Review: 10.5inch iPad Pro from £619
It looks good, but will it ever replace your laptop? Martyn Landi reviews the completely transformed Apple iPad Pro…
The iPad has never undergone as dramatic a transformation as it has for the new iPad Pro, which completely rethinks not only the tablet’s form factor but how users interact with it on most levels.
With the home-button gone this is now an all-screen device in line with the iPhone, and Apple has used this makeover as a chance to refresh the accessories that support the iPad Pro too, with the Apple Pencil and Keyboard Folio having been updated too.
The result is a package that, visually at least, gives the impression that the iPad Pro is a worthy replacement for your laptop. But is it up to the job or not?
Design
From the moment you pick up the new iPad it is quite clear Apple has nailed the redesign. The all-screen front panel looks just as good on the tablet as it does on the iPhone – the 12.9-inch version of the Pro is spacious but yet isn’t uncomfortable to hold.
Crucially, Apple has listened to feedback on making the Apple Pencil less likely to be lost by adding a magnetic connector to the right side of the device, allowing users to stick the stylus to the side of their tablet for the first time.
Previous Pencil users will rejoice at this, but users should still be prepared to fish around the bottom of their bag when attempting to lift the Pro out.
In order to accommodate this new connector, Apple has flattened the sides of the new Pro, meaning chassis looks and feels a little different to previous generations because it has more angled edges.
Think of it as looking and feeling similar to an iPhone SE in the very best way. In short, the iPad has never looked better.
All Screen
At the heart of this iPad re-design is the new Liquid Retina display screen that dominates the front panel. It’s the same type of screen as on the iPhone XR, and it’s bright and colourful no matter what is displayed on it.
With the home button gone it means Face ID is now the biometric method of choice for unlocking the iPad Pro. This means more swipe gestures for navigating the interface too, but given the large amount of space to work in this isn’t a problem.
Crucially, Face ID works when the device is in landscape mode as well as portrait, so no matter how you hold the iPad you can quickly use Face ID for unlock, log-in or payment confirmation purposes.
Using Apple Pencil with the screen is still a very good experience too – the Pencil is responsive and feels closer to using a real pen than ever.
This is partly thanks to the ProMotion technology, which automatically adjusts the display refresh rate that keeps scrolling smooth if you’re using your finger to browse a web page, or using the Apple Pencil to sketch something.
Elsewhere, tap to wake – which automatically opens a locked, idle iPad to a new note in the Notes app when the screen is tapped with the Pencil – is also a very handy productivity tool, and a great use of that big screen.
Laptop replacement?
In pure specification terms, Apple can rightly say the iPad Pro is capable of sitting alongside any laptop or notebook as a viable alternative.
And in terms of display and general build quality that is absolutely true. However the iPad Pro still feels like a fantastic tablet, rather than a complete laptop replacement.
But this is the iPad Pro in a nutshell – a top of the range tablet computer to be creative with, but lacking the software refinements to truly be capable of replacing your laptop.
Some of that feeling is derived from the software. The Pro runs iOS 12, the same as the iPhone, and while it is a powerful operating system it still has its limitations and lacks the full versions of some key software programmes that many creative professionals – a key market for the iPad – can already get on a MacBook or elsewhere.
In addition, the single USB-C is a welcome switch of ports on the iPad, but users still need an awful lot of extra dongles to truly open up a wide range of connectable devices.
And although it now supports two viewing angles, the Smart Keyboard Folio still isn’t quite as comfortable to use as the set-up of a laptop either. However, it does score points for now coming with a rear cover to protect the rear panel of the iPad for the first time.
Verdict
There is plenty to love about the new iPad Pro – the redesign to an all-screen front panel has been a complete success, making it the best looking iPad that Apple has ever made.
Face ID and the increased touch gestures used for navigation feel completely at home on the device too, and the enhanced Apple Pencil, powerful A12X Bionic processor and bright screen make the Pro a brilliant place to be creative while remaining wireless and mobile.
But this is the iPad Pro in a nutshell – a top of the range tablet computer to be creative with, but lacking the software refinements to truly be capable of replacing your laptop.
SPECIFICATIONS
iPad Pro 10.5 Inch Wi-Fi 64GB £619 (available in silver, space grey, gold, rose gold)
Display:
- 10.5in multi-touch screen.
- LED backlit display with .
- Retina display – features over three million pixels for a more crisp and vibrant experience.
- 264 pixels per inch.
- Fingerprint resistant coating.
Features:
- Support for simultaneous display of multiple languages .
- 64GB memory capacity.
- Uses the latest iOS operating system (iOS12).
- iCloud – allowing you to access your music, photos and any other data from whatever device you are on.
- Speaker and microphone built-in.
Connectivity:
- Bluetooth.
- A/b/g wireless/WiFi enabled.
- 3.5mm stereo headphone jack.
General information:
- Up to 10 hours battery life (depending on usage).
- Size H25.06, W17.41, D0.61cm.
- 6.1mm thick.
- Weight 469g.
Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard sold separately.
