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Anyone returned their iPad Pro 12.9 for the 9.7Pro?

AVBeatMan

AVBeatMan

macrumors 603
Original poster
Nov 10, 2010
5,248
3,206
Hey, I have the 12.9 iPad Pro and do love it but do feel it's heavy and not very portable. I'm just wondering if the new 9.7 Pro may be the perfect size? At the moment I take a mini 4 with me when out and about but wonder if the 9.7 Pro would be better. I wonder if I get the 9.7 and sold my 12.9 I'd regret it? Just wondering if anyone is in the same boat?
 
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TheRealAlex

macrumors 68030
Sep 2, 2015
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Medz1 said:
Hey, I have the 12.9 iPad Pro and do love it but do feel it's heavy and not very portable. I'm just wondering if the new 9.7 Pro may be the perfect size? At the moment I take a mini 4 with me when out and about but wonder if the 9.7 Pro would be better. I wonder if I get the 9.7 and sold my 12.9 I'd regret it? Just wondering if anyone is in the same boat?
Click to expand...



I am positive there are Tons of people who have. Why because the vast majority of PC users as Steve Jobs envisioned he took it from StarTrek actually. Are 3 Devices today we use a Smartphone daily, and a Home PC or Laptop, and more and more from Macys to Best Buy to any retailer employees carry around a Tablet more powerful than a smartphone but small enough and powerful enough. Thats 3 devices. As seen in StarTrek the Tricorder small and portable, a Tablet called tablets, and a small MacStyle desktop PC.
Unfortunately the 12.9 inch Pro does not fall into those 3 sweet spots too big to carry around like a tablet, too small and limited to be a serious Laptop replacement. So its fails. And I don't need Apple to release its Retail Return numbers to know that the 12.9 Pro has a high return rate.
 
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supervelous

macrumors 6502
May 28, 2010
323
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Medz1 said:
Hey, I have the 12.9 iPad Pro and do love it but do feel it's heavy and not very portable. I'm just wondering if the new 9.7 Pro may be the perfect size? At the moment I take a mini 4 with me when out and about but wonder if the 9.7 Pro would be better. I wonder if I get the 9.7 and sold my 12.9 I'd regret it? Just wondering if anyone is in the same boat?
Click to expand...

I had the 12.9 for just past couple of weeks and still have 9.7, returned 12.9 just last night. My use case is I am a graduate business student and have a Surface Pro 4 for heavy work and had an IPad Air 2, but wanted to upgrade.

I LOVED the 12.9 screen, and didn't even mind the size too much. I could hold it in one hand pretty comfortably since the weight distribution is spread over the larger surface area. I also much preferred the color temperature, don't care too much for true-tone on the 9.7 models, even when it' off the screen temp is warmer and less pleasing. Also, the big iPad Pro was great for note taking in OneNote and loved having the bigger screen to fit more without scrolling. Speakers were great of course, split screen was amazing and It was a wonderful devlce and I flip flopped daily on which one to keep. Choice made even tougher since I got a great deal of $150 off MSRP at Staples.

Ultimately I just felt the 9.7 was a better companion to the Surface Pro 4. It was awkward having the SP4 out and then bringing out the 12.9 iPad Pro. Was on subway other day and of course the 9.7 is much more portable. I really wanted to use textbooks in split screen with OneNote with the 12.9 but the Kindle app doesn't support Split View. For some reason Apple doesn't allow you to split keyboard on the 12.9 unless you want to use Zoom View. Many other important apps still not updated for the 12.9 format and thus are just blown up versions of the 9.7 versions. Then I seemed to get less battery life on the 12.9, not terrible but took forever to charge and could not use and charge at same time really.

If I was looking for a laptop replacement I probably would have gone with the 12.9, but I was more looking for a tablet complement to read my textbooks, take notes during class, etc. Links online at my school's intranet open in the browser instead of me being able to choose program (Excel, etc.) so had trouble even opening office files and annotating.

I don't think the Ram issue will be an issue at this point, but may in a couple years if you plan on keeping long term. Really it comes down to portability, whether it's main device or complement, and value for your use case. Good luck!
 
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4004786

Cancelled
Jun 30, 2015
247
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I'm swapping the 12.9 for the 9.7. I find that I can use the 9.7" in a lot more situations than the 12.9", even though it doesn't do everything as well.

I prefer watching shows on the larger iPad, and also listening to music on it more. It's also far, far better when used at a desk.

With that said, I prefer writing and even drawing on the 9.7", and I've begun taking it to work to use as a note pad. It's great. Another thing I wanted was an easier way to use the iPad as a note device while using my 12" MacBook for programming. It was a bit hard to pull off with the giant iPad, but totally doable with the smaller one.

All in all, I don't think that either is better than the other. Another thing to consider is that, to me, the 12.9 feels like a much better deal if you can get it for $50 more (at Best Buy or whatever), just because it feels like you're getting so much more for your money (just because it's bigger!). But I'm still sticking with the 9.7" size.
 
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theluggage

macrumors 604
Jul 29, 2011
7,047
6,600
Medz1 said:
I wonder if I get the 9.7 and sold my 12.9 I'd regret it?
Click to expand...

Having just got a 9.7 (after a brief internal debate over the 12.9) - the main thing I've found that would have benefitted from the larger screen is using the Pencil for drawing and painting - especially trying out Astropad, which turns your iPad into a graphics tablet that mirrors your Mac screen (and works best if it can mirror the full screen).

If I was anticipating making heavy use of Pencil and/or Astropad then I'd regret not getting the 12.9. As it is, the portability wins out for me and the 9.7 is certainly good enough for experimenting with the Pencil.

I guess split-screen would be the other killer app for the 12.9.
 
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sracer

sracer

macrumors G4
Apr 9, 2010
10,039
12,493
where hip is spoken
Rogifan said:
No. Won't give up the bigger screen and 4GB RAM. Split screen is so much more useful on a larger screen.
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Agreed. I used splitwindow on the Air 2 quite a bit and it was decent even though it felt cramped. Heck, even keyboards on keyboard covers/cases were decent but... cramped. With the 12.9 it really and finally feels like there's enough room.

Last night we were Facetiming with a few of the kids (one in Oregon, the other in Colorado) on my wife's Air 2 and for the first time the Air 2 seemed lilliputian. I didn't think that would ever happen. :D
 
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Serban

Suspended
Jan 8, 2013
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I think you have to wait until wwdc. Ios 10 can be a decide factor as well
If i buy them both at the same time, i would sold the 12.9
But since the bigger one was with me after using the small one, i regret the screen real estate for split view and pip are ***** great and i hope for a search in slide over app menu (since we are getting more and more apps) and ability to use 2 safari tabs in split view
I mean if you like the multitasking and the future of it, buy the 12.9"
Ipad mini i think there is no good experience for split view or even slide over
 
Night Spring

Night Spring

macrumors G5
Jul 17, 2008
14,012
7,114
supervelous said:
Links online at my school's intranet open in the browser instead of me being able to choose program (Excel, etc.) so had trouble even opening office files and annotating.
Click to expand...

Once the files download in the browser, don't you get an option to open in another app? Never had to download office files from the web, but PDF files open in the browser first, then you tap to get the option to open in another app.

As for 12.9 vs 9.7, you'd have to ply the 12.9 from my cold dead fingers. The bigger screen has made it possible to do all my work on the iPad, while also making entertainment / consumption experience better.
 
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kdoug

kdoug

macrumors 65816
Jun 2, 2010
1,025
194
Iowa City, IA USA
I purchased the 12.9 and returned for the 9.7. For my needs, it wasn't very portable and I was reaching for my iPhone 6s Plus instead of the iPad. I came to the conclusion if I needed an ultrabook I'd buy an ultrabook.
 
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Serban

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Jan 8, 2013
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kdoug said:
I purchased the 12.9 and returned for the 9.7. For my needs, it wasn't very portable and I was reaching for my iPhone 6s Plus instead of the iPad. I came to the conclusion if I needed an ultrabook I'd buy an ultrabook.
Click to expand...
In your signature says 9.7"
 
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