Apple iPad Pro 2017 review: Putting conventional laptops to rest

Amidst loads of announcements on the software front, Apple also announced a plethora of new and older upgrades in the hardware segment. The HomePod was the new entrant and older tablets, laptops and the iMac saw new upgrades. Amongst them was the iPad Pro, an upgraded tablet with a better processor and superior display that is ready to take on the laptop segment.

While Microsoft’s Surface and Samsung’s new tablet are strong contenders, it does not look like the two will be able to match the iPad Pro. What the iPad has in its favour is its speedy and fluid operating system that is married to the proprietary hardware.     

The iPad Pro 12.9-inch and 10.5-inch models feature a Retina display with 2732x2048 pixels / 264ppi, oleophobic coating, anti-reflective coating and ProMotion Technology with True Tone Display and a refresh rate of 120Hz. The new iPad Pro is powered by the latest 64-bit Apple A10X Fusion 4th-gen chip, which is 2.5-times faster than the older iPad Pro and also has a 4.3-times faster graphics processor in comparison. Both the iPad Pros now come with a faster M10 coprocessor. The new iPad Pros are compatible with Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard. The iPad Pro 2017 is highly aimed for those looking for productivity as the preferred use. Media entertainment and media professionals can also consider this as their daily driver.

On the camera front, Apple has equipped the two new tablet variants with a 12MP rear camera, similar to the one found on the iPhone 7. The iPad Pros can now record 4K HD videos with slow motion @120fps (in full HD) and @240fps (in HD). The front camera is a 7MP and supports full HD videos. The new iPad Pros now have a four speaker audio system, a second generation fingerprint identity sensor within the home button and will support more LTE bands for use globally. As for connectivity, the new models will also sport an Apple SIM embedded within. A Smart connector on the left edge helps the iPad Pro to be used with the Smart Keyboard. The new iPads are slated to give you up to 10 hours of battery life, depending on the type of work and connectivity options used. Connectivity options include dual band Wi-Fi ac, Bluetooth v4.2, LTE, AGPS and GLONASS.

The iPad Pro will take advantage of the latest iOS 11, due this year in September, to be one of the most productive tablets till date. To get the best of the iPad Pros, you should use the (optional) Apple Pencil and the Smart Keyboard. It presently sports one of the most advanced display panels with a 120Hz Retina display for a faster and smoother work experience. This speedy response time will also make using the Apple Pencil bliss. Writing and drawing is even smoother and faster with almost no stutters and loss.

In order to save on power, Apple has added intelligence to the display, which runs the display at the max response time required by the running app, and lower it when not used. Movies and games will now be even more enjoyable with smoother graphics and without any disturbing artefacts, as compared to a standard 60Hz LCD display on other previous models. The brightness is also improved to 600 nits, along with wide P3 colour gamut.

The new iOS will also bring in multi-tasking, drag and drop options. Along with the new A10X Fusion chip, the new iPad Pro can now allow 4K video editing right on the tablet itself. You can render 3D models, or create complex documents and presentations on the fly.

We had a hands-on experience with the iPad Pro 10.5-inch variant with Wi-Fi + Cellular and 512GB of internal storage. Along with the tablet was an Apple Pencil.

The new iPad will not impress you in the design segment if you already own one of the older variants. It looks the same and does not bring anything new to the table. However, impressively, you will find the display and the audio segments a definite difference once you turn it on.

As for the display, it is a tad larger than the predecessor 9.7-inchers. Apple says that they will standardize the new screen size in future models too. Though the older iPad was a bit easier to hold — thanks to the smaller width, this one could be a bit difficult to get used to, but it will eventually fade away in time. The larger display helps in more real estate, especially when you are using it for productivity and entertainment. Multi-window mode on the iOS 11 is where the iPad Pro 2017 will perform its best and the large screen will take due advantage of the same.

As for the minor design changes, you will now notice four speakers around the edges — two on the top and two on the bottom — which is louder and helps with better stereo effects. Apple has retained the 3.5-mm headphone jack; fortunately, a good move as this can be beneficial for those wanting to do video editing or be an audio DJ with the tablet.

The camera takes a big improvement. A 12MP rear and 7MP front cameras are the same ones used on the current iPhone 7 handsets. This move makes the 2017 iPad Pro a better shooter and you won’t need to take your iPhone out for photos when using the tablet.

As far as the performance is concerned, you will definitely experience a great device between your palms. We would like to highlight once again that the new iPad will perform at its peak, only with the new iOS 11, which is due in the next two months. However, you can also download the Public Beta of the same to get your hands dirty.

On the audio front, you will be surprised — a refined four—speaker stereo system pumps out loud volumes with a decent amount of bass. You won’t need to grab an external speaker system for sure. Sadly, there are no bundled headphones provided with this iPad, so you may need to invest on some personal headphone gear to enjoy music or videos in private.

As for the clubbed performance with the Apple Pencil, if you are already using the older version iPad with a Pencil, you will see a massive improvement in the fluid graphics and stylus performance — thanks to the new-generation 120Hz display, a fast operating system and the A10X Fusion chip that takes care of everything in the background.

At your fingertips is the fast and responsive A10x Fusion chip, a 64-bit Apple produced architecture, which sports 6 cores at the centre. The beastly processor is capable of editing photos in real time and also editing 4K videos with the least amount of stress, right on the tablet itself — so probably, the first move to getting rid of your favorite laptop — video bloggers, this one is just the right baby for you during your long outdoor shoots, especially with the massive 512GB of storage onboard. 

Well, that’s for power users — standard users can enjoy multimedia content with the four speakers and a crisp, vibrant and detailed display. Casual office goers can also take complete advantage of the iPad Pro by clubbing in a Smart Keyboard. This, along with a Pencil (optional) can make office documentation a breeze, especially with the new multi-window feature that is due on iOS 11. Dragging and dropping media into different applications is not as simple as a laptop function. So you can drag-drop your photos from your collection into your mail box, or simple create presentations on the fly. You can also hail different documents from the new Files app (a file browser for iOS in the new iOS 11 — but not similar to an Android system) to different apps on the iPad.

As for the Smart Keyboard, this is one accessory that will help you retain the use for the iPad as a laptop. Without the keyboard, this would just be a difficult gadget to use if you are a writer or mostly into text work. However, do note that the Smart Keyboard can only be used when the entire device is kept on a flat surface. It will be impossible to use on your lap — in short — it cannot be a laptop replacement, but can be considered as a simple desktop replacement unit. Sadly, those who are in favour of Microsoft apps may have to stick to the regular, bulky laptop. In short — the iPad Pro 2017 is almost incomplete without the Smart Keyboard and Pencil.

And lastly, the battery life of the new tablet — an impressive move by Apple, especially when you would love to carry a light (around half a kg) yet powerful computing slate with you. The battery life is good and even if you are playing around for long, you could easily squeeze out more than 6 hours from it. Apple has managed to tune the display well so that it can balance its power usage between performance and standard use. This, though not noticeable to the user, it is actually running in the background. As mentioned earlier, a discrete processor manages to vary the display’s frequency to pump out 120Hz only when required during graphics-heavy apps and stay below 20Hz when not in need. In short, when you use the Pencil for photo or video editing, or playing a demanding game, the display functions at 120Hz. And when playing a standard movie, or using basic apps, expect to get 24Hz; casual games will adjust the display to 60Hz if needed, and so on, so forth.

To conclude, the new 2017 iPad Pro does have the potential to throw the conventional laptop out of the market. However, while some may not agree with us completely, we do acknowledge that the ‘end of the laptop days’ is soon being seen on the horizon. The new iPad Pro seems to make this light at the end of the tunnel a near possibility and the only help from app developers to make this push a reality lies in the prices of the apps being available.

With the new iPad Pro, professionals can take complete advantage of their day to day tasks. Engineers to designers and artists to marketing professionals can highly benefit from the new hardware. However, we would also like to highlight that it won’t come in as cheap as a laptop, but will definitely be highly portable in comparison.

The iPad Pro has started sales from July 10, and will be available in two variants and three models each. The iPad Pro will be available in two display size variants — a 12.9-inch and a 10.5-inch, and in three colours — Silver, Gold and Space Grey, while the 10.5-inch variant will have an extra colour — Rose Gold. The iPad Pros will be available in three storage variants — 64GB, 256GB and 512GB, and in two connectivity variants each — Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + Cellular.

Prices for the Wi-Fi variants are as follows: The 12.9-inch iPad Pro is priced at Rs 63,500, Rs 70,900 and Rs 86,400 for the 64GB, 256GB and 512GB respectively. The 10.5-inch iPad Pro is priced at Rs 50,800, Rs 58,300 and Rs 73,900 for the 64GB, 256GB and 512GB respectively.

Prices for the Wi-Fi + Cellular variants are as follows: The 12.9-inch iPad Pro is priced at Rs 74,100, Rs 81,400 and Rs 97,000 for the 64GB, 256GB and 512GB respectively. The 10.5-inch iPad Pro is priced at Rs 61,400, Rs 68,900 and Rs 84,500 for the 64GB, 256GB and 512GB respectively.

Additional accessories that are available for the iPad Pro are sleeves, Smart Keyboard, Pencil and a lot more, which are optional. However, if you want to complete the iPad Pro and have the best experience, you must opt for the Smart Keyboard and the Pencil with it. The keyboard will cost you an average of Rs 14,000, and the Pencil for around Rs 9,000.

To wind up, we would definitely recommend the new iPad Pro 2017 if you are looking for a new, powerful like-laptop-replacement, and a highly portable personal computing device. However, the device does not come in as cheap and will set you back by almost a lakh. If you already own an older generation iPad Pro, we would probably say stick with it, but you would lose out on the new features and power. Don’t note: This is not a laptop replacement as you cannot use it conveniently for typing when placed on the lap — it’s more of a desktop replacement. If you are looking for a Windows-based or Mac-based operating system, then you should opt for a Windows laptop or a MacBook variant. However, if you are not equipped with the required budget, then all you can do is drool over it.

The iPad Pro 2017 is not for everyone — only those who need it for productivity on the fly and them who are in the iOS eco system would appreciate the use of the new entrant. For others who are entering the Apple eco system, the iPad Pro is a great investment.

Technical specifications:

Colour: Space Grey, Rose Gold, Gold, Silver

Capacity: 64GB/256GB/512GB

Thickness: 6.1mm

Weight: 477g

Display: Retina display, 10.5-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit Multi-Touch, 2224x1668 resolution at 264 pixels per inch (ppi), ProMotion technology, Wide colour display (P3), True Tone display, Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating, Fully laminated display, Anti-reflective coating.

Processor:  A10X Fusion chip with 64‑bit architecture, Embedded M10 coprocessor

Camera: 12MP, ƒ/1.8 aperture, Digital zoom up to 5x, OIS, Six‑element lens, Quad-LED True Tone flash, 4K video recording up to 30fps, front camera 7MP

Audio: Four speaker, stereo, dual mic

Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11ac, dual band, Bluetooth v4.2, 4G LTE, micro SIM, A-GPS, GLONASS, Lightning connector

Battery: 30.4-watt-hour Li-Polymer

Operating system: iOS 10

This article was first published on Deccan Chronicle