So I'm looking to get a new Ipad Pro for myself. I mostly use it for games, movies, reading and occasional communication, and by the nature of my job, I have to fly I lot. I'm considering to get either the 10.5 or the 12.9 Ipad Pro for the plane. What do you guys think is better?
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Best iPad Pro for plane?
- Thread starter Sun Salute
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sosumi99
macrumors 6502
10.5, without a doubt. The bigger pro is awkward on many economy seats given the reduced pitch and tiny trays.
craig1410
macrumors 65816
So have you tried both the 10.5 and 12.9 on planes? I can't speak to the former but I'm on my second generation of 12.9" iPad Pro and have no trouble at all on flights, even in the cheap seats!
When I got my second 12.9" I actually tried very hard to convince myself to buy the 10.5" but after an hour in the Apple store with the two contenders side by side I opted for the 12.9" again. The main reasons for me were the screen real estate, especially when multitasking where you can get two apps side by side without dropping to "iPhone mode", and the on-screen keyboard is much more functional on the 12.9" compared to the 10.5".
My advice is to buy the iPad that suits your budget and main usage because I honestly don't think the extra size of the 12.9 is a problem on flights compared to the 10.5. To be more objective, the 12.9" is 46.5mm larger in the short axis than the 10.5" but when you incline this at the 60 degrees or so as per the Smart Keyboard, that means it only needs about 23.25mm more depth between your body and the seat in front. Compare that with reading a magazine or a newspaper and the iPad really shouldn't be a problem.
That all said, I suggest you wait a month or two because there is a good chance the iPad Pro will be revised either alongside the iPhone in September or as part of the expected October event where macOS Mojave will probably be released.
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Pangalactic
macrumors 6502a
I was flying American from Florida to California this weekend with a 13.5'' Surface Book 2, and I can tell you, in the laptop mode there's barely enough space to fit it in. But with just the tablet top part it feels pretty good, and furthermore, people leaning backwards don't screw you over. So I'm guessing if there is no difference the 12.9'' Ipad would be better.
Totally enjoyed my 12.9 in economy+ on a United flight from Honolulu to Denver last weekend and back. In the case of that particular experience one thing I did notice is on the flight the seat backs had the ability to accept iPads in back of them (I presume 10 inches or so) and my iPad looked too wide in landscape mode to fit into the back of the seat back in front of me so I didn’t even try to insert it into the holder. Instead I propped the tablet up in keyboarding mode with my Apple Smart Keyboard and watched a couple of movies. Downside to this is if people in your row have to go to the bathroom frequently then you have to fold up the tray frequently. Again . . Depends on how many flights you’re used to that have accommodations for tablets in the back of seat backs. I fly frequently but do so here in Hawaii on smaller commuter planes that don’t have such accommodations.
IMO either will work on a flight so consider other uses and the bulk/weight of the device before you decide.
IMO either will work on a flight so consider other uses and the bulk/weight of the device before you decide.
Can you wait and decide when the new ones come out, maybe a month or two from now? The 10.5" is supposedly going up to 11" without increasing overall size thanks to reduced bezels and Face ID and the 12.9" is supposedly keeping the same screen size but getting the reduced bezels/Face ID treatment also to give an overall smaller device.
UltimateSyn
macrumors 603
Greenmeenie
macrumors 68020
sracer
macrumors G4
I've taken more than my share of cross-country flights with a 12.9 Pro. I found it completely unusable... especially when the person in front reclines their seat. And not just in-flight, but using it in the terminal isn't a pleasant experience either. The 2018 iPad is obviously better, but the best travel companion for me has been the Android version of the Lenovo Yoga Book. Photos of in-flight use and a more detailed description of how the 12.9 Pro vs Lenovo YB can be found in the Yoga Book thread.
sosumi99
macrumors 6502
Yup. I can’t stand the way the 12.9 falls off the table and is so awkward to handle in the seat. I’m not even a big guy. I actually use a 9.7 iPad Pro on flights, which is far more pleasant.
I suspect this is one of these things where subject tolerance for awkwardness varies a great deal between people. You obviously don’t have the trouble I did, but I’ll never take a 12.9 onto a plane again.
Totally understandable and I agree completely that tolerance is subjective and therefore varies. The 12.9 is definitely heavier to handle for travel. I won’t lie, when I was flying last week there was a moment while holding the 12.9 in my hands watching a film that I thought “Dang, this would be lighter if this was a 10.5.” But that moment passed when I folded the ASK to hold the tablet upright and placed it on the seat tray and tucked it against the back of the seat in front of me to hold it near vertical.
I’m just not one to let 5 to 10 hours of inconvenience sitting in a plane dictate the size of tablet I’m going to bring and then have to live with a smaller tablet for days or weeks when I could have made use of the larger size for things that I need/enjoy elsewhere. At the end of the day the larger screen is just more pleasurable to use even though I’m sure I could do everything I need to on the 10.5. Subjective . . . I just don’t see the size as so much of an inconvenience to make it detrimental to the device but I totally get it that others feel the opposite. We all gotta decide what we prefer and stick with it.
eVolcre
macrumors 68000
That yoga book looks so cool. Lust factor is high but I have no idea how to fit it into my current workflow and lineup. Just want it. 🙂 if they made it in an iPad mini form factor it’d be a perfect add on to my coming 12.9. At 10 inches there’s too much overlap.
Thoughts? I’m ditching my laptop and will go IPP only for mobile needs teamed with an iPhone X. Desktop at the home office for big screen multi window work. What’s missing is a small tablet for the couch or as a digital moleskine. I’ve been eyeing the surface andromeda line but it keeps getting delayed.
10.5 or 11 as a midway for tablet use isn’t an option. It’s too compromised.
Only other thing I can think of is a used MBA11 teamed up with this yoga book but ... I’m getting the IPP mainly for video and lumafusion. The ease of use and integration with my camera (iPhone) and drone will make life way easier.
Still WANT that yoga book thing though.
sracer
macrumors G4
Yeah! I can empathize with what your thinking. I went through the same process myself.. and have drawn many of the same conclusions. I'd love to get into details as to what I've decided but that is for another thread. 🙂
In-flight usage is only one element of a trip. On a cross-country flight it is the largest element, but still only one. (my extensive comparison of the iPad Pro vs. YB in another thread laid it out)
If one is traveling with an iPad Pro with the Smart Keyboard, it is very awkward to use in mobile scenarios like standing in line. The Smart Keyboard doesn't secure itself to the iPad and so the iPad must be held in such a way as to keep the ASK from unfolding. Removing the ASK in that scenario is not always practical and then leaves the screen unprotected.
Alternatively, if one is using a bulky protective case (and either no keyboard or BT keyboard), then it too can be a bit unwieldy.
This thread is asking for advice for the best iPad Pro for a plane so I'll try to get back to that. 🙂 My recommendation would be (and one I use and enjoy myself):
2018 128GB 9.7 iPad (non-Pro)
Apple Pencil (w/MoKo Pencil sling)
Smart Cover (use a clear skin for the back)
Apple BT Magic Keyboard
Shopping around, one could buy all of the above for the same price as the MSRP for the base 10.5 iPad Pro model alone.
eVolcre
macrumors 68000
SO make a new thread! Let's shoot the **** about gadgets and usage while we wait for the new devices. we may disagree but I'm pretty sure you and I won't get into a yelling shouting match! 🙂
Throw me a link to the IPP vs YB thread. If you don't want to derail this thread send it In PM or I'll do a quick search later from the laptop.
Honestly, and I'll save this for the other thread, I really see NO use case (for me) where I'd be using any sort of ipad - smart keyboard or not, while standing in line. Maybe the ipad mini if I ever get another one. In line stuff I do off the phone. The most I'm doing is looking up tickets, or music or last minute emails and that'll ALWAYS be on my phone not a laptop, ipad or any other larger device. Too many things to juggle.
For entertainment and light duty on research and notes, 10.5'' no doubt. If you want to get yourself a 12.9'', get a real laptop.
Both have their pros and cons. The 10.5 is better if you need to use the tablet on the go because it's smaller and lighter. The 12.9" is far better to type on the virtual keyboard and due to the screen size and speakers obviously much better if you want to watch a movie in a hotel room. I find that the 10.5 is still a mobile experience whereas the 12.9 is a serviceable laptop replacement in terms of screen size and how websites work with it.
I've opted to not use a hardware keyboard with the 12.9" due to increased weight. The Apple Smart Keyboard is a crappy keyboard to begin with IMO.
I've opted to not use a hardware keyboard with the 12.9" due to increased weight. The Apple Smart Keyboard is a crappy keyboard to begin with IMO.
craig1410
macrumors 65816
The problem with telling people what they need is that you are invariably wrong. It would perhaps be more productive to provide a constructive analysis of the pros and cons of each rather than a shallow, sweeping generalisation IMO.
I’m fortunate enough to have both a 12.9 iPP and a “real laptop” and I can easily find room in my personal and business lives for both. I previously owned several 9.7” iPads right back to the gen 1 in 2010 and as I mentioned earlier I conducted > 1 hour of side by side trials of 10.5” and 12.9” in an Apple store prior to updating my 12.9” iPad Pro to the 2017 model. The conclusion was that the 12.9” model was still the best option for my usage.
I’d love to have both the 10.5” and the 12.9” so I can always use the best device for a given situation but that’s a bit too extravagant for most people, including me. So i’ll continue to buy the device which suits most of my needs most of the time and would encourage others to reach their own conclusions and do likewise.
Newtons Apple
Suspended
The 12.9 was way bigger than I wanted to deal with period. I understand it is personal taste but I returned my 12.9 after a week and replaced it with another 10.5. The 10.5 is just the right size for me but everyone has their own wants.
I have an iPad mini 4 which I love. Thought about going for the 12.9 iPad Pro when they relaunch this year. What puts me off is the screen format. An updated MacBook Air or a MacBook Pro make more sense as they are almost widescreen and when you watch widescreen tv or movies you get much less wasted screen real estate.
If only iPad was same screen ratio as MacBooks..
If only iPad was same screen ratio as MacBooks..
My 10.5 iPP with a Smart Cover is fine on a plane. I could go with my 8" Galaxy Tab S2 but found that the larger tablet wasn't a problem. I have a compact 13" Dell XPS13 laptop that I felt was too large a footprint that I cared to deal with at a cramped seat.
craig1410
macrumors 65816
Many Android tablets went with 16:9 or 16:10 ratios over the years but it makes them next to useless in portrait orientation and relegates them to video player duties alone. The iPad aspect ratio has been chosen to provide the best compromise for the different types of content being consumed and created on it. From photos to e-magazines to web content to documents and of course video content. It's really only for video content that it is slightly more of a compromise than in other areas so overall I'd say Apple got it right.
Bear in mind that in the early stages of iPad development, and probably more recently, Apple will have almost certainly built prototypes of varying aspect ratios and sizes and so they were in the best position to make that call.
sracer
macrumors G4
This. Using 16:9 tablets is highly awkward. Too narrow in portrait, too wide in landscape. The larger the tablet, the more pronounced the effect.
Also, while 16:9 is the most common aspect ratio for modern media, it isn't universal. Some modern films have wider ARs, which will still result in letterboxing on a 16:9 screen. And for watching older TV shows and movies, the 4:3 Academy Ratio will result in severe pillarboxing.