Hands-On With the New 2018 12.9-Inch iPad Pro

[Sasparilla]

I think it's beautiful. A little bit cheaper and a headphone jack and I'd probably have bought one.

I love the flat/square edges, reminds me of the original iPad, only without the bulging back.

I’m right there with you, just went with the 2017 for the headphone and sale price ($250 lower) but these are gorgeous.

 

[masterjedi73]

I got my 12.9 today with the keyboard and pencil. I like it so far. The last iPad I had was the very first one. I haven’t used one in a few years.

I can’t get the pencil to work, though. It is paired via Bluetooth and is charging. I’m not sure what the issue is. It worked once, but never again.

 

[Nickash28]

Does the camera volcano on the back cause the iPad to wobble when resting on a flat surface?

Surprisingly to me, no not really. It moves a little but you have to push on the extreme far corner to notice.

 

[KPandian1]

Where is iFixit?

 

[gennacide]

HUGE ISSUE!!!!

I just got my new 11” pro today (upgraded from 10.5” pro) and I have a really big complaint with the Smart Keyboard. Who the hell designed it because they should be fired! It doesn’t sit on your lap....it just falls backwards onto the floor. Go ahead try it for yourself.

The 10.5” sits nicely on your lap. This is crap and I’m returning the whole damn thing now!

 

[maxgts]

Went to the store to check out the new 12.9" today. Still a little too heavy to use one handed. I'll be going for the 11". On another note, the industrial design is fantastic. Feels like a solid slab of metal and glass. Reminds of the slate used for pool tables only much lighter.

It only “feels like” a solid slab of metal and glass. The video link shows how fragile it really is.

 

[madKIR]

It only “feels like” a solid slab of metal and glass. The video link shows how fragile it really is.

Wow! You can’t even put it in your backpack! That would ruin it.

 

[Tech198]

I'd hate to see users test the strength of the magnets by attaching the pencil to the iPad, pick it up, only by the pencil and swing it in mid-air

I'd be scared it would detach, and the iPad goes flying across the room. but no doubt they'll be Youtube videos of that.

 

[corebeliefs]

I'm going to have to swing by the Apple Store tonight and see if they have them on display. I'm not really in the market for one but it looks like a gorgeous device.

Sounds dangerous

 

[Mansu944]

I've been in a store right now and I'm really impressed with the new iPad. Is really a incredible device. But if you buy the 256 Gb wi-fi + cellular (the one I want) costs 1469€ + 219€ for the Smart Keyboard + 135 € for the Pencil totals 1823€. That's a lot for an iPad Only. If Apple could allow us to use a mice would be a great laptop substitute, and I would buy it right away, but as touch only, doesn't seem reasonable this price.

But only complaint is unfortunately price, because the new iPad looks amazing.

Wouldn’t the pencil be as good as a mouse?

 

[cmaier]

I haven't used a 12.9" iPad pro before.
I'm surprised to find that several big name apps are not compatible with the screen resolution. Big name apps, like Lightroom CC.
I think the screen resolution is the same as previous generation iPad Pro? Why thers are compatibility issues?

Rounded corners and the swipe bar at the bottom of the screen.

 

[falainber]

Wouldn’t the pencil be as good as a mouse?

It depends. Pencil is better for drawing. The important difference between pencil and mouse is that the former operates in real space while the latter - in virtual. One can use minimal movement of the mouse to cover the length of the screen. With pencil you have to move it over the real screen. For some applications it may be really tiresome. The bigger the screen the more severe the problem. 13" can kill your arm pretty fast. But as long as you stick with watching Netflix you'll be fine.

 

[yepjules]

Just ordered mine today to replace my 12.9 2nd gen how much of a size difference between them is there thinking I could use my old twelve South book book case what do you think

Pretty big size difference. Old case won’t work.

 

[jtinch]

Like this guy?

https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics...41632395&sr=8-3-acs&keywords=usb+c+to+usb+3.0

Amazon Basics are some of the best cables I have used.

I don't know if they offer the same product, but shop Anker when you can. They're on Amazon, and make really great products, their CEO was just on the Vergecast and is super nerdy about USB C. Also you're supporting tech innovators this way, instead of giving all your cash to the Amazon monopoly

 

[partsofspeech]

I don’t get why no one is commenting how stupid it was for Apple to design the last smart keyboard with the felt-side-down when typing. You know, the part that covers the screen when closed? That thing picked up so much dust and debris that then scratched up your screen, it’s ridiculous the designer got away with it. This is a huge step up.

This what current Apple is good at - changing an old good solution to a new problem. In the previous Smart Keyboard, when folding with the iPad, the keypad is folded inside, leaving only the other clothing side to contact with the screen. In that way, both the screen and the keypad are kept clean. That design is efficient and elegant. In contrast, the new Smart Keyboard is the opposite.

 

[simonmet]

It only “feels like” a solid slab of metal and glass. The video link shows how fragile it really is.

Thanks for this.

Pro is not meant to mean delicate and fragile; quite the opposite in fact. Apple have lost the plot. Consider the price of this device! Build quality and durability should be their number one priority! That should be the case for any product regardless of the price, but for Apple there are no excuses!

So much for environmental responsibility. Apple charges so much but clearly wants their products to break and obsolesce. They knew about the iPhone 6’a bendability but only corrected it after a backlash (so called “bendgate”). Their premiums aren’t worth it.

I’m almost done with Apple. I still won’t touch Android, but I’d choose a sturdy windows-based tablet over this delicate device.

 

[partsofspeech]

HUGE ISSUE!!!!

I just got my new 11” pro today (upgraded from 10.5” pro) and I have a really big complaint with the Smart Keyboard. Who the hell designed it because they should be fired! It doesn’t sit on your lap....it just falls backwards onto the floor. Go ahead try it for yourself.

The 10.5” sits nicely on your lap. This is crap and I’m returning the whole damn thing now!

As more and more negative experiences coming out of real users, I have decided to hold on to my 2017 iPad Pro. Its Smart Keyboard has the problem of random disconnection, but at least the pencil works well and it does sit on my laptop safely.

 

[Gudieve Ning]

I just finished getting my 11” 512GB set up. I am a long time iPad user, and this definitely the best of the best.

iPad 1
iPad 2
iPad 3
iPad mini
iPad mini 2 (x2)
iPad mini 3
iPad mini 4 (x2)
iPad Pro 12.9”
iPad Pro 10.5”
iPad Pro 11”

I know someone still using his iPad 1!
Tough as old boots. I stood on the screen of mine with all my weight by mistake when it was on the floor switched off on a dark carpet. No harm done!

 

[Macintoshrumors]

Thanks for this.

Pro is not meant to mean delicate and fragile; quite the opposite in fact. Apple have lost the plot. Consider the price of this device! Build quality and durability should be their number one priority! That should be the case for any product regardless of the price, but for Apple there are no excuses!

So much for environmental responsibility. Apple charges so much but clearly wants their products to break and obsolesce. They knew about the iPhone 6’a bendability but only corrected it after a backlash (so called “bendgate”). Their premiums aren’t worth it.

I’m almost done with Apple. I still won’t touch Android, but I’d choose a sturdy windows-based tablet over this delicate device.

Oh please. You have to intentionally bend the iPad to make it break. The guy even said it in the vid, it’s not going to break with real world use. Also, if you spend 1k on a device and carelessly fling It in your backpack around all the time, that’s on you, not Apple.

 

[Illuminated]

The way the iPhone is lined up with the table makes my OCD very happy.

 

[Yaxchian]

Wow! You can’t even put it in your backpack! That would ruin it.

Shocked...
Should I cancel my 12.9" order?
Instability is probably too high for everyday life...

 

[dilbert99]

The A12X in the iPad Pro is super speedy and faster than many notebooks on the market,

I always find that a strange proposition. I find most laptops on the market to be faster at completing actual tasks that the iPad pro. Even if they don't perform as fast in benchmarks.
It is much more efficient to use a mouse and keyboard for most production tasks.

but there's one thing to be aware of. All 64, 256, and 512GB iPad Pro models feature 4GB RAM, while the 1TB models have 6GB. It's not yet entirely clear why the higher-capacity models have more RAM, but it's worth noting if you're aiming for maximum performance.

Its Apple, probably comes down to cost.

 

[dotnet]

How much longer will Mac's be "Intel inside". Not much longer I'd guess...

Yes, it seems more and more like "insult inside"...

I for one am looking forward to a new era of universal binaries
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I'd hate to see users test the strength of the magnets by attaching the pencil to the iPad, pick it up, only by the pencil and swing it in mid-air

I had planned to test the strength of the magnets around the backside by trying to use the iPad as a fridge magnet. If that works it could be quite handy around the kitchen...

PS Can anyone try please? My iPad Pro is still weeks away.

 

[bandrews]

It depends. Pencil is better for drawing. The important difference between pencil and mouse is that the former operates in real space while the latter - in virtual. One can use minimal movement of the mouse to cover the length of the screen. With pencil you have to move it over the real screen. For some applications it may be really tiresome. The bigger the screen the more severe the problem. 13" can kill your arm pretty fast. But as long as you stick with watching Netflix you'll be fine.

The pencil is what sold me on getting the new iPad over a macbook. I use lightroom and photoshop a lot and using bruush tools is so much easier when the input device is interacting directly with the screen. I find it so frustrating using a trackpad or mouse. So I'll be either using the Adobe apps on the ipad or using it like a Wacom tablet hooked up to my iMac with Astropad.

I don't want to ever have to look at a spreadsheet outside the office so they can stay firmly on the Windows machine at work!

 

[TomOSeven]

13" can kill your arm pretty fast. .

A very relatable problem for me.