BackLittle dynamo: iPad Pro 9.7
With a powerful processor, cutting-edge camera and attractive display, the Pro 9.7 is the best iPad yet
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People have always questioned whether the Apple iPad can replace a laptop. It has always been looked at more as a content-consumption device than a content-creation one. Which is why Apple has created the iPad Pro range. The 12.9-inch Pro was launched in November and the 9.7-inch model on 31 March.
At first glance, the iPad Pro 9.7 does not look very different from the iPad Air 2. The dimensions and weight (437g for the Wi-Fi version and 444g for the Wi-Fi + Cellular variant) are exactly the same. It’s only when you look very closely that you see the four speaker grilles. The design consistency means the iPad Pro remains comfortable to hold even if you are reading books or Web pages for hours on end. The Pro 9.7 comes in silver, gold and space grey as well as rose gold, which is not an option other iPads offer.
Both the iPad Pros come with pencil and keyboard accessories made by Apple. The pencil is accurate and responsive. The keyboard dock that comes with the Pro 9.7 has been designed especially for it, and as is true with all keyboard accessories, you have to spend some time getting used to the key size, spacing and response.
The Pro 9.7’s display has a resolution of 2,048x1,536 pixels, the same as the iPad Air 2’s; the display of the Pro 12.9-inch has a resolution of 2,732x2,048 pixels. The Pro 9.7 is the only iPad at present that offers the True Tone display feature, which uses four hidden sensors to automatically adapt the colours on the screen to the ambient light. This is a great screen for reading, watching videos or playing games, even working on a spreadsheet.
The A9X chip that the iPad Pro 9.7 packs in is powerful, so you can multitask on the device. The Pro models have a lot more processing power than any other iPad, so games and apps work faster and better. The Pro 9.7 is also available with 256 GB of storage, the first time an iPad has had this much storage.
The Pro 9.7’s battery life is fantastic—you get 11 hours on a single charge with ease. The camera, interestingly, is the same as the one in the iPhone SE and iPhone 6s—it has a 12-megapixel sensor with an ƒ/2.2 aperture. This is a major improvement on the 12.9-inch iPad Pro’s 8-megapixel sensor and ƒ/2.4 aperture. A great camera means you can use the Pro 9.7 for productivity tasks such as scanning documents.
Audio is something Apple has focused on in the iPad Pro range—the models have four speakers that automatically adjust the sound output based on screen orientation. They are the best speakers on any iPad—there is a lot of clarity even at high volumes.
So who should buy an iPad Pro 9.7? If you are buying an iPad for the first time and the Pro 12.9 seems too big, the Pro 9.7 is the best alternative. However, we would recommend anyone with an iPad Air 2 not to splurge just yet. But if you own an even older iPad, it may be time for an upgrade.
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