Reviews of the 9.7-inch iPad Pro are starting to appear – though there are a number of posts out there using that title which turn out to be a hands-on at the event rather than a full review.
Phil Schiller set a high bar when he said that one of the markets Apple was targeting included users of older Windows laptops. The 9.7-inch iPad Pro could, he said, be a viable replacement. The general view so far, however, is that while it’s an extremely nice device – more than one reviewer describing as the best iPad yet – it would be a stretch to consider it a full laptop replacement.
The True Tone screen, which adjusts the color temperature of the screen to match ambient lighting, got the most mixed reviews, some saying it made a huge difference, others not seeing it as a big deal. But the performance pleased everyone, as did the support for the Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard in a format far more portable than its bigger brother, the 12.9-inch iPad Pro …
TechRadar only got a hands-on at the launch event to date, but said that in that time it felt it was looking at the future of the iPad range.
The 9.7-inch iPad Pro is probably a look at the future of iPad — it’s a manageable size, has an industry-leading display, and is a joy to create art on. That said, we wonder if it’ll truly attract Windows converts without running a full operating system. iOS only gets you so far […]
That said, it runs iOS like a champ. Performance simply wasn’t an issue as we whisked through apps, loaded up Procreate for iPad, and proceeded to get our doodle on. As you’d expect, given the A9X power plant, speed was right in line with what we saw in the original 12.9-inch iPad Pro.
PC Mag also just had a hands-on, but was particularly impressed by the difference the four-speaker system made – though didn’t see any other reason to upgrade.
The [difference from the Air 2] that really jumped out at me was the quad speakers. I fired up a scene from The Martian, and it really blared, even in a crowded room. Apple told me the Pro was twice as loud as the Air 2, and I believe it. Holding my finger next to one of the speakers, I could really feel it pushing air […]
But what’s the killer app that will cause people to upgrade their earlier iPads? Unless you’re into the creative pro apps that work with the Pencil, I’m still struggling to answer that question.
ArsTechnica did a detailed review and says it’s a no-brainer upgrade from the original iPad Air or earlier, not so much from the iPad Air 2 unless you really want Apple Pencil support – especially with the deals available on the Air 2.
If you have an iPad 2, the third- or fourth-generation Retina iPads, or the original iPad Air and you find yourself using your iPad more often than whatever other computer you have in your house, the iPad Pro is a no-brainer upgrade.
It’s fast and light, and its Apple Pencil and multitasking support make it a surprisingly capable computer if you don’t have some specific app or use case that demands a PC. If you have an iPad Air 2 and don’t desperately want Apple Pencil support, ignore the Pro for now. Buy a good Bluetooth keyboard case, and you can still enjoy all the multitasking capabilities and hardware keyboard features that the Pro has.
If you’re new to iPad, ask yourself whether you really want Apple Pencil support and make a decision from there.
Mashable disagreed, rating the device as ‘the best flagship iPad you can buy,’ maintaining the portability of the Air 2 while delivering significantly more.
There’s so much more power and utility in the new tablet that it’s hard to imagine why anyone would opt for an Air 2. And if you think the price is a reason, keep in mind that $100 more not only gets you double the storage space of the base model iPad Air 2, but it also significantly ramps up the processing power and gets you Apple’s best iSight camera with 4K video recording […]
Much as the 9.7-inch iPad Pro looks like the iPad Air 2, it takes all its power and performance cues from the larger 12.9-inch iPad Pro […]
The 9.7-inch iPad Pro introduces a much brighter (500 nits, as measured by Apple) screen that’s noticeable to the naked eye, reduced reflectivity that doesn’t kill reflectivity all together, a wider color gamut and True Tone
The Independent called it ‘the best iPad yet.’
The best iPad yet combines a stunning display, stonking audio and relentless processing power into a portable tablet […]
I’ve been using the new tablet for a week and it’s a pretty unqualified success, offering all the extra functionality of the 12.9-inch iPad Pro but at a lower weight and price point […]
In every case, turning True Tone off revealed that it looked more natural with it turned on again. Switch it off and you see, as if for the first time, that the tablet screen looks surprisingly blue in most lighting situations. True Tone is a quiet, but revelatory, effect.
Both the WSJ and Forbes tackle the question of whether Apple really can target Windows laptop users with this device. The WJS says some day, but not yet, and argues that the App Store is a disincentive to pro software, developers unwilling to give up a 30% cut on more expensive software and unhappy that they have no direct channel to pitch upgrades to their customers.
Forbes also says the iPad Pro isn’t there yet – large or small – but serves well as a ‘part-time laptop,’ with a Mac or PC available for the heavy lifting.
Check out too our hands-on video roundup from last week’s launch.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
apple keeps calling the iPad the future. Now the hardware is officially out. All that is left is the software. Wishful thinking tells me that iOS 10 is going to be a very big update and will open up iOS in many ways making it more capable. If apple can do the right thing with iOS. It can and will absolutely be a laptop replacement
Since NO USERS HAVE GOTTEN THEIR 9.7 iPad Pro yet, THESE REVIEWS ARE CRAP !
I can replace a Winders machine with a bag of dog food and get better results… Wait until USERS get the product before spouting your face off… Rude.
Apple sends out review products to some sites (though not ones that leak their product launch plans …).
Most, though not all, have review units given to them by Apple.
Sure it’s a laptop replacement, except that you want to open links by clicking on them with the last iOS 9.3 release (and not only 9.3). Where’s Apple credibility in trying to convince people of using an iPad Pro as their only device, when a software update can make you unable to surf the Internet for several days (and counting…)?
I would say that the Pro is worth spending an extra $100.00. This is where the iPad is heading. I wouldn’t doubt that next year, Apple drops the normal Air 2 and drops the price of the base iPad Pro to $499.00.
I agree with most people when I say that iOS needs to become more specific to the Pro, and it needs to have more of a file system, with Multiuser support. If Apple adds those items with iOS 10, people in droves will wave bye bye to cheap Windows laptops.
It’s actually a $200 price difference, now, Apple dropped the iPad Air 2 price by $100.
Replacing an ageing but still functional iPad 2 with one of these, I’m sure the speed increase will be impressive.
Does the pricing of the 9.7″ ipad Pro signal a new approach to pricing? One thing I found fascinating with the Watch was the discounting during the holidays. We know the watch didn’t sell quite as well as Apple hoped so it wasn’t entirely surprising that we had rare Apple discounting. We also know the iPad hasn’t been selling as well as Apple would have liked. That makes me wonder about the pricing of the iPad Pro. Specifically is it being priced strategically to allow discounting w/o hurting Apple’s margins?
The reason that comes to mind is I just don’t see the changes in hardware for the 9.7″ iPad justifying a $100 increase. Is the change any more significant to Apple’s margin than adding the retina screen was to iPad 3 or going to 2 GB with the iPad air? My hypothesis is that the entire $100 is additional margin for Apple to play with. By starting at $599 they can take advantage of the early adopters who will buy regardless of cost and then around the holiday’s they can use some or all of that extra $100 to offer discounts to push sales.
If that is the case it may make sense to wait until the holidays to upgrade. Is my thinking way off base? Are the hardware changes with the Pro significant enough that Apple had to increase the price by $100 to keep their margins where they need them and therefore holiday discounts are unlikely?
They didn’t really raise the price $100 because the 32GB iPad Air 2 was already $599. What they’ve done is update the 32GB hardware (at no additional cost) and drop the 16GB entry level model.
There was no such thing as a 32GB iPad Air 2. Only 16GB and 64GB. That’s why Mashable’s review doesn’t add up with it only be a $100 price difference.
There is no direct comparison with storage levels because they no longer sell the iPad Air 2 128GB. Of course you could still find them out there.
I don’t think so. The Apples watch was very expensive to begin with and it had a lot of room for price drops looking at where the competition were, particularly some of the steel models. I don’t think Apple will intentionally price the iPad high with the aim to get sales through limited sales events. That’s not what’s happened with the watch either given it got a permanent drop.
Apple always has wiggle room as their margins are high, but I expect this is the price they want to be selling at.
email, internet browsing, word proceeding and page design, Spreadsheet and presentation software, all included in the package. For most people, it’ll replace a PC…
what generation of touch id does this pro use? the original ipad pro used the 1st gen, and i was wondering if apple was bold enough to continue using the same outdated touch id.
Want to be a real notebook replacement? Fix or update iOS to:
– Have the option to change the default apps for mail, contacts, calendar, notes, reminders, etc.
– Offer native Bluetooth mouse support for apps
– Offer a centralized file system.
It’s really the best Tablet ever with amazing hardware,
now if the next iOS gives it more pro software features, it will be the real replacement for PC tablets.
I’m considering the upgrade anyway.
Apple should worry first about replacing those millions of old iPad 2s, before setting its sights on PCs.