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Which is the best iPad Pro ?


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augustya

Suspended
Feb 17, 2012
3,331
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This photo says otherwise. [Source] Notice how on the smaller iPad, the twitter app is being told to behave like an iPhone. The UI icons are on the bottom, like the iPhone, and single column like the iPhone—but the 12.9" has the icons on the left and is two-column (you can view Recent Tweets and Mentions at the same time).

is this the case with all the APPS in 12.9 and 11" or is it just one off case ?
 

Nugget

Contributor
Nov 24, 2002
2,166
1,466
Tejas Hill Country
is this the case with all the APPS in 12.9 and 11" or is it just one off case ?

How is it that you are so immune to absorbing the answer to this question? At least three people have already answered this question in replies to you. Also, "apps" is not an acronym and does not need to be capitalized.
 
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6749974

Cancelled
Mar 19, 2005
959
963
is this the case with all the APPS in 12.9 and 11" or is it just one off case ?
I think it’s that the smaller iPads always tell the apps to display information on iPhone view, but that’s only a matter of difference if the app HAS an iPad view that’s any different from an iPhone view. So it depends on how the developer coded the app.

By that I mean, if You look at the photo, the left app (Safari) seems the same on iPhone and iPad view. It’s not like Safari has multiple columns or anything to distinguish it from iPhone or iPad view. It’s just responsive and the one column text will adjust to whatever the window size is.

But Twitter did change from two column to one column in iPhone view, so we noticed the difference. Twitter developers coded a difference. So it will only matter, from a functional UI perspective, occasionally. But if that’s your main app, it’s worth considering.
 

Sumter

macrumors 6502
May 21, 2014
376
342
It’s been slightly over a week since I got my 12.9, so I got to test it out in various situations for work and for casual use. Multitasking is fantastic — split screen that I never used when I had 10.5 I am utilizing way more. Big screen is absolutely gorgeous.

I am finding some issues with having only ASK and will be switching to a regular smart folio + magic keyboard combo instead. I realized that in my head, I was going to be typing a lot to capture everything that was discussed in meetings at work with the Pencil being used as an annotating device, but in reality, I found that I still preferred taking notes in handwritten form (I’m a recent college graduate who relied on handwritten notes on 10.5 for studies).

I feel conscious of using 12.9 and feel a little unwieldy when I am trying to use it primarily for handwriting notes during meetings. Lots of people use a small, portable laptop (smaller than my iPad, lol) or carry a tiny notepad to jot down casual notes during discussion. While same size as a standard A4 paper for 12.9, it being entirely made up of a touchable screen makes it seem somehow bigger or ‘humongous.’ This is the only thing making me reconsider my previous choice to grab a 12.9. Whenever I am called into a discussion with my boss I try to grab my 12.9 for any notes I might have to write and I just feel that it’s not convenient.

Otherwise it’s been perfect. Casual use has been fantastic and working on the iPad by myself on the desk has been fantastic as well.

I am going to be picking up a 11” with magic keyboard and smart folio today and compare my use cases on the smaller screen over the weekend and see if I can live with it. The size of 11 I think is better for portability with some compromise (due to screen size and split screen multitasking ability). Another con I am seeing for 11 is that I don’t think a lot of the games I play will update to fit the new resolution and will always look outdated.

I never planned on my iPad replacing my work-issued laptop for productivity (I really just wanted to lightly browse on the iPad, write and organize meeting notes, and become paperless as much as I can with my PDF converter app, everything else is done on the laptop — making powerpoints, excel, data analysis, etc...) so I wonder if I really need the bigger size screen. It sure is nice to have and if it was strictly for casual use I would not be conflicted at all, I don’t mind the big screen at home.
 
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Scarpad

macrumors 68020
Jan 13, 2005
2,152
655
Ma
I have purchased and returned two previous gen 12.9’s just too big, just got mine just now and it’s so much smaller and lighter I’m really glad I went for the12.9
[doublepost=1542402514][/doublepost]I have purchased and returned two previous gen 12.9’s just too big, just got mine just now and it’s so much smaller and lighter I’m really glad I went for the 12.9
 
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jazzer15

macrumors 6502a
Oct 8, 2010
538
119
Just came from the store. The 11” pros look positively tiny next to the now normal looking 12.9” pros. The 11” looks like a mini!!

It's an illusion -- one that goes away as soon as you leave the store with an 11" :) I don't think in the past Apple displayed the 12.9 and the 10.5 or 9.7 on keyboard stands next to each other (but I could be wrong). I never remember going into an Apple store in the past and thinking the 10.5" or 9.7" iPads looked small -- and the old 12.9" was considerably larger then.
 

MrXiro

macrumors 68040
Nov 2, 2007
3,850
599
Los Angeles
But you don‘t carry around an iMac, you don‘t put it in your pocket, take it with you in meetings etc. big difference imo
I know a girl who carried her 27 inch iMac to and from the movie production set I worked on. Every day for 3 weeks to about 5 different shooting locations. She'd have it in her backseat when she got there and find a table somewhere and plug in.
 
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skaro

macrumors member
Oct 7, 2004
45
34
It’s been slightly over a week since I got my 12.9, so I got to test it out in various situations for work and for casual use. Multitasking is fantastic — split screen that I never used when I had 10.5 I am utilizing way more. Big screen is absolutely gorgeous.

I am finding some issues with having only ASK and will be switching to a regular smart folio + magic keyboard combo instead. I realized that in my head, I was going to be typing a lot to capture everything that was discussed in meetings at work with the Pencil being used as an annotating device, but in reality, I found that I still preferred taking notes in handwritten form (I’m a recent college graduate who relied on handwritten notes on 10.5 for studies).

I feel conscious of using 12.9 and feel a little unwieldy when I am trying to use it primarily for handwriting notes during meetings. Lots of people use a small, portable laptop (smaller than my iPad, lol) or carry a tiny notepad to jot down casual notes during discussion. While same size as a standard A4 paper for 12.9, it being entirely made up of a touchable screen makes it seem somehow bigger or ‘humongous.’ This is the only thing making me reconsider my previous choice to grab a 12.9. Whenever I am called into a discussion with my boss I try to grab my 12.9 for any notes I might have to write and I just feel that it’s not convenient.

Otherwise it’s been perfect. Casual use has been fantastic and working on the iPad by myself on the desk has been fantastic as well.

I am going to be picking up a 11” with magic keyboard and smart folio today and compare my use cases on the smaller screen over the weekend and see if I can live with it. The size of 11 I think is better for portability with some compromise (due to screen size and split screen multitasking ability). Another con I am seeing for 11 is that I don’t think a lot of the games I play will update to fit the new resolution and will always look outdated.

I never planned on my iPad replacing my work-issued laptop for productivity (I really just wanted to lightly browse on the iPad, write and organize meeting notes, and become paperless as much as I can with my PDF converter app, everything else is done on the laptop — making powerpoints, excel, data analysis, etc...) so I wonder if I really need the bigger size screen. It sure is nice to have and if it was strictly for casual use I would not be conflicted at all, I don’t mind the big screen at home.

I'm interested in how you find the 11" because I have the exact same view as you, the 12.9 is just a bit too conspicuous in meetings at work.
 

MacFinnley

macrumors 6502
Aug 30, 2014
331
136
Munich, Germany
Got my 11“ today and I can tell you that it‘s way bigger than my old 9,7“. In the store it looks like a joke compared to the 12,9, that‘s why I wasn‘t sure if the 11“ would be enough. Now I‘m really happy. Split Screen is also a blast. Here‘s a picture.
 

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augustya

Suspended
Feb 17, 2012
3,331
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Got my 11“ today and I can tell you that it‘s way bigger than my old 9,7“. In the store it looks like a joke compared to the 12,9, that‘s why I wasn‘t sure if the 11“ would be enough. Now I‘m really happy. Split Screen is also a blast. Here‘s a picture.

Oh Wow ! This doesn't look bad at allm infact if you don't have the 12.9" besides the 11" iPsd Pro The 11" in itself looks reasonably big, I don't know how big does one want to go unless he wishes to carry a Giant TV screen with him. The Split screen looks good to me aswell. By the way why is your 11" looking with such a warm display, it looks darn yellow !!
 

MCube74

macrumors 65816
Nov 22, 2010
1,323
611
Hong Kong
I think this video has assured me that I made the right choice in getting the 12.9” iPad Pro.




If I had got the 11” model I would surely need to upgrade next year for a bigger screen since I believe iOS 13 which will have more multi tasking features.
 

Keenanryan

macrumors newbie
Apr 23, 2015
15
3
I think I'm going to go change my 11 out for the 12.9 tomorrow after seeing all the reviews focus on that one it has made me want it more and more plus I think the size will be manageable now that it has shrunk so much
 
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MCube74

macrumors 65816
Nov 22, 2010
1,323
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Hong Kong
Got my 11“ today and I can tell you that it‘s way bigger than my old 9,7“. In the store it looks like a joke compared to the 12,9, that‘s why I wasn‘t sure if the 11“ would be enough. Now I‘m really happy. Split Screen is also a blast. Here‘s a picture.

Granted 11” is bigger than 9.7”.

9.7” is the actual size of the first iPad released years ago. It should not even be an option or be compared at the end of year 2018.

11” is a replacement for 10.5” which will be phased out next year.

Going forward we will only have 11” or 12.9” models to choose from.

Now we should be comparing 11” to 10.5” and that honestly is about 5% increase in screen size in the same form factor.

The 12.9” compared to the previous 12.9” models is the same screen size in a smaller form factor.

Now it is the customer to decide which one they prefer.

9.7” users will benefit either way as they should at least get one based on their needs and budget.

It is the 10.5” users and 12.9” users who have a lot more to think about.
 

vapourtrails

macrumors regular
Jul 18, 2016
206
76
Granted 11” is bigger than 9.7”.

9.7” is the actual size of the first iPad released years ago. It should not even be an option or be compared at the end of year 2018.

11” is a replacement for 10.5” which will be phased out next year.

Going forward we will only have 11” or 12.9” models to choose from.

Now we should be comparing 11” to 10.5” and that honestly is about 5% increase in screen size in the same form factor.

The 12.9” compared to the previous 12.9” models is the same screen size in a smaller form factor.

Now it is the customer to decide which one they prefer.

9.7” users will benefit either way as they should at least get one based on their needs and budget.

It is the 10.5” users and 12.9” users who have a lot more to think about.


I think the reason the 9.7 "size was originally chosen and the 11" overall fits the same profile is ergonomics. That's part of the tension people are experiencing. The 11" ergonomics are generally better for handheld use. While Apple could continue to make the screen larger and larger it would fail on ergonomics for many people.
 

lax28

macrumors 6502
Sep 28, 2014
279
157
New Jersey
I had a gen 1 12.9 and a 10.5, I used both daily for different reasons. I thought the new 12.9 would replace both, so I sold the gen 1 12.9 and planned on handing down 10.5. But I think/thought new 12.9 was too big for some uses. I really didn’t want to keep two iPads so I decided to try the 11. If I can adjust to that for my work uses than I will still hand down my 10.5 and use only the 11 otherwise I will stay with new 12.9 and just keep my 10.5 for easy travel and sitting on couch internet and media consumption.
 

MK500

macrumors 6502
Aug 28, 2009
434
550
Based on some previous posts, it sounds like some apps (e.g. Mail) can show the "iPad" version of the app if it's the larger of the 70/30 split on the 11". On the 10.5", Mail will show "iPhone" version even if it's the larger of the 70/30 split.

The 11” does not show the “iPhone version” when in 70/30 split. For example you see full email with mailboxes on the 70 and still a nice twitter feed in the 30. I did many hours of extensive testing on the 12.9 before switching to the 11 and my opinion is the difference is minor between these for real world use. I quite often have 70/30 plus slide over and also PiP video all running (so 4 way multitasking). The 11” is still great for this. Mostly just less white space.
 
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MCube74

macrumors 65816
Nov 22, 2010
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Hong Kong
I think the reason the 9.7 "size was originally chosen and the 11" overall fits the same profile is ergonomics. That's part of the tension people are experiencing. The 11" ergonomics are generally better for handheld use. While Apple could continue to make the screen larger and larger it would fail on ergonomics for many people.

I do understand but in the future there will probably not be any 9.7” being sold by Apple.

11” is a bigger firm factor then 9.7” and it is exactly the same as the 10.5” model.

So ideally 11” should be compared to 10.5”. For 9.7” users it is a no brainer if they want a smaller choice then it will have to be 11”.

For 10.5” users to upgrade to 11” for 5% screen increase is a question only they can answer if they should upgrade. I wouldn’t.

11” model should have been released as a standard iPad 2018 model and only 12.9” should have been released as the Pro. I feel this time Apple’s marketing may have made a mistake.

The specs also should have been changed like all 12.9” models should have the 6gb Ram or something and also may be a faster CPU.

I don’t see a 11” as a pro model even with the same specs. It is a good thing the specs are the same but a pro model needs to be large and big and be able to do more multi tasking.
 

mcaswell

macrumors 6502
Dec 22, 2013
390
228
I don’t see a 11” as a pro model even with the same specs. It is a good thing the specs are the same but a pro model needs to be large and big and be able to do more multi tasking.
I respectfully disagree... the 11 (or 10.5) is great for a pro user who needs the accurate color screen and the horsepower, but doesn't necessarily need or want the bulk of the 12.9. My wife and I edit hundreds of photographs on our 10.5's every day.
 

MCube74

macrumors 65816
Nov 22, 2010
1,323
611
Hong Kong
I respectfully disagree... the 11 (or 10.5) is great for a pro user who needs the accurate color screen and the horsepower, but doesn't necessarily need or want the bulk of the 12.9. My wife and I edit hundreds of photographs on our 10.5's every day.

Well that is my own viewpoint and I respect yours.

Apple need to rethink their strategy when selling their devices if they want people to pay these high prices for the iPad Pro.

The should have released the iPad Pro 11” as a regular iPad 2018 with a slightly lower clock speed and 4gb ram. The 12.9” should have been marketed as the only pro model with 6gb ram and higher click speed and only the 12.9” having 1TB storage option.

This way there won’t be so much confusion in the 2 models
 

MK500

macrumors 6502
Aug 28, 2009
434
550
11” model should have been released as a standard iPad 2018 model and only 12.9” should have been released as the Pro. I feel this time Apple’s marketing may have made a mistake.
...
I don’t see a 11” as a pro model even with the same specs. It is a good thing the specs are the same but a pro model needs to be large and big and be able to do more multi tasking.

Wow; I couldn’t disagree with this more. I work professionally 6 to 10 hours per day on my 11” and consider it very Pro. I actually found the 12.9” size ungainly and harder to work with. Apple just seems to have not optimize it yet...so lots of wasted “white space”. I have no problem doing 4 way multitasking on the 11” (two apps split view, slide over, plus Business news stream in PiP).

I totally see where some use cases demand the 12.9” size though; so respect the need for both.
 

vapourtrails

macrumors regular
Jul 18, 2016
206
76
I respectfully disagree... the 11 (or 10.5) is great for a pro user who needs the accurate color screen and the horsepower, but doesn't necessarily need or want the bulk of the 12.9. My wife and I edit hundreds of photographs on our 10.5's every day.

I think the pro designation is somewhat weak overall. The next round of iPads will follow the same sizes but designators like ram, and processor will help lower the Price
 

MCube74

macrumors 65816
Nov 22, 2010
1,323
611
Hong Kong
Wow; I couldn’t disagree with this more. I work professionally 6 to 10 hours per day on my 11” and consider it very Pro. I actually found the 12.9” size ungainly and harder to work with. Apple just seems to have not optimize it yet...so lots of wasted “white space”. I have no problem doing 4 way multitasking on the 11” (two apps split view, slide over, plus Business news stream in PiP).

I totally see where some use cases demand the 12.9” size though; so respect the need for both.

11” models have the problem with some apps need for an update to support the new aspect ratio. It has big borders now. Kind of a waste of unused space.

Also using the pencil and keyboard is a better experience with the bigger model.

If I had bought the 11” model I would probably not use it for typing documents or taking notes. It would have been a waste for me.

I guess different users and different needs.

Also why would I carry a small 11” iPad around when I have a big phone like the iPhone X’s Max. It is so much easier to use than the iPad for “one hand use” outside.
 

Nugget

Contributor
Nov 24, 2002
2,166
1,466
Tejas Hill Country
If I had bought the 11” model I would probably not use it for typing documents or taking notes. It would have been a waste for me.

To be honest, this sounds leas like a product comparison and more like you trying to buttress the decision you’ve already made. You can simply like the 12.9 and just leave it at that. You don’t need to try so hard.

They’re not THAT different.
 
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