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iPad Pro Did we find out why Apple went with 10.5"?

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Dec 17, 2013
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The title says it all really.

Was it so they could include a 'full-size' software keyboard?

There was math done about fitting the 12.9" UI into a 10.5" screen but, of course, it didn't work out that way.

Has a reason been given for changing up from 9.7"?

Thanks!
 
I think one reason could be to make it more different from the standard iPad. The iPad Air 2 + iPad Pro 9,7 didn't have many differences (I know some might disagree). At least now you get a little bigger screen with smaller bezels (and the ram, but that is besides the design/size)
 
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Diving Capers said:
They need to differentiate the Pro line from the non Pro. I don't think there is anything more to it than that.
Click to expand...

I agree. And I look at it like having a larger display allows the user to complete more tasks and multitask more than they could on a 9.7 display, which I feel is a little to small. I actually perceived the 9.7 iPad Pro more as an iPad Air 3, with a very short lifespan.
 
My guess is complaints about the keyboard being cramped as well as differentiating the product lines. It's the exact same thing they do with the Mac product lines. I don't usuallly use the on screen keyboard on my iPad and I've been using it a lot more after getting my 10.5" when I'm in situations where it's not practical to use the Smart Keyboard. It really does make quite a difference for typing. And as someone who was leaning toward a bigger model this time around, the slight screen increase scratched that itch nicely.
 
It's so they can have one budget model (iPad 2017) and 2 larger Pros with a size suitable for anyone.
 
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Ffosse said:
It's so they can have one budget model (iPad 2017) and 2 larger Pros with a size suitable for anyone.
Click to expand...
This, pretty much. With a 9.7" iPad and a 9.7" iPad Pro, there's not enough differentiation between the two products. I imagine most buyers of iPads only look at screen size and price when buying a new iPad. A "pro" user will definitely care about the nicer screen tech, peripheral support, quad audio, etc., but the Pro models are going to be more for people who know all the ins and outs of iOS and are familiar with how to use it to its maximum potential and use the iPad as their main computer.

Two different markets, two different lines of iPads: iPad and iPad mini for one market, iPad Pro for the other. Though I must say, I do find the iPad mini a bit ridiculous at this point. It's kind of anomaly in the line. Old A8 processor, low on RAM for upcoming iOS 11 update, but at the same time, has a nicer screen than the 2017 iPad and is priced higher than the 9.7" standard iPad. They need to update it or get rid of it. It makes no sense to me at all unless you get a really good deal on one.
 
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spiderman0616 said:
This, pretty much. With a 9.7" iPad and a 9.7" iPad Pro, there's not enough differentiation between the two products. I imagine most buyers of iPads only look at screen size and price when buying a new iPad. A "pro" user will definitely care about the nicer screen tech, peripheral support, quad audio, etc., but the Pro models are going to be more for people who know all the ins and outs of iOS and are familiar with how to use it to its maximum potential and use the iPad as their main computer.

Two different markets, two different lines of iPads: iPad and iPad mini for one market, iPad Pro for the other. Though I must say, I do find the iPad mini a bit ridiculous at this point. It's kind of anomaly in the line. Old A8 processor, low on RAM for upcoming iOS 11 update, but at the same time, has a nicer screen than the 2017 iPad and is priced higher than the 9.7" standard iPad. They need to update it or get rid of it. It makes no sense to me at all unless you get a really good deal on one.
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I think that probably too few people are buying the Mini, thus it's being slowly abandoned much like the iPod Touch 6
 
So they can sell new cases/accessories of course! :p

I think they mentioned it was for the keyboard, although I hear it’s still kind of cramped.
 
I think it was 100% for a full size keyboard and Smart Keyboard. I actually predicted this before the announcement. I thought, "If Apple is presenting the iPad Pro line as full fledged computers, they need full size keyboards."
 
I think it's because 10.5 is the right size for a "full size on screen keyboard".
 
A bigger display in the same form factor seems like a no-brainer. I mean, it’s a beast of a tablet spec-wise, and iOS 11 offers a lot more iPad-specific features for increased productivity, like better multitasking. So now you’ve got some extra screen real estate to help you get the job done.
 
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CE3 said:
A bigger display in the same form factor seems like a no-brainer. I mean, it’s a beast of a tablet spec-wise, and iOS 11 offers a lot more iPad-specific features for increased productivity, like better multitasking. So now you’ve got some extra screen real estate to help you get the job done.
Click to expand...
Except it's not the same form factor
 
funnyboy88 said:
I think it was 100% for a full size keyboard and Smart Keyboard. I actually predicted this before the announcement. I thought, "If Apple is presenting the iPad Pro line as full fledged computers, they need full size keyboards."
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This is exactly why I immediately discredit some of the other theories I've seen that they'll shrink the smaller iPad Pro back down next year or the year after to remove all bezels. That would be giving up the full size keyboard again, at least in the way of the smart keyboard. I don't think it's going to happen. Maybe they'll do another screen size increase within the exact same footprint with no home button, but they're not going to shrink the overall size back down.
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maerz001 said:
Except it's not the same form factor
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A lot of the tech sites writing reviews were downplaying the size change as if the 9.7" and 10.5" were virtually the same, and I agree, that's totally not the case. It's not like when we went from iPad mini 3 to iPad mini 4 or from iPad 2 to iPad 3 and the chassis was just ever so slightly different to the point where it was not noticeable by the naked eye. iPad Pro 9.7" to iPad Pro 10.5" is a significantly larger screen AND chassis, in my opinion.
 
maerz001 said:
Except it's not the same form factor
Click to expand...

Isn’t it about .41 x.18 inches larger and 32 grams heavier? Yes, the bigger screen size is noticeable, but I don’t find the overall size and using it to be much different from the 9.7 models we’ve had previously.
 
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greensalad said:
The title says it all really.

Was it so they could include a 'full-size' software keyboard?

There was math done about fitting the 12.9" UI into a 10.5" screen but, of course, it didn't work out that way.

Has a reason been given for changing up from 9.7"?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

My Speculation and Why I am keeping my 2016 9.7" Pro

#1. IPhone is going OLED it's the future OLED is vastly superior. LG makes a mean 10.5" OLED panel already look for Apple to put in an Order for the first 10.5" OLED iPad
#2. 9.7" has been the Size for 6+ years now Change is good.
#3. Smaller Bezels almost Samse Size as 9.7" with bigger Bezels.
#4. When they Eliminate the Home Button on the OLED 10.5" iPad the Display will be bigger but the Device will be smaller than the overal Body of the 9.7"
#5. Marketing 10.5" Is worth a Premium over 9.7"

Extra Point, I hope Apple Replaces defective 9.7" Pro with 10.5" Pro.
 
They needed a way to differentiate from the 9.7" iPad, and needed to create an incentive for iPad Air 2 users to purchase new iPads.

Kinda like removing the headphone jack from the iPhone 7 and making it available in new Black colour variants - there needs to be something different so that peoples existing devices, that have identical/very similar capability, suddenly seem old, out of date, and not as "cool".
 
yep-sure said:
They needed a way to differentiate from the 9.7" iPad, and needed to create an incentive for iPad Air 2 users to purchase new iPads.

Kinda like removing the headphone jack from the iPhone 7 and making it available in new Black colour variants - there needs to be something different so that peoples existing devices, that have identical/very similar capability, suddenly seem old, out of date, and not as "cool".
Click to expand...

A larger screen, double the RAM, and a significantly more powerful CPU is nothing like removing a headphone jack.
 
I think it's because that's how big of a screen fit in the space, when they shrunk the bezels.

Lol.
 
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CE3 said:
A larger screen, double the RAM, and a significantly more powerful CPU is nothing like removing a headphone jack.
Click to expand...

RAM is not advertised by Apple, so take away the larger screen there would only be a more powerful CPU (which is standard for every new iDevice), and the ProMotion refresh rate as marketed changes. I doubt many 9.7" iPad Pro users or iPad Air 2 users would upgrade to such a device.
 
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