Anyone returned their iPad Pro 12.9 for the 9.7Pro?

[AVBeatMan]

Right update;

Today I bought a 9.7" Pro and need to decide whether to keep or stick with the 12.9". The main reason I'm trying out the smaller Pro is that I found (find) the larger Pro a bit heavy to handle. Even just grabbing it from next to me to set on my lap is a bit err? Awkward? That said the 12.9 screen is lovely and the smaller Pro now looks so tiny!

Also, I have a MacBook Pro 15" and thought that the 12.9" Pro was a little too close to that.

So, at the moment I have a mini 4, Pro 9.7, Pro 12,9 and MacBook Pro 15". One of the Pro's has to go! Please help me decide.

Any thoughts/comments most welcome.

 

[sracer]

Right update;

Today I bought a 9.7" Pro and need to decide whether to keep or stick with the 12.9". The main reason I'm trying out the smaller Pro is that I found (find) the larger Pro a bit heavy to handle. Even just grabbing it from next to me to set on my lap is a bit err? Awkward? That said the 12.9 screen is lovely and the smaller Pro now looks so tiny!

Also, I have a MacBook Pro 15" and thought that the 12.9" Pro was a little too close to that.

So, at the moment I have a mini 4, Pro 9.7, Pro 12,9 and MacBook Pro 15". One of the Pro's has to go! Please help me decide.

Any thoughts/comments most welcome.

Well, if you have found the 12.9 iPP too heavy, then that pretty much ends it. It isn't going to get lighter. It is about the same weight as the iPad 1 (if I remember correctly) but because that weight is spread out over a larger device, it FEELS lighter. At least to me.

For me, the greatest adjustment that I needed to make in 12.9 iPP ownership was SIZE not WEIGHT. Some of the places where I'd balance my Air 2 on are too small to accommodate the 12.9.

I bought the 12.9 iPP to replace both my Air 2 and my 11" MBA... those two are my mobile devices, I have an iMac as my primary system. If your 15" MBP is your primary system, then it is pretty obvious that the 12.9 has to go. Just my thoughts though.

 

[AVBeatMan]

When I say heavy I do have it in the Apple silicon cover and Apple keyboard case and that adds even more. You make a good point though. Thanks.

 

[sracer]

When I say heavy I do have it in the Apple silicon cover and Apple keyboard case and that adds even more. You make a good point though. Thanks.

I've pretty much settled on a thin clear skin on the back to protect from scratches and improve grip, and switching between the Smart Keyboard and Smart Cover. That combo is amazingly thin and light.

I also have a MoKo clear back cover $6 (compatible with the smart keyboard) that I'm experimenting with... doesn't add much bulk or weight.

 

[Night Spring]

When I say heavy I do have it in the Apple silicon cover and Apple keyboard case and that adds even more. You make a good point though. Thanks.

When I picked up the Apple back case in the store, I felt it was too heavy. I got a lighter case from Amazon, and I'm very happy with that.

As I said before, I love the 12.9 and would never go back to 9.7. But yes, the 12.9 is heavy, so every little bit of added weight counts. It's why I decided against getting the Smart Keyboard, also. Sracer is right that the weight won't get lighter, but I disagree that that is the end of the discussion. It depends on how important the big screen is to you, and if it is important enough, you make adjustments to deal with the weight.

 

[AVBeatMan]

When I picked up the Apple back case in the store, I felt it was too heavy. I got a lighter case from Amazon, and I'm very happy with that.

As I said before, I love the 12.9 and would never go back to 9.7. But yes, the 12.9 is heavy, so every little bit of added weight counts. It's why I decided against getting the Smart Keyboard, also. Sracer is right that the weight won't get lighter, but I disagree that that is the end of the discussion. It depends on how important the big screen is to you, and if it is important enough, you make adjustments to deal with the weight.

Yes, I take your point. I feel that it's going to be a tough decision. Been using the 9.7 all day today and really like it. Thing is, I really like the 12.9 one too!!!

Hopefully in the next week or so I'll find myself picking up one or the other without thinking. And that hopefully will provide me with a decision.

 

[SteelBlueTJ]

Just curious how many people went this way? I am thinking about it, but I'm not 100% sure it's the way to go. I currently have a 12.9" iPad Pro, iPad Mini 4 and 27" iMac. I sold my iPad Air 2 in order to buy the 12.9" pro and to be honest I sort of miss the 9.7" form factor. The 12.9" is great, but I don't use it for work. It's just my around the house tablet for social media, games, and browsing. I added the smart keyboard and it is even more bulky. My iPad mini 4 is mainly my bedside tablet and never really leaves my nightstand. I love the small form factor for reading in bed. I've been thinking about selling both my 12.9" and mini to go back to a 9.7". A part of me thinks its overkill to have 2 tablets anyways. Anyone else downsize and regret it or like it better? Thanks

 

[AVBeatMan]

Just curious how many people went this way? I am thinking about it, but I'm not 100% sure it's the way to go. I currently have a 12.9" iPad Pro, iPad Mini 4 and 27" iMac. I sold my iPad Air 2 in order to buy the 12.9" pro and to be honest I sort of miss the 9.7" form factor. The 12.9" is great, but I don't use it for work. It's just my around the house tablet for social media, games, and browsing. I added the smart keyboard and it is even more bulky. My iPad mini 4 is mainly my bedside tablet and never really leaves my nightstand. I love the small form factor for reading in bed. I've been thinking about selling both my 12.9" and mini to go back to a 9.7". A part of me thinks its overkill to have 2 tablets anyways. Anyone else downsize and regret it or like it better? Thanks

I had the 12.9 Pro since launch but on Friday I bought the 9.7, loved it so much (especially the True Tone feature) that on Monday I sold my 12.9. My main reason for doing this was that the bigger Pro was a bit heavy to carry around and also when using in bed. Another reason was that I thought it was a little too close to my 15" rMBP. My only thing I'm now considering is if I should of gone for the 256 GB (I have the 128 GB). I've always managed with 128 GB ever since it's been available but......256?.....mom.....what do you think?

 

[DGGoingUphill]

I just started my two week trial of using the smaller vs larger iPad Pro. The big one transformed my workflow and I barely use a computer anymore, but I find the size awkward in many situations, causing me to not use it as often I think I will the the smaller one. The big question is whether or not I need the extra screen real estate for enough tasks to make the smaller one not workable. A half day through the experiment, the smaller one is better for me, which I am bit surprised by. We'll see after a full week of work tasks.

 

[thadoggfather]

I have air2, and giving a crack at 12.9", killer deal lured me in.

If i like it, I may just keep it and hold onto both, well see

 

[MyopicPaideia]

I sold off my 12.9" for a 9.7". In my case, I had an 11" MBA and now a 12" rMB as my main professional machine, and my iPads have always travelled along in the same 11" MBA InCase sleeve briefcase, ever since 2011! Haven't found a better form factor that holds my entire little mobile office in it!

Anyway, the 12" rMB fits nicely in the briefcase, almost as well as the 11" MBA it was designed for did. The 12.9" has a larger footprint and weighs virtually the same (more?!? anyone know?) with the Smart Keyboard as the rMB. It seemed wrong and irritating to me that my iPad would not only be bigger and heavier that my primary work computer, but also require me to get a larger bag for it? Seems like going backwards to me, like the purpose and magic of the iPad is lost when you make it larger than a regular laptop.

Now, I got the iPad Pro to be able to leave the rMB behind more often going out to clients and such, but in order for the 12.9" to make any sense, there would have to be an upside to taking it out instead of the rMB (Or the 9.7" Pro for that matter!). When it is bigger and more cumbersome, even disregarding the OS differences, then, just why?

For me the 12.9" doesn't make sense because even if it is a laptop replacement, which I very much feel it can be, who cares if whatever it is trying to replace is lighter and more portable already? The 9.7" with Smart Keyboard is equally capable of being a laptop replacement, and actually has advantages worth the relearning of workflows required with iOS being that it is a smaller, lighter, more portable package, and still feels like magic when you stop to reflect on the power and capability of such a compact, thin device. These things are what we all fantasized about as kids - Star Trek indeed!

The 12.9" Pro makes sense only if Apple is using it as the beginning of a paradigm shift, nudging their computers towards an iOS dominated line-up over the course of the next 5 years or so. Maybe the first Apple ARM laptops aren't coming in the next few years, but have already been released in the form of the 12.9" and 9.7" iPad Pros? Smart Keyboards and Apple Pencils instead of Magic Keyboards and Magic Trackpads?

Anyway I digress. Bottom line for me is that 12.9" doesn't make sense because I can get the smaller and lighter 12" rMB instead, and having both with me at all times like I do with the 9.7" Pro would be undesirably cumbersome with me being on the move as much as I am.

 

[sracer]

I have air2, and giving a crack at 12.9", killer deal lured me in.

If i like it, I may just keep it and hold onto both, well see

They got you too!?!?!?

 

[AVBeatMan]

I had the 12.9 Pro since launch but on Friday I bought the 9.7, loved it so much (especially the True Tone feature) that on Monday I sold my 12.9. My main reason for doing this was that the bigger Pro was a bit heavy to carry around and also when using in bed. Another reason was that I thought it was a little too close to my 15" rMBP. My only thing I'm now considering is if I should of gone for the 256 GB (I have the 128 GB). I've always managed with 128 GB ever since it's been available but......256?.....mom.....what do you think?

This above post was what I originally posted last week and the "Friday" was last Friday so today it's been a week and I have to say I have no regrets moving from 12.9 to 7.9 whatsoever. The two main advantages of the smaller Pro is it's portability and by this I don't mean "out and about" (although it obviously does have this advantage) but just in and around my house. I can walk about with the 9.7 one handed, take it up to bed, easily handle when sat down watching TV (which I am as I write this), something that I found too awkward with the 12.9. The other plus, for me, is the True Tone, Wow, I love this feature and you can be 100% guarantee that it'll be in all future Apple products. All in all I'm really happy with my decision and for anyone with a MacBook I'd recommend the 9.7 Pro as the 12.9 is just too similar in size to the MB's and not very portable (IMO)

 

[AVBeatMan]

Does anyone NOT have any music stored on their iPad?

 

[Booloo]

I did today. Bought the 12.9 since I was a little underwhelmed with the 9.7 announcement (2GB of RAM just stung a bit).

The 12.9" is a great device but it's size can just be too big depending on what you use it for. I thought I was going to make it, tons of stuff I like a lot on the 12.9'. But I use my iPad a lot, more than my phone when I am home, and I found myself using my iPad 12.9 a lot less than usual.

For me the little casual stuff became a bit of a chore with the 12.9 so I would instead use my phone or daughter's Mini. If you use this for actual everyday work I feel it would be great. I could absolutely see myself using this propped up on a stand, with a keyboard, and actually enjoy working with it. Even the extra characters with the on-screen keyboard are a very welcoming addition to iOS. But for me, it was just too big and pulling me away from how I normally use the iPad when at home.

That's really all it came down to in the end. At first I was thinking price, specs, display, etc. but after some time I just figured out that the 12.9 wasn't being used as much as any older 9.7 iPad I had, and probably never will be. To me that's the biggest waste of money and why I switched it out.

Quick recap on the 9.7 coming from the 12.9:

- The display is very nice with True Tone on. It never gets distracting or in your way and if you disable it you will be shocked with such a Cool Temperature the old displays had.

- Speakers are good, but the larger ones in the 12.9 are better. Not a huge deal because at the end of the day, neither are really good. They are small speakers in a very thin tablet. If you need good sound, you would already have an audio setup for your device.

- I sure miss the on-screen keyboard with the 12.9

- Nice to have a better camera setup on the 9.7. It's one of those things I never thought about, but is nice to have upgraded. I find myself picking up my iPad a lot to grab a video or picture of the kids. A good front facing camera is never a bad thing.

- Performance? Can't tell a real difference. Air 2, 12.9 Pro, 9.7 Pro... It's there but you really have to look for it. All the current iPads perform as good as you'd want.

 

[richpjr]

For me the little casual stuff became a bit of a chore with the 12.9 so I would instead use my phone or daughter's Mini. If you use this for actual everyday work I feel it would be great.

Out of curiosity, what casual stuff was a chore with the bigger iPad?

 

[Booloo]

Out of curiosity, what casual stuff was a chore with the bigger iPad?

Mainly it was something just like this. A quick reply on a forum. Or even searching something on YouTube in bed. Laying down and typing something was just a little less convenient.

 

[richpjr]

Mainly it was something just like this. A quick reply on a forum. Or even searching something on YouTube in bed. Laying down and typing something was just a little less convenient.

So just the size of the bigger iPad?

 

[Ixidor]

Maybe you could keep the 12.9" iPad Pro and the iPad Mini 4, but get a keyboard for the Mini 4 (I have a Brydge Mini for mine, which works very well).

If you have access to a desk, you can just use the 12.9" Pro which is so much more comfortable to use.

If you need to be on the move and what portability, the iPad Mini 4 (with a keyboard to help you do light computing) could be better for portability.

If you find yourself on a desk more, then perhaps this set up is better for you? If you are on the move a lot more, then the 9.7" might suit you better.

I personally use the 9.7" Pro and love it but that's because I also have a Surface Pro 4.

 

[eyeseeyou]

Out of curiosity, what casual stuff was a chore with the bigger iPad?

Me personally the additional weight is noticeable vs the smaller air. Reminds me of handling a laptop except with less functionality.

I'm on the fence about keeping the 12.9 considering I don't need it to be a macbook replacement. That being said I miss my air 2/belkin qode pro set up.

 

[AVBeatMan]

Mainly it was something just like this. A quick reply on a forum. Or even searching something on YouTube in bed. Laying down and typing something was just a little less convenient.

I think that that's what it was with me. When I wanted to do a quick search or type a quick response (such as this one) I found myself reaching for my iPhone and not my iPad 12.9 Pro whereas now (just now) I've picked up my 7.9, because it's just easier. They are both fantastic and the best tablets out there but I just find the smaller Pro easier to use.

 

[Booloo]

I think that that's what it was with me. When I wanted to do a quick search or type a quick response (such as this one) I found myself reaching for my iPhone and not my iPad 12.9 Pro whereas now (just now) I've picked up my 7.9, because it's just easier. They are both fantastic and the best tablets out there but I just find the smaller Pro easier to use.

Seems like we went through the same process lol. I'll miss some stuff on the 12.9". It's definitely a device to try out and not immediately write off by the size at first glance.

 

[kis]

As a teacher, I have to say the 12.9" version is way nicer. I traded my 12" Macbook and the iPad Air 2 for 12.9" IPP and a Surface Pro 4. That gives me the best of both worlds: enough power to get stuff done efficiently on the SP4 and a great way for grading stuff (the mark-up function in MS Word works extremely well with the Pencil, for example), in-class presentation and occasionally working on lesson plans on the go. I always found the 9.7" screen of the Air 2 to be too small for any kind of serious work, but I can see how it might work if all you do is taking handwritten notes with the pencil.

 

[capathy21]

I've been an advocate of the 12.9 for a while now. Last week, I came across a killer deal on my local Craigslist for a 9.7 ipp. I figured what the hell, I can always flip it for profit if I don't like it. I picked it up and forced myself to use it for a day. I didn't have the Smart Keyboard for it, but did use it with my Apple Pencil. I tried to use it the same way I use my 12.9 and I have to say that for my usage, it's just too small and limited.

After growing accustom to the onscreen keyboard of the 12.9, the 9.7 just doesn't feel as productive. The 9.7 is still the better option for portability, and possibly if you mainly focus on one task at a time. I use mine as a laptop replacement so I absolutely love the larger display and the ability to see much more content when viewing apps in split screen mode. My 12.9 is almost always used with the Smart Keyboard in "laptop mode" as I call it.

For my usage, I could never replace my 12.9 with the 9.7. For those that long for a traditional iPad experience (using in bed, portability, media consumption, etc) the 9.7 is probably better. But if it's a laptop replacement, the 12.9 is miles ahead in my opinion.