So for them, it doesn’t actually matter what those sizes are—they could be 10” and 12”, and they would say the ideal is 11”—because it’s always the in between. Not everyone, but I have a strong suspicion this is the case for some.

 

[Nikhil72]

I’ve seen several people say the ideal device is in between the 11” and 12.9” (usually 12”). But I can’t help but wonder if for some of them it’s just because of the psychology of having to choose between two sizes (assuming they don’t consider non pro iPads as options)—the in between size is always the default “ideal”. So for them, it doesn’t actually matter what those sizes are—they could be 10” and 12”, and they would say the ideal is 11”—because it’s always the in between. Not everyone, but I have a strong suspicion this is the case for some.

Totally agree. If the 12.9 were the only size available, i’d probably get used to it. And I do think the mini and even ~10” are too small for me. The 11” seems to strike that right balance overall for mono-tasking with occasional multitasking as a nice hybrid and I think as much as I’ve been trying, that seems like the right size for my personal needs.

 

[rkuo]

Hey all. I wanted to give an update on my decision. I've decided to give the 12.9 a try this generation. I debated it quite a bit, as most have on here, but for me it came down to how much more I like the typing on the bigger one. Plus, I had told myself for the longest time I would try the bigger iPad the next time I upgraded, especially after all the over all design got smaller with the 2018 iPad.

The real star of the new 2020 iPads for me was the keyboard and that alone was almost enough for me to upgrade my 10.5 to the 11 + MK and be happy. But also having the newness of the bigger size really helps me justify this expensive purchase. I returned my 11 yesterday and while I still love it's size, it seems so tiny to me now. Hopefully I wont regret the big iPad when we all start leaving our homes again. But every day I have had it I get more use to it's size. Ordered a skin for it's back last night as well.

I still have the tinniest bit of hesitation when I hear people deciding on the 11 and it gives me a moment of second thoughts. Hopefully it will pass. I have yet to subscribe to AppleCare on my 12.9.

I do have access to my wife's Air 3 should I ever need it for some reason.

I've really enjoyed everyone's thoughts in this thread. In particular @millydog has been very enjoyable.

I’ve been switching sizes and colors when I upgrade iPhone’s. I’ve found that the difference between the sizes is small enough for the actual differences to be tolerable and adaptable, whether better or worse. Sometimes it’s fine to scratch the itch for something different and remember what it’s like to have one size or the other ... the grass is always greener, as they say. Changing sizes makes the product feel a bit more new and fresh, so to speak.
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Got the 11 2020 right after release. Really love it, but now my wife wants one. Do I want to give her mine and buy the 12.9? I might. The only thing stopping me is that I use it a lot in the couch casually browsing in portrait mode.

I’ve always found the 12.9” highly unpleasant in portrait mode. To me, the 12.9” really belongs with its keyboard. YMMV.

 

[Jamacfer]

For myself the 12.9" is the best choice since I use it both as a laptop (together with the new magic keyboard or connected to a bluetooth keyboard and trackpad) and (mostly) as a tablet in portrait mode on the couch or in bed. I also tried the 11" (after having owned a 10.5" for 3 years) but honestly it immediately seemed even smaller and not entirely able to exploit the new possibilities that iPadOs offers us (multitasking, mouse support, keyboard etc.). As for the intermediate size (between 11" and 12.9") I'd rather focus on weight (a 12.9" even lighter would be great).

 

[spiderman0616]

The 12.9” seems to take a few days to “click”. For the first few days I had mine, I felt like I had possibly made the wrong choice and thought about switching back down to the 11”. This changed the more I used it, especially when watching video or reading. I thought using it off the MK as strictly a tablet would be my least favorite thing about the bigger size, but I have grown to love it. At this point, going back to the 11” would be unthinkable to me.

I think of the smaller iPad Pro models as iPads that can stand in as super portable laptops if you need them to. (That’s not a bad thing!!) I think of the larger iPad Pros as great iPads AND laptops. The key for me was getting used to using it as a tablet without a case on it. (My dBrand skin is good peace of mind in that regard.)

You really can’t go wrong with either size. I just find these days that I have almost zero need for a Mac anymore and wouldn’t own one at all if my job didn’t supply one. Since that Mac really isn’t mine I don’t consider it a factor in iPad purchases and have come to accept that if I’m using my iPad Pro as my main personal machine, I need the bigger one. The introduction of trackpad support especially sealed the deal for me.