iPad 9.7 2017 or iPad Pro 10.5

[butoft]

I currently have both a 2017 iPad 9.7 32 gb model and a iPad Pro 10.5 64 gb model. I paid $279 for the 9.7 and $499 for the 10.5. I'm still debating which one to keep. While, I think the 9.7 with the A9 chip will support another 2-3 years of iOS updates, it still concerns me considering how old the chip is now. Also, mentally I have a hard time paying $279 for an iPad when rumors are coming out saying that Apple might release an updated version of the 9.7 with an A10 chip for $259 (I wish I knew for sure).

I will be using the iPad mainly for surfing the web, email browsing, watching movies, and light multitasking. I know the 9.7 would be sufficient for that, but I still question how smooth the upcoming iOS's will run with the A9 chip considering it's age. Plus the Pro has 4 RAM.

I want to be able to keep my iPad for around 5 years and have it run smooth during that time. I'm coming from an iPad 4 which I just gave to my parents.

What are your thoughts?

 

[Glmnet1]

I see no reason why you should keep the 10.5.

As for the 9.7 it's up to you. If you like it, I think you should keep it. It's fairly recent and should be supported for a while. It is possible that they release a new one soon, but it's also possible that they do so only next year, nobody knows for sure.

 

[ACG12]

I see no reason why you should keep the 10.5.

How not?

For only $220 more the OP got:
4gb RAM
quad speakers
120hz true tone display
A10x processor
iPhone 7 cameras

Seems like a no brainer to keep the 10.5 pro over the 9.7 2017

 

[Glmnet1]

How not?

For only $220 more the OP got:
4gb RAM
quad speakers
120hz true tone display
A10x processor
iPhone 7 cameras

Seems like a no brainer to keep the 10.5 pro over the 9.7 2017

OP said: "I will be using the iPad mainly for surfing the web, email browsing, watching movies, and light multitasking. I know the 9.7 would be sufficient for that." I entirely agree with that statement, for his needs none of what you listed is needed. The 4gb of RAM would be nice but IMO is not worth paying almost twice the price.

 

[ACG12]

OP said: "I will be using the iPad mainly for surfing the web, email browsing, watching movies, and light multitasking. I know the 9.7 would be sufficient for that." I entirely agree with that statement, for his needs none of what you listed is needed. The 4gb of RAM would be nice but IMO is not worth paying almost twice the price.

All that makes a difference. The 4gb of RAM isn't even the biggest reason to keep the 10.5 pro. The display and speakers alone would be the reason to keep the 10.5 pro. The 9.7 is terrible in those two categories.

And you forgot he wants to keep the device for 5 years and run smooth. The 10.5 pro is clearly the winner for long term use.

 

[butoft]

All that makes a difference. The 4gb of RAM isn't even the biggest reason to keep the 10.5 pro. The display and speakers alone would be the reason to keep the 10.5 pro. The 9.7 is terrible in those to categories.

I agree that the 9.7 would be more than sufficient for what I'm using the iPad for. My only concern is how "future-proof" is the A9 chip going to be if I plan to keep it for 4-5 years. It seems like Apple likes to keep adding more features with each version of iOS that comes out which slows down an iPad. I guess I could always go with the cheaper model and them swap them out more often with the money I would be saving.

 

[ACG12]

I agree that the 9.7 would be more than sufficient for what I'm using the iPad for. My only concern is how "future-proof" is the A9 chip going to be if I plan to keep it for 4-5 years. It seems like Apple likes to keep adding more features with each version of iOS that comes out which slows down an iPad. I guess I could always go with the cheaper model and them swap them out more often with the money I would be saving.

The A9 chip imo won't be the problem, the 2gb of RAM will be. I honestly feel like it's just barley adequate right now on my iPhone 7 and 9.7" Pro. In 2-3 years, it'll start becoming a problem when it comes to smoothness.

Which is why I believe getting the 4gb of RAM in the 10.5 pro now, will save you more, with you wanting a 5 year window. $220 now, seems cheap considering the iPad is destined to get more expensive as it will get the X treatment.

 

[s2mikey]

All that makes a difference. The 4gb of RAM isn't even the biggest reason to keep the 10.5 pro. The display and speakers alone would be the reason to keep the 10.5 pro. The 9.7 is terrible in those two categories.

And you forgot he wants to keep the device for 5 years and run smooth. The 10.5 pro is clearly the winner for long term use.

IMO the RAM is the main reason to go with the 10.5 Pro. Its so important - Id trade a slower processor for more RAM anyday. The lower RAM is what makes my Air 1 feel its age, moreso than the processor.

 

[rui no onna]

I agree that the 9.7 would be more than sufficient for what I'm using the iPad for. My only concern is how "future-proof" is the A9 chip going to be if I plan to keep it for 4-5 years. It seems like Apple likes to keep adding more features with each version of iOS that comes out which slows down an iPad. I guess I could always go with the cheaper model and them swap them out more often with the money I would be saving.

I'd be in this camp if I didn't need a ton of storage. There's plenty of reasons I can see myself upgrading before performance becomes an issue and way before the 4-5 year period is up (e.g. higher PPI, 5G support, USB-C/3 to computer, etc).

 

[butoft]

I'd be in this camp if I didn't need a ton of storage. There's plenty of reasons I can see myself upgrading before performance becomes an issue and way before the 4-5 year period is up (e.g. higher PPI, 5G support, USB-C/3 to computer, etc).

Thanks for the response. I'm guessing I would get 2-3 years of good quality performance with the regular iPad 9.7 or 4-5 with the Pro. I played with both of them at the Apple store multiple times and I can't tell any difference in speed for normal use. Even YouTube videos have compared them, and for regular use, there is not a noticeable difference. I actually prefer the size of the 9.7 model even though the 10.5 is not much larger with the thinner bezels. Again, I would not be using the Apple pencil. Plus I hear the 10.5 has fingerprint issues with the anti-reflective display.

I'm thinking if I get the regular model, I would save $220 versus the Pro and I could wait to see what Apple does in a couple of years (make it more like the Microsoft Surface with USB support and offer an external mouse option).

 

[naturalstar]

It sounds like you don’t store much on your iPads if 32GB will be sufficient in that area. Between the two, I would keep the 10.5” for the above mentioned points, for double the storage, and because you can take advantage of the Pencil in the future. 5 years is a long time. Usage needs can change at some point. This happened with me and my Air 2.

 

[Richard8655]

I was in the same situation, and I returned the 10.5. Was not worth twice the price to me. My view is the $250 or so saved could go toward the next generation, be it 2018 Pro or regular version.

 

[Freakonomics101]

I swapped out my 9.7 Pro to the 10.5 Pro. I agree that the increased amount of RAM will help it last longer, performance wise. Same reason why I go with the iPhone with more RAM. I have a feeling the X will be the winner for performance (for older iPhones) for quite some time. I think the 7+ does super well on iOS 11 because of the 3 GB of RAM. Plus the A10 chip is still excellent, even though it's a year old now. It's more efficient than the A9.

 

[butoft]

At this point I'm leaning towards keeping the 9.7. Have many people experienced issues with getting headaches and eye fatigue from the 10.5 display? Also, Apps haven't adapted to the new 10.5 screen I have heard.

 

[upandown]

10.5 all day err day

 

[Spectrum]

I can only comment on the 10.5 Pro. I think it is great. The last iPad I had was the original iPad (1), so obviously the 10.5 Pro is a huge upgrade in performance and capability (OS improvements).

What I would say is this: Until I got the 10.5 iPad Pro I didn't realise how much I would start to use it. And for me, my biggest mistake was in only choosing a model with 64GB storage. After importing my photos (which I didn't' think I would want to do), I am already maxing out (and I don't use iCloud for photos). So for 4-5 years usage, I think $200 spent now is very small addition to get twice the storage, twice the processor, twice the speakers, better display, twice the RAM, and a slightly bigger screen.

Alternatively, keep the 9.7 for now, and plan to sell and upgrade it in 2-3 years time, for a similar overall cost to your wallet (should the 9.7 prove limiting). You'll likely yet around $100 for it in 2 years time and then buy whatever is the next gen 9.7.

 

[conifer]

Interesting that the iPad 10.5 has double the ram. I suspect Apple was trying to entice folks to buy the new 10.5 screen so they maxed out on ram. Knowing that they would intro Face ID and then VR soon to further entice folks for new models- VR seems to be about the eyes, Intel now has glasses that look almost normal although Apple seems to be doing the VR without glasses.

I bought the Air2 and am now on my fourth year. It was the first one with 2GB of ram and Apple knew they would intro the pro ones with the better screens, speakers and Apple pencils in the next version. Drawing wasn’t important to me. And the 10.5 is too large to get the free office 365.

Buyers who want to future proof need to ask if the Face ID and VR as well as paying for office 365 on a 10.5 is important. Even for convenience, I saw that if I picked a Face ID phone, I would be confused with Touch ID elsewhere so I decided I would wait and make the switch all at once,

Also not sure how the new size 10.5 screen will catch on — for instance, I read at this point that it is hard to find a third party repair shop. This all should be factored into possible resale value.

Finally the storage. Buyer needs to think carefully where they will be storing photos video music etc. even on which device they will shoot video.

Surprisingly I was able to get by on 16 gb for so long as I had a larger iPhone and also a WiFi device with external flash drive. Apple charges a ridiculous premium for storage so one can save dollars if you buy only what you need but it can be tricky.

Edit: also consider AppleCare on the higher price one as can be expensive if screen cracks . If you use it a lot and it gets repaired you might get a new battery. That happened to me . My second battery is wearing about a year and a half in and I have to charge more frequently. I use it a lot and guess I will be sick of this around the 2 to 2.5 year mark.

 

[butoft]

Thanks for all the responses. I'm still leaning towards just keeping the 9.7 for now. Again, I'm just using it to do normal activities. I'm not an artist or photographer, or a heavy gamer. I know with iOS 11, Apple is wanting to make it more like a laptop and compete with the Microsoft Surface. But until they provide mouse support, I think most people agree it can't replace a laptop or even heavy work functions. I'm not sure if Apple plans to come out with mouse support anytime soon since they are stubborn and think the Pencil or shortcut keys can replace it. Plus, the biggest reason is they probably are afraid it will cut into laptop sales of the MacBook Pro or regular MacBook.

I think the A9 chip will run smooth up through iOS 13 since iOS 12 is focusing more on stability and performance.

 

[thisismyusername]

I'm not an artist/photographer. I don't game on my mobile devices. While I occasionally use my iPad for work (which basically just means logging into remote servers and typing all day long), that doesn't include anything remotely processor intensive. I went with an iPad Pro 10.5 and would do it again in a heartbeat. The main deciding factors for me were the extra storage (more movies for long flights), the screen, and how much smoother scrolling is.

Do I need the extra power of the iPad Pro? Of course not. I also don't need an iPad at all. I got it because I like it better and that's a perfectly valid reason to go with a more expensive option. I plan on keeping it for 4 to 5 years and have no doubt it will last that long for me.

 

[s2mikey]

Thanks for all the responses. I'm still leaning towards just keeping the 9.7 for now. Again, I'm just using it to do normal activities. I'm not an artist or photographer, or a heavy gamer. I know with iOS 11, Apple is wanting to make it more like a laptop and compete with the Microsoft Surface. But until they provide mouse support, I think most people agree it can't replace a laptop or even heavy work functions. I'm not sure if Apple plans to come out with mouse support anytime soon since they are stubborn and think the Pencil or shortcut keys can replace it. Plus, the biggest reason is they probably are afraid it will cut into laptop sales of the MacBook Pro or regular MacBook.

I think the A9 chip will run smooth up through iOS 13 since iOS 12 is focusing more on stability and performance.

I'm not an artist/photographer. I don't game on my mobile devices. While I occasionally use my iPad for work (which basically just means logging into remote servers and typing all day long), that doesn't include anything remotely processor intensive. I went with an iPad Pro 10.5 and would do it again in a heartbeat. The main deciding factors for me were the extra storage (more movies for long flights), the screen, and how much smoother scrolling is.

Do I need the extra power of the iPad Pro? Of course not. I also don't need an iPad at all. I got it because I like it better and that's a perfectly valid reason to go with a more expensive option. I plan on keeping it for 4 to 5 years and have no doubt it will last that long for me.

Both of these posts make perfect sense. Thats the problem with deciding. Im in the same boat as to what to get and have been for a while now. The 9.7 Pro with LTE is at least $200 to $300 cheaper than the 10.5 Pro ith LTE. And yes I love cellular support on my iPad so it has to be an LTE model. Ugh. Im leaning towards the 10.5 if only for that prized 4GB of RAM.

 

[butoft]

Both of these posts make perfect sense. Thats the problem with deciding. Im in the same boat as to what to get and have been for a while now. The 9.7 Pro with LTE is at least $200 to $300 cheaper than the 10.5 Pro ith LTE. And yes I love cellular support on my iPad so it has to be an LTE model. Ugh. Im leaning towards the 10.5 if only for that prized 4GB of RAM.

I found my solution. Costco has the 9.7 inch on sale for $279 right now (none LTE obviously but you can use your phone as a hot spot). I'm going to purchase it and use it, banking on the fact Apple is going to release an updated version of the 9.7 in March. Costco has a 90 day return policy. I'm thinking the new 9.7 model will have the A10 chip and will only cost $259.

 

[s2mikey]

I found my solution. Costco has the 9.7 inch on sale for $279 right now (none LTE obviously but you can use your phone as a hot spot). I'm going to purchase it and use it, banking on the fact Apple is going to release an updated version of the 9.7 in March. Costco has a 90 day return policy. I'm thinking the new 9.7 model will have the A10 chip and will only cost $259.

Thats a good buy, for sure. I dont have an iPhone so no hot-spot option for me. I really want the LTE support.

As for an updated 97" model - You could be right. We'll know fairly soon here. Im going to keep hunting for a deal on the 10.5". I gotta have that 4GB of RAM.

 

[metalsiren]

if you can get the 10.5 for a good deal then I would take the 10.5 I use it as a backup to my work IPP, it has work VPN etc and I even use Citrix on it. and the 9.7 would not be able to handle what I throw at it. I have 2x 9.7 base models for my girls and they are nice... but still my videos etc look way better (in my opinion) on my 10.5 than their 9.7

 

[bruinsrme]

Thanks for the response. I'm guessing I would get 2-3 years of good quality performance with the regular iPad 9.7 or 4-5 with the Pro. I played with both of them at the Apple store multiple times and I can't tell any difference in speed for normal use. Even YouTube videos have compared them, and for regular use, there is not a noticeable difference. I actually prefer the size of the 9.7 model even though the 10.5 is not much larger with the thinner bezels. Again, I would not be using the Apple pencil. Plus I hear the 10.5 has fingerprint issues with the anti-reflective display.

I'm thinking if I get the regular model, I would save $220 versus the Pro and I could wait to see what Apple does in a couple of years (make it more like the Microsoft Surface with USB support and offer an external mouse option).

My recommendation would be to justify not getting the 10.5.
Based on your own estimates the cost of ownership is better with the 10.5.
Add in, the 10.5 is just a better iPad the decision should be easy.
However, if you feel you’ll want to upgrade in 2 years the the 9.7 might be better.
Having had the 9.7 and now the 10.5 the screen and sound made it a worth while upgrade, IMO.
Relatives pose this type of scenario to me all the time. I’m not sure if they have ever purchased the more costly option but more times than not, call me a couple years later talking about how slow whatever they bought is.

 

[butoft]

My recommendation would be to justify not getting the 10.5.
Based on your own estimates the cost of ownership is better with the 10.5.
Add in, the 10.5 is just a better iPad the decision should be easy.
However, if you feel you’ll want to upgrade in 2 years the the 9.7 might be better.
Having had the 9.7 and now the 10.5 the screen and sound made it a worth while upgrade, IMO.
Relatives pose this type of scenario to me all the time. I’m not sure if they have ever purchased the more costly option but more times than not, call me a couple years later talking about how slow whatever they bought is.

Thanks for the response. Just curious, how does

if you can get the 10.5 for a good deal then I would take the 10.5 I use it as a backup to my work IPP, it has work VPN etc and I even use Citrix on it. and the 9.7 would not be able to handle what I throw at it. I have 2x 9.7 base models for my girls and they are nice... but still my videos etc look way better (in my opinion) on my 10.5 than their 9.7

Thanks for the response. I'm curious, if you are working and remoting in to your computer via VPN and Citrix, how the does the mouse function work since iPad obviously does not support mouse functionality?