Tech Tools review: iPad Pro

Have you ever looked at your iPad and thought: “I wish it was bigger”? No? Well someone must have, or else Apple’s latest device wouldn’t exist. The iPad Pro is huge. Lie two iPad Air 2s side-by-side and you have an idea of the dimensions. It’s not subtle and it’s unmistakable.

It’s a similar weight to the original iPad, at 713g, and it’s 6.9mm thick. It’s beautifully designed with similar styling to the current range of tablets. The wifi version comes in 32gb and 128gb, with the wifi and cellular version only offered in 128gb.

Its 12.9 inch screen is classed as “retina”, Apple’s high-definition standard for its displays. The pixel per inch count varies depending on the size of the device. For example, the iPhone 6S Plus has 401 ppi, while the 12-inch MacBook has 226 ppi on its display. The iPad Pro comes in at 264 ppi, the same as the Air 2.

You could argue that the retina tag doesn't mean much; it's a proprietary thing that Apple decides. But you can't argue about the quality of the iPad Pro screen. Text is crisp, colours are vibrant. And when you're watching video, the quality shines through.

The new iPad Pro is forging its own niche in the market. Not only does it look good, it’s powerful. Apple has put the A9x chip into the device, which gives it a bit more power than the A9 the current iPhone 6S and 6S Plus boast. The Pro also comes with 4gb of RAM. According to Apple, it is faster than 80 per cent of notebooks that were shipped in 2014. Is it true? Maybe. But regardless of whether you believe the Apple claims, you can’t deny that the iPad Pro is speedy.

But back to the basics. The first impression that the iPad Pro is huge, and do we really need 13 inch tablets? Because although the new iPad can mimic a lot of what my current laptop set-up does, it’s still an iPad at heart, with the limitations imposed by iOS. So I can’t install whatever software I want, only what has been approved by Apple in the App Store.

When you team the iPad Pro with its keyboard cover and Apple Pencil, you can use it for most things, whether it’s productive or creative. The keyboard cover also doubles as a stand. Unlike the Surface Pro 4, there’s no kickstand, but the keyboard cover makes the iPad Pro easier to use on the move. The keys are more low profile than a standard keyboard, but despite some scepticism from colleagues that it would be a comfortable keyboard to use, it made it more accurate than other keyboard covers I’ve tried.

For everyday writing, photo editing and the odd bit of video, the iPad Pro was much easier to deal with than a regular PC or laptop. Editing photos and video – particularly in iMovie – is as close to a joy as it’s going to get. Its four stereo speakers mean the Pro has a more powerful sound than any other iPad before it.

But that big screen has some cons. Using it one-handed in portrait mode isn’t an option for longer than a minute or two, unless you want to feel it in your wrists. Landscape mode is the preferable option. On the train, I was aware the screen was more visible than the regular iPad screen to my fellow passengers. Not that anyone was too interested, mind you.

The good

The iPad Pro gives you more space and, when you factor in multi-tasking, that makes it a threat to the average laptop. It’s powerful too and with the addition of the keyboard cover, you can ditch your laptop for most tasks.

The not so good

It’s still an iPad so if you have essential software that won’t work on iOS, you’ll need to look elsewhere. That puts it at a slight disadvantage to Microsoft’s Surface Pro 4, for example.

The rest

The iPad Pro has a new way of transferring data and power – through three small dots on the screen. That’s where the keyboard cover attaches, for example, which means no Bluetooth draining your battery, no pairing to mess about with and no charging for the keyboard itself. Some keyboard shortcuts will make your life easier, but not all apps support them.

The verdict

HHHH The iPad Pro may not have every laptop in its sights right now, but as more app developers jump on board, it may slowly erode that gap. Me? I haven’t touched my laptop in days.