What's good
- Fast, lag-free performance
- ProMotion tech for smooth, snappy scrolling
- Sharp, vibrant display
What's bad
- Unwieldy to hold in hands
- High price tag
Apple revolutionized the digital world with the iPhone and upped the ante with the release of the first iPad. It’s no surprise why they dominate the tablet market.
But for the past few years sales and demand have declined as phones have gotten larger...
They released the iPad Pro 12.9 back in 2015 to tap into a larger market—people who want a laptop replacement.
With the release of the 2017 iPad Pro 12.9, Apple hopes to bolster the original’s goal.
Does it work? Let’s see what reviewers are saying!
Not much has changed design-wise with the 2017 iPad Pro 12.9. Like its predecessor, this large tablet measures in at 12.04-by-8.69-by-0.27 inches.
As you would expect of something this size, it’s not meant for holding with one hand. While fairly light at 723 grams, once you add the Smart Keyboard, it ends up being heavier than the actual 12-inch MacBook at 1043 grams.
Coupled with the metal back and glass front, experts found it awkward to hold—even with two hands. They mention that it isn’t marketed towards the regular tablet user. Still, most found it portable enough and easy to use despite its gargantuan size.
The display helps to set the 2017 iPad Pro 12.9 apart from other tablets.
As the name suggests you get 12.9 inches of super high resolution (2732-by-2048), high-quality Apple display. It comes with new technology called ProMotion which uses a 120-hertz refresh rate. When tested, reviewers were impressed with smooth, fast scrolling compared to standard tablet displays.
They also raved about the vibrant colors, deep blacks and improved brightness. It even includes new TrueTone technology to adjust the white balance of the display to your room’s lighting.
Unfortunately, while it can now reach 600 nits of brightness, most reviewers don’t suggest it for reading outside on sunny days.
The biggest changes come internally.
The tablet includes an A10x Fusion chip and 4GB of RAM. Apple touts this combination to be 30 percent faster than the A9x.
Reviewer benchmark tests beat those marks. As expected, they experienced no lag even when they had over 20 apps open.
To run such a large tablet, Apple opted for a large battery than its predecessor. During tests, reviewers could get around 10-12 hours of life during medium usage.
Tablets have never been known for their cameras, but Apple looks to change that. The iPad Pro 12.9 (2017) includes the same 12MP camera sensor found on the iPhone 7—complete with optical image stabilization, 5x digital zoom and 4K video recording.
Reviewers were happy with the image quality of the pictures, though they add they won’t use it as a camera often due to the tablet’s large size.
Overall, reviewers consider the 2017 iPad Pro a credible laptop replacement thanks to its large screen, fast processor and excellent battery life. The biggest drawback mentioned is pricing.
Expert Reviews states, “This isn’t one for the frugal… but should you opt for Apple’s latest and greatest, the spangly new 12.9in iPad Pro will not disappoint.” Laptop Mag adds, “... if you want the brightest display and the best performance, opt for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro; … it will be solid candidate to replace your laptop.”
What the Critics Are Saying...


- Jack Turner, Tech.CoFor those who need a high-powered tablet but can’t quite stretch to the cost of the 2018 Pro, the 2017 model is worth consideration.


- Matt Swider, TechRadarThe iPad Pro 12.9 is the tablet equivalent of a gaming laptop. It’s incredibly powerful, undeniably fast, and a visual treat every time you turn on the noticeably improved screen. It’s big to carry around everyday and rather expensive compared to the iPad Pro 10.5 with the same specs. It’s very easy...


- Henry Burrell, Tech AdvisorMy gut feeling is that the iPad Pro will become the device it aspires to be when iOS 11 rolls into town. For now, it remains a beautifully designed compromise, meaning it still represents the 2-in-1 market’s struggle to define itself. The large size won’t suit everyone, but there’s...


- Dan Frakes, Nick Guy, The WirecutterEssentially identical to the 10.5-inch iPad Pro, but with a huge 12.9-inch screen that’s better for serious creative work and multitasking.


- Daniel Schmidt, NotebookcheckOn paper, the iPad Pro 12.9 is no more than a larger iPad Pro 10.5, but in real-life it is quite a bit different in several aspects. The well-calibrated display with its exceptionally accurate color accuracy in particular was very impressive; the speakers are well-balanced; the Wi-Fi modem’s r...
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