iPad Pro My 11” iPad Pro review upgrading from a first-gen iPad Air

[Marlon DLTH :)]

I’ve been using my new 2020 iPad Pro for a few weeks now, and I’m loving it. This is the best piece of tech I’ve ever bought. I can’t find anything I dislike about it.

I’ve always loved the iPad experience and form factor, and have always prefer it over a traditional laptop. The touch screen, the ability to use it either in landscape or portrait, Apple Pencil compatibility, the portability to take it with you everywhere and use it in places where a laptop is uncomfortable to use, and much more. And I can do everything I need. I haven’t turned on my computer since I got the iPad.

I’m upgrading from a first-gen 16GB iPad Air, and the update feels huge. The display, camera, speakers, and battery life are noticeable better in every way. I’m also upgrading from iOS 12 to iPadOS 14 and while it feels familiar, I can do a lot more than before (and eventually ditch my laptop). I also love Face ID, it’s very convenient on the iPad.
Performance-wise, I’m upgrading from the A7 to the A12Z, and from 1GB to 6GB of RAM. So it feels MUCH faster.

I’m using some accessories with my new Pro that have made it a great productivity device.
Some of them are a Logitech keyboard and mouse, a USB-C to USB-A adapter, my AirPods, and a third-party pencil. I also use it with my PS4 controller for gaming.

P.S. For those wondering why I didn’t buy the Air since the Pro is overkill for me as a student, it’s because I got it in the Back to School promotion and I sold the AirPods for $150. So I got the 256GB Pro at the same price as the 256GB Air, which I consider was a better purchase.

I'm sorry if I made a grammar mistake, English isn't my native language.

 

[George Dawes]

I bought my mother one for Xmas , from what I’ve read she’s in for a nice surprise!

 

[TomOSeven]

My iPad Pro 11 is definitely the nicest piece of hardware I own, and I just want to pick it up all the time, but I have no earthly idea what to do with it that I couldn’t do twice as quickly on my laptop.

 

[Hadron]

My iPad Pro 11 is definitely the nicest piece of hardware I own, and I just want to pick it up all the time, but I have no earthly idea what to do with it that I couldn’t do twice as quickly on my laptop.

Read and annotate documents. That and share screen during Zoom sessions as a better alternative to trying to write/draw on the whiteboard using a mouse or trackpad. But I do enough of both of these to justify my having the device .

For anything that doesn't involve the Pencil the iPad's only advantage for me is portability - there's a long way to go before it could be my primary device, but then my requirements and uses are probably very different from the OP's.

 

[Astonish_IT]

I think that it beeing instantly on and instantly in sleep mode is a good adventage too compared to a conventional laptop. I don’t know about others but I always shut my laptop down instead of putting it on sleep, so, it always works faster just to take it and search something on web.

 

[AutomaticApple]

My iPad Pro 11 is definitely the nicest piece of hardware I own, and I just want to pick it up all the time, but I have no earthly idea what to do with it that I couldn’t do twice as quickly on my laptop.

If you have an Apple Pencil, you can do things that you couldn't have done with your laptop.

 

[Hadron]

I think that it beeing instantly on and instantly in sleep mode is a good adventage too compared to a conventional laptop. I don’t know about others but I always shut my laptop down instead of putting it on sleep, so, it always works faster just to take it and search something on web.

Actually I typically run my MBP 1-2 months between restarts. Sleeping is pretty much instant, waking after I use the touch ID varies: if I just close the lid and open it a minute later it's essentially instant, if it's been running for a few weeks, sleeping overnight and I've connecting or disconnecting an external monitor in the meantime there can be a few seconds' lag before everything catches up. But given the number of apps, tabs, windows and workspaces I typically have active that's far less hassle than sorting all of my windows out again after a restart.

That of course is the real difference: the iPad is a great "do one thing at a time" device, it's fine for swapping between a couple of activities, but it's not in the same league as a laptop for multitasking.

 

[ericwn]

I think that it beeing instantly on and instantly in sleep mode is a good adventage too compared to a conventional laptop. I don’t know about others but I always shut my laptop down instead of putting it on sleep, so, it always works faster just to take it and search something on web.

I think the M1 Macs can do this now too.

 

[ericwn]

I’ve been using my new 2020 iPad Pro for a few weeks now, and I’m loving it. This is the best piece of tech I’ve ever bought. I can’t find anything I dislike about it.

I’ve always loved the iPad experience and form factor, and have always prefer it over a traditional laptop. The touch screen, the ability to use it either in landscape or portrait, Apple Pencil compatibility, the portability to take it with you everywhere and use it in places where a laptop is uncomfortable to use, and much more. And I can do everything I need. I haven’t turned on my computer since I got the iPad.

I’m upgrading from a first-gen 16GB iPad Air, and the update feels huge. The display, camera, speakers, and battery life are noticeable better in every way. I’m also upgrading from iOS 12 to iPadOS 14 and while it feels familiar, I can do a lot more than before (and eventually ditch my laptop). I also love Face ID, it’s very convenient on the iPad.
Performance-wise, I’m upgrading from the A7 to the A12Z, and from 1GB to 6GB of RAM. So it feels MUCH faster.

I’m using some accessories with my new Pro that have made it a great productivity device.
Some of them are a Logitech keyboard and mouse, a USB-C to USB-A adapter, my AirPods, and a third-party pencil. I also use it with my PS4 controller for gaming.

P.S. For those wondering why I didn’t buy the Air since the Pro is overkill for me as a student, it’s because I got it in the Back to School promotion and I sold the AirPods for $150. So I got the 256GB Pro at the same price as the 256GB Air, which I consider was a better purchase.

I'm sorry if I made a grammar mistake, English isn't my native language.

Thanks for sharing!

 

[Astonish_IT]

In this case, my point is not valid anymore.

 

[TomOSeven]

I think the M1 Macs can do this now too.

And it works almost absurdly well. You open the laptop and are ready to go without any delay.

 

[Astonish_IT]

And it works almost absurdly well. You open the laptop and are ready to go without any delay.

That’s definitely something very nice, something that I love on my iPad, so nice to know that now it works on new Macs too. :=)

 

[djlythium]

I’ve been using my new 2020 iPad Pro for a few weeks now, and I’m loving it. This is the best piece of tech I’ve ever bought. I can’t find anything I dislike about it.

I’ve always loved the iPad experience and form factor, and have always prefer it over a traditional laptop. The touch screen, the ability to use it either in landscape or portrait, Apple Pencil compatibility, the portability to take it with you everywhere and use it in places where a laptop is uncomfortable to use, and much more. And I can do everything I need. I haven’t turned on my computer since I got the iPad.

I’m upgrading from a first-gen 16GB iPad Air, and the update feels huge. The display, camera, speakers, and battery life are noticeable better in every way. I’m also upgrading from iOS 12 to iPadOS 14 and while it feels familiar, I can do a lot more than before (and eventually ditch my laptop). I also love Face ID, it’s very convenient on the iPad.
Performance-wise, I’m upgrading from the A7 to the A12Z, and from 1GB to 6GB of RAM. So it feels MUCH faster.

I’m using some accessories with my new Pro that have made it a great productivity device.
Some of them are a Logitech keyboard and mouse, a USB-C to USB-A adapter, my AirPods, and a third-party pencil. I also use it with my PS4 controller for gaming.

P.S. For those wondering why I didn’t buy the Air since the Pro is overkill for me as a student, it’s because I got it in the Back to School promotion and I sold the AirPods for $150. So I got the 256GB Pro at the same price as the 256GB Air, which I consider was a better purchase.

I'm sorry if I made a grammar mistake, English isn't my native language.

Yeah, that’s a huge upgrade! Nice job! My 11” iPP is my go-to device.

Also, your English is really good! Good job! ??????

 

[r6mile]

A bit off-topic, but since we are discussing laptops versus iPads, thought I would jump in, as I have just replaced my 2013 Macbook Air with a new iPad Air 4. I did weigh getting a refurbished or second-hand iPad Pro 11 2018 but thought the A14 and newer device would give me a little bit more longevity.

Just to clarify my uses, I was using my laptop mostly as a media watching and internet-browsing device, and very occasionally a casual game. I have a 2012 i7 Mac Mini as a home server, and for anything that might require a computer. I use a work-provided Dell XPS for my job.

So far, the iPad (my first) is absolutely great and am very happy I made the move. The screen is just so much better than the old 1440x900 screen on the MBA and it is so much more brighter and crisper. The instant-responsiveness is excellent. Touch-ID is so useful for authenticating internet baking etc apps (yes I know I am many years late to this, but this is my first Touch ID device as I don't use an iPhone!). It is so nice to have such a light device to just take around the house. I can see USB-C being very useful to plug in external hard drives etc. and other accessories, but so far I haven't really used this yet as I can access my external drives through my network. Another huge plus is that the iPad is dead silent, compared to the Macbook Air which was pretty fond of kicking its fans. And the FaceTime webcam just looks excellent on video calls. Apple Arcade works great with my PS4 controller.

Obviously the iPad doesn't have a built-in keyboard, but I have a cheap-ish bluetooth keyboard for Amazon which works very well when I need it. Clearly the iPad is less good at multi-tasking than a laptop, but while it takes a little getting used to if you are new to iPadOS, the iPad is much more capable than I realised at first. I am now getting used to split-windows and floating windows, as well as all the gestures. I've got a lot faster over the last couple of weeks! For serious multi-tasking though I can see reaching the limitations of iPadOS.

Only other thing is obviously as it lacks a keyboard and a hinge, so you can't just have a the iPad at whatever viewing angle you want, but I have a pretty decent ESR case that seems to hold up the iPad however I want it.

Overall, I am not sure I would use this iPad as my only computing device yet, but for 90% of tasks it is absolutely great and very happy I made the jump.

 

[RealPhone]

The 2020 iPad Pro is an excellent device! Everything is superb!

 

[BugeyeSTI]

I’ve been using my new 2020 iPad Pro for a few weeks now, and I’m loving it. This is the best piece of tech I’ve ever bought. I can’t find anything I dislike about it.

I’ve always loved the iPad experience and form factor, and have always prefer it over a traditional laptop. The touch screen, the ability to use it either in landscape or portrait, Apple Pencil compatibility, the portability to take it with you everywhere and use it in places where a laptop is uncomfortable to use, and much more. And I can do everything I need. I haven’t turned on my computer since I got the iPad.

I’m upgrading from a first-gen 16GB iPad Air, and the update feels huge. The display, camera, speakers, and battery life are noticeable better in every way. I’m also upgrading from iOS 12 to iPadOS 14 and while it feels familiar, I can do a lot more than before (and eventually ditch my laptop). I also love Face ID, it’s very convenient on the iPad.
Performance-wise, I’m upgrading from the A7 to the A12Z, and from 1GB to 6GB of RAM. So it feels MUCH faster.

I’m using some accessories with my new Pro that have made it a great productivity device.
Some of them are a Logitech keyboard and mouse, a USB-C to USB-A adapter, my AirPods, and a third-party pencil. I also use it with my PS4 controller for gaming.

P.S. For those wondering why I didn’t buy the Air since the Pro is overkill for me as a student, it’s because I got it in the Back to School promotion and I sold the AirPods for $150. So I got the 256GB Pro at the same price as the 256GB Air, which I consider was a better purchase.

I'm sorry if I made a grammar mistake, English isn't my native language.

I like reviews like yours due to the fact of the huge leap you made from the 1st gen Air to the Pro.. It's hard to see improvements if you upgrade often and the satisfaction of the purchase suffers in my opinion. Enjoy you device, it's quite the piece of tech and should serve you well for a long time!

 

[rui no onna]

Actually I typically run my MBP 1-2 months between restarts. Sleeping is pretty much instant, waking after I use the touch ID varies: if I just close the lid and open it a minute later it's essentially instant, if it's been running for a few weeks, sleeping overnight and I've connecting or disconnecting an external monitor in the meantime there can be a few seconds' lag before everything catches up. But given the number of apps, tabs, windows and workspaces I typically have active that's far less hassle than sorting all of my windows out again after a restart.

That of course is the real difference: the iPad is a great "do one thing at a time" device, it's fine for swapping between a couple of activities, but it's not in the same league as a laptop for multitasking.

I assume the MacBook is connected to power? I leave the desktop on 24/7 so it's ready to use anytime. The laptop however, I actually lug around. Leaving it in sleep mode would drain the battery so it's either shut down or on hibernate.

The M1 MacBook Air would change this. I'll finally be able to leave it on standby same as I do the iPad without excessive battery drain.

 

[MisterSavage]

I've got an 11" 2018 IPP and it's still my favorite piece of Apple tech. Glad you love yours!

 

[secretk]

I assume the MacBook is connected to power? I leave the desktop on 24/7 so it's ready to use anytime. The laptop however, I actually lug around. Leaving it in sleep mode would drain the battery so it's either shut down or on hibernate.

The M1 MacBook Air would change this. I'll finally be able to leave it on standby same as I do the iPad without excessive battery drain.

This is true but for me to be honest is not a big issue. Like yes I do hibernate my laptop if I have to carry it around but with SSD and i7, it takes seconds to start. Yes, it is slower compared to iPad, but I also rarely hibernate the laptop. If I open it up, I do work on it and I waste those seconds only once during the day. So those 10 seconds of gain is not that big of a deal for me.

I personally care more about the battery on the M1 chip. I mean even iPads do not have this battery life.

 

[Hadron]

I assume the MacBook is connected to power? I leave the desktop on 24/7 so it's ready to use anytime. The laptop however, I actually lug around. Leaving it in sleep mode would drain the battery so it's either shut down or on hibernate.

It's connected to power when I'm working at my desk (or sometimes, though not always, when working on my sofa), but not when I'm moving around, going to meetings (back when that meant actually moving), etc. And it's unplugged when I'm done with it for the day, even when left on the desk. Checking my settings it seems to be set for "safe sleep" mode (so RAM powered by contents copied to SSD), which is the default as I understand it. Only takes a couple of seconds to wake, and overnight power drain isn't at a problematic level, so it's no hassle.

The iPad I have next to me wakes a little quicker, except when sometimes it sits there telling me to press the touch ID button again to unlock. I'm curious to see whether the Pro's Face ID is smoother when that arrives .

 

[rui no onna]

It's connected to power when I'm working at my desk (or sometimes, though not always, when working on my sofa), but not when I'm moving around, going to meetings (back when that meant actually moving), etc. And it's unplugged when I'm done with it for the day, even when left on the desk. Checking my settings it seems to be set for "safe sleep" mode (so RAM powered by contents copied to SSD), which is the default as I understand it. Only takes a couple of seconds to wake, and overnight power drain isn't at a problematic level, so it's no hassle.

The iPad I have next to me wakes a little quicker, except when sometimes it sits there telling me to press the touch ID button again to unlock. I'm curious to see whether the Pro's Face ID is smoother when that arrives .

The startup speed isn't even the issue, it's the battery life (or lack thereof).

I use an iPad daily but I've got 3 in regular rotation so a specific iPad may not get used for a week or more. The laptop will surely be drained after being left on standby for that long and I'll need to be tethered to a wall outlet in order to use it which is something I greatly dislike (might as well use a desktop if so).

iPads, even if you don't charge for weeks they've usually still got at least 2-3 hours worth of onscreen time before needing to be plugged in.

The M1 MacBook Air changes that. With its bigger battery, it's bound to have even longer standby time compared to iPads. It's fanless so no need to worry about blocking airvents when using in bed, etc. Excellent battery life as well compared to Intel-based laptops and now, even iPads (mind, I do get around ~16+ hours of iPad onscreen time on non-X/Z chipsets).

 

[Apple_Robert]

Glad you enjoy your iPad Pro. Outside of the Apple Watch, it is the best Apple product i have bought in a while.

 

[Mr. Awesome]

I love my iPad Pro, and I really hope that iPadOS 15 is a notable update to multitasking. I love using it, but it feels so much easier to get things done on a Mac.

 

[Hadron]

I use an iPad daily but I've got 3 in regular rotation so a specific iPad may not get used for a week or more. The laptop will surely be drained after being left on standby for that long and I'll need to be tethered to a wall outlet in order to use it which is something I greatly dislike (might as well use a desktop if so).

TBH I so rarely leave my MBP unused for a week that that scenario isn't a concern to me (I don't actually recall whether it's flat after that time, but that may be because we are talking about a once a year event if that). A couple of days (rare in itself) isn't an issue.

But I do agree that battery-wise the M1 Macbooks are extremely interesting, even if for me the autonomy when disconnected is far more significant than the standby drain.

Back to the iPad Pro, a nice feature for me is that it can just use the same USB-C charger as my MBP (as can my phone, so that's just one charger and one cable when travelling). That does mean I'll end up with a superfluous 18W Apple charger though: I wonder whether I can find an iPhone 12 buyer who wants one? .

 

[Sounder206]

My new (opened box from Best Buy) iPad Pro 11” arrived and I have been using it for the past couple days. Coming from an iPad mini 4, this is a massive upgrade. The unit I got looks and performs excellent, and even the previous person who returned it even left the glass screen protector on. Saved $150 from new, which include trading in the mini for the BB gift and used it for the online purchase of the opened box Pro because all the new units were sold out in my area on the week of Black Friday. And this evening I bought the Smart Folio Cover for it, also opened box. Yeah, I go look for the most reasonable price and don’t pay full retail.