Long morning, very first world morning. Received my iPad Pro 11 inch Wi-Fi, returned it without opening and got a Space Gray 11 inch LTE at the local Apple Store which I later activated at a Verizon store. Alongside all of this I purchased the keyboard folio and Pencil 2.
1. I am a big traveler as an airline pilot. I spend half the week on the road in airports, airplanes, busses, hotels and more. The 10.5 was a great size for me so the plan has always been to get the new 11 but the 12.9 being smaller this year was very tempting. I spent quite a bit of time with it in the store and bottom line, it’s gorgeous but still very, very large. It’s the *ideal* device if you plan on using your iPad as a laptop replacement with the keyboard most of the time, in controlled settings like home and the office. It’s clearly MUCH better for any kind of drawing or handwriting vs. the 11. It would also be better for photo and movie editing than the 11, but the 11 also does a nice job with that the difference for that isn’t as great I feel. Where it falls down for me is when you fold the cover back and hold it in portrait like reading a book, its way, way too big. No way would I want to use this device by hand in an airplane seat, on a train, or even laying in bed unless I was sitting straight up and working formally with it. No way would I want to hand hold it in portrait to read a book or instapaper it would look and feel absurd to me. For me this device is all about having a keyboard when I want to write long posts like this on the road, and a bigger screen than my iPhone XS for watching movies and YouTube, often while laying in bed or sitting in a cramped economy seat. Even with my Waterfield sleeve and folio attached the 11 is very portable and with always available unlimited LTE for ME its perfect. If I had a 9-5 in an office that I drove to, and only traveled for vacations or something the 12.9 would be a no brainer. Don’t let people fool you however, the 12.9 is still really large and almost 50% heavier than the 11.
2. The new folio keyboard is better and worse. When all closed up it looks so much nicer with a smooth flat front cover and full protection for the back of the iPad (finally!). It magnetically latches in 2 positions now and does so with FAR more stability making it feel much more like a laptop, in particular when you have it on your lap. There is no “movie” position that hides the keyboard as it stands like the old version but I have no problem with that as I always felt that position was too unstable for me to feel comfortable in the old version. The real problems begin when you fold it back so you can hand hold the iPad. The nice part of folding it back is it magnetically latches the front cover to the back cover for extra security. The bad part? You can feel the keys at all times when you hold the iPad and even though they are deactivated it feels WEIRD to the extreme as the keys press in and out. Hopefully I will get used to it as time goes on because the folio is just so nice in terms of size and flexibility and I don’t want some big heavy clamshell keyboard to take with me on the road. It’s a bummer because folded back the keyboard of the old 10.5 felt great and this one doesn’t. I think we just have to go with it because I’m not sure there is a better option right now and I really want a keyboard.
3. The pencil is SO much nicer. First off it is thinner and shorter and just feels better in the hand. The flat side makes it grip better and more like a real pencil. The matte texture really makes it feel even MORE secure. It just FEELS better, instantly. It charges super quick, I went from 50% in the box to 100% in maybe 15-20 minutes? The magnetic click is nice and it is pretty secure but unlike the other reviews of people shaking their iPads and it not coming off, I’m here to tell you that maybe true but if you physically touch or bump it the pencil will fall off. You will still need a safe place to store the pencil most of the time, don’t dare leave it attached in a bag or it will come off. Don’t carry the iPad under your arm without careful attention or you could drop the pencil. The magnetic attachment point is really for A) super easy charging and B) a place to store the pencil while you are USING the iPad so you know where to grab it. It’s not a PERMANENT storage location if you get my meaning.
A last few things? I’m not concerned about “black bar” gate knowing apps will get updated, its not an issue. Apps like Procreate, Things, 1Password and more already fully support the 11, the rest of the important will shortly. I *do* like the slightly wider form factor of the 11 because it means 16x9 movies display larger than expected for this size device and I spend a lot of time with video on this thing. I almost went Wi-Fi, I used a generous 20 GB hotspot plan from my iPhone with my 10.5 and starting the hotspot didn’t take much effort with the “instant hospot” feature of iOS but I figured I would treat myself and get the iPad its own account and know that it is ALWAYS up to date and synced with calendars, messages etc. and ready to go on a moments notice so I will be far more likely to pull out my iPad vs. my iPhone. I do think price is spiraling out of control but here I am paying for it. I’m blessed to have disposable income and these are just fun devices I’m convinced are the future of computing.
PS: All typed on my iPad, not bad even with the smaller keyboard.
1. I am a big traveler as an airline pilot. I spend half the week on the road in airports, airplanes, busses, hotels and more. The 10.5 was a great size for me so the plan has always been to get the new 11 but the 12.9 being smaller this year was very tempting. I spent quite a bit of time with it in the store and bottom line, it’s gorgeous but still very, very large. It’s the *ideal* device if you plan on using your iPad as a laptop replacement with the keyboard most of the time, in controlled settings like home and the office. It’s clearly MUCH better for any kind of drawing or handwriting vs. the 11. It would also be better for photo and movie editing than the 11, but the 11 also does a nice job with that the difference for that isn’t as great I feel. Where it falls down for me is when you fold the cover back and hold it in portrait like reading a book, its way, way too big. No way would I want to use this device by hand in an airplane seat, on a train, or even laying in bed unless I was sitting straight up and working formally with it. No way would I want to hand hold it in portrait to read a book or instapaper it would look and feel absurd to me. For me this device is all about having a keyboard when I want to write long posts like this on the road, and a bigger screen than my iPhone XS for watching movies and YouTube, often while laying in bed or sitting in a cramped economy seat. Even with my Waterfield sleeve and folio attached the 11 is very portable and with always available unlimited LTE for ME its perfect. If I had a 9-5 in an office that I drove to, and only traveled for vacations or something the 12.9 would be a no brainer. Don’t let people fool you however, the 12.9 is still really large and almost 50% heavier than the 11.
2. The new folio keyboard is better and worse. When all closed up it looks so much nicer with a smooth flat front cover and full protection for the back of the iPad (finally!). It magnetically latches in 2 positions now and does so with FAR more stability making it feel much more like a laptop, in particular when you have it on your lap. There is no “movie” position that hides the keyboard as it stands like the old version but I have no problem with that as I always felt that position was too unstable for me to feel comfortable in the old version. The real problems begin when you fold it back so you can hand hold the iPad. The nice part of folding it back is it magnetically latches the front cover to the back cover for extra security. The bad part? You can feel the keys at all times when you hold the iPad and even though they are deactivated it feels WEIRD to the extreme as the keys press in and out. Hopefully I will get used to it as time goes on because the folio is just so nice in terms of size and flexibility and I don’t want some big heavy clamshell keyboard to take with me on the road. It’s a bummer because folded back the keyboard of the old 10.5 felt great and this one doesn’t. I think we just have to go with it because I’m not sure there is a better option right now and I really want a keyboard.
3. The pencil is SO much nicer. First off it is thinner and shorter and just feels better in the hand. The flat side makes it grip better and more like a real pencil. The matte texture really makes it feel even MORE secure. It just FEELS better, instantly. It charges super quick, I went from 50% in the box to 100% in maybe 15-20 minutes? The magnetic click is nice and it is pretty secure but unlike the other reviews of people shaking their iPads and it not coming off, I’m here to tell you that maybe true but if you physically touch or bump it the pencil will fall off. You will still need a safe place to store the pencil most of the time, don’t dare leave it attached in a bag or it will come off. Don’t carry the iPad under your arm without careful attention or you could drop the pencil. The magnetic attachment point is really for A) super easy charging and B) a place to store the pencil while you are USING the iPad so you know where to grab it. It’s not a PERMANENT storage location if you get my meaning.
A last few things? I’m not concerned about “black bar” gate knowing apps will get updated, its not an issue. Apps like Procreate, Things, 1Password and more already fully support the 11, the rest of the important will shortly. I *do* like the slightly wider form factor of the 11 because it means 16x9 movies display larger than expected for this size device and I spend a lot of time with video on this thing. I almost went Wi-Fi, I used a generous 20 GB hotspot plan from my iPhone with my 10.5 and starting the hotspot didn’t take much effort with the “instant hospot” feature of iOS but I figured I would treat myself and get the iPad its own account and know that it is ALWAYS up to date and synced with calendars, messages etc. and ready to go on a moments notice so I will be far more likely to pull out my iPad vs. my iPhone. I do think price is spiraling out of control but here I am paying for it. I’m blessed to have disposable income and these are just fun devices I’m convinced are the future of computing.
PS: All typed on my iPad, not bad even with the smaller keyboard.
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