iPad M4 iPad Pro 11 inch or 13 inch?

[AppleFan.]

Hello everyone! I've had the 11-inch M1 iPad for about 1.5 years now, but since my brother is looking for an iPad and didn't want to get the new iPad Pro, I decided to upgrade to the M4 iPad Pro and give him my M1 iPad Pro.

However, I'm undecided on which size to choose. I like the portability of the 11-inch model, and it is really comfortable to use in my hand as a tablet. I use my iPad when I'm out of the house most of the time, including when I'm on trains, planes, and around the house. I am planning on getting the Magic Keyboard case with it.

I'm considering the 12.9-inch version for more screen space when I am doing work, but I already have a 13-inch M1 MacBook, so I'm finding it hard to justify getting another large device.

Can anyone share their experiences with both iPad sizes and give me a recommendation?

 

[HouseLannister]

Why not both? 🤣

But my honest take: When you hold it, if you mostly handle it portrait, get an 11". If you primarily hold it landscape, get the 13". Even thinner and lighter, a 13" portrait device feels unwieldy, but when you hold it landscape in both hands, it feels pretty natural. I got the 11" because I primarily use my iPad for Kindle and YACReader, so I am usually holding it portrait.

 

[joshwithachance]

The 11" is the FAR better value imo, as they're essentially identical devices outside of the display sizes but the 11" is $300 cheaper.

 

[DougFNJ]

I have a 14” MacBook Pro to handle the heavy work.
I have looked at the 13” and always end up with the 11” for the mobility grab and go.

 

[xxray]

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

 

[Vivian125]

I personally prefer the 11.. since its big enough.. the iPad Pro 13 in landscape feels much taller than other 16:9 in 15” laptops.

 

[TheRealAlex]

11” is a Tablet 13” is nota tablet it’s not 1 hand able.

 

[gsal]

The reduced thickness on the 13” with Magic Keyboard has swayed me. Should be noticeably easier to handle and haul around.

 

[rui no onna]

Can anyone share their experiences with both iPad sizes and give me a recommendation?

Try the 13" first and return it within the 14-day return period if it doesn't work well for your usage.

We can share our experiences but it won't be as good as you trying it out yourself. Also, the 13" is even lighter now so lugging it around might be easier compared to older models.

Personally, I have both sizes of the M1 iPad Pro (plus Mini 6). Before getting the Mini, the 11" was my EDC. The smaller size was just easier to carry inside the purse or from room to room, and use while in bed and couch. Hurts much less too when the iPad falls flat on your nose.

The 13" mostly stayed docked on the desk unless I'm reading comics or reviewing PDFs.

 

[KPOM]

I have both an M1 11” Air and an M1 12.9” Pro. I’m consolidating to the new M4 11” Pro. While I like the nicer screen in the 12.9” Pro, the 11” is more portable and a better travel device for me.

 

[DSTOFEL]

Hello everyone! I've had the 11-inch M1 iPad for about 1.5 years now, but since my brother is looking for an iPad and didn't want to get the new iPad Pro, I decided to upgrade to the M4 iPad Pro and give him my M1 iPad Pro.

However, I'm undecided on which size to choose. I like the portability of the 11-inch model, and it is really comfortable to use in my hand as a tablet. I use my iPad when I'm out of the house most of the time, including when I'm on trains, planes, and around the house. I am planning on getting the Magic Keyboard case with it.

I'm considering the 12.9-inch version for more screen space when I am doing work, but I already have a 13-inch M1 MacBook, so I'm finding it hard to justify getting another large device.

Can anyone share their experiences with both iPad sizes and give me a recommendation?

The 11 inch is never an issue. The 13 inch can be a bit of a burden.

 

[mauriziocorso77]

Hello everyone! I've had the 11-inch M1 iPad for about 1.5 years now, but since my brother is looking for an iPad and didn't want to get the new iPad Pro, I decided to upgrade to the M4 iPad Pro and give him my M1 iPad Pro.

However, I'm undecided on which size to choose. I like the portability of the 11-inch model, and it is really comfortable to use in my hand as a tablet. I use my iPad when I'm out of the house most of the time, including when I'm on trains, planes, and around the house. I am planning on getting the Magic Keyboard case with it.

I'm considering the 12.9-inch version for more screen space when I am doing work, but I already have a 13-inch M1 MacBook, so I'm finding it hard to justify getting another large device.

Can anyone share their experiences with both iPad sizes and give me a recommendation?

I owned the 2018 iPad Pro 12.9", downgraded to M1 iPad Pro 11", and then got the M2 iPad Pro 11".
Every single time I've been persuaded to go back to the 12.9", but I'm ultimately glad I didn't due to the weight.
This year the weight of the M4 13" iPad Pro is less than the 2018 iPad Pro 12.9", so again I'm having this conundrum.

I have ordered the M4 iPad Pro 11". Why?

The 12.9" really can't be used as a tablet (I usually use it on the couch, media consumption etc). It's far too big, heavy (yes even the M4) and unwieldy. The 11" is PERFECT. And in fact, this year the screen size has actually increased by .1 inches compared to previous years. I also have a 13.3" MacBook Air, so getting a 12.9" would feel a bit redundant.

If you want an iPad in any way for productivity, or on a desk, yes go for the 12.9".

With my current M2 iPad Pro 11", I have it set to "More Space" with text size slightly increased, which gives roughly the same area as a 12.9" iPad.

Even while typing this I'm not 100% confident with my decision, but when I look at my experience and use case, I can't deny the facts.

 

[Surfsalot]

I had the 2018 11" for 2 years then got the M1 12.9", kept it for a year but went back to a M1 11".
I use a iPad as a tablet with folio case, no keyboard/pencil ever.

 

[littlepud]

I use my iPad with the Magic Keyboard as my main device. I have the 12.9” M2 but I’m thinking of going back down to a 11”.

 

[teohyc]

11-inch is still considered big, but noticeably more portable.

If you use it outdoors often, 11-inch is a clear winner.

 

[Traverse]

Especially since the iPad Pro have a "More Space" scaling mode, I feel like the 11" iPad Pro is more tempting than ever.

TL/DR: Naturally it's preference, but I like to conceptualize it as do you want a tablet that can sometimes be a laptop or a laptop that can sometimes be a tablet - generally speaking.

Personally I went from a series of 9.7" - 10.5" iPads to a 12.9" iPad Pro M1 in 2021. For some uses it is phenomenal and for others a little clunky. Many on this forums swear by the larger model and all kinds of cases, stands, etc. to augment use. Depending on the context and uses it can be nice. But while owning the 12.9" my iPad usage naturally dropped and so much so that I actually ended up with an iPad mini at some point on a discount. While many enjoy this combo I don't particularly like having two iPads. I found that I more often than not I was reaching for the iPad mini or iPhone Pro Max more than the 12.9" main iPad almost every time because it was just lighter and faster. I missed having an effortless iPad and the larger iPads require some thought - you need to rest it on something for long reading, not as convenient in the floor with pets, clunky in a car. This very pricy "pro" tablet because a glorified TV.

I bought into the 12.9" hype envisioning a very artistic future with a power pseudo-desktop OS and neither of this panned out for me so I'm going back to an excellent tablet that can serve as a mini laptop if needed. Plus with scaling and monitor support I'd almost rather have the thin and light device to take around with me since it has the ability to scale up when stationary similarly to how I prefer a 13" or 14" MacBook to the 16" because while on-the-go I want a light and nimble device and can always "dock it" when I want a workstation setup.

 

[the5rivers]

Always had the 11 inch versions in the past but once I upgraded to the 12.9 I never looked back. The additional screen real estate is a bonus for me and combined with the logi combo touch I can take it anywhere and be productive. I’m hoping the 13 inch iPad Pro and its decrease in weight will be an improvement because that was the one criticism I had for the 12.9 inch: The weight is noticeable. And my wife has the 11 inch so I wanted a bigger screen.

 

[Isengardtom]

I Prefer the 13” but my iPad Pro is my main computer And the bigger screen is nice to also do some work on.

it’s heavy but the new Pro 13” is 15% lighter than the previous M2 model (682 -> 579 grams), which will be noticeable
The 11” is now 444 grams (23% lighter than the pro)

 

[The Clark]

I have the 11” iPad Pro M2 and it’s the perfect size for both horizontal and vertical usage.

I suppose if you’re planning on using your machine in landscape mode it may make sense to purchase the larger 13” but the portability of the 11” is unmatched.

 

[Zwhaler]

11 inch here. Base model FTW.

 

[AppleFan.]

Try the 13" first and return it within the 14-day return period if it doesn't work well for your usage.

We can share our experiences but it won't be as good as you trying it out yourself. Also, the 13" is even lighter now so lugging it around might be easier compared to older models.

Personally, I have both sizes of the M1 iPad Pro (plus Mini 6). Before getting the Mini, the 11" was my EDC. The smaller size was just easier to carry inside the purse or from room to room, and use while in bed and couch. Hurts much less too when the iPad falls flat on your nose.

The 13" mostly stayed docked on the desk unless I'm reading comics or reviewing PDFs.

Thank you for sharing your experience. There are times, like when I'm sitting on the couch or in bed, that I receive an email or message I want to reply to. Even on the 11 inch, typing a medium to long lenght e-mail or message can get a bit uncomfortable without using a keyboard.

How was your typing experience on the screen with both the 11 inch and 12.9 inch?

 

[AppleFan.]

I use my iPad with the Magic Keyboard as my main device. I have the 12.9” M2 but I’m thinking of going back down to a 11”.

If you decide to switch to an 11-inch, do you think you will get the Magic Keyboard with it?

 

[ofarlig]

I’ve had 11” Pros and 12.9” Pros back and fourth over the years and my experience is that the 12.9” + Magic Keyboard replaced my 14” MBP as my laptop and for handheld I prefer an iPad Mini over the 11”. For me the 11” sits in this weird middle where it is slightly too big and heavy to be comfortable to be used longer periods of time without the keyboard, typing on it is more of a hassle than on the iPad Mini and so on and for more “laptop tasks” like having a Teams meeting while taking notes the screen is too small.

If I only could have one tablet I would choose the 11” with the Magic Keyboard and deal with it not being optimal for either of my usage, I tried to do that for a long time since I wanted to have fewer devices but it didn’t stick. But now I’ve ordered the 13” with the new Magic Keyboard to replace my 12.9”, now the weight difference between 11” and 13” has been reduced by a lot.

I am contemplating trying the 11” for a year again though just for fun, but I know that would mean getting a 14” MBP again and ultimately I wouldn’t like that as much as my current setup.

 

[rui no onna]

Thank you for sharing your experience. There are times, like when I'm sitting on the couch or in bed, that I receive an email or message I want to reply to. Even on the 11 inch, typing a medium to long lenght e-mail or message can get a bit uncomfortable without using a keyboard.

How was your typing experience on the screen with both the 11 inch and 12.9 inch?

Thumb typing is a lot easier on the 11” than 13”. One of the reasons I gravitate towards the 11” over 13” for couch/bed use.

That said, I’ve never liked using a laptop in couch or bed so I still prefer to use the onscreen keyboard on the iPad in those cases over physical keyboard.

 

[kave]

One more thing the 13” is better at, a numerical keyrow above the qwerty keys. Why cant we have it as a choice when Samsung can fit it on 6” and 8” Devices?
I am using a 11” M1 now and have ordered the 13” to try. I have always hoped for the better display in the 11”.