As I mentioned in a prior post, I decide to get the new iPad Pro 9.7. The decision to move up from my iPad Air 2 was initially not something I was going to do, but after more consideration, the ability to use the Apple Pencil was just too much to resist.
Form Factor
For me, there will always be a trade off for size. I think the larger Pro would be better with the Pencil, but it is just too big for most of my other tablet needs.
In other words, the 9.7 is just right for the way I use the iPad, while still being something I can live with concerning my amateur needs as an artist and photographer. I still have the Air 2, but having two iPads at different sizes is overkill for my needs and I would rather have one iPad that does it all. As a result, I gave the Air 2 to my girlfriend and will use the 9.7 Pro as my only tablet.
In other words, the 9.7 is just right for the way I use the iPad, while still being something I can live with concerning my amateur needs as an artist and photographer. I still have the Air 2, but having two iPads at different sizes is overkill for my needs and I would rather have one iPad that does it all. As a result, I gave the Air 2 to my girlfriend and will use the 9.7 Pro as my only tablet.
Pencil
This is the main reason I upgraded from the Air 2. I love photography and when I was younger, I loved drawing, so I am going to try some sketching with the Procreate app and some of the sketching apps. For editing photos right on the iPad, Pixelmator has some great features.
However, the big selling point for me was using it like a Cintiq Wacom tablet with an app called Astropad that runs on the Mac and iPad (the picture above has Astropad running on the iPad and on the iMac). I have been getting used to the Astropad app and it is great for pen point adjustments in Photoshop.
Currently, the iPad doesn't support the regular version of Lightroom or Photoshop. There are some Adobe mobile apps, but they are limited in comparison to the desktop apps.
Astropad makes the iPad an extension of the Mac, so you can edit Photoshop files using the iPad, but it is more cumbersome than just using the stand alone apps on the iPad. This is one of the main benefits of the Surface over the iPad, but for me, the trade off in size just wasn’t worth going that route.
However, the big selling point for me was using it like a Cintiq Wacom tablet with an app called Astropad that runs on the Mac and iPad (the picture above has Astropad running on the iPad and on the iMac). I have been getting used to the Astropad app and it is great for pen point adjustments in Photoshop.
Currently, the iPad doesn't support the regular version of Lightroom or Photoshop. There are some Adobe mobile apps, but they are limited in comparison to the desktop apps.
Astropad makes the iPad an extension of the Mac, so you can edit Photoshop files using the iPad, but it is more cumbersome than just using the stand alone apps on the iPad. This is one of the main benefits of the Surface over the iPad, but for me, the trade off in size just wasn’t worth going that route.
Camera
While I don't typically use the iPad as a camera, it now has a good enough lens that it won't be a huge compromise. If you have pets or children, you know that it is often nice to be able to take a picture at a moments notice. With the new 12 Megapixel sensor, the output is more respectable than ever. It also has Live Photos (which I love for shooting pups). It even has a Panorama feature that will take a 63 megapixel photo. The aperture is also a respectable f/2.2. The front camera has also been updated to 5 megapixels for those that like to use FaceTime or Skype. Lots of other camera features I won’t dwell on here, but if you think the iPhone 6S takes good photos, you get the same quality here.
I also want to mention that there is a small "camera bump" that some will find unattractive. The good news is that the iPad will still sit on a flat surface without any wobble at all, so it is just an aesthetic issue. Not a big deal, but it is worth mentioning. You can see it in the picture above.
That being said, the video recording capabilities are even more worthwhile because the huge viewfinder (screen) makes recording video a more useful proposition. There are already kits available for the iPad like iOgrapher mounts and extra add-on lenses that could make this a respectable kit that shoots up to 4K @ 30Hz.
Note: I am not sure at this point if the iOgrapher for the Air 2 will work with the iPad Pro 9.7. One issue may be the new flash that would most likely be covered with the old iOgrapher but it may be worth picking up to try if you are only interested in video (assuming you buy it from a vendor like Amazon with a good return policy). I will probably hold out for the iPad Pro specific version, though.
One benefit that was pointed out in one of the Lynda.com videos is that "nothing says tourist like shooting with an iPad". That may be beneficial in some places where you don't want to look like a pro. Businesses are typically more accomadating to a goofy tourist than a person carrying a DSLR with a professional lens. Make sure you put on a Hawaiian shirt and Bermuda shorts to really make yourself look like a harmless doofus.
The pic below was taken in a darkish living room with the iPad without flash and edited on the iPad with Pixelmator.
I also want to mention that there is a small "camera bump" that some will find unattractive. The good news is that the iPad will still sit on a flat surface without any wobble at all, so it is just an aesthetic issue. Not a big deal, but it is worth mentioning. You can see it in the picture above.
That being said, the video recording capabilities are even more worthwhile because the huge viewfinder (screen) makes recording video a more useful proposition. There are already kits available for the iPad like iOgrapher mounts and extra add-on lenses that could make this a respectable kit that shoots up to 4K @ 30Hz.
Note: I am not sure at this point if the iOgrapher for the Air 2 will work with the iPad Pro 9.7. One issue may be the new flash that would most likely be covered with the old iOgrapher but it may be worth picking up to try if you are only interested in video (assuming you buy it from a vendor like Amazon with a good return policy). I will probably hold out for the iPad Pro specific version, though.
One benefit that was pointed out in one of the Lynda.com videos is that "nothing says tourist like shooting with an iPad". That may be beneficial in some places where you don't want to look like a pro. Businesses are typically more accomadating to a goofy tourist than a person carrying a DSLR with a professional lens. Make sure you put on a Hawaiian shirt and Bermuda shorts to really make yourself look like a harmless doofus.
The pic below was taken in a darkish living room with the iPad without flash and edited on the iPad with Pixelmator.
The pic below was taken with the iPad with flash on right after the pic above. I edited the photo in Pixelmator on the iPad only to desaturate green pupils, but the rest is what the photo looked like out of the camera. You can click on the photo to get a larger look at the pic.
Of course, the photos in decent light are fantastic. The pic below is completely unedited (other than any magic Apple puts into their jpegs):
Speed
As many have reported, the iPad Pro 9.7 still has 2GB of RAM. That doesn't mean it isn't faster than the Air2, though. The additional speed is related to the new A9x processor. For single-threaded apps like Safari, the extra speed is easily noticeable. I tested it by launching TheVerge on both iPads and the Pro loaded quite a bit faster. Personally, Safari is my most used app, so every extra second I save loading pages can lead to real time savings over the life of the iPad.
The Big iPad Pro has 4GB of RAM, but it also has many more pixels to push around, so in the Geekbench scores I have seen, it isn’t much faster than the 9.7 in any category. Also, the 9.7 has better battery life as a positive trade off.
If I had the choice, I would have liked to see Apple put in 4GBs of RAM even if it didn’t net much difference in the current operating system. In the future, I am sure that the 2GB limitation will be noticeable. However, since I use the iPad more than any of my other home computers (probably all of them combined), I will probably upgrade for other features before that becomes a problem.
The Big iPad Pro has 4GB of RAM, but it also has many more pixels to push around, so in the Geekbench scores I have seen, it isn’t much faster than the 9.7 in any category. Also, the 9.7 has better battery life as a positive trade off.
If I had the choice, I would have liked to see Apple put in 4GBs of RAM even if it didn’t net much difference in the current operating system. In the future, I am sure that the 2GB limitation will be noticeable. However, since I use the iPad more than any of my other home computers (probably all of them combined), I will probably upgrade for other features before that becomes a problem.
TrueTone
This is a feature that automatically matches the screen color to ambient light. It is an interesting feature. I held the Pro up next to the Air 2 and the Air 2 looked blue in comparison. Some think it is a gimmick, but I find it more pleasant to use with the feature turned on, so I am happy to have it.
In the pic below, I set my Hue lights to bright yellow just to give an extreme example of the difference.
In the pic below, I set my Hue lights to bright yellow just to give an extreme example of the difference.
Screen
The screen is being touted as being the brightest and least reflective iPad screen. Apple is also saying that it has wider color gamut that translates into 25 percent greater color saturation than previous iPads. This is also easy to see when you pull up a photo with brilliant colors (like a sunset/sunrise style shot). The Pro simply looks more saturated in areas that you see more dull colors on the Air 2. I have a photo on Flickr with a house during sunset. The dark areas, especially in the roof of the photo, simply has more color and looks better on the Pro.
I have seen other reviews that think it will be a problem for editing since most people won’t be using a display with the same capabilities. However, I would rather edit on a screen with the same DCI(P3) color gamut support that is found in the Retina 5K iMac. I think monitors will continue to get better, so I prefer the best possible screen now because it will make a difference later.
The downside to the iPad vs Mac is that you can calibrate the screen on the iMac using tools like the Spyder 4, but you don't have that same benefit with the iPad. However, you can tweak the color temperature via the Night Shift settings. There is also a Spyder app for the iPad that you can use for calibrating the iPad inside the app and for viewing photos inside the app. While the app doesn't contain photo correcting software, you can at least review a photo on the calibrated screen before posting it.
The downside to the iPad vs Mac is that you can calibrate the screen on the iMac using tools like the Spyder 4, but you don't have that same benefit with the iPad. However, you can tweak the color temperature via the Night Shift settings. There is also a Spyder app for the iPad that you can use for calibrating the iPad inside the app and for viewing photos inside the app. While the app doesn't contain photo correcting software, you can at least review a photo on the calibrated screen before posting it.
Smart Connector
I have not bought the Apple Smart Keyboard for the iPad because I honestly don't know if I will ever use a keyboard with the iPad, and if I do, I just don’t know if it is worth the money ($149) that Apple charges for the privilege.
I still have to think that over, so I will wait and see what third parties come up with. Until then, I am using my rugged, but lightweight, Ottorbox case. I initially complained about the Ottorbox because it has a clasp on the side that is more cumbersome than the magnets on the Apple Leather Case. However, since they moved the magnets on the new iPad Pro 9.7, it is the only case I own that works with the Pro right now. I am very happy to have this feature rather than having to buy a new case when I bought the iPad. I probably would have just bought the Apple Smart Keyboard case, but this at least gives me time to see if there are better alternatives first.
I still have to think that over, so I will wait and see what third parties come up with. Until then, I am using my rugged, but lightweight, Ottorbox case. I initially complained about the Ottorbox because it has a clasp on the side that is more cumbersome than the magnets on the Apple Leather Case. However, since they moved the magnets on the new iPad Pro 9.7, it is the only case I own that works with the Pro right now. I am very happy to have this feature rather than having to buy a new case when I bought the iPad. I probably would have just bought the Apple Smart Keyboard case, but this at least gives me time to see if there are better alternatives first.
Sound
The new Pro has speakers that are just a whole lot better than the iPad Air 2. It now has a 4 speaker setup with stereo sound (the pic above shows the difference between the tops of the Air 2 and the Pro). Personally, I am not recommending that you use this as your main music listening system, but it is really is nice to have for YouTube, games, and other times you are not near an Airplay or Bluetooth speaker.
I was disappointed that the Pro, with the new USB camera adapter, still gives a message that the Dragonfly DAC requires to much power to play. I remember the year 2010 when you could use a lot of USB DACs with the iPad without any problems. Then came along the OS update 4.2 that gave the “too much power required” message. It was a bummer.
Six years later and nothing has changed in that area. In fact, the 9.7 Pro is still using USB 2.0, while the Bigger Pro got USB 3.0. I think this limitation is simply a way for Apple to control the battery power at the expense of user experience. That being said, the new USB connection kit does give you one benefit over the older kit in the fact that it has a separate port for charging the device while using it and providing enough power that the Dragonfly DAC and original uDAC will still work when it is plugged in to power. For on the go, the Plugable solution also still works.
Notice the two ports in the picture below.
I was disappointed that the Pro, with the new USB camera adapter, still gives a message that the Dragonfly DAC requires to much power to play. I remember the year 2010 when you could use a lot of USB DACs with the iPad without any problems. Then came along the OS update 4.2 that gave the “too much power required” message. It was a bummer.
Six years later and nothing has changed in that area. In fact, the 9.7 Pro is still using USB 2.0, while the Bigger Pro got USB 3.0. I think this limitation is simply a way for Apple to control the battery power at the expense of user experience. That being said, the new USB connection kit does give you one benefit over the older kit in the fact that it has a separate port for charging the device while using it and providing enough power that the Dragonfly DAC and original uDAC will still work when it is plugged in to power. For on the go, the Plugable solution also still works.
Notice the two ports in the picture below.
Is it worth the price increase?
This is a tough question to answer. As I mentioned before, I love the iPad and use it everyday. It is my most used home computing device (I use the iPhone a lot more away from home). However, I think a big part of deciding whether it is worth the money comes down to the Pencil. If you use or want to use photography, art, or note taking apps on the iPad it is a significant upgrade over the iPad Airs. It can significantly change the user experience.
Also, while not as dramatic as the Pencil addition, the screen is noticeably better, Safari and other apps are noticeably faster, and the camera and speakers are also huge improvements. For me, it was worth the money. I don’t know that it will be worth it for everyone, but hopefully this article will help you to decide.
Also, while not as dramatic as the Pencil addition, the screen is noticeably better, Safari and other apps are noticeably faster, and the camera and speakers are also huge improvements. For me, it was worth the money. I don’t know that it will be worth it for everyone, but hopefully this article will help you to decide.
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