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iPad Pro Has anyone gone from 13 inch to 11?

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Seanm87

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Oct 10, 2014
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I recently upgraded from the 11 inch 2018 pro to the 13 inch m4 pro.

Initailly I was happy with the bigger size but recently found myself thinking I may prefer the 11 inch. I find the 13 inch excels when I’m sat on a desk with the Magic Keyboard but everything else feels a lot more awkward. Using it as a tablet is awkward and using it as a laptop is awkward because of the top heavy nature of it. The thing is, I don’t really use it sat at a desk much, its mostly for kicking back while relaxing on bed/sofa and as a tablet it just feels too much for that. And if I want to dock it to the MKB to watch something because it is top heavy it just keeps falling over.

Im interested in hearing from others that have done this move what their motivations were and are they happy they went to a smaller size?
 
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Yes and no. I went from M1 12.9 iPad Pro (mini-LED) to M4 11” iPad Pro, but I decided to also keep my M1 12.9 iPad Pro as the resale value was poor while the M1 12.9 iPad is still amazing. So I have both the 11” (M4) and 13” (M1).

My motivations to get the 11”:
- I want cellular again
- It beats my M2 MacBook Air (I always hard a time deciding whether to take the M2 MacBook Air or M1 12.9 iPad Pro with me when I go outside). Now, the answer is clear, the 11” iPad Pro.
- The 13” looks a bit weird holding this big piece of glass in public in front of you.
- The 11” feels more like a tablet to me, while the 13” feels like it tries to a be laptop.
- The 11” feels more comfortable in the hands (yes, according to the spec sheets the weight difference is minimal, but due to the dimensions of these things, the 11” does feel better).
 
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went from 12.9" iPad Pro 2017 to 11" iPad Pro M1 2021 when it launched .. what do ya wanna know?

I am happy I downsized, even with Smart Keyboard and all - the heft of SKB with 12.9 is too much for me to bear, never mind the exorbitant cost of the combo or even exorbitant price of 12.9 base by itself at 1299 yikes :O

My 11" also feels like the hugest iPad after I've been on a marathon with my mini 6th gen
 
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I agree. As a desktop device, it's fine. But as a tablet or handheld, it is way too big and way too heavy for me. I often like to use my iPad as a reader in which I don't only use for reading but use my Pencil to mark up the book. I read this often just like a book (tablet hand and not at a desk).

In fact, I still find the 11 inch a bit heavier than I like. Mini is definitely too small for e-reading if the file is a regular PDF book.
 
msackey said:
I agree. As a desktop device, it's fine. But as a tablet or handheld, it is way too big and way too heavy for me. I often like to use my iPad as a reader in which I don't only use for reading but use my Pencil to mark up the book. I read this often just like a book (tablet hand and not at a desk).

In fact, I still find the 11 inch a bit heavier than I like. Mini is definitely too small for e-reading if the file is a regular PDF book.
Click to expand...

That’s why I also bought a Kindle Paperwhite in the end. For e-books, the kindle is impossible to beat in the end. For PDF and magazines, the 11” iPad Pro destroys the Kindle however.

So the Kindle + 11” iPad Pro is what works for me in the end.
 
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Zest28 said:
That’s why I also bought a Kindle Paperwhite in the end. For e-books, the kindle is impossible to beat in the end. For PDF and magazines, the 11” iPad Pro destroys the Kindle however.

So the Kindle + 11” iPad Pro is what works for me in the end.
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For mass market books (e.g., romance novels, general nonfiction) those are pretty easy to handle for eReaders. But when it comes to something more complex involving annotations, those eReaders don't work well.
 
I had 2018 11" then 12.9" M1, it didn't get as much use as the 11", sold it for a 11" M1.
Now have a 11" M4 with Zugu case.
I prefer the 11" ratio and its like a A4 page in portrait for books etc.
Also best size iPad for plane travel imo.
 
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Mine is combo 15” MacBook Air and 11”iPad Pro. Best of both worlds too. I didn’t like 13” iPad because it’s too awkward to hold and the price is too expensive for just a (limited) tablet.
 
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It took me two weeks of trying both the 11” and 13” M4 iPad Pro to decide. I went with the 13” iPad Pro but I yearn for the size of the 11” in my hands. Way better. The 13” is awkward to use as a tablet but it is very thin and light and that was part of deciding to go with it. The major factor, though, is how iOS scales in size. Everything is smaller on the 11”. Icons are scaled down. Everything is scaled smaller to fit the screen, and that I dislike. You can play with certain display settings but it will never render things like a larger display.

So that’s my story.
 
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10.5” A10X to 12.9” A12X to 11” M1 to 12.9” M2 to 11” M4… and still on the fence… mainly because I find even the 11” iPad to be a bit too cumbersome to truly enjoy as a tablet. I think the 13” is a massive improvement over the 12.9” but I didn’t want to justify $400 CAD for 2” (plus increased keyboard pricing).

We’ll see which way I jump next time, but I will probably keep the M4 for a few generations since I’m not happy with either size… although I regret not getting the matte version (I was rushed on travel and couldn’t wait).
 
leifp said:
10.5” A10X to 12.9” A12X to 11” M1 to 12.9” M2 to 11” M4… and still on the fence… mainly because I find even the 11” iPad to be a bit too cumbersome to truly enjoy as a tablet. I think the 13” is a massive improvement over the 12.9” but I didn’t want to justify $400 CAD for 2” (plus increased keyboard pricing).

We’ll see which way I jump next time, but I will probably keep the M4 for a few generations since I’m not happy with either size… although I regret not getting the matte version (I was rushed on travel and couldn’t wait).
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Every time I try the larger pro in store, it just feels so huge lol. Main selling point for me is getting it to fit in the front pocket of my lunch kit for work. The 11" just fits in it, if I wanted to get the larger size, I would have to carry it around separately. Really comes down to use cases, I guess. I got a full desktop pc for gaming, my 13" air for on the couch surfing and such and my iPad for travelling.
 
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I have the M1 12.9 so not too different and also find it awkward as a tablet. I keep mine permanently in the Magic Keyboard.. I tend to use it on the couch and in bed watching you tube or Netflix.. I just balance it on my chest if I’m on my back or side of the bed when I lay on my side
 
I went from a 12.9 inch 2018 iPad Pro to the 13 inch M4 iPad Pro and I LOVE it! While it proved to be a much better device for reading ebooks, it was still a bit unwieldy. So, I decided to replace my iPad mini 6 with an 11 inch M4 iPad Pro, on the theory that it is the iPad Mini Pro I've been waiting for.

I couldn’t be happier with the 11 inch M4. I use it primarily for reading ebooks, surfing the Net, and writing handwritten notes. It's completely replaced my iPad mini 6 for these uses. It's light and compact enough yet has the advantage of displaying more text on the page at the same font size. And handwriting is noticeably more responsive than on the Mini.

Because I made the decision to get an 11 inch model after the return period for my 13 incher, I have both. I do use the 13 inch model when I want a larger screen for using two apps side-by-side in Split View, when I am typing larger amounts of text using the Magic Keyboard, and, of course, when I want to watch videos. That said, if I had to pick one or the other, I'd pick the 11 inch. I use it far more than I do the 13 inch.
 
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Exchanged the 13" 2018 IPP for for an 11" and never regretted it. It felt to big and clunky for travel and using it on my lap.

Didn't get another iPad until the 11" M4. Again no regrets.
 
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I got the 13" M1 Pro as a Mac replacement, but 6 months later got a 13" MBA M2 for things the iPad could not do (like I wanted it to).

Now I'm replacing both my 13" iPad Pro AND my 13" MBA for a 15" MBA, as I don't travel as much anymore and are looking to simplify (and I'm not a graphic artist).

The 13 + 13 combo is killer though: a portable second screen and device lighter than my old 17" MBP combined.

But your observations are correct:

I think the 11" iPad is THE iPad, as it is the best at portability, hand-holding, and overall tablet use.

The 13" iPad, as light as it is, is still relatively heavy and unwieldy for hand-held use.

So for me the new combo will be 15" MBA + 11" iPad (eventually).
 
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Seanm87 said:
I recently upgraded from the 11 inch 2018 pro to the 13 inch m4 pro.

Initailly I was happy with the bigger size but recently found myself thinking I may prefer the 11 inch. I find the 13 inch excels when I’m sat on a desk with the Magic Keyboard but everything else feels a lot more awkward. Using it as a tablet is awkward and using it as a laptop is awkward because of the top heavy nature of it. The thing is, I don’t really use it sat at a desk much, its mostly for kicking back while relaxing on bed/sofa and as a tablet it just feels too much for that. And if I want to dock it to the MKB to watch something because it is top heavy it just keeps falling over.

Im interested in hearing from others that have done this move what their motivations were and are they happy they went to a smaller size?
Click to expand...
I have not tried the 13 inch iPad because Ive always felt if I have that big of an iPad I might as well use my MacBook for whatever I am doing. I like the portability of the iPad so for me the 11inch iPad is the best.

For example, I was looking at a new MacBook and for a minute I thought, well my MacBook is not working right and my iPad is 4 years old, what if I get a 13inch iPad Pro and keyboard. I did the math and it came out to almost the same as just getting a new MacBook, so I got a new MacBook.
 
MPclk2006 said:
For example, I was looking at a new MacBook and for a minute I thought, well my MacBook is not working right and my iPad is 4 years old, what if I get a 13inch iPad Pro and keyboard. I did the math and it came out to almost the same as just getting a new MacBook, so I got a new MacBook.
Click to expand...
I did the same thing last summer, opting for the 13 inch M2 MBA and keeping my 12.9 inch 2018 iPad Pro.

Then this summer, Apple finally improved the iPad Pro lineup (mainly the thinner, lighter form factor; the improved responsiveness, particularly for handwriting; and the gorgeous screen) to the point where I finally felt like the improvements were significant enough to justify the cost.
 
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Tried the 11” after having the 12.9” variants since they launched and I just found it it too short when in landscape mode and too big for portrait mode.

I went with the 13” model and am hoping to add a new mini for when I want the portability/small tablet feel.
 
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Yep, I had the original 13-inch iPad Pro because it was the only size initially. Lovely, but the 2018 11-inch Pro was more like what I was waiting for. Even that spent more time on my desk than off, and a current-gen Mini is what ultimately moved around my place with me.
 
I went from the 9.7 air 2, to the 2015 12.9 pro, to the 2016 9.7 pro, to the 2017 10.5 pro, to the 2018 11 pro. Here is where I sold my MacBook and 11 in pro for the 2018 12.9 and Mac mini, then finally upgraded to the 13 in m4. I loved the smaller size, but the 13 inch seems better in every way… for me.
 
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