I compared different iPADs the other day in a store: iPad (April 2017), iPad Pro 12.9, iPad pro 9.7.
The biggest difference for me was the screen:
- iPAD spring 2017 (9.7): absence of screen coatings make reflexions look brutal in comparision. Very disturbing to me, specially when compared to the other 2:
- iPad pro 12.9: ok- reflectance of the screen, slightly cool-ish colors in comparision. Screen is big (nice) on one hand, but device is therefore quite heavy, specially for holding in one hand for more than a few seconds. Nice, but not the most convenient device...
- iPad pro 9.7: Once you saw the 12.9, the screen of that one looks tiny in comparision. The screen however is gorgeous: Lowest reflectivity of any tablet I have seen so far, it adds naturalness, by moments you forget looking at a glass surface. This is the standards all other manufacturers should try to achieve, but noone except Apple seems to try... TrueTone makes colours look nice and warmer, low reflectance make contrasts and colours pop more.
So the hopefully forthcoming iPad pro 10.5 with TrueTone, same low reflections and slightly larger screen and resolution (pixels) may be the ideal iPad for me. The 12.9 being slightly too large, heavy and cumbersome as a mobile device. If the new 12.9 also has narrow bezels and therefore smaller form factor and lower weight, it might be interesting. The current 12.9 is a bit too much for me. However if Apple releases the 10.5 (as described) in June and the iPAD pro 2 (12.9) in autumn, I may crack for the earlier device.
causing the iPad Pro to be an 80% laptop replacement device with iOS.
I'd rather put it: a 55% laptop replacement. Processor power alone is (almost) nothing. The OS is the main part. Speed is needed much less in 90% of all tasks.