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Another 9.7 vs 10.5 opinions needed

ilikewhey

ilikewhey

macrumors 68040
Original poster
May 14, 2014
3,634
4,698
nyc upper east
my situation
i took back my 12.9 ipad from my mom, prior to that she had a ipad air, however after she got used to the keyboard cover she wants one too now, except a bit smaller. she normally just take photos and view her work email and wechat. so i'm trying to get a feel of how much better the new camera is and screen is.

what to purchase
now i'm getting offers from fellas on here and what i can see on ebay, that the 9.7 saves a good amount of money, like at least 200 bucks worth, and if i really want to save i can get a 32gb for under 350, where the 10.5 cheapest is at least 650 before tax. ofcourse i'm looking at the 128gb version and perhaps a lte version as well. but would spending the extra 10.5 is justified?
 
Well, if the camera is a major thing, the 10.5 has the same camera as the iPhone 7. I’m one of those people who like to take pictures with their iPad and it’s pretty amazing. A gigantic upgrade from the Airs camera.

Though, otherwise, I think she’d be perfectly fine with the 9.7 if you’re wanting to save money at all. Only other thing I can thing of that would benefit her is the screen size, but if she was fine with the Air, she’d be fine with the 9.7 as well.
 
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ilikewhey said:
my situation
i took back my 12.9 ipad from my mom, prior to that she had a ipad air, however after she got used to the keyboard cover she wants one too now, except a bit smaller. she normally just take photos and view her work email and wechat. so i'm trying to get a feel of how much better the new camera is and screen is.

what to purchase
now i'm getting offers from fellas on here and what i can see on ebay, that the 9.7 saves a good amount of money, like at least 200 bucks worth, and if i really want to save i can get a 32gb for under 350, where the 10.5 cheapest is at least 650 before tax. ofcourse i'm looking at the 128gb version and perhaps a lte version as well. but would spending the extra 10.5 is justified?
Click to expand...

I think it also depends if your Mom would appreciate the larger size of the 10.5 iPad. The 9.7 iPad is similar, but lacks the camera upgrade and Promotion display. I still think the 9.7 iPad Pro has decent camera quality, but not that of the 10.5 iPad that also incorporates the flash from the iPhone 7 as well.
 
ilikewhey said:
but would spending the extra 10.5 is justified?
Click to expand...
How important is the camera on the iPad. She uses it to take pictures, is this something that is her primary device for photography? The 10.5's camera is the same one that is used in the 7 so, its the best one out there, but does she walk around with an iPad and snaps photos, i.e., goes to DisneyWorld with her iPad?

If its an occasional type thing then maybe the 9.7 may be ok.

Also ask her how she feels between the two.
 
thanks for all the reply, yes she actually is one of these that carries around the ipad to take photos, even more embarrassing enough she would bust the ipad at restaurants and hover over the meals to take pictures. she has a 7 plus but she prefer the bigger screen for photos.

from what i understand its basically 6s vs 7 camera no?
 
ilikewhey said:
thanks for all the reply, yes she actually is one of these that carries around the ipad to take photos, even more embarrassing enough she would bust the ipad at restaurants and hover over the meals to take pictures. she has a 7 plus but she prefer the bigger screen for photos.

from what i understand its basically 6s vs 7 camera no?
Click to expand...
Is the iPad 9.7 the regular one or the Pro 9.7? I think the Pro uses iPhone 6s câmera whereas the regular “new” iPad uses iPhone 6 camera (like the iPad Air 2).
Btw, how funny that your mom has the iPhone 7 Plus and still prefers her iPad to take pictures
 
Regardless of if you get her the 9.7 or the 10.5, you might want to get her the ASK for the 10.5. It’s a small difference, but the ASK for the 10.5 (compatible with the 9.7 also) feels much better to type on.
 
strategicthinke said:
Is the iPad 9.7 the regular one or the Pro 9.7? I think the Pro uses iPhone 6s câmera whereas the regular “new” iPad uses iPhone 6 camera (like the iPad Air 2).
Btw, how funny that your mom has the iPhone 7 Plus and still prefers her iPad to take pictures
Click to expand...

dude it's hilarious before that she prefer taking pic on my 12.9 1st gen than her iphone 7 plus. she likes the bigger screen so she can see more details. even though its iphone 7 camera vs a iphone 6 camera

sosumi99 said:
Regardless of if you get her the 9.7 or the 10.5, you might want to get her the ASK for the 10.5. It’s a small difference, but the ASK for the 10.5 (compatible with the 9.7 also) feels much better to type on.
Click to expand...
i'm sorry but what is the ask? the asking price?
 
The biggest part of this decision is how important it is for you to have the latest and greatest. For many of us, we are willing to pay a significant premium to have the best, with the full knowledge that last year's device would be more than adequate to serve our needs. I can't say it's always a rational choice.

The 9.7 Pro is a great device and I'm sure you would be happy with it - based on the discounts I think they are a great buy.
 
Today I looked at the 9.7 and 10.5 to decided which will replace my iPad 3 that I have owned for 5 years.

Playing a few videos on both side by side, the 10.5 marginally richer colours but the difference isn't as dramatic as when I jumped from iPhone 5s to S6 Edge+ with OLED, or from a 1080p plasma to a 4k LG TV.

Yes scrolling is a smoother on the 10.5 but it didn't blow my brain out. Ultimately it's a good screen but not the best one on the market.

Needless to say i will probably still go for the 10.5 as the 9.7 runs an outdated CPU that will start struggling as the iOS start accruing desktop like capabilities. Given that I will keep the iPad for a good 5 years, the premium for the 10.5 as it will likely remain snappier and usable 2 years longer than the 9.7. Extra storage and slightly larger screen are extras I welcome.
 
Update: I pulled the trigger on a 64GB 10.5 Pro yesterday. The screen looks utterly fantastic at home and is more vivid and brighter than the screen on my 2012 MBP Retina.

I'm very impressed by the speakers. They add immersiveness and size to the iPad. Although it has a larger screen than the iPad 3 I owned, it's significantly lighter and charges a lot faster.

Overall, I'm extremely pleased and don't regret paying a premium over the 2017 iPad which is less compelling because of its outdated CPU.
 
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