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iPad Pro Without XDR is the 11" iPP worth it?

Without XDR is the 11" iPP worth it?

  • No. Get the 12.9" with XDR

    Votes: 28 30.1%

  • No. Get the iPad Air 4th Gen if you want 11"

    Votes: 18 19.4%

  • Yes. M1, Thunderbolt, 8GB RAM, and 5G are worth it if you like the portability of 11"

    Votes: 47 50.5%
  • Total voters
    93
B

benobi

macrumors regular
Original poster
Dec 4, 2016
104
136
Would love to get everyone's opinion as I am deeply torn.

Not having an iPad in years, I am not sure what to do. I really want the XDR screen but worry that the 12.9" is going to be too large and unwieldy. I think the 11" size is perfect but I am disappointed we are stuck with the older screen.

I do not plan to use this as a laptop replacement. Instead, I would like to use this as a paper notebook replacement (with the Apple Pencil).

What are your thoughts?
 
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With the M1 chip and 8/16GB of RAM it seems possible iOS 15 will offer some sort of enhanced functionality for the Pros over the Air. If it’s Apple’s intention to move the pro line further towards laptop alternative territory, and that’s not of interest to you, the Air remains a tempting option over the smaller pro as this update brings little to the table the 2020 model didn’t already have. Alternatively the 2020 pro can now be snagged for a decent discount and sans the above it’s identical.

With the XDR display do you want it for anything in particular? I’ve been waiting because I like the idea of HDR content, but for browsing, email and taking notes it’s going to make pretty well nil difference.
 
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This old display piece is indeed holding me back from buying the new iPad Pro 11". I don't know how you guys think, but I would rather to have a good display but with the old chip, since the OS is not going to utilize completely the power of the M1 and the last generation CPU is rather capable.
I hope Apple may update their 11" with the new display soon (pls don't wait a whole year).

One more thing, I notice that Apple still call the 2021 11" iPad pro the "3rd gen" on the Apple website when you compare different models.
 
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Orunner said:
This old display piece is indeed holding me back from buying the new iPad Pro 11". I don't know how you guys think, but I would rather to have a good display but with the old chip, since the OS is not going to utilize completely the power of the M1 and the last generation CPU is rather capable.
I hope Apple may update their 11" with the new display soon (pls don't wait a whole year).

One more thing, I notice that Apple still call the 2021 11" iPad pro the "3rd gen" on the Apple website when you compare different models.
Click to expand...
Though this is the fifth generation of iPad Pro, there have only been three generations of 11" Pro - 2018, 2020 and 2021. Before that there was the 2016 9.7" and 2017 10.5".
 
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Reactions: BillyiPad95 and Act3
Here's the problem I have... I think the 11" is a fine upgrade because of the M1, but I'm 99% confident in assuming next cycles 11" will have the upgraded screen, so even if I buy the newest iPad Pro 11" I'm setting myself up to have to upgrade again next year. This suggests to me I should just hold to the last gen Pro and wait another year, get all the upgrades in the format I want.
 
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Reactions: BillyiPad95, Donka, magicschoolbus and 5 others
I’m in the exact same boat as you. I love the portability of the 11” model but this will also be a laptop replacement for me. This IPad will be going back and forth to work with me in my lunch bag. I would love the nicer XDR display but worried of the portability
 
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My question would be what are you using now and are you willing to wait another year? Good chance the next 11" Pro will have an improved screen that brings it in line with the 12.9. But we don't know that and we don't know how long the wait might be. If it's a panel supply issue that gets resolved I could see them releasing an upgraded 11" before the end of the year. Or it could be more than a year before we see any upgrade. If you have a 2018 or 2020 version there's really no sane need to upgrade. So it seems options are to simply wait it out, buy one now knowing the next one will likely have an improved screen, but a 12.9", or maybe buy a regular 8th generation iPad or a 4th generation Air as a less expensive option to tide you over till the next update. Bottom line is none of us know what the next generation will bring or when it might arrive. I wouldn't be willing to wait a year to get a serviceable device.
 
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How much storage do you need?

The 2021 11" Pro starts at 128GB for $799 while the Air 4 is 64GB/$599. With M1 and 8GB RAM, the value proposition is better than its similarly-priced predecessor, the 2020 11" Pro.

You could wait for WWDC to see what's announced in terms of software. The 2021 Pros now have the same base hardware (CPU and RAM) as the M1 Macs so there's a possibility the new Pros get more features or software support that's not available on older or lower end models.

It's happened before with 2017 vs 2015/16 Pros. The 2017 could support 3 active windows (split view + slide over) while the older models, split view goes inactive when you bring up slide over.
 
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Its worth it if you need an 11"

But I'm thinking the new 12.9 sales will indicate that they probably should have included the 11".
 
Last edited:
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If I wanted the 11 I’d wait til next iPad Air rumored with oled. That’s just me though. The m1 and ram talk are irrelevant to me as current hardware isn’t even pushed. Don’t buy this hoping for best at wwdc. You’ll be disappointed.
 
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benobi said:
Would love to get everyone's opinion as I am deeply torn.

Not having an iPad in years, I am not sure what to do. I really want the XDR screen but worry that the 12.9" is going to be too large and unwieldy. I think the 11" size is perfect but I am disappointed we are stuck with the older screen.

I do not plan to use this as a laptop replacement. Instead, I would like to use this as a paper notebook replacement (with the Apple Pencil).

What are your thoughts?
Click to expand...
“Worth It” 1000% Ive got a 2018 11” Pro. After 2 1/2 years of use Apple’s giving me $455 Trade In that means I get a new 11” M1 Pro for less than $400 even at Full price $799 M1 level processing 50% faster than The A12Z says Apple.
 
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Reactions: BillyiPad95, Wags, grob2740 and 1 other person
Not yet decided what I shall do: stick with my older iPad Pro (2017) and wait until the 11" comes with an OLED or XDR display or opt for the 12.9" now. I'm not sure, if I like the larger display or if it would be too unwieldy/heavy. I might actually order both and keep the one I like best.
 
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Reactions: BillyiPad95 and UltimateSyn
Was holding out for this hoping for the mini led on the 11". The iPad is such a great tool for pilots as an EFB and having the brighter display is a huge plus when trying to use it in direct sunlight. The 12.9 is too big to fit between many of the smaller GA yokes and so stuck on the 11". I would have gone for the 11 w/o doubt if they had the new display on it. Disappointed that they did not upgrade this piece, especially given the benefits of the M1 and how usable/portable this device would be for so many tasks.

Remember the "one more thing" that they used to do? I think they forgot how that works.... now its "one more thing" we want, or "one more thing" to wait for. May still go for the 11, but will have a harder time justifying a fully spec'd out unit.
 
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The screen tech in the new 2021 11" pro is identical to the screen tech introduced in my 2017 10.5" pro, right? Aside from a slight resolution increase due to it's physically larger, it is literally a four year old screen now, I believe. Same brightness, same pro motion, etc. I will be really curious to see how appealing the 11" is this cycle. Immediate buy for me if they re-release it in 6 months with the new screen.
 
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I needed an 11 inch so I’ve just bought a 2020 model from eBay and saved myself £400. The only thing that attracted me to the new model was CenterStage, but I can live without that. It will be years before 5G is useful to me and what is the point of the extra speed when the OS doesn’t take advantage of it?
 
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I have both the 10.5 and 12.9 inch 2017 iPad Pros and aside from taking the 12.9 out on gigs for reading sheet music I almost always use the 10.5. I really don't like using the 12.9 for day to day tasks, it's cumbersome to use one-handed, it's bulky af compared to the 10.5, and after using the 10.5 it feels like I'm dragging around a cookie sheet.

A brighter XDR screen would not convince me to move over to a new 12.9, I'm sure the 11s screen is still really nice and for me it's the ultra portability that really matters.
 
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I think it depends. The OP says he hadn’t had an iPad in years. In this case, the new 11” IPP will be the best tablet on the market in that form factor with an awesome feature set.

If you already have the 2020 (or 2018) model and are considering an upgrade, it may not be worth it. Although, the M1, Thunderbolt, 5G and Center Stage would be very compelling to me.
 
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Wags said:
I would be surprised if Apple did soon or before cycle refresh. Changing the display is a big deal and would alienate everyone who just purchased.
Click to expand...

100% agree.

Never say never, but I'd be really surprised as well. IMO there is nothing to gain from Apple's perspective to up the display specs in the middle of a cycle. They'd rather wait for the next cycle which makes things simpler from them, won't alienate recent buyers as much, and might even be a reason for purchasers of this years model to upgrade to the next gen hone it comes out.
 
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