The bolded is contradicting, why bother brining up specs if it hardly matters? Regarding the 11" Pro, the new Air may make more sense on a budget standpoint. "Marginal" differences aside...
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iPad iPad Pro 10.5 vs iPad Air 10.5 - Value?
- Thread starter TorontoSS
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I guess I need to explain this, because no, those statements are not contradictory.
There are three independent components we are discussing here:
1) CPU performance.
2) GPU performance.
3) Hardware video rendering.
For #1, in benchmarks the A12 is faster than A10X, but not by a huge amount. The one that is much, much faster is the 11" Pro with its A12X.
For #2, in Geekbench Metal, A10X is much faster than A12, but in other graphics benchmarks A12 may be faster, so it would depend upon the game. The 11" Pro is faster than both of them though in both games and in Geekbench Metal.
For #3, we don't actually know, but it's dependent upon a hardware processing block that is independent of both #1 and #2. In fact, it seems that the hardware video renderer between the 11" Pro and the 10.5" Pro isn't hugely different in performance in some reviews, despite the 11" Pro's huge advantage in CPU and GPU performance. So, if the A12X in the 11" Pro doesn't have a hugely faster hardware renderer, it stands to reason that A12 in the 10.5" Air wouldn't either.
I posted this before but just as a quick test, I took three independent 4Kp30 h.265 HEVC videos and imported them into LumaFusion, and then layered the three on top of each other, and added some effects. Playback on the 10.5" Pro (of three simultaneous 4K HEVC files with effects) was completely smooth, and hardware rendering at export was near real-time. This is likely due to the strong hardware video decoding and encoding block (#3) that is built into A10X already. Furthermore, when I exported the video using various different settings and even different formats - h.264 vs h.265 - the export times were exactly the same.
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You might wanna take a look at your post above. I like your analysis, and it did persuade me, but your original comment was contradicting. I would still recommend an Air over the 10.5 pro honestly, but the 10.5 is still a good buy.
In my case I went with the new Air as I felt the display was a bit better than the 10.5 pro, and now as some of the more in depth reviews are coming in there seems to be some measurable differences. Phonearena says the color delta measures better on the Air 3, and indeed I prefer the look of the Air's display over even my big 2018 12.9. As far as the rest of it the performance is pretty much identical in day to day use.
The real issue is how much of a discount can you get on the 10.5 pro. Where I am we don't get many discounts (HomePod is not even discounted) and the 10.5 pro is not seeing a price reduction that makes it worth it. As well we already have a 10.5 pro here so I wasn't interested in buying it again.
The real issue is how much of a discount can you get on the 10.5 pro. Where I am we don't get many discounts (HomePod is not even discounted) and the 10.5 pro is not seeing a price reduction that makes it worth it. As well we already have a 10.5 pro here so I wasn't interested in buying it again.
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I’m not sure what you’re getting at. Software video rendering is largely dependent upon CPU speed, #1 above, and the one that would be truly significantly faster would be the 11” Pro. For hardware rendering, it is a very different scenario as it is dependent on #3.
Had some fun with numbers based on the Geekbench benchmarks of the iPhone XR ...
Geekbench CPU Multicore Speed comparison:
10.5 Pro vs Air3 - Air3 19% faster
10.5 Pro vs 11 Pro - 11 Pro 91% faster
Air3 vs 11 Pro - 11 Pro 59% faster
Geekbench Metal Speed comparison:
10.5 Pro vs Air3 - 10.5 Pro 39% faster
10.5 Pro vs 11 Pro - 11 Pro 43% faster
Air3 vs 11 Pro - 11 Pro 100% faster
We all should have bought the 11“ iPad Pro
Geekbench CPU Multicore Speed comparison:
10.5 Pro vs Air3 - Air3 19% faster
10.5 Pro vs 11 Pro - 11 Pro 91% faster
Air3 vs 11 Pro - 11 Pro 59% faster
Geekbench Metal Speed comparison:
10.5 Pro vs Air3 - 10.5 Pro 39% faster
10.5 Pro vs 11 Pro - 11 Pro 43% faster
Air3 vs 11 Pro - 11 Pro 100% faster
We all should have bought the 11“ iPad Pro
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I just picked up an Ipad pro 10.5 256 gb from Microcenter for only $549
I have decided on payday it will be the Air 3 256GB I go for. I know you can get deals on refurbished 10.5 pro model but the air is more than good enough for my needs. Losing 2 speakers isn't an issue as I use headphones for most of my entertainment and gaming. Even though you can notice the difference without Pro-motion it isn't a deal breaker for me.
All I need to decide on now is what color to go for, I'm 50/50 between silver or space grey.
I think that is what is stopping me from buying a refurbished Pro. It happened on my first Pro and I really don't want to run the risk of it happening again. The Air 3 will fulfill all my needs from a tablet. I'm not a heavy user or gamer so it will run everything I need it to at ease.
Thank you both! I was set on the Air but I now realized that that promotion does not apply to it
so the Air is ~530€ and 10.5 Pro ~560€... I played with them in store and 120Hz on the Pro is indeed very nice (however not really noticable for note taking), but I am concerned that it may develop bright spot issue... I am probably just overthinking this
I'd say, for me, quad stereo speakers are what really matter, since you won't always be using headphones or a bluetooth speaker. They sound great! Pro motion is nice, but it's the quad speakers! If the Mini 5 had quad speakers, I would have sold my Pro 10.5 in a heartbeat.
My refurbished 2017 Pro arrived today via the UK Apple website. I checked build date and it was February 2019. It seems lovely so far
The, at least to me, marginal differences in performance between the Air and 10.5 Pro,
No, you're not. It is a very genuine concern.
Thank you both! I was set on the Air but I now realized that that promotion does not apply to it
No, you're not. It is a very genuine concern.
You lucky people.My refurbished 2017 Pro arrived today via the UK Apple website. I checked build date and it was February 2019. It seems lovely so far
My refurb, shipped last month straight from Apple in Texas (to Canada) is dated July 2018. That's what I get for ordering the first day of the price drop.
I've been using Scanner Pro on the iPad Pro. The camera on the Pro really is better, assuming the Air Camera is the same as the one on the iPad Air 2. It can actually make a difference for document pics although if you have good light it will be fine on the Air too (and Air 2). The Pro has a flash too, which can help. Mind you, a lot of people might just use their iPhones, if they have one.
Speaking of which... FWIW, while I will upgrade my iPhone 7 Plus to get a new camera eventually, it hasn't been super high on my priority list, because the 7 Plus camera is pretty decent. AFAIK, the iPad Pro 10.5's camera is the exact same one that is in the iPhone 7 Plus.
Speaking of which... FWIW, while I will upgrade my iPhone 7 Plus to get a new camera eventually, it hasn't been super high on my priority list, because the 7 Plus camera is pretty decent. AFAIK, the iPad Pro 10.5's camera is the exact same one that is in the iPhone 7 Plus.
UPDATE:
Well, you won't believe this, but I ended up with an iPad mini 5 instead of the 10.5 Pro. I will get a Pro down the road, just not any time soon. Here's why.
I loved the first 10.5 Pro I got from the store, worked really well. However, after about a day use, I noticed the top of the device had a "clicking sound" whenever I pressed the top of the screen. The bezel seemed like it wasn't completely sealed to the main chassis like it normally is all around and I actually had this issue a few years ago with an older iPad. So I thought about it and didn't want a device with an issue that could make things worse so I took it back to the Apple Store. As it turns out, they had no more brand new 10.5 Pro units left and no replacement stock to give me. So, I said just refund me and I'll get it somewhere else. Keep in mind, before all of this, I was using a mini 4 as my main iPad up until November of last year...
I go to Best Buy and while the $499 10.5 Pros are sold out, I find an open box 10.5 Pro at one store for $409 and try that out. Guy let me look at it first, and it was in great condition, so I went for it. I however made a big mistake, I didn't ask about the warranty. When I looked up the serial number, the Apple 1 year had expired so they had that 10.5 Pro sitting there for over a year. I wasn't spending money on an iPad with no warranty and add to the fact of the bright spot issue the iPad was clearly manufactured at least a year ago I didn't want to risk it. SO, aside from wanting to return the iPad based on the lack of warranty, I also felt that it was just TOO big for my use. Why? I had gotten so used to using a Mini after I sold my Air 2. My wife turned me on to it. Simply put, I missed the portability of using it and it was perfect for me. So, I went for an iPad mini 5 and have not looked back since, this device is awesome.
Seriously, while I stated the lack of promotion would bother me the most, the smaller screen of the mini really doesn't make it an issue for me, I think that's why I can get by with it just fine. When I buy any larger screen iPad, I'd want it to have Pro-Motion but using the new mini, I have not felt any regret whatsoever. the A12 flies, the screen is gorgeous to look at and the portability is just like I remember. I would still recommend anyone to get the 10.5 Pro over the Air right now, but for the time being, the iPad mini 5 is what I'm sticking with moving forward.
Well, you won't believe this, but I ended up with an iPad mini 5 instead of the 10.5 Pro. I will get a Pro down the road, just not any time soon. Here's why.
I loved the first 10.5 Pro I got from the store, worked really well. However, after about a day use, I noticed the top of the device had a "clicking sound" whenever I pressed the top of the screen. The bezel seemed like it wasn't completely sealed to the main chassis like it normally is all around and I actually had this issue a few years ago with an older iPad. So I thought about it and didn't want a device with an issue that could make things worse so I took it back to the Apple Store. As it turns out, they had no more brand new 10.5 Pro units left and no replacement stock to give me. So, I said just refund me and I'll get it somewhere else. Keep in mind, before all of this, I was using a mini 4 as my main iPad up until November of last year...
I go to Best Buy and while the $499 10.5 Pros are sold out, I find an open box 10.5 Pro at one store for $409 and try that out. Guy let me look at it first, and it was in great condition, so I went for it. I however made a big mistake, I didn't ask about the warranty. When I looked up the serial number, the Apple 1 year had expired so they had that 10.5 Pro sitting there for over a year. I wasn't spending money on an iPad with no warranty and add to the fact of the bright spot issue the iPad was clearly manufactured at least a year ago I didn't want to risk it. SO, aside from wanting to return the iPad based on the lack of warranty, I also felt that it was just TOO big for my use. Why? I had gotten so used to using a Mini after I sold my Air 2. My wife turned me on to it. Simply put, I missed the portability of using it and it was perfect for me. So, I went for an iPad mini 5 and have not looked back since, this device is awesome.
Seriously, while I stated the lack of promotion would bother me the most, the smaller screen of the mini really doesn't make it an issue for me, I think that's why I can get by with it just fine. When I buy any larger screen iPad, I'd want it to have Pro-Motion but using the new mini, I have not felt any regret whatsoever. the A12 flies, the screen is gorgeous to look at and the portability is just like I remember. I would still recommend anyone to get the 10.5 Pro over the Air right now, but for the time being, the iPad mini 5 is what I'm sticking with moving forward.
im glad it works out good for you.its all about the screen size now.i got a mini last week and used it about 8 days and regret it because the screen size is too small for me, i have a full size air 2 prior.i returned the mini and got the pro 10.5 and to be honest it feels faster than the mini because of the 120hz screen but in reality the performance is actually identical.i noticed that the mini did not get hot while gaming but the pro 10.5 dis maybe because the mini has 7nm processor?today i tried to do a basic benchmark opening apps side by side with my iphone xs max and the pro is really faster im not sure why and smoother too.my pro has dust under the screen very noticeable on white backgroud it sucks because if i return and exchange it i might get worst than what i got. all the pro 10.5 are refurbs if you buy it from apple ;(
I listened to the Air speakers today and while they are okay hubby did say they were a bit tinny, tbh they were”just” okay.
Anyway after much dithering about i’ve decided to try the Pro 10.5. Its £30 cheaper in the Apple refurbished store compared to the same configuration of the Air 3, 256GB WiFi, with AppleCare. £668 vs £698. I’ve just ordered a different colour for ease of telling them apart. I have at least a week before deciding which one i’m keeping. I got the Air on Monday, the Pro is coming tomorrow.
I keep waiting for my credit card to flag apple up as fraud my transactions are in, out, in, out..........
Anyway after much dithering about i’ve decided to try the Pro 10.5. Its £30 cheaper in the Apple refurbished store compared to the same configuration of the Air 3, 256GB WiFi, with AppleCare. £668 vs £698. I’ve just ordered a different colour for ease of telling them apart. I have at least a week before deciding which one i’m keeping. I got the Air on Monday, the Pro is coming tomorrow.
I keep waiting for my credit card to flag apple up as fraud my transactions are in, out, in, out..........
'S wonderful, 's marvelous.
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I would hope that you don't change partners with the same alacrity.