iPad M2 iPad 11” or 12.9”? The ever dilemma

[kp98077]

Curious what other ended up getting on the M2 iPad pro. I could almost go either way and both have pros and cons. Why are these decisions so tough? 😏
I travel a bit but 12.9 doesn’t seem to want to bother me. Then I realize the 11 is likely most practical.
any input appreciated!
though a poll would be fun given the new m2 release

 

[sparksd]

I have the M1 12.9 and won't be upgrading, but if I were, it would be another 12.9. Other than the Mini, I'll never again go with a smaller iPad.

 

[kp98077]

I have the M1 12.9 and won't be upgrading, but if I were, it would be another 12.9. Other than the Mini, I'll never again go with a smaller iPad.

Yes hard to get used to smaller sometimes

 

[sparksd]

Yes hard to get used to smaller sometimes

I had both the Air 2 and 10.5 and just found that I prefer larger displays.

 

[VineRider]

I won't be upgrading from my M1 11", but if I was in the market, it would be another 11". For things that need a larger screen, I use my 14" MacBook Pro

 

[kp98077]

I won't be upgrading from my M1 11", but if I was in the market, it would be another 11". For things that need a larger screen, I use my 14" MacBook Pro

Yeah I just wondering on my flight (economy plus usually) sometimes business, how a 12.9 would fit on there ? Love the idea of larger just don’t know how practical

 

[Ludatyk]

I’ve been a 12.9 iPad user since it was introduced back in 2015 and have remained that user since, but I won’t be upgrading from my M1 iPad this time around.

Beneficial when it comes to multitasking given the larger screen real estate.

 

[VineRider]

Yeah I just wondering on my flight (economy plus usually) sometimes business, how a 12.9 would fit on there ? Love the idea of larger just don’t know how practical

I think the 12.9 would be close to laptop size on the tray...especially if you were using the Magic Keyboard. If using it without the keyboard, then might be doable but....It is a big device. I personally like the 11" for a tablet and for me it's the perfect size. I don't have to worry about air travel these days though so that's not a factor in my use case.

 

[Frankfurt]

Yeah I just wondering on my flight (economy plus usually) sometimes business, how a 12.9 would fit on there ? Love the idea of larger just don’t know how practical

Works fine. I do it all the time.

 

[ppetrovic]

12.9” M2 is good on flights for me. I get easily distracted so the iPad is mostly an entertainment device for me during flights, so I detach it from Magic Keyboard and use it for podcasts/Netflix or something casual.

I travel a lot and the size doesn’t really bother me - I like having a bigger screen even when on the go, plus it’s way more usable in direct sunlight due to the slightly better display technology compared to the 11” model. When I’m not traveling and doing serious work instead, the 12.9” is also better for me - I get a proper A4 size screen for taking notes, Safari is amazing and reading PDFs is a joy.

I could never switch to a 11” model at this point.

 

[sunking101]

11" is big enough for most people IMO. Anything more is too big and cumbersome unless you intend upon using it at a desk with a keyboard.

 

[sparksd]

11" is big enough for most people IMO. Anything more is too big and cumbersome unless you intend upon using it at a desk with a keyboard.

I don't see how you can make such a broad judgement. People can decide for themselves. I don't find the 12.9 too big and cumbersome at all.

 

[hoo-man-b-ing]

I’ll encourage you to think about how you’ll use it and how it complements/replaces your current devices. Sometimes when I’m stuck between two choices I make a rubric for evaluating them. For example, in this scenario I might list out criteria like:
- portability
- immersive experience for games/movies (e.g., screen and speakers)
- battery life
- multitasking ability
- and whatever other criteria you have (e.g., price)

Then, I decide how much each of those criteria matter. Perhaps I rarely plan on taking my iPad Pro out of the house so while portability matters, it might matter only half as much (giving it a weight of 1x) as immersive experience (a weight of 2x) because I plan on watching a lot of movies on it. Then figure out how each device meets the need (perhaps using a scale from 1-5) so an 11” might be 4 for “portable“ and a 3 for ”immersive experience“ whereas a 12.9” might be a 2 for portable for a 5 for immersive experience. Multiply those values by the weight you assigned for each category, sum them up and voila! Pick the one with the highest score — that’s the best fit for you.

And there’s a bonus — you just got a glimpse into how early search engines worked. Plus you can add as many categories as you like, which is incredibly helpful when you realize you forgot something important (e.g., keyboard comfort). You just add a new category and weight, values for each device and let the spreadsheet do the rest.

(and for what it’s worth, I picked the 12.9” 2018 iPad Pro when it was new because even though it’s larger, it’s still highly portable. Plus, I use it a lot on flights and it’s pretty much the perfect form factor when traveling.)

 

[zach-coleman]

The 12.9” is too heavy to be comfortable imo. The 11” is the sweet spot for me. Wish it got the new screen this time around.

 

[Isamilis]

Curious what other ended up getting on the M2 iPad pro. I could almost go either way and both have pros and cons. Why are these decisions so tough? 😏
I travel a bit but 12.9 doesn’t seem to want to bother me. Then I realize the 11 is likely most practical.
any input appreciated!
though a poll would be fun given the new m2 release

There are lots and lots of discussion on this, with simple answer: no right answer, it really depends on each person usage.

 

[sparksd]

There are lots and lots of discussion on this, with simple answer: no right answer, it really depends on each person usage.

Yeah, I seem to recall the last poll ending up around 50-50.

 

[kp98077]

11" is big enough for most people IMO. Anything more is too big and cumbersome unless you intend upon using it at a desk with a keyboard.

I tend to agree here, unless you use the MK, I like to use iPads with folios only personally and the 12.9 to hold is heavy epically with a folio on it.. do like that size tho, so always trade offs.

 

[Traverse]

The funny (sad) part is that there is no correct answer usually - there will always be contexts in which you would be better off with the other side. Generally, I like to think of it this way:

• Do you want a tablet that can act as a laptop if needed - 11" iPad Pro
• Do you want a laptop that can act as a tablet if needed -12.9" iPad Pro

I have a 2021 12.9" iPad Pro and an iPad mini. The larger display of the iPad Pro is very nice, but I discovered when I picked up the iPad mini on a whim was that I reached for it 75% of the time. I learned that what I valued in the iPad was being able to pick it up and use it without thought as I use it without the keyboard most of the time. I found the things that worked best on the larger iPad (Sidecar to Mac, streaming video, productivity) were not the things I used most often and things like reading books or manga I didn't enjoy on the 12.9". It's a combination of the weight and size that make it a bit more of an effort and I don't want to have to carry a stand around with me.

Given this, I'm waiting to see what the future of the iPad Pro and Air lineup looks like. I honestly think my ideal future is a 11"-sized iPad as my main personal computer for all iPad-y things and then perhaps a rumored future 14" + "iPad Studio" for art and other uses (streaming, external display) etc when I can find good deals.

I know @rui no onna has mentioned that alternating upgrade cycles can help offset the ever growing up front costs.

 

[kp98077]

The funny (sad) part is that there is no correct answer usually - there will always be contexts in which you would be better off with the other side. Generally, I like to think of it this way:

• Do you want a tablet that can act as a laptop if needed - 11" iPad Pro
• Do you want a laptop that can act as a laptop if needed -12.9" iPad Pro

I have a 2021 12.9" iPad Pro and an iPad mini. The larger display of the iPad Pro is very nice, but I discovered when I picked up the iPad mini on a whim was that I reached for it 75% of the time. I learned that what I valued in the iPad was being able to pick it up and use it without thought as I use it without the keyboard most of the time. I found the things that worked best on the larger iPad (Sidecar to Mac, streaming video, productivity) were not the things I used most often and things like reading books or manga I didn't enjoy on the 12.9". It's a combination of the weight and size that make it a bit more of an effort and I don't want to have to carry a stand around with me.

Given this, I'm waiting to see what the future of the iPad Pro and Air lineup looks like. I honestly think my ideal future is a 11"-sized iPad as my main personal computer for all iPad-y things and then perhaps a rumored future 14" + "iPad Studio" for art and other uses (streaming, external display) etc when I can find good deals.

I know @rui no onna has mentioned that alternating upgrade cycles can help offset the ever growing up front costs.

Good perspective, thanks - yes agree with you there on the 12.9. An iPad for me could never work as a laptop however. I love my 16" MBP as long as its at home - lol
I think the 11 m2 maybe best for me, I've always heard to travel light.. I have to carry a Lenovo also

 

[whitney225]

IMO

11:
cheaper
light weight and portable.
Multi-tasking? Connect to monitor or TV or use laptop/desktop
Watching movies? monitor or TV is always better than any tablets
battery life is better than 12.9 m1 (I had both and returned 12.9)

12.9:
expensive
Heavy (much heavier with magic keyboard)
blooming (maybe?)
aspect ratio is not ideal for movies
miniled display is better for HDR content, no big difference to me for normal usage
maybe better drawing experience

I’d rather get a base model 14inch mbp tbh.

14inch mbp : m1pro, 512g, 16g for $1599 (on sale).

iPad Pro 12.9 m2 : 512g, 8g ram is 1400 , plus keyboard 350, plus screen protector, plus pencil, plus USB-C hub…

Just my own opinion

 

[sparksd]

IMO

11:
cheaper
light weight and portable.
Multi-tasking? Connect to monitor or TV or use laptop/desktop
Watching movies? monitor or TV is always better than any tablets
battery life is better than 12.9 m1 (I had both and returned 12.9)

12.9:
expensive
Heavy (much heavier with magic keyboard)
blooming (maybe?)
aspect ratio is not ideal for movies
miniled display is better for HDR content, no big difference to me for normal usage
maybe better drawing experience

I’d rather get a base model 14inch mbp tbh.

14inch mbp : m1pro, 512g, 16g for $1599 (on sale).

iPad Pro 12.9 m2 : 512g, 8g ram is 1400 , plus keyboard 350, plus screen protector, plus pencil, plus USB-C hub…

Just my own opinion

Works if you don’t want a tablet.

 

[rui no onna]

Works if you don’t want a tablet.

Exactly.

I have a laptop but I much prefer using the tablet for most of my personal usage (reading, web browsing, watching videos, etc).

 

[kp98077]

All great thoughts!! -

 

[jonnyb098]

I secretly LOVE the 12.9 but I stuck with the 11” When upgrading to the M2 last week from my 2020 11”. Like you said the larger one is just too cumbersome for “couchability”, haha. I use it for actual work and using affinity photo, etc. But 80
percent of my use is kicking back on the couch. It’s really a Goldilocks size. I had the original iPad…launch day….and the 11 is the same footprint with a much larger screen in comparison.

For those who don’t wanna go pro the Air is an incredible option…..hell even the new designed 10th Gen is an incredible value and updated design for $449.

 

[Shadowbech]

I picked up the 12.9 M2 iPad pro yesterday to give it another shot. Well after owning a day. It's definitely going back. way to big for me and very uncomfortable to hold. I'll be sticking to the 11 inch as it's the sweet spot for me. YMMV.