I returned a 10.5 iPad Pro for a 12.9 Pro and... it just HAS to be said...

[yegon]

12.9” is great for predominantly desk/landscape use, but tbh when I’m at a desk I’d rather use my mbp or Mac Mini/PC.

I use tablets mostly in portrait, but the 12.9” is only remotely feasible used this way in a home or static environment, awful on the go. As such, I use my 10.5” for nearly all my tablet needs and the 12.9” is confined to comics and manga, for which it is utterly incredible and completely unmatched.

All this talk of “10.5 feels like a toy” sounds defensive and immature to me, and following the same thought process a 12.9” is no less a toy compared with a laptop or desktop - a 10.5 is no more or less a big iPhone than a 12.9. I don’t hold this opinion at all, certain tech is better for certain tasks and everyone’s needs are different dependant on situation.

 

[Macintoshrumors]

I'm sorry 10.5 owners, you can dispute me as much as you wish, but those precious few inches really do transition the iPad from a "big iPhone" to something much deeper, much more immersive, and much more enjoyable than that. It really does make the iPad feel like a mobile super-computer that you can take anywhere, and view anywhere. You have so much room to view things, to touch things, and you never feel like you're getting a lesser experience than on your desktop or laptop.

If you're reading this and trying to decide between the portability and cheaper price of the 10.5 or the more-expensive 12.9 version, pony up the extra dough and get the 12.9 iPad Pro. It will knock your socks off.

it really comes down to personal preference and use cases 12.9 is way to big for my needs. no thanks.

also take into account that many females will not be using a 129inch iPad. don't be sexist

 

[Jg75]

I'm sorry 10.5 owners, you can dispute me as much as you wish, but those precious few inches really do transition the iPad from a "big iPhone" to something much deeper, much more immersive, and much more enjoyable than that. It really does make the iPad feel like a mobile super-computer that you can take anywhere, and view anywhere. You have so much room to view things, to touch things, and you never feel like you're getting a lesser experience than on your desktop or laptop.

If you're reading this and trying to decide between the portability and cheaper price of the 10.5 or the more-expensive 12.9 version, pony up the extra dough and get the 12.9 iPad Pro. It will knock your socks off.

I agree. Also, if you get a quality case/stand, like the leather sena vettra, you can use it with ease in bed or the couch. I think it´s easier to have an ipad rest on your stomach than holding an iphone/ipad on an arms length. Its not easy to hold even a paper in front of you, because the weight of your arm. Unfortunately, it seems like apple store has stopped selling of these fine covers.

 

[Macalicious2011]

I agree. Also, if you get a quality case/stand, like the leather sena vettra, you can use it with ease in bed or the couch. I think it´s easier to have an ipad rest on your stomach than holding an iphone/ipad on an arms length. Its not easy to hold even a paper in front of you, because the weight of your arm. Unfortunately, it seems like apple store has stopped selling of these fine covers.

I rarely hold my iPad while using it. It often rest on my lap or stomach like a laptop.

I bought a silicon sleeve and aluminium stand, but then acquired a case for my daughter to use the iPad while on holiday. Once we returned I stopped using the silicon sleeve and aluminium stand.

While the child case add "bulk" it's utterly brilliant for sitting the iPad slightly raised on the stomach, couch or any surface. It makes it as sturdy as a laptop and I wish I had bought one in the past. The iPad doesn't leave the house and as it's my third one I'm not bothered about having a naked iPad. Ease of use is more important.

Now I can move the iPad with me around the house and sit it anywhere without fiddling with a kickstand or a flimsy cover that collapse anytime you to touch it or want to move the iPad.

This case has been gaming changing!

 

[Jg75]

..

 

[Adelphos33]

1) for anyone that uses their iPad with the Smart Keyboard and with split screen, the 12.9 inch is superior. It is my main “computing” device. I go weeks without using my MacBook.

2) As a serious iPad user, I am actually considering getting a second iPad 9.7” for casual use. I can see the argument that it is easier for casual, grab and go use. To me, the 10.5 inch is too much of a compromise

3) Overall, I think my 12.9” iPad is the best Apple product I have bought, ever. It serves so many purposes for me, work and play.

 

[nightlong]

I have both and they are the perfect combination for me, for work and play. If I could only have one it would be the 12.9, it is fabulous for multi tasking and for watching movies.but the 10.5 is superb for on the go and for situations where the 12.9 can be awkward.

 

[ougum]

I'm sorry 10.5 owners, you can dispute me as much as you wish, but those precious few inches really do transition the iPad from a "big iPhone" to something much deeper, much more immersive, and much more enjoyable than that. It really does make the iPad feel like a mobile super-computer that you can take anywhere, and view anywhere. You have so much room to view things, to touch things, and you never feel like you're getting a lesser experience than on your desktop or laptop.

If you're reading this and trying to decide between the portability and cheaper price of the 10.5 or the more-expensive 12.9 version, pony up the extra dough and get the 12.9 iPad Pro. It will knock your socks off.

I've had both. I kept the 12.9. The 10.5 is a great machine, but I enjoy extra real estate of the 12.9. The 10.5 feels like an iPad mini after using the larger device.

 

[ahostmadsen]

From this thread I get the impression that most people who has the 12.9" use it more as a desktop device than a handheld device.

 

[Adelphos33]

From this thread I get the impression that most people who has the 12.9" use it more as a desktop device than a handheld device.

I use the 12.9" on my desk, but I also use it on the couch and in bed - I guess the difference is that I'm not using it as a "handheld" device when i'm on the couch. I basically rest the iPad on my lap in landscape mode. I'm not really holding my iPad in my hand for a lot of time - I have seen others use their iPad like this, but I have not done that (for example, I don't read e-books on my iPads historically)

 

[sracer]

From this thread I get the impression that most people who has the 12.9" use it more as a desktop device than a handheld device.

That's a fair assessment. I use it as a "partial" replacement for my 11" MBA, but I also regularly use it for reading magazines on it. Mostly scans of vintage Famous Monsters, Fangoria, Starlog, and this time of year vintage Sears Wishbooks.

 

[sparksd]

That's a fair assessment. I use it as a "partial" replacement for my 11" MBA, but I also regularly use it for reading magazines on it. Mostly scans of vintage Famous Monsters, Fangoria, Starlog, and this time of year vintage Sears Wishbooks.

As a kid growing up, I had all the original Famous Monsters of Filmland ... emphasis on "had".

 

[sracer]

As a kid growing up, I had all the original Famous Monsters of Filmland ... emphasis on "had".

I bought the entire set in digital form on ioffer.com. $20 for 2 DVDs filled with them all.
Here's some quick photos I've taken of my 12.9 Pro as a magazine reader. It is absolutely wonderful!

 

[DNichter]

My personal preference must be validated!

 

[Yo-Yo Buffalo]

12.9 is great. But I hope we see a 15" some day in the not so distant future.

 

[scottrods]

I'm a Big Guy, so I opted for the 12.9 a few weeks ago, so I could use it on the plane for a trip I hadn't really planned on taking... Not only was it perfect on the plane, but perfect for mapping routes in a place I was completely unfamiliar with, and surfing the net and doing email and everything I would have missed without my Laptop. The Display real estate is nice to watch movies on at the hotel... I like the fact that it gave me some things I hadn't planned on that were just perfect for traveling. It took me several days to start using it more like a computer, but all in all, it's a pretty good contender for laptop replacement in my "work flow", but I can easily see how people who're power users would have issues, especially heavy programming folks... It just isn't there for you guys.

I believe I will also be buying the 10.5 to have around the house as well, even though I have 3 other tablets for the "family" around here (which consists of me, my wife, her parents)... I don't feel like my wife is really getting the best experience with the Amazon Fire HD10 Tablet, although it's a very nice Tablet for 150 bucks (there's a reason it's so cheap... It runs ads constantly unless you pay to NOT see the ads... This is for real, you have to pay Amazon extortion money to stop the ads)... and has Alexa on board for our Home Automation products... An iPad 10.5 pro would likely do more, but is a significant amount more money.

I kind of like pretty much all the different versions of tablets and I'm a Gadget nut , so bring on the toys! They're all great for something, and most are great for a lot of things!

 

[sracer]

I'm a Big Guy, so I opted for the 12.9 a few weeks ago, so I could use it on the plane for a trip I hadn't really planned on taking... Not only was it perfect on the plane, but perfect for mapping routes in a place I was completely unfamiliar with, and surfing the net and doing email and everything I would have missed without my Laptop.

We probably have different definitions of "big guy" and "perfect on the plane". I've taken my 12.9 on a few plane trips... far from perfect. When the person in front of me puts their seat back down, there's no room for it... and I'm not anywhere near as big as the guy in the photo.

 

[Precursor]

Working abroad, I fly a lot and always take my 12.9 iPP with me, never had any issues on the plane. (I'm 6' btw)

 

[fokmik]

If the bext gen 12.9” will have the iphone x treatment with reduced bezels for an more compact and lighter device, then yes, it will be a better device with that immersive 120hz 13” display

 

[sracer]

If the bext gen 12.9” will have the iphone x treatment with reduced bezels for an more compact and lighter device, then yes, it will be a better device with that immersive 120hz 13” display

Anything that encroaches on the rectangular viewing area of the screen destroys any gains in the immersive experience caused by reducing bezels. In other words, "a notch will be an immersion killer".

 

[macfacts]

Both iPads run the same iOS, same iOS functions and feature, so I don't see how the 12.9" model can be superior to the 10.5" or even 9.7" models.

 

[Eric5273]

If the bext gen 12.9” will have the iphone x treatment with reduced bezels for an more compact and lighter device, then yes, it will be a better device with that immersive 120hz 13” display

I think the iPad will always need to have a bezel. Otherwise how do you hold it? You need a place to rest your fingers of the hand holding it without covering the screen. On a phone the bezeless design works fine because you can hold the phone by the sides with one hand, but an iPad is way too big for that, so you must hold it front-to-back instead of by the sides.

 

[varunsanthanam]

I'm sorry 10.5 owners, you can dispute me as much as you wish, but those precious few inches really do transition the iPad from a "big iPhone" to something much deeper, much more immersive, and much more enjoyable than that. It really does make the iPad feel like a mobile super-computer that you can take anywhere, and view anywhere. You have so much room to view things, to touch things, and you never feel like you're getting a lesser experience than on your desktop or laptop.

If you're reading this and trying to decide between the portability and cheaper price of the 10.5 or the more-expensive 12.9 version, pony up the extra dough and get the 12.9 iPad Pro. It will knock your socks off.

I see it honestly. But I really think this could go either way.

I, for instance, returned the 12.9 and got a 10.5 instead. The 12.9 won me over in the store, but it's just too big for my use case. I carry my iPad around a lot (often instead of my MacBook Pro), and I found myself gravitating to my 15" MacBook Pro for anything that the 12.9 might have been uniquely good at compared to the 10.5.

The 12.9 really is transformative over the 10.5 though, I couldn't agree more. My thing is that I think a lot of people would actually *prefer* just a bigger iPhone over the new experience that is the bigger device. And that's where the 10.5 comes in perfectly. I don't think I'm alone in using my iPad more often on the go than at home.

That being said, prospective iPad Pro buyers should really take a peak at the two in store. The OP is totally right about how great the 12.9 is. You really need to experience it to believe it. But consider your use case carefully. That nicer experience might not be what you want.

 

[fokmik]

Anything that encroaches on the rectangular viewing area of the screen destroys any gains in the immersive experience caused by reducing bezels. In other words, "a notch will be an immersion killer".

no notch needed on the ipad...since i was talking to have same bezels, for an ipad i think a 1cm bezel is all we need to not have the notch and still ok to hold it
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I think the iPad will always need to have a bezel. Otherwise how do you hold it? You need a place to rest your fingers of the hand holding it without covering the screen. On a phone the bezeless design works fine because you can hold the phone by the sides with one hand, but an iPad is way too big for that, so you must hold it front-to-back instead of by the sides.

no notch needed on the ipad...since i was talking to have same bezels, for an ipad i think a 1cm (almost the same thickness of the 10.5" side bezels) bezel is all we need to not have the notch and still ok to hold it

 

[democracyrules]

I'm ok with people saying the iPad is "just" a big iPhone. They may mean it as a negative, but I see it as a positive, because 1) the iPhone is a very capable computer, and 2) the single most significant thing holding it back from being capable enough for work (for many people, not all) is its small size. The small screen limits it to less info/controls and only one app on screen at a time. The iPad fixes that by expanding the screen and freeing up iOS to its fuller potential.

Let's remember that iOS was initially designed for the iPad, not the iPhone--but the iPad was shelved due to circumstances and iOS was retrofitted for the smaller device. It seems to me the only reason the iPad is being negatively compared to the iPhone is that the iPhone came out first. Had the iPad come out first, their focus would instead be on how amazingly productive the iPhone is for its size.
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Wellllllll... your reasoning makes sense and I definitely agree with your conclusion. But you can also look at it the same way flipped. Mobility is also an objective improvement. Who would say no to more mobility if it didn't compromise anything else?
So both are objective improvements. It's the level of need/want for either that is subjective, as well as the level of tolerance for sacrifice of the other.

Very well explanation. iPhone indeed is a mini computer. After iPhone plus was released the first time, I never used my iPad 3 anymore. Hence, I have not upgraded my iPads since iPhone plus now X is my main computer for consumption. For any serious tasks, I use iMac or MacBook Pro. I still keep my MacBook Air 11” as my most portable computer. The comment of big phone is relevant as the basic architecture system of iPad is iOS like iPhone. The iOS capabilities for iPad are extended more to make iPad more like a regular computer. However, iPad system is still limited compared to full capacity of Mac operating system. Maybe in the future, Apple will design the iOS to be like Mac system. Heavy tasking jobs still need Mac.
The arguments opposing iPad as a “big phone” are so hilarious as they make me laughing
If Apple added phone capabilities to either iPad size or any iPad like iPhone, wolah, a giant iPhone will be born .
Or, if any iPad Pro capabilities were added to iPhone, then there is a mini iPad. So, the “big phone” comment is indeed true in term of iOS utilization on both iPhone and iPad regardless enhancements done on iOS for iPad.