Torn between the 10.5" & 12.9" ipad pro

[Greenmeenie]

I'm an artist who travels a lot. I like to sketch & to create videos.
Im torn between getting the 10.5" & 12.9" iPad Pro. I like the 10.5" for the portability and to be able to sketch while holding it in one hand, but i like the 12.9" for the extra screen size. I currently use an ipad mini, so either size would be a huge upgrade to me. Wish there was an ipad mini pro so i could use the Apple Pencil with it. If there was, i'd probably end up getting both the 12.9" for the extra screen size and an ipad mini pro for when i wanted to be more mobile. But since there is no indication from Apple about them ever releasing an ipad mini pro, i think getting the 10.5" is the happy medium. With my luck, Apple will release an ipad mini pro 15 days after i get a 10.5" iPP. Ha! I don't think i'd get both the 10.5" AND the 12.9" tho. That would be overkill. Apple sure makes it tough to decide! Argh!

 

[funnyboy88]

Will you be traveling with a Mac or PC alongside this new iPad Pro? This is just me, but the 12.9" the iPad for those who want to divorce themselves from macOS (obviously you'll find people who disagree). It is a desktop iPad. The 10.5" is for those who want the iPad Pro experience but still are keeping a Mac around. I'd never want a 10.5" screen to the largest screen I have access to for computing. I see the 10.5" as a premium accessory while the 12.9" is a full blown attempt to be your only computer.

 

[Newtons Apple]

Go to,the store and use them both. Only way to really know is to buy and use it to see.

 

[TechZeke]

I'm an artist who travels a lot. I like to sketch & to create videos.
Im torn between getting the 10.5" & 12.9" iPad Pro. I like the 10.5" for the portability and to be able to sketch while holding it in one hand, but i like the 12.9" for the extra screen size. I currently use an ipad mini, so either size would be a huge upgrade to me. Wish there was an ipad mini pro so i could use the Apple Pencil with it. If there was, i'd probably end up getting both the 12.9" for the extra screen size and an ipad mini pro for when i wanted to be more mobile. But since there is no indication from Apple about them ever releasing an ipad mini pro, i think getting the 10.5" is the happy medium. With my luck, Apple will release an ipad mini pro 15 days after i get a 10.5" iPP. Ha! I don't think i'd get both the 10.5" AND the 12.9" tho. That would be overkill. Apple sure makes it tough to decide! Argh!

I was going to go for the 12.9 because of love large displays, but realized that in most portable situations it'd be a nightmare. If I need a screen that big or need to do that much typing, I might as well use my rMBP. My rMBP would also be easier to use on my lap.

Plus, the 10.5 is a noticeable size increase over the 9.7. The 10.5 now has a nice balance of size and portability. You can conformably type or draw. Point is, the 10.5 makes it much easier to live with a smaller screen than the 9.7 and there is less case for the 12.9.

Maybe if it was my only computer, I'd probably be more likely to go for the 12.9 but even then it still suffers from the portability concerns I said before.

 

[44267547]

I'm an artist who travels a lot. I like to sketch & to create videos.
Im torn between getting the 10.5" & 12.9" iPad Pro. I like the 10.5" for the portability and to be able to sketch while holding it in one hand, but i like the 12.9" for the extra screen size. I currently use an ipad mini, so either size would be a huge upgrade to me. Wish there was an ipad mini pro so i could use the Apple Pencil with it. If there was, i'd probably end up getting both the 12.9" for the extra screen size and an ipad mini pro for when i wanted to be more mobile. But since there is no indication from Apple about them ever releasing an ipad mini pro, i think getting the 10.5" is the happy medium. With my luck, Apple will release an ipad mini pro 15 days after i get a 10.5" iPP. Ha! I don't think i'd get both the 10.5" AND the 12.9" tho. That would be overkill. Apple sure makes it tough to decide! Argh!

You mentioned being an artist, in my opinion, I feel the 12.9 iPad Pro would likely be in your best interest with the larger display and of course the Apple Pencil capabilities. I think for sketching and drawing, the extra screen real estate is an advantage and the battery life as well, since you travel a lot.

 

[rui no onna]

The iPad Pro 12.9 has around the same physical dimensions as 8.5" x 11" letter-sized bond paper.

 

[Greenmeenie]

Yeah, i've gone to the Apple store and tried them both out extensively. Drawing on both was a pleasure, especially on the 12.9" screen. Its extra screen space really was amazing. I didnt have to pinch and zoom. I could just draw. However, i couldnt comfortably hold the 12.9" in one hand while standing and sketch with the other. It really is a table top or laptop only device. Which is great if you are stationary. The 10.5" however i could hold in one hand while sketching with the other. Much more portable.

Again, if Apple isnt going to release an ipad mini pro, i'd go with the 10.5" because i think it strikes a happy balance btwn portability & drawability. But if Apple does release an ipad mini pro, id get that for portability and the 12.9" ipad pro for sketching while stationary.

The big question is if Apple will release an ipad mini pro with ios 11 this fall? Highly unlikely. But its giving me pause.

 

[Asp09]

You mentioned being an artist, in my opinion, I feel the 12.9 iPad Pro would likely be in your best interest with the larger display and of course the Apple Pencil capabilities. I think for sketching and drawing, the extra screen real estate is an advantage and the battery life as well, since you travel a lot.

This.

I bought the 12.9 specifically for doing art, and I would make the following two comments:
a) The extra screen real estate alone makes painting and sketching a much, much more pleasurable activity than on my iPad Air 2.
b) The 12.9 is actually a lot more mobile than I had expected. I kept the Air 2 as a mobile device but don't actually use it. I take the 12.9 with me to paint on the go and hold it one-handed, just as I used to do with the smaller iPad. Granted, it's less suitable for quick sketches - it's not easy to just whip it out to do a quick sketch at the bus stop, for example (this is where a Mini Pro would be great!). But other than that, it really is an absolute joy to work on.

 

[rrayborn38]

If you are an artist and don't get the 12.9", you'll regret it. It's much more portable than you think.

 

[max2]

I got both the 10.5 and 12.9 inch.

 

[Greenmeenie]

I got both the 10.5 and 12.9 inch.

Cool! Personally, I can't do that. I'd love the 12.9" & mini ipad pro combo tho. But since thats not possible right now...I'm having a hard time to decide.

 

[Ipadlover29]

I use my 12.9 as laptop recplacment with the Smart Keyboard. For me I found the 12.9 has louder and better speakers. I'm also getting a good 2-4 hours of more battery life on the 12.9 vs 10.5. The larger screen is also better for my eyes and multi tasking.

 

[David58117]

Of course we can't be sure, but I really doubt Apple will release a mini-pro. I really think plus sized iPhones have pretty much killed the line.

Anyway, I went from the original 12.9, to 9.7, and am back at 12.9. While I was initially thrilled with the portability of the 9.7, I did eventually miss the size of the 12.9. It's actually not that less portable, and Duetdisplay works better with it as a shared screen for a laptop.

If you're going to get one and are at all interested in the 12.9, try the 12.9 first. It's easier to rule out that it's too big and go down to the 10.5, rather than realizing it after you've already returned a 10.5.

 

[luminouslight]

I say 12.9" if you're using it as a main device. I use mine as a "laptop" replacement. I have a desktop I can fall back on if need be. The extra screen real estate is amazing though, especially with the new features coming in iOS 11 you'll be able to multitask a lot easier than the smaller one.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[maflynn]

Im torn between getting the 10.5" & 12.9" iPad Pro. I like the 10.5" for the portability and to be able to sketch while holding it in one hand, but i like the 12.9" for the extra screen size

That's my quandary right now. I exchanged my 10.5 for the 12.9, and the screen is awesome, but the tablet is large, very large. I'm not sure if I'm getting used to the size. I like using my iPad while holding it, so my usage habits have to change.

I'm not 100% sure I'll stick with the 12.9, both have advantages and disadvantages. I'll probably commute with it, and see how that goes.

 

[s2mikey]

Go to,the store and use them both. Only way to really know is to buy and use it to see.

Yeah - Im sure you'd get used to the size eventually...maybe.... but the 12.9 feels like Im holding a small flat-panel TV in my hands when I carry it or whatever. Just a tad too big IMO. Not too heavy, just too big physically. The 10.5 seems perfect to me. When I upgrade thats the one Ill go for. Probably.

 

[Newtons Apple]

Yeah - Im sure you'd get used to the size eventually...maybe.... but the 12.9 feels like Im holding a small flat-panel TV in my hands when I carry it or whatever. Just a tad too big IMO. Not too heavy, just too big physically. The 10.5 seems perfect to me. When I upgrade thats the one Ill go for. Probably.

You always have 14 days to make sure.

 

[DNichter]

If you want to use your iPad on the go, the 10.5 will be best. The 12.9 is best suited for a desktop environment.

 

[AFEPPL]

I have both the new 12 and new 10. If i had to keep only one of them it would be the 10.
It does everything the 12 does, in a more portable and useable size.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

Will you be traveling with a Mac or PC alongside this new iPad Pro? This is just me, but the 12.9" the iPad for those who want to divorce themselves from macOS (obviously you'll find people who disagree). It is a desktop iPad. The 10.5" is for those who want the iPad Pro experience but still are keeping a Mac around. I'd never want a 10.5" screen to the largest screen I have access to for computing. I see the 10.5" as a premium accessory while the 12.9" is a full blown attempt to be your only computer.

Yes, I'd heartily disagree. I decided to upsize this round. I travel a lot. No intention of divorcing myself from either my 2016 MBP or 2017 iMac. I bought the 12.9 because if I'm going to upsize from 9.7 might as well go all-in. I've had my 12.9 for a couple of weeks now and so far zero regrets. Use it every day along side my Macs. Have not traveled with it yet, but soon. I don't foresee any problems.

The decision of 10.5 or 12.9, other than being a personal choice, it also based on what you intend to do with it. I was heavily influenced by the fact that the 12.9 model is capable of true split screen whereas the 10.5 model scales in an iPhone UI compact model. I use my iPad to do a lot of editing and brain storming and split view and multitasking is very important to me. I prefer editing on an iPad because it's more like paper. I have a hard time reading long form on a computer screen. However, I can only write long form on a computer, not an iPad.

 

[maflynn]

It does everything the 12 does, in a more portable and useable size.

That's what I keep coming back too, though multitasking on the 12.9 is "better" simply because of larger display you don't have the iPhone UI like you do with the 10.5 when you split the screen. With that said, I don't find myself to often in that situation.

I was heavily influenced by the fact that the 12.9 model is capable of true split screen whereas the 10.5 model scales

Agreed, and in a way I totally relate to Serenity on her justification on the 10.5 over the 12.9 Her use case and mine are very similar. Unlike iMore's Rene, who loves the 12.9, but his use case is more of a laptop replacement. Which in a sense surprises me that I was so tempted for the 12.9 and going so far as getting it.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

I have both the new 12 and new 10. If i had to keep only one of them it would be the 10.
It does everything the 12 does, in a more portable and useable size.

Well "usable" is relative to the work trying to be accomplished, no? I decided on the 12.9 because the work I use it for is more comfortably done on the larger screen. That's not the case for everyone, everyone has a different use scenario for their iPad. The 10.5 is the better choice for some which is why it exists. But picking either is a personal decision, not a one is better than the other, like, say a BMW 430 vs a 440.

 

[darkarn]

The 10.5 may last a bit longer since needing to compute less pixels mean not needing as much computational power as compared to the 12.9 over time

 

[TechZeke]

The 10.5 may last a bit longer since needing to compute less pixels mean not needing as much computational power as compared to the 12.9 over time

1st Gen 12.9 maybe, definitely not the 2nd gen 12.9. iPad 3 (first retina iPad, boy was it a lag fest by the time I could get rid of it) and the 6 Plus (First plus iPhone) suffered because the hardware was barely enough to run the new resolution (I had both an iPad 3 and 6 Plus so I know), but the iPad 4 and iPhone 6S Plus were a huge leap in performance and was more than enough to survive multiple iOS updates. At the point these new 2017 iPad Pros start to slow down, I'd probably be looking at upgrading already.

 

[sracer]

That's what I keep coming back too, though multitasking on the 12.9 is "better" simply because of larger display you don't have the iPhone UI like you do with the 10.5 when you split the screen. With that said, I don't find myself to often in that situation.


Agreed, and in a way I totally relate to Serenity on her justification on the 10.5 over the 12.9 Her use case and mine are very similar. Unlike iMore's Rene, who loves the 12.9, but his use case is more of a laptop replacement. Which in a sense surprises me that I was so tempted for the 12.9 and going so far as getting it.

Do people who think that the 12.9 Pro is too large to tote around carry around a letter size notepad? Put that notepad in a portfolio style case and it is LARGER than the 12.9 Pro. I carry a padfolio (1/2 letter size) and that is why I'm very interested in an iPad Mini Plus. But if I carried a full letter size pad, I would find my 12.9 Pro to be fine as well.