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9.7-Inch iPad Pro Review
Apr 30, 2024
Read the full written post: http://bit.ly/1Y9gFNC More Apple news: http://www.cultofmac.com Apple really, really wants you to replace your laptop with an iPad — especially if that laptop is powered by Windows. But before that switch can even be considered, the iPad needs to do everything your laptop can and more. That’s where iPad Pro comes in. Follow us! Twitter: https://twitter.com/cultofmac Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cultofmac Instagram: https://instagram.com/cultofmac/
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0:00
Apple really, really wants you to replace your laptop with an iPad
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Especially if that laptop is powered by Windows. But before that switch can even be considered, the iPad needs to do everything your laptop
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can and more. That's where the iPad Pro comes in. With it's new A9X chip, it's the most powerful iPad to date
0:22
It does everything your old iPad did, but does it better. It's compatible with the Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard and now it's available in a
0:29
smaller form factor with a 9.7 inch display. The new model is easier to carry around all day, but it packs almost exactly the same
0:37
punch as the 12.9 inch iPad Pro and the stellar speakers. It's everything you want in a tablet and more
0:44
Although it looks identical to the more affordable iPad Air 2 at first glance, the iPad Pro has
0:49
a significantly better camera that protrudes from the case and a smart connector that makes
0:54
it compatible with the Smart Keyboard and other accessories that take advantage of it
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Like the larger iPad Pro, the new model also has a 4 speaker audio system
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The top 10 on each side deliver the mids and highs and the iPad automatically switches
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between them when you turn it upside down. While the bass isn't great due to their size, the speakers are still very good and incredibly loud
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They're great for music, games and even movies without headphones. Unlike the larger iPad Pro and the iPad Air 2, the 9.7 inch option comes in the same rose
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gold finish as the iPhone 6s and SE. This certainly isn't worth the extra cash alone, no matter how much you like pink, but
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it's nice to have if you're buying the iPad Pro anyway. At just under £1, the 9.7 inch iPad Pro is also pretty light
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You can comfortably kick back on the couch for a few hours with a movie or a game or
1:43
use it to read in bed. Sadly, the few external changes Apple has made mean it's not compatible with the iPad
1:49
Air 2 cases. Although Apple has fallen behind with its smartphone displays as rivals like Samsung
1:54
roll out significantly sharper quad HD panels, its tablet displays remain ahead of the rest
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and the new iPad Pro is the best yet. In fact, this Retina display is by far my favourite feature of the 9.7 inch iPad Pro
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It's just glorious. It doesn't matter what you're doing, its 2048x1536 resolution makes it look amazing
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Text is just as sharp as you'd expect from a Retina iPad. Apple says the new iPad Pro has 25% greater colour saturation than previous iPads
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And that's only half the story here. The company has also increased brightness and significantly reduced reflectivity to
2:29
make the device even more comfortable to use outdoors and in bright rooms
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And has introduced a new technology called True Tone, which will blow your mind
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Using 4-channel ambient light sensors, the new iPad Pro can adjust the colour and intensity
2:42
of the Retina display to match the environment you're using it in. Apple says this makes it more like real paper, which takes on the colour of the room rather
2:49
than staying completely white in every environment. At first, it seems slightly strange
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Like when you use night shift mode on iOS 9.3 for the first time. But once you're used to it, it makes using your iPad so much better
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Especially if you're reading or looking at the screen for prolonged periods of time
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The downside to True Tone is that it's not available everywhere yet
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Pick up your iPhone or any other gadget after staring at the iPad Pro's display for a while
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and they start to look pretty nasty. You will also need to turn it off periodically when you need more accurate colours for things
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like image and video editing. Thanks to the new A9X processor adopted from the larger iPad Pro, everything you do on
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the smaller model is delightfully smooth and snappy. It makes light work of switching between multiple apps, using two side-by-side in split-view
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and playing the latest games. You can even edit multiple streams of 4K video in iMovie, and the iPad Pro shows no signs
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of struggle. That's because the iPad Pro is still ahead of its time in many ways
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Few iOS apps and games really push the A9X chip to its limits yet
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So almost everything you throw at it right now is a piece of cake
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It's kind of like swapping your electric lawnmower for a beastly ride-on, then using it to mow
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the same small patch of grass. Kind of. If you're switching from a cheap Windows laptop though, or even an ageing Mac, the iPad Pro's
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performance will blow you away. So will its battery, which provides more than enough juice to get you through a busy workday
4:08
or Netflix binge after a full charge. There are some things you should know about the 9.7-inch iPad Pro
4:14
Although it does have the A9X chip, Apple has underclocked it. So it's not quite as fast as the A9X powering the 12.9-inch model
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The difference is pretty negligible though, and I doubt you'll ever notice it
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One thing you may notice is the RAM reduction. The smaller iPad Pro has just 2GB like the iPad Air 2 and iPhone 6s lineup
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That's 2GB less than the larger iPad Pro. I don't know why Apple cut back here, but I'm disappointed they did
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Because I can feel it. When switching between multiple apps and using lots of Safari tabs, I experience refreshes
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more than I'd like. It's not enough to make using the device a pain by any means, but it's there
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Finally, the new iPad Pro has the first-generation Touch ID sensor. Not the super-speedy second-generation model found in the iPhone 6s
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But although it's slower, it's still incredibly accurate. And better than any fingerprint scanner you'll find on a rival tablet
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This is the first iPad to launch with Apple's latest iSight camera
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Every other model has shipped with an older sensor from an older iPhone. The 9.7-inch iPad Pro has exactly the same shooter found in the iPhone 6s
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That means it can take beautiful pictures and crisp 4K video. If you're one of those people who likes to hold up an iPad at a music concert or football
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game, then this is one of the best you can get. It's the greatest camera in a tablet, period
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Photos taken on the iPad Pro in a good light are sharp, bright and filled with vibrant colours
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It excels outdoors on a sunny day and performs well indoors in well-lit rooms
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It struggles a bit in low light, just like the iPhone, but its True Tone LED flash helps
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you out when you really need it. And not only can this one handle 4K with cinematic video stabilisation, but it can also capture
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slow-motion video at up to 240 frames per second. The new iPad Pro's front-facing camera is much improved too
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Again, it's the same one found in the iPhone 6s, boasting a 5-megapixel sensor with an
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f2.2 aperture. And it now has Retina Flash to brighten up your selfies
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The iPad Pro's powerful internals are nothing without the great software. It has that in iOS 9.3, but I'm not sure it's the best it can be
6:15
For many things, iOS is ideal. It's great for browsing the web, keeping on top of Facebook and Twitter, catching up
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with your favourite TV shows and reading. It's even good for writing reviews like this one without distraction and drawing with the
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Apple Pencil. iOS 9's new multitasking features like Split View and Slide Over are a blessing too
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They make getting things done on the iPad so much easier. And in a pinch, I could use the iPad Pro to write up and publish posts for Cult of Mac
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I could even edit all of my images on it just fine. But there are so many things I do on my desktop and laptop that I still can't do
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At least, not easily. We've mentioned before at Cult of Mac that we think Apple needs to make iOS more flexible
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if it really wants the iPad to be our go-to computer. The iPad Pro still isn't a laptop replacement for me then
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And although it's a great substitute for simpler tasks, I don't think you should believe Apple
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when it tells you the iPad Pro is a suitable PC replacement
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That's just not true yet for the vast majority of people. But that doesn't mean this isn't a terrific tablet
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I love its excellent True Tone display and the fact that it gives you everything you get with the 12.9-inch model
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I know I'm going to use this iPad more than I've used any other. It's the best model in Apple's lineup
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And if all you need is a tablet, the 9.7-inch iPad Pro is the best available
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Well, that's it for this video, but let me know in the comments down below if you prefer
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the larger 12.9-inch iPad Pro or this 9.7-inch. Let me know in the comments down below
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Also, if you enjoyed this video, go ahead and smash that like button as it really does
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help us out. And, if you haven't already, hit the subscribe button so you don't miss a single video from
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Cult of Mac. I'll catch you in the next one
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