Apple iPad Pro 10.5 review

Apple is known for their build quality. The iPad Pro 10.5 is no exception. Reviewers loved the finish on the metallic back, the feel of the buttons and the lightweight yet sturdy feel of the device in hand.

The tablet features a TouchID fingerprint sensor, headphone jack and stereo speakers. In typical Apple fashion, there’s no microSD support. However, with up to 512GB of internal storage depending on the model, there’s certainly no lack of storage space.

The iPad 10.5’s display received rave reviews. Running at a resolution of 1668-by-2224, the display is clear and colorful. Reviewers loved the TrueTone and ProMotion features. These help to adjust the display based on your surrounding lighting and provide smoother scrolling. Wired noted, “… everything looks smoother than butter. Swiping homescreens, playing games, or just scrolling through WIRED feels like you’re actually touching the things you see, not just whacking pixels on a screen.”

Pushing those pixels, you’ll find Apple’s latest A10X hexa-core processor. While Apple doesn’t disclose the amount of RAM in the tablet, benchmarks from a few reviews showed it has 4GB of RAM. Performance reviews were stellar. Reviews touted zero lag, fluid movement, fast multitasking and solid media and gaming performance. TechRadar summed up opinions well, saying, “Apple really isn't lying about putting the best of the best in its A10X chipset—this is, by far, the most impressive mobile CPU we've seen.”

Software was one sticky point for most reviews. While the tablet ships with iOS 10, the fall update to iOS 11 promises a massive set of feature upgrades. This lead many to question whether purchasing before the update was worth it or if they were getting a true idea of the power of the tablet.

If you don’t mind holding a giant tablet up to snap a shot, you’ll find a camera similar to the iPhone 7 in the new iPad. With a 12MP rear lens and 7MP front-facing shooter, reviews showed some stunning photos.

News is equally good on the battery front. While specifications from Apple are scant, reviewers had no trouble getting multiple days on a charge with casual use. If you’re planning to use it as a productivity machine, TechRadar noted, “We managed to watch some video, browse the internet and do a lot of writing using the Smart Keyboard, and the battery was nearly dead after six and half hours of constant use.”

The Smart Keyboard is one accessory designed for the new tablet with the new Apple Pencil being the other. Reviewers noted that they add to the experience and functionality of the tablet but question the overall pricing.

This was the biggest issue cited by reviewers. By the time you add accessories and opt for a mid-tier storage capacity, you can nearly by a high-end laptop. Yet, until the released of iOS 11, reviewers couldn’t say if the iPad Pro 10.5 is a real laptop replacement. However, all agreed that if you don’t mind the price, the tablet offers one of the most compelling experiences on the market.