iPad Pro I dusted off my old iPad Pro 10.5 and...wow

[tmanto02]

I purchased an iPad Pro 10.5 a few years ago however it never really got any use as I’m chained to my MacBook everyday for work.

A couple of weeks back I decided to digitise my note taking so charged it up and began using it to complement my MacBook for work. It was then that I rediscovered how magical this device really is!

Instant notes with the Apple Pencil has completely streamlined and improved my workflow, especially now with iPadOS 14.

Photo editing is so simple yet quite powerful with Lightroom for iPad as well!

I was particularly thrilled when I was realised that this 3yo device has a 120hz pro motion display, it makes casual web browsing smooth as butter and all of the “will they, won’t they” rumours for the upcoming iPhone 12 makes me feel lucky.

Anyway, just wanted to share my experience of how rediscovered how truly magical this device can be.

Cheers

 

[D@rthVader]

Good to hear that an older device still works great & perfroms well. Ill be looking at an iPad replacement fairly soon and honestly, getting somethin a year old isnt out of the question. You still get a very good iPad but can save hundreds and hundreds of dollars.

 

[xxray]

iPad Pro 10.5 is a really good device. 3 years after release, it’s still running like new, even on iOS 14. I don’t know that I’ll be able to justify an upgrade anytime soon at all if it keeps running like it has been. My only complaint now is battery life, but I can deal with that. Performance is my main priority, and it does perform.

 

[AutomaticApple]

I purchased an iPad Pro 10.5 a few years ago however it never really got any use as I’m chained to my MacBook everyday for work.

A couple of weeks back I decided to digitise my note taking so charged it up and began using it to complement my MacBook for work. It was then that I rediscovered how magical this device really is!

Instant notes with the Apple Pencil has completely streamlined and improved my workflow, especially now with iPadOS 14.

Photo editing is so simple yet quite powerful with Lightroom for iPad as well!

I was particularly thrilled when I was realised that this 3yo device has a 120hz pro motion display, it makes casual web browsing smooth as butter and all of the “will they, won’t they” rumours for the upcoming iPhone 12 makes me feel lucky.

Anyway, just wanted to share my experience of how rediscovered how truly magical this device can be.

Cheers

Your iPad Pro doesn't have a white spot? That is great!

 

[D@rthVader]

iPad Pro 10.5 is a really good device. 3 years after release, it’s still running like new, even on iOS 14. I don’t know that I’ll be able to justify an upgrade anytime soon at all if it keeps running like it has been. My only complaint now is battery life, but I can deal with that. Performance is my main priority, and it does perform.

Battery life is somewhat use controlled. Keep the brightness as low as you can stand it & dont let apps run in the background for no reason. Works wonders.

 

[rui no onna]

Battery life is somewhat use controlled. Keep the brightness as low as you can stand it & dont let apps run in the background for no reason. Works wonders.

I already do this but battery life on my Pro 10.5 just isn’t as good as I’d like. I mostly alternate between Pro 10.5 and Air 3. The Air 3 lasted noticeably longer comparing brand new battery life. Even more so now with the degraded battery on the 10.5.

They both perform great, though.

 

[CSBBody]

I gave my partner my 11 inch pro with pencil 2, and took back my 10.5 to use, as she uses the pencil far more than i. Loves affinity and procreate etc

After adding the 2020 12.9 and MKB, the 11 inch was purely for media consumption, so the 10.5 is perfectly fine, but surprisingly, coming from the 11/12.9, it didn’t feel “old” , even with the bezels.

i am actually enjoying it more now than the 11 for its intended use, because now i am not scared to use it naked, and just enjoy it for what it is, instead of babying it all the time. Lying around the couch, reading, watching tv, planning my days and calendar.

 

[spooklog]

The 10.5 was a muscular iPad when it came out and it still shines. I don't take it to its limits but I do some illustration using Pixelmator and Procreate, with the first gen Pencil. The Promotion screen is always a delight, and any app is handled with agility. If I had a complaint it would be the battery life, but I do leave mine plugged in most of the time; the aging battery isn't a huge concern for me. Would I upgrade? Well, if it keeps performing like this, not for the foreseeable future.

 

[D@rthVader]

I already do this but battery life on my Pro 10.5 just isn’t as good as I’d like. I mostly alternate between Pro 10.5 and Air 3. The Air 3 lasted noticeably longer comparing brand new battery life. Even more so now with the degraded battery on the 10.5.

They both perform great, though.

The Air 3 was a lot better? Interesting. I wonder why? Processor difference? Lower power required to keep the screen going? Both are good choices though even now as a purchase.

 

[sparksd]

Though I usually use my 12.9 Pro, my 10.5 is still working great after 3 years. No white spots on it.

 

[rui no onna]

The Air 3 was a lot better? Interesting. I wonder why? Processor difference? Lower power required to keep the screen going? Both are good choices though even now as a purchase.

Yep. A12 vs A10X.

The A12 is a chipset for iPhones with much smaller batteries than iPad. Consider the XS only has 2658 mAh while the Air 3 has 8134 mAh. The display backlight is likely the biggest power draw on the iPad. The lower the brightness, the greater effect the chipset would then have on power consumption. Note, I have ProMotion disabled on the Pro 10.5 so that shouldn’t be causing higher power consumption.

Mind, I was using the iPad 7 (A10) yesterday and I got 9 hours screen on time with 50% battery drain reading comics at ~0-2% brightness. That was with iOS 14 GM. Still haven’t had the time to update it to latest beta.

I get similar battery life on the Air 3 as the iPad 7. Standby power drain is also much lower on the Air 3 vs Pro 10.5.

 

[MyopicPaideia]

Don’t forget about 120Hz promotion on the 10.5” Pro vs iPad Air 3. That will have a noticeable impact on Battery, probably just as much as the processor.

 

[D@rthVader]

Yep. A12 vs A10X.

The A12 is a chipset for iPhones with much smaller batteries than iPad. Consider the XS only has 2658 mAh while the Air 3 has 8134 mAh. The display backlight is likely the biggest power draw on the iPad. The lower the brightness, the greater effect the chipset would then have on power consumption. Note, I have ProMotion disabled on the Pro 10.5 so that shouldn’t be causing higher power consumption.

Mind, I was using the iPad 7 (A10) yesterday and I got 9 hours screen on time with 50% battery drain reading comics at ~0-2% brightness. That was with iOS 14 GM. Still haven’t had the time to update it to latest beta.

I get similar battery life on the Air 3 as the iPad 7. Standby power drain is also much lower on the Air 3 vs Pro 10.5.

Interesting. Seems like there is more "stuff" to use the battery on the 10.5" models. Ill have to keep that in mind.

Don’t forget about 120Hz promotion on the 10.5” Pro vs iPad Air 3. That will have a noticeable impact on Battery, probably just as much as the processor.

Ahhh - another thing. Good point.

 

[kristalsoldier]

iPad Pro 10.5 is a really good device. 3 years after release, it’s still running like new, even on iOS 14. I don’t know that I’ll be able to justify an upgrade anytime soon at all if it keeps running like it has been. My only complaint now is battery life, but I can deal with that. Performance is my main priority, and it does perform.

Same experience. Same dilemma about upgrading. Battery is a bit degraded but not concerning. And, yeah, no “white spot” as some here like to keep pointing out. Have been using mine since release.

 

[TSE]

As the industrial design and user experience wasn’t all that dramatically different from the previous generation, the iPad Pro 10.5 is one of those apple devices that wasn’t very exciting when it came out and is largely forgotten about now.

However, it represents a great value with some really cool features - it’s A10x chip was fantastic for the time and still keeps up, it’s Promotion display is still amazing even today, and the 4 GBs of RAM is still great for iOS.

 

[millydog]

The promotion on the iPP 10.5 actually changes the refresh rate, not just up, but down as well. When promotion is enabled, the refresh rate can slow down when you are just staring at a page and it increases when it needs to, such as when you are scrolling. It was designed to enable a faster refresh rate, while actually improving battery life by the way it changes the refresh rates. So it’s worth trying promotion on to see if it actually improves battery life.

I purchased the iPP 10.5 at release, but got a replacement from Apple last year due to white spot issues. My replacement is still going strong with great battery life (promotion is enabled) and no white spots.

I also have an iPP 12.9” 2018, which I have been using mostly, although I picked up my iPP 10.5”, upgraded it to iPad OS 14 and find it works amazingly well. I’m considering a switch to the smaller iPP size again next year as I’m enjoying the size and portability of the 10.5”. I’d love to see an 11.5” - 12.0” iPP though.

 

[Moyapilot]

The 10.5 was a muscular iPad when it came out and it still shines. I don't take it to its limits but I do some illustration using Pixelmator and Procreate, with the first gen Pencil. The Promotion screen is always a delight, and any app is handled with agility. If I had a complaint it would be the battery life, but I do leave mine plugged in most of the time; the aging battery isn't a huge concern for me. Would I upgrade? Well, if it keeps performing like this, not for the foreseeable future.

I had the 10.5 pro for nearly 2 years with Pencil, and now the 11 Pro for 13 months with Pencil2.

Honestly, other than the superior charging mechanism for Pencil2, I much preferred Pencil1 for build quality and comfort in writing.

I could write with it in all day seminar on the 10.5 with zero issues. With Gen2, its too small or something in my large hands, and I get cramps in the muscles and back of hand after 30 minutes. Gen 1 Pencil was and is a beauty. I gave it to my wife to use with her Mini 5 and she loves it too.

 

[kristalsoldier]

Lol...I just posted a thread about my considering the 10.5 to 11” upgrade.

 

[Milellie111]

The 10.5 Pro is still an amazing machine and still very useful and future proof. 4 months ago I was looking to upgrade my wife’s Air 2. I was either going to get a refurbished Air 3 for $419 or a new Pro 11". I checked Apples refurbished site constantly and came across a Gold 64gb 10.5" Pro for $379 ? I snagged it up and couldn’t be happier!

I also was able to add AppleCare and when that runs out, my credit card extends it for an additional 2 years. Then I got a brand new Targus Versavu swivel case ($50 MSRP) in their clearance store for $15. I think I saved a good deal of money for a device that’s still fast, snappy, has a beautiful screen and loud wonderful quad speakers. My wife uses it for media consumption and browsing, yet it exceeds her expectations in everything.

 

[spooklog]

I had the 10.5 pro for nearly 2 years with Pencil, and now the 11 Pro for 13 months with Pencil2.

Honestly, other than the superior charging mechanism for Pencil2, I much preferred Pencil1 for build quality and comfort in writing.

I could write with it in all day seminar on the 10.5 with zero issues. With Gen2, its too small or something in my large hands, and I get cramps in the muscles and back of hand after 30 minutes. Gen 1 Pencil was and is a beauty. I gave it to my wife to use with her Mini 5 and she loves it too.

Now that's interesting...I've been considering upgrading and have wondered what the second gen Pencil was like.