iPad Pro Reviews Roundup: Blazingly Fast With a More Balanced Design, But Some Face ID and USB-C Quirks

[kognos]

Yes, "laptop replacements" are important.

We are all not so rich as to consider so many devices for different workflows. If I had one super-mobile tablet-sized machine that can do everything I want it to do, it is optimal, no matter how one might want to believe otherwise. It's just about the size and cost at that point.... and to a lesser degree, ecosystem.

Apple cornered themselves by insisting and standing behind the point that touch will never come to the Mac, and the iPad will never have MacOS. That's wrong. We can hate on Windows all you want, but I can get tablet-equivalent full PC machines with no compromises. They've worked hard on inclusiveness where Apple seems to want to keep them separate. Why? Because ... money?

(Now, granted, Microsoft isn't perfect, but they're at least trying. Windows mobile was a joke. But there's definitely a serious contender in the tablet space: Surface)

Apple hasn't invested into making their iOS world "power app" friendly, with perhaps the only notable exception of Office and now Photoshop, but even in those apps, there are compromises. I'm finding more and more that I don't want to invest into iPad and thus Apple ecosystem just because I'm constantly working around the power experience and not toward it. Nowadays I can get a Surface and what really am I sacrificing? Not a heck of a lot.

I still like iOS for games and timewaster and notification apps. Good job making IOS great for that, Apple.

No question that the processor power is good, but I really wonder if the processor is good enough to replace intel in a MacOS machine with all the instructions.

 

[gavroche]

This iPad was built with iOS 13 in mind, which is rumored to be a big iPad focused update. Once those features were pushed out from iOS 12, you are left with a great device, but one that is better suited for iOS 13.

Hope you are right! Major iOS changes excite me far more than hardware.

 

[Digital Skunk]

I'm in the camp of wanting to see the iPad and iOS taken to actual PC level. Mouse support. And now that we have USB-C to connect to 5k displays: extended desktop support.

Allow the iPad to become the keyboard and trackpad and have the display on the extended monitor.

Happy to see a full version of Photoshop running on the Pro, but there's still of a lot needed in terms of basic UI that need to be addressed before we can really see an iPad replacing a laptop.

Also, now that we can charge our iPhones via USB-C, can we sync them with the iPad's iTunes? Can we back our iPhones up to an iPad Pro with 512GBs or more?

 

[DNichter]

It seems odd to me that Apple spends some much effort and money into minute hardware improvements (some of which people don't even seem to want, like slightly thinner)... yet they leave the OS so unchanged in so many ways. Is getting boring to me.
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Ya... i can go along with that thinking. Still surprises me though that people don't seem to mind the iPad pro prices, but Mac mini is getting destroyed for its prices.

I think the prices are high and I think they should have started at 128GB, but I still see the value and don't mind upgrading from my 10.5.

 

[gavroche]

You should go watch the Apple event again and see how many times APPLE COMPARES THE IPAD TO LAPTOPS. It's not MR it's Apple making it a big deal.

I could be reading him wrong... but what I get from what he said is that some people seem so upset and bothered by it being a "laptop replacement." That line of thought seems odd... because even if it 'could' be, doesnt mean anyone 'must' use it as such.

 

[R1PPER]

Why apple what big Bezels you have.

 

[bnmcj1]

8 years on and it does nothing more than iPad 1 for work purposes the way I see it. I need mouse support for office work of course and especially remote desktop. And no, I should NOT have to buy a specific mouse, but want to use any mouse I want.

And the bezels seem huge on these new iPads. Looks old school.

 

[DNichter]

....as fast doing emails ...but can it run acad inventor at all, or as fast? If my whole life was about running synthetic benchmarks maybe an iPad would match its claims. Everything on an iPad, (and basically any tablet) no matter how fast the processor takes far longer to achieve. My push bike is faster than a Ferrari when the Ferrari has no fuel....the iPad has a hopeless OS largely suitable for consumption only.

It depends on the individuals' needs, of course. I'll use mine for drafting proposals, email, virtual team meetings, managing productivity dashboards for clients, creating presentations, some picture and video editing, and normal consumption type stuff. My fiancee also is excited to give it a try as she uses Affinity apps for her graphic design business. It may not be worth it for you, but for some - $799 is still good value for everything the iPad does very well. I love being able to effortlessly walk around the office to my team and collaborate on a new project, review a new proposal, or jump on a quick FaceTime call with a client. It's a freeing experience as it all works so well.

 

[groadyho]

My wife and I consider ourselves average consumers and we cant figure out where a tablet fits in. We have 65in tv in living room and 42in in bedroom, we read actual books, gasp because screens hurt our eyes. I don't game on phones, mobile gaming stinks.
She has work supplied SP5 which is great for our uses as a stand along laptop or tablet.
Not sure where a tablet really fits with anyone.

 

[DNichter]

Well then Apple is missing out. Your idea is a perfect compromise. IOS is too limiting - you can’t even create or edit a database in filemaker pro on it. I think I’ll wait on this or just continue using windows for desktop and ipad for non-desktop, and my husband’s brokem imac for filemaker pro. I guess it’s up to apple.

Well, in your example, it's partly up to developers as well - right? I am not familiar with that app.

 

[djaisling]

I think the fact that it’s a “big iPhone” is what makes it appealing. My GF is in graduate school. Not a single person uses an iPad for their work. It’s not possible. Windows application monopoly extends its claws as much today as it did 10 years ago. Most consumers can get away with using an iPad to replace their laptop. The “idea” that the iPad is a one stop solution is miles away. A lot of things are out of Apple’s hands on this one.

I’ve heard this argument since the first iPad came out. Like you said though it’s out of Apple’s hands. When I used to work at a big box retailer that sold wireless devices like iPads all day, it was part of my job to get students into iPads for their education, most of them I could because they were doing entry level education and it was no issue (this was even before the files app was released). It’s definitely not Apple’s fault that students in that high up spectrum can’t use an iPad for their daily driver. It’s all those software companies that have had the same software for years and refuse to put the money into R&D and rebuild their OS apps to work fluently and natively on iOS. It just isn’t worth the money to them when it “already works” as is. It’s the same reason the company I worked for refused to update their computers that we sold out, they still worked so why change it.
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I'm in the camp of wanting to see the iPad and iOS taken to actual PC level. Mouse support. And now that we have USB-C to connect to 5k displays: extended desktop support.

Allow the iPad to become the keyboard and trackpad and have the display on the extended monitor.

Happy to see a full version of Photoshop running on the Pro, but there's still of a lot needed in terms of basic UI that need to be addressed before we can really see an iPad replacing a laptop.

Also, now that we can charge our iPhones via USB-C, can we sync them with the iPad's iTunes? Can we back our iPhones up to an iPad Pro with 512GBs or more?

The issue with what you’re wishing for here is that it goes back in technology as far as what Apple would ever want you to do. Wanting to backup your iPhone into your iPads memory would completely defeat the purpose of what iCloud was invented for. Apple wants you to use iCloud as a replacement for having to physically plug in your devices, so no, the chances of backing up your iPhone into an iPads memory is extremely slim to none.

 

[dark_thor]

The 150USD for cellular connection is a complete ripoff. It cost them pennies....

Is not about what costs them ! Is about what benefits does the customer get ! And the benefit of having cellular connection according to apple costs to the customer 150$ ! A ripoff ? Maybe ! But since when is apple known for selling cheap products ?

 

[gbc204]

"But one extremely important category of devices will definitely not work: iOS does not support external storage. You can plug as many flash drives or hard drives as you want into the iPad Pro’s USB-C port, and nothing will happen."

Well, that does it. No way I'm getting this then. What the hell? I really don't want to buy a Surface, but if I want to do photo editing on site and not take my laptop, the iPad "Pro" is just not a viable option. How can you call a device a "Pro" and demo it doing photo and video editing and not enable external storage, especially after you make it a USB-C device? This is bonkers.

 

[DNichter]

"But one extremely important category of devices will definitely not work: iOS does not support external storage. You can plug as many flash drives or hard drives as you want into the iPad Pro’s USB-C port, and nothing will happen."

Well, that does it. No way I'm getting this then. What the hell? I really don't want to buy a Surface, but if I want to do photo editing on site and not take my laptop, the iPad "Pro" is just not a viable option. How can you call a device a "Pro" and demo it doing photo and video editing and not enable external storage, especially after you make it a USB-C device? This is bonkers.

Well right now you can import. External device support is rumored for iOS 13, which is what this device was built for, prior to refocusing iOS 12 on performance instead. Not ideal, but that's what we have right now.

 

[DougFNJ]

Remember when the latest and greatest iPad started at $499?

Yes, $499 for the entry level which is the equivalent of $560 in 2018. That was with 16gb and non Retina display, and very limited. Top tier “greatest version” price with 64gb and cellular was $829 plus either $10/ month for 250 megabytes or unlimited for $30 per month.

8 years later you can now get the NEW iPad entry level starting at $329 and have many options consumer and pro meeting most budgets.
I pay an extra $10 per month for unlimited.

I’d say that’s pretty impressive.

 

[PickUrPoison]

Know your intended use.

I appreciate the thorough vetting of the iPad Pro's strengths and weaknesses, especially as it pertains to Apple's assertion that it's a proper desktop replacement.

However, I never bought in. iOS' achilles heel has always been its intended use: mobile utility. I use my device for media consumption, web browsing, and note taking only.

Until Apple embraces that continuity can exist with deep, meaningful differences between the iOS experiences for the iPhone and iPad, the capabilities will always be hobbled by arbitrary limitations.

That an iPad is a “proper desktop replacement” is your assertion, not Apple’s.

 

[kodos]

If you want one of these as a laptop replacement, wait for iOS 13 and see if Apple fixes some of the problems. Of course, you will still be using mobile Safari that pukes on a lot of sites I use. Probably still stuck with Mobile Office that cannot create new Styles (last I checked) and all kinds of other contortions in workflow just to get the thing to work halfway like a computer. Enjoy reaching up to the screen for all kinds of stuff which requires hardly any effort of motion with a trackpad.

Android tablets actually support mouse and keyboard and filesystems. It is a shame that no one makes a decent one (and the software landscape is worse than on iOS).

I hate my iPad Pro. The one Apple device I have ever regretted owning.

 

[TrueBlou]

Remember when the latest and greatest iPad started at $499?

Seems like such a long time ago. How many recessions have we been through since then?

 

[koa]

This iPad was built with iOS 13 in mind, which is rumored to be a big iPad focused update. Once those features were pushed out from iOS 12, you are left with a great device, but one that is better suited for iOS 13.

Assuming you’re correct, when will IOS 13 be out? If you are buying now at full list price with the device's full potential coming in about a year, why buy now? You’ll have a great device in a year, plus a year old device. You get to sell your 10.5 for a little more on CL and wait for IOS 13, along with a few benefits of the new device. But whatever gains you achieved selling early will be easily cancelled out by the inevitable discounts that are coming on these new iPads from everyone except Apple. Discounts started pretty early on the 10.5 last year. I think they will come quickly on these as well.

To me, it seems Apple looked at the discounts their devices get from Best Buy etc., and then increased the prices so the discounted prices become the real price.

I’m not sure what I’m doing yet. If I upgrade from my 10.5 it will be to the 12.9 so at least it will be a different device. But I’m waiting on the discounts.

I just went to an unlimited plan and bought three discounted iPhone Max. Daughter's 6s+ was on its last legs, wife had a 5s running slow. Both are happy. My perfect 6s+ was working fine. The new Max is a great phone but not magical in any way for me. I expect if I went from my 10.5 to 11, I’d feel the same way.

To Apple's credit my daughter sold her cracked a dented 6s+ on eBay for $175 which is hard to believe.

 

[apolloa]

This is great and all, bar the crap display on the new iPad Pro’s, because that’s what people on here tell you, that the PPI is sub par for 2018 on the ‘liquid rerina’ Display.....

But it’s still a mobile OS, not a desktop one, and this all that power is still limited and, in effect, pointless.

The pricing is stupid too.

 

[Martius]

Well, Apple could be a laptop replacement for designers if there are at least full featured design apps like Sketch, Adobe XD and also an app to manage fonts etc.. They really missed the oportunity with iOS12 to push iPad a little closer to classic computer. The new iPad Pro seems to be a quite powerful device, but the power have been wasted with all those USB-C quirks, missing PRO apps...

...and of course it's nowhere near to be a PC replacement for developers. I need Apache / Nginx running locally, Apple simulator, Safari dev tools...

I wish you could at least use ipad natively as a second screen using thunderbolt 3 (connected to Mac).

 

[DNichter]

Assuming you’re correct, when will IOS 13 be out? If you are buying now at full list price with the device's full potential coming in about a year, why buy now? You’ll have a great device in a year, plus a year old device. You get to sell your 10.5 for a little more on CL and wait for IOS 13, along with a few benefits of the new device. But whatever gains you achieved selling early will be easily cancelled out by the inevitable discounts that are coming on these new iPads from everyone except Apple. Discounts started pretty early on the 10.5 last year. I think they will come quickly on these as well.

To me, it seems Apple looked at the discounts their devices get from Best Buy etc., and then increased the prices so the discounted prices become the real price.

I’m not sure what I’m doing yet. If I upgrade from my 10.5 it will be to the 12.9 so at least it will be a different device. But I’m waiting on the discounts.

I just went to an unlimited plan and bought three discounted iPhone Max. Daughter's 6s+ was on its last legs, wife had a 5s running slow. Both are happy. My perfect 6s+ was working fine. The new Max is a great phone but not magical in any way for me. I expect if I went from my 10.5 to 11, I’d feel the same way.

To Apple's credit my daughter sold her cracked a dented 6s+ on eBay for $175 which is hard to believe.

It depends on the individual. I am happy to upgrade from my 10.5 knowing that I will have iOS 12. If you feel it's best to wait, that's cool too.

 

[TrueBlou]

I think that's fair, I just haven't used USB drives in years. I use cloud services/NAS or have gotten used to just using AirDrop or sending a file any other way wirelessly.

Although I have a dedicated home server, use cloud services and wireless transfers. I still have to and I’m some cases want to use a flash drive or USB hard drive. Particularly when I receive files from other (generally windows) people.

Thankfully (I’ve said it before I’ll say it again ) I use my MobileLite, wouldn’t be without it. Even though it’s WiFi, it gives me the flexibility to access any USB drive or SD card I receive from people.

Certainly it’s not as convenient as just plugging the drive into the, now USB-C, port on the iPad. But crucially it works and that’s the main thing. It gives me the file system flexibility I sometimes need.

 

[Shiro_Simba]

Yes, $499 for the entry level which is the equivalent of $560 in 2018. That was with 16gb and non Retina display, and very limited. Top tier “greatest version” price with 64gb and cellular was $829 plus either $10/ month for 250 megabytes or unlimited for $30 per month.

8 years later you can now get the NEW iPad entry level starting at $329 and have many options consumer and pro meeting most budgets.
I pay an extra $10 per month for unlimited.

I’d say that’s pretty impressive.

I see what you did there , but alas that is a poor comparison. When you can get a new form factor “pro” iPad for $329, your point stands .

 

[phoJOEgraphy]

Nice that Apple is finally trying to copy Microsoft and Samsung on the pen. But they do have a long ways to go. The Surface and Tab S3/S4 have amazing pen functionality that will take Apple several iterations to even approach.

Are you talking about drawing/painting or just interactive use like Windows Ink? Because for Drawing/Painting, it's right up there at the top with Wacom's tech as far as response and usability regardless of pressure sensitivity numbers or anything says. That's not just my opinion, but a pretty solid consensus across the art community. They got it right. Wacom Cintiq has long been the standard for how pen-on-screen should be done. Everyone was striving for the quality by either licensing Wacom's tech or trying to copy it. As far as drawing, the iPad and Apple Pencil with apps like Procreate, Affinity, Art Rage, Sketchbook, countless Adobe drawing apps, etc. is not really second to anything. An argument could be made for how to store the Apple pencil with the device could be made, but we all know Apple makes eccentric design choices in an attempt to make the thinnest thing possible.