Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
11 vs 12.9 inch
- Thread starter CB98
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
still almost 2" difference, and with the 12.9" now getting more compact and lighter....i don't know if the 11" will be the sweet spot anymore
Now I am not so sure. The 10.5” will increase to an 11” screen which is great. But the 12.9” will actually be getting smaller because of the slimming bezels. So I am wondering if it’ll be more portable now.
I will have to check them out in person to decide for sure. But I saw this mock up online which makes the new 12.9” look very close in size to the old 10.5” which was the size I was planning on getting before.
Last edited:
Nah. At least for me, the hassle of ordering both and then returning one of them isn’t worth the effort. Easier to just go to an Apple Store and play around with them for an hour...go to lunch...play with them some more. Then decide.
Definitely won’t be for me. The mini and Air size were both too small. 12.9 is way too big. Half an inch will make a big difference and I love the decrease with the bezels on the 10.5. I paid $500 for an iPad Pro 10.5 Wi-Fi + Cellular, new. Might as well stick with it and use the money I would to upgrade for something else or keep it in savings. I’m perfectly happy with the 10.5. I love Touch ID on it and how fast it is. iPhone X, loving minimal bezels and Face ID. I have never missed Touch ID with the iPhone. iPad, completely different story.
If it isn’t broken, makes no sense to fix it.
How sure are we 10.5 is going to 11? Looks like the newest rumor pointed to 10.5 staying the same screen size.
https://www.macrumors.com/2018/10/12/2018-ipad-pro-resolutions-analytics/
https://www.macrumors.com/2018/10/12/2018-ipad-pro-resolutions-analytics/
It is by no means certain. Appsee appear to have been right in the past about screen resolutions, and if screen resolution stays the same there is no way the screen will get larger or the ppi will fall below 264.
I'd rather not see a small increase in pixel dimension, after how long it took third parties to update apps after the release of the 10.5.
That picture is not to scale, so don’t use it to compare a redesigned 12.9” with the old, or new, 10.5” models.
I agree it’s a hassle to return. But am worried about shipping times slipping by the time I decide...
Yeah, I figured. So I mocked up the new iPad pros on paper using the leaked dimensions. Attached a pic. I think I still need to see them in person tho.
[doublepost=1540060660][/doublepost]
True. It’s a gamble. Usually it’s pretty simple to get iPads after they are announced. It’s not like new iPhones. But then... this is the first major redesign of the iPad in 8 yrs, so you’re right, there could be a shortage if not ordered right away.
[doublepost=1540061433][/doublepost]I think I’m still leaning towards the 11” tho.
Last edited:
Based on the renderings, I am leaning to the 11”. I have the 10.5” now and it feels a little cramped in split screen which is my only concern, but other than that is the perfect size to handle.
I don’t think the 12.9” would be great to take out in the train. The iPad Pro is pretty much turning into my main portable device now, so want to be sure about the model I buy.
I don’t think the 12.9” would be great to take out in the train. The iPad Pro is pretty much turning into my main portable device now, so want to be sure about the model I buy.
Seems like people here are pretty certain...
I agree it seems strange for Apple to lower the ppi or to change the size/resolution two years in a row.
I’m using the split screen a lot on my 10.5. But a larger screen would be nice. I had a 12.9 and it was too big to handle for comfortable lap use. So the new IPads are really talking to me regarding split screen use.
As I type this Im trying to envision my 10.5 with an increased screen size made possible by a much narrower bezels/no button. That would be sweet!
An hour's not long enough for me. Heck, even two weeks isn't. I think it took about 1-2 months honeymoon period before I got fed up with the iPhone 6 Plus and switched to the iPhone 6.
Mad Mac Maniac
macrumors 601
So I’m planning to sit out this generation, but this would be the first time I would seriously consider the 12.9” ahead of the smaller pro.
These last past 3 years the 12.9” just didn’t make sense for me. It was too big and unwieldy... iOS hasn’t been powerful enough to utilize the screen... 3rd party apps haven’t been sufficiently making use of the screen... But now I think with this 3rd gen 12.9” those issues will be sufficiently minimized.
Right now I’m rocking the 9.7” Pro and a 2014 MBA, and this combination is working for me perfectly. I use my iPad majority of the time for casual use, reading, etc (on it now). But then if/when I do require a larger display, a higher complexity workflow, or some random thing that I can do better on a Mac, then I have my MBA. This combination works really well for me. I’m not really a “pro” user of my devices, so I’m guessing they will last me for another 3 years. So my tentative plan is that around 2021 I’ll get the ~5th Gen ~12.9” iPad Pro, running on iOS 15 which will replace both of my current devices. But who knows.
Random aside: I’m hoping apple will simplify the iPad sizes a little bit and have an 11” pro and 13” pro. This would also allow the “gen” cycles to sync up instead of having a 1st Gen 11” iPad Pro with a 3rd Gen 12.9” iPad Pro.
These last past 3 years the 12.9” just didn’t make sense for me. It was too big and unwieldy... iOS hasn’t been powerful enough to utilize the screen... 3rd party apps haven’t been sufficiently making use of the screen... But now I think with this 3rd gen 12.9” those issues will be sufficiently minimized.
Right now I’m rocking the 9.7” Pro and a 2014 MBA, and this combination is working for me perfectly. I use my iPad majority of the time for casual use, reading, etc (on it now). But then if/when I do require a larger display, a higher complexity workflow, or some random thing that I can do better on a Mac, then I have my MBA. This combination works really well for me. I’m not really a “pro” user of my devices, so I’m guessing they will last me for another 3 years. So my tentative plan is that around 2021 I’ll get the ~5th Gen ~12.9” iPad Pro, running on iOS 15 which will replace both of my current devices. But who knows.
Random aside: I’m hoping apple will simplify the iPad sizes a little bit and have an 11” pro and 13” pro. This would also allow the “gen” cycles to sync up instead of having a 1st Gen 11” iPad Pro with a 3rd Gen 12.9” iPad Pro.
I'm not planning on upgrading yet, but when I do it will very much come down to just how much smaller the 12.9 feels. Currently I enjoy the screen space on the occasions I do multitask, but those occasions are rare enough that 11" might be sufficient, particularly if it's even smaller than the 9.7" iPad...
Hi Greenmeenie would be really cool if you could make some cutouts of the current 12.9 and 10.5 to compare
What if the new iPad form-factor is that of the newer iPhone X/XS model - rather than a more square-ish screen than current iPads have?
I don't like the idea of a more slendered-width iPad form factor.
I don't like the idea of a more slendered-width iPad form factor.
Last edited:
Screen size is still 10.5 inch. The 11” quote is total size of the device. The 12.9 is currently 14” and the new one is rumored to be reduced to 13.x” with a 12.9” screen.