iPad Pro: Pros And Cons Of Apple’s Largest Tablet

Apple’s iPad Pro is finally on sale. But before you buy it, you should figure out if it’s for you. Although it’s definitely larger than previous iPads, some users found that it’s not really an all-around tablet.

According to Forbes, there are already mixed reactions about the iPad Pro. According to contributor Patrick Moorhead, Apple’s new iPad is similar to the latest iPhone. While it’s thin and easy to carry around, it may be awkward to hold it in one hand if you work on it for hours at a time.

“The iPad Pro feels like what you would expect with an iPhone or iPad with its brushed aluminum body, beveled edges, edge to edge glass and a physical home button with Touch ID. It’s as thin as an iPhone at 6.5mm and feels lighter than you would expect for a device with a 12.9? display. The iPad Pro weighs nearly the same as the original iPad at 1.57 pounds, which means that you can use it easily with two hands, but it could be a challenge with one hand for extended periods of time.”

But Fireball’s Jon Gruber says that the iPad Pro’s specifications are comparative to Apple’s Mac line of notebooks. In fact, it’s as powerful as all the other tablets and laptops on the market. Experts and graphic designers will be pleased with the Pro’s powerful graphics.

“The iPad Pro is without question faster than the new one-port MacBook or the latest MacBook Airs. I’ve looked at several of my favorite benchmarks — Geekbench 3, Mozilla’s Kraken, and Google’s Octane 2 — and the iPad Pro is a race car. It’s only a hair slower than my year-old 13-inch MacBook Pro in single-core measurements. Graphics-wise, testing with GFXBench, it blows my MacBook Pro away.”

Other good things about the iPad Pro is that it comes with touch sensitivity and with the optional (and impressive) Apple Pencil. According to the International Business Times, it also should be noted for its 12.9-inch display with a 2,732 x 2,048-pixel resolution. The iPad Pro comes powered by an A9X processor, which is faster than the A8X predecessor. Another good thing about Apple’s newest tablet is that it starts at 32 GB instead of 16 GB. The higher end of the iPad Pro line has a 128 GB storage space, which is similar to some of the hybrid notebooks and tablets already on the market. Unfortunately, like Apple iPads of the past, it doesn’t come with a microSD card slot.

But does bigger really mean better? Compared to Apple’s iPad Air, the iPad Pro costs $300 more. You should only purchase an iPad Pro if you’re work in the design, graphics, or video industry, or if you want a touch screen tablet that you can use for school or work. The iPad Pro also comes with an optional Smart Cover so you can use it as a replacement for your hybrid laptop/tablet.

According to a review on Mashable, calling the iPad Pro “the next iPad” may kind of a stretch because it’s just like its predecessors.

“To call it simply ‘the next iPad,’ however, is misleading. When paired with the Smart Keyboard and Apple Pencil, the iPad Pro’s tablet personality recedes, and a workhorse steps forward.”

Without these optional accessories, the iPad Pro just looks like a generic iPad. It even has the same 4:3 aspect ratio screen and aluminum body. Most of its usual specs are in its usual spots, though there are new features like four sets of speakers grills and a Smart Connector, a group of three connectors on the side of the tablet.

Not to mention, the iPad Pro is as big as a 13-inch Macbook Air. And it weighs in at 1.57 pounds, making it slightly heavier than the iPad Air 2, but it’s only 0.03 inch thicker.

The Apple iPad Pro starts at $799 for the 32 GB version, and goes up to $1,079 for the 128 GB version. It will set you back if you want to purchase Apple’s newest and largest tablet. The Apple Pencil will cost you an extra $99, and the keyboard costs an additional $169. Without the accessories, the iPad Pro is more of your typical but larger Apple tablet.

[Photo by Stephen Lam/ Getty Images]