iPad Pro My detailed review of the 11 inch iPad Pro compared to previous models after 4 months

[ucfgrad93]

The iPod got me to get rid of the tons of CD’s. Ebook readers, followed by the iPad got me to get rid of piles of books, magazines, and newspapers.

Apple had released the original iPad Pro 9.7” with pencil, and I saw it helping me to get rid of piles of notepads, and it did. I was also hoping it would eventually get me to the point of not needing to bring my MacBook Pro out of the house. It didn’t get me there, the Office apps were still more for mobile, and the screen was still not large enough to work on Spreadsheets the way I like.

A year and a half later, Apple announced the iPad Pro 10.5 inch. More screen real estate and power, Pro-motion, and better feedback from the Apple Pencil, I was all over it. It was definitely a capable device. I did see the improvements over the 9.7 in my real life experience. I appreciated the fact that the size and weight were comparable to the 9.7. I enjoyed it a lot, but I was never 100% satisfied to the point of feeling confident to leave the MacBook Pro home. I was hoping this would be the iPad that could tide me over for more than a few years. There were shortcomings to me, and they are purely subjective.

The accessories I had for the 10.5 were the Pencil, the Apple Smart Keyboard, the Apple Leather Cover, I had purchased a Rear Shell from Amazon to protect the back, and I’ve always kept my iPad’s in sleeves. When I had the rear shell and one of the covers, it made it heavy. I never bonded with that rear cover so I rarely used it which drove me nuts leaving the back exposed. The keyboard also made it heavy, and that bump made it too thick. The typing area was also a bit floppy, didn’t sit flat on a table or desk, and not comfortable to type on my lap. I regularly swapped the covers and had wished there was something better. I considered the Logitech, but that also bulked it up too much. As silly as it sounds, the accessories are one of the main reasons for my feeling of lacking on the 10.5.

I think the 11 inch may had been the device Apple had in mind from the start when they developed the iPad Pro. I purchased the 1 TB model with LTE on Verizon in Space Gray. They went back to their creative design roots with the body. The Space gray is a darker shade then the 10.5 and 9.7. I love the industrial look with the straight edges. I don’t know if it is the thinness, or the balance of weight, but I have not been finding any fatigue from holding it too long with the Keyboard Folio. I love how even the new bezels are, they are thick enough to hold without feeling I am blocking the screen, and thin enough to enjoy how much more screen there is. I really like it a lot. I have not been seeing the perceivable difference in overall speed, the 10.5 was very capable. The LTE network does seem to be faster. Pages load quicker, apps download faster....I don’t know if its in my mind, but there is a difference in the modem or antennas. I appreciated the 1 TB option. I don’t anticipate running out of space for a long time. I have a LOT of media, and I like storing it local vs the cloud, so this was a big deal for me. The extra 2 GB of RAM didn’t hurt either.

The new accessories seem to be a love/hate for many. I am very happy with the new portfolio cases. I ordered both the Smart Cover and the Smart Keyboard cover. I am really happy Apple got rid of the bump on the ASK. I didn’t know how I’d feel about the keys being on the outside when folded over. I am used to all my covers having the flat feel on the outside, but I got used to it quick. It was different then what I am used to but adapted quick. Being much thinner then the previous ASK’s made the compromise worth it. The Smart Cover is REAL thin and has the folds like the previous covers, but the ASK has been the primary cover, and I ultimately returned the Smart Cover. Without the bump, it keeps the overall balance of the iPad, it stays light, and it is nice and stiff where it sits. It types similar to the previous versions and has the same material. Unlike the last versions, I actually can type while on my lap and most importantly for me, it offers rear protection without any weight, or increasing the footprint. If you like typing on the display, go with the regular Smart Cover. If you want a really good typing experience, go with the keyboard.

The pencil is great, and having the flat spot and a place to hold it on the iPad were a big draw for me, and a big bonus that it charged that way. I like that it is shorter and lighter. I also like the matte finish, it feels like holding an actual pencil. I also like the 2 tap function, and I look forward to seeing what else they add to the taps. I don’t draw, but I take a lot of detailed notes. For me the killer app is GoodNotes. I have all my notebooks organized by different groups, and I haven’t had the need to use paper since I purchased the 9.7” original Pro.

The single only issue I have is it appears the screen glass may be too thin. There were some threads discussing it, and I went to the Apple Store and confirmed it happens on every demo model too.....when putting some pressure on some parts of the screen, there is a blooming effect. You can see a slight flex while using little force. It concerned me until I confirmed it is the side effect of thin glass and hasn’t affected the overall experience.

I have had this iPad Pro since release morning. It was exactly what I was expecting before I purchased. I am thinking this is the iPad I am going to hold onto and use often for a long time. I have found the battery life to perform the same or a little better than the 10.5. The sound is better, I have listened to music and movies it sounds great. It offers loud volume, I have always turned the volume all the way up on these devices, this is the first time I turn it down. Face ID works a little better than my iPhone. I appreciate that it works in every orientation. I have no complaints whatsoever on this. With the larger screen, and Excel being more usable these days, I may have finally found the iPad Pro that allows me to leave the MacBook Pro at home without regret.

Nice review, thanks for sharing.

 

[JSENNY25]

6

The iPod got me to get rid of the tons of CD’s. Ebook readers, followed by the iPad got me to get rid of piles of books, magazines, and newspapers.

Apple had released the original iPad Pro 9.7” with pencil, and I saw it helping me to get rid of piles of notepads, and it did. I was also hoping it would eventually get me to the point of not needing to bring my MacBook Pro out of the house. It didn’t get me there, the Office apps were still more for mobile, and the screen was still not large enough to work on Spreadsheets the way I like.

A year and a half later, Apple announced the iPad Pro 10.5 inch. More screen real estate and power, Pro-motion, and better feedback from the Apple Pencil, I was all over it. It was definitely a capable device. I did see the improvements over the 9.7 in my real life experience. I appreciated the fact that the size and weight were comparable to the 9.7. I enjoyed it a lot, but I was never 100% satisfied to the point of feeling confident to leave the MacBook Pro home. I was hoping this would be the iPad that could tide me over for more than a few years. There were shortcomings to me, and they are purely subjective.

The accessories I had for the 10.5 were the Pencil, the Apple Smart Keyboard, the Apple Leather Cover, I had purchased a Rear Shell from Amazon to protect the back, and I’ve always kept my iPad’s in sleeves. When I had the rear shell and one of the covers, it made it heavy. I never bonded with that rear cover so I rarely used it which drove me nuts leaving the back exposed. The keyboard also made it heavy, and that bump made it too thick. The typing area was also a bit floppy, didn’t sit flat on a table or desk, and not comfortable to type on my lap. I regularly swapped the covers and had wished there was something better. I considered the Logitech, but that also bulked it up too much. As silly as it sounds, the accessories are one of the main reasons for my feeling of lacking on the 10.5.

I think the 11 inch may had been the device Apple had in mind from the start when they developed the iPad Pro. I purchased the 1 TB model with LTE on Verizon in Space Gray. They went back to their creative design roots with the body. The Space gray is a darker shade then the 10.5 and 9.7. I love the industrial look with the straight edges. I don’t know if it is the thinness, or the balance of weight, but I have not been finding any fatigue from holding it too long with the Keyboard Folio. I love how even the new bezels are, they are thick enough to hold without feeling I am blocking the screen, and thin enough to enjoy how much more screen there is. I really like it a lot. I have not been seeing the perceivable difference in overall speed, the 10.5 was very capable. The LTE network does seem to be faster. Pages load quicker, apps download faster....I don’t know if its in my mind, but there is a difference in the modem or antennas. I appreciated the 1 TB option. I don’t anticipate running out of space for a long time. I have a LOT of media, and I like storing it local vs the cloud, so this was a big deal for me. The extra 2 GB of RAM didn’t hurt either.

The new accessories seem to be a love/hate for many. I am very happy with the new portfolio cases. I ordered both the Smart Cover and the Smart Keyboard cover. I am really happy Apple got rid of the bump on the ASK. I didn’t know how I’d feel about the keys being on the outside when folded over. I am used to all my covers having the flat feel on the outside, but I got used to it quick. It was different then what I am used to but adapted quick. Being much thinner then the previous ASK’s made the compromise worth it. The Smart Cover is REAL thin and has the folds like the previous covers, but the ASK has been the primary cover, and I ultimately returned the Smart Cover. Without the bump, it keeps the overall balance of the iPad, it stays light, and it is nice and stiff where it sits. It types similar to the previous versions and has the same material. Unlike the last versions, I actually can type while on my lap and most importantly for me, it offers rear protection without any weight, or increasing the footprint. If you like typing on the display, go with the regular Smart Cover. If you want a really good typing experience, go with the keyboard.

The pencil is great, and having the flat spot and a place to hold it on the iPad were a big draw for me, and a big bonus that it charged that way. I like that it is shorter and lighter. I also like the matte finish, it feels like holding an actual pencil. I also like the 2 tap function, and I look forward to seeing what else they add to the taps. I don’t draw, but I take a lot of detailed notes. For me the killer app is GoodNotes. I have all my notebooks organized by different groups, and I haven’t had the need to use paper since I purchased the 9.7” original Pro.

The single only issue I have is it appears the screen glass may be too thin. There were some threads discussing it, and I went to the Apple Store and confirmed it happens on every demo model too.....when putting some pressure on some parts of the screen, there is a blooming effect. You can see a slight flex while using little force. It concerned me until I confirmed it is the side effect of thin glass and hasn’t affected the overall experience.

I have had this iPad Pro since release morning. It was exactly what I was expecting before I purchased. I am thinking this is the iPad I am going to hold onto and use often for a long time. I have found the battery life to perform the same or a little better than the 10.5. The sound is better, I have listened to music and movies it sounds great. It offers loud volume, I have always turned the volume all the way up on these devices, this is the first time I turn it down. Face ID works a little better than my iPhone. I appreciate that it works in every orientation. I have no complaints whatsoever on this. With the larger screen, and Excel being more usable these days, I may have finally found the iPad Pro that allows me to leave the MacBook Pro at home without regret.

Really good review. Thanks!


So, just to follow up, do you think they 11” and has THAT much more to offer than the 10.5”, or is it more about the niceness of the device and the more modern implementation of the accessories? Is the screen that much more immersive?

At this point, I have the 10.5 and have really enjoyed it. I have the same Apple accessories as you and would like the 11” with the ASK and pencil as well.

I have the opportunity to purchase a 256 GB 11” for 750 (open box Best Buy) and that is juuuust close enough to the impulse buy range. Obviously the accessories would tack on an extra 300+ but who is counting .

I usually give the wife the hand me down iPad, but she has a 9.7 pro that is nothing more than a glorified baby monitor. With that being said, if I was to pull the trigger, i would try to sell the 10.5 and recoup a few bucks.


It seems that you have had experience with all of the same pro’s that I have (save the 11”) and would really appreciate your insight.

Anyway, thanks agin.

JSENNY25

 

[emembee]

I can create and store that content on the iPad, fine. But what if I want to copy files I have on my MacBook Pro, or other computer connected to my local network?
.

GoodReader can access your mac (put on file sharing) and it can also connect to a local NAS to download or upload. Alternative for drag and drop is finding apps that support iTunes file sharing, as another poster mentioned. Agree it is not that straightforward so lets hope WWDC brings something new.

 

[Populus]

GoodReader can access your mac (put on file sharing) and it can also connect to a local NAS to download or upload. Alternative for drag and drop is finding apps that support iTunes file sharing, as another poster mentioned. Agree it is not that straightforward so lets hope WWDC brings something new.

Yeah, let’s hope for that. Meanwhile I’ve downloaded an FTP app and after connecting to my Mac (Which doesn’t support Airdrop to iOS devices), I’ve been able to pass big files to my iPad. But it is the opposite of intuitive.

I tried the MEGA app as well, hoping those 50GB had a good integration with the files app. And nope, it is a mess, it is not as other well integrated apps.

Thank you for taking your time to respond.