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

[savagewatts]

12.9 hands down. The screen puts it on a different level.

 

[RPhoto]

I was holding out for an 11 Pro with better screen. When that didn’t happen and the M2 prices jumped up, I semi reluctantly picked up an M1 12.9 when they recently appeared on the refurb store.

I’m so glad I did. Screen is beautiful, it’s not as heavy (to me) as I was expecting. It’s not as easy to one handed hold as a smaller iPad but around the house I’ve gone from grabbing for my 16” M1 Pro to using the iPad for all media consumption. It’s incredibly immersive having this huge slab of beautiful glass to swipe around. My previous iPad was a second gen Air 2 I think.

I also travel a lot and will be looking forward to using the 12.9 on the road. Sitting in a coffee shop now sending this whilst hot-spotting from my phone (cellular iPad made no sense to me because of this). One thing I know this won’t do is be able to shove easily in the pocket of an airplane seat, so that’s one compromise I know I had to sacrifice.

It was the same when I got my 16” MPB. I went back and forth over that or the 14, due to portability worries. Now, I can’t imagine going back to a smaller screen and when I see one, it looks tiny to me.

All subjective of course…

 

[spiderman0616]

I love that all the current model iPads now have USB-C because I almost use my iPad mini like a Nintendo Switch. I can hook it up to my 4K monitor and use my keyboard and mouse with it like a computer….erm…..iPad Pro, and then unplug it and use it on the go as an ultra-portable tablet. I’m a daily Mac user too, but I really love having this option now that it also supports Apple Pencil 2. I often take my mini with me instead of my phone if I want to do tablety type things on the go.

OP: My point being if you can cope with the smaller 11” iPad Pro when using it as a tablet or notebook and have a monitor you’re able to hook it up to when you’re stationary, the Apple Silicon models will even scale to your monitor (unlike my A15 mini 6). If you’re flying a lot, I think that’s a better solution than the 12.9” model. But in my opinion, ANY iPad model is more comfortable to use on a plane than a MacBook, so there’s also that.

 

[Baywatchboy]

I got the original 12.9" Pro, but found it too big and unbalanced to hold like the original iPads. In 2018, I got the 11" Pro and found it much easier to hold while sitting on the couch, but missed the bigger screen. In 2021, got the M1 12.9" with Magic Keyboard. My original now sits on my desk at work and I use it to watch security camera feeds and to take notes on. The M1 is my main device at home and is great as a pseudo laptop. I use it as an additional monitor if I'm watching multiple sporting events and stuff. I've taken it on planes without issue. It also much easier to hold than the original 12.9". The 11" is now more of a backup than anything else. With no computer in the house, the 12.9" makes the most sense for me.

 

[JaraCz]

WHY IS HERE THIS DISCUSSIN??

Everything is already in this thread:

11 or 12.9 Pro ?

I can't decide which one to get - can you help me make up my mind ? Thx :)

forums.macrumors.com

Please moderators lock this.

 

[teh_hunterer]

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

From the economy flights I've been on in the last year, I don't think a 12.9" would fit. Maybe without the magic keyboard, but definitely not with it. The 12.9" is a tall screen to begin with, and with the magic keyboard elevating it further, someone's just going to put their seat back suddenly and crunch goes the iPad.

Economy plus could be different.

 

[Yebubbleman]

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

That's an incredibly subjective question. The larger sized iPad Pro lends itself well to situations that the smaller sized one does not and vice versa.

If you are an artist, and you need a larger canvas, 12.9. If you have an iPad mini, then 12.9 won't overlap as much as 11 will. If you are only going to have one iPad and value portability, get 11.

That said, you only have one option for 12.9-inch iPads and you have three options for 10.9/11 inch iPads (four if you expand that range to include all 10-11 inch iPads, thereby also including the 9th Generation iPad); and with so little separating the 11-inch iPad Pro from the iPad Air, I'd say the 11-inch iPad Pro is overkill unless you really use your iPad for serious work and/or want the absolute best Apple Pencil experience (if you need the hover feature, then great, get a current model 11-inch Pro, but it's probably overkill).

So, were it me, I'd be between a 12.9-inch iPad Pro or an iPad Air.