Which to get -- iPad Pro 10.5" vs. 12.7"

[AlexJoda]

I guess it depends upon your definition of "travel". Going to and from the office, you don't need a bag... at least not because one is taking a tablet. If travel involves flying, then there is a HUGE difference between the 9.7/10.5 and the 12.9. I've never taken a flight where my 12.9 Pro was comfortably usable on the plane. Quite the opposite with my 10.1 Lenovo Yoga Book (Android)... which is virtually the same size as the 10.5 Pro.

I had no problems flying with my 12.9 at all....But for remote work with Jump Desktop (that you also used heavily as I remember) it makes a huge difference to work with the 12.9 (that has a resolution similar to a 13"-15" notebook) compared to the 9.7 or 10.5....

 

[Dave245]

I have the 12.9" iPad Pro 2017 and it's a great device, i don't find it to big at all, for example when multitasking it's great to have that larger screen but if you don't intend to multitask have picture in picture open and so on then you would probably be better with the 10.5" iPad Pro.

However i wouldn't buy one just yet as Apple are said to be working on a iPad Pro redesign with no home button and Face ID, not only that but it's rumoured to be getting a 11" screen so if you hold out you could get the best of both worlds and pick up a 11" iPad Pro X which would have a bigger screen than the current 10.5" the timeframe for it is around WWDC which is now less than a month away so i would definitely wait.

 

[rui no onna]

I had no problems flying with my 12.9 at all....But for remote work with Jump Desktop (that you also used heavily as I remember) it makes a huge difference to work with the 12.9 (that has a resolution similar to a 13"-15" notebook) compared to the 9.7 or 10.5....

Technically, I expect retina 9.7 and 10.5 iPads (2048*1536 and 2224*1668) have higher resolution than most 13-15" notebooks (likely around 1366*768 to 1920*1080).

It's the larger physical dimensions that make remote desktop easier on the 12.9.

 

[AlexJoda]

Technically, I expect retina 9.7 and 10.5 iPads (2048*1536 and 2224*1668) have higher resolution than most 13-15" notebooks (likely around 1366*768 to 1920*1080).

It's the larger physical dimensions that make remote desktop easier on the 12.9.

You are right: it is not the physical resolution but the emulated resolution (I use often 1200*1600) and the resulting size and quality of the displayed items. On a 9.7 iPad 1200*1600 is to small to read and other emulated resolutions are showing not enough content to work efficiently....

 

[MEJHarrison]

I was asking myself this same question last week. The 12" is certainly tempting. Especially since I watch a lot of TV/Movies on it. But I eventually went with the 10.5" because it looked more portable. If I REALLY need to see something on a larger screen, there's always my laptop or the actual TV.

My advice? Pick one and go with it. There's always that return period where you can decide if it works for you or not. I still have a week to go, but having had some time with it, I'm feeling much more comfortable about my purchase. So just get one. If you don't like it, trade it for the one you do want. No point driving yourself nuts trying to make a decision.

 

[SteveJay10]

I had the 10.5 for a couple of years and now have the 12.9. Heartily recommend 12.9. Great for magazine, newspaper, and book reading. Works great with Apple designed keyboard cover too.

 

[Frankfurt]

I looked at both when I was searching for a travel companion to replace my 2017 15” MBP on business trips. I chose the 10.5 IPP with ASK and Pencil for its mobility and it did not disappoint. I am still using my 15” MBP in home and business office (and take it to and from work) but for travel the 10.5 is hard to beat.

 

[wmadan]

I have owned both sizes, 10.5 and 12.9. I wanted one iPad that I could use as a tablet for taking notes, typing and editing documents in Word, reading books, and taking to church and around town, etc. I couldn't use the 12.9 for all of these use cases comfortably, although it was best when using Word and was good at taking notes. The 10.5 was the most versatile of the two for me. I'm hoping the new iPad Pro design will stretch the screen size of the 10.5 even larger while keeping the same overall size and weight, which will make it better in multitasking scenarios I found appealing with the 12.9.

 

[Crunch]

Thank you all very much for the many excellent points!

I have a 9.7" iPad in the Air 2 right now and have had it for a long time. I'm definitely getting at least the 10.5 for all the screen improvements, the 120Hz, etc.

I just started using my 15" MacBook Pro's screen for the first time after running it only in clamshell mode for a long time. Wow, I love the display, and the iPad Pros have the wider gamut, higher contrast, P3 and TrueTone (that adaptive display tech) and the 120Hz.

I'll take a closer look at the 12.9" again in a store, but it's not the same as trying it at home, so maybe the best thing is to get the 12.9" initially and swap it out for a 10.5" if I find it to be too humongous for my uses and taste.

I used to have a 15" notebook on my lap all the time years and years ago, so maybe the 12.9" is not too big for that after all. I might never get out of bed anymore in the morning.

 

[Crunch]

Hmmm...Apple just had an iPad event recently, so how likely is it that they will have yet another refresh of the iPad Pro line at WWDC? I guess I'll wait it out until then, as it's coming up on us fast. I am now leaning more in the direction of the 12.9". Anticipation is half the fun!