I would return it and wait for the 2nd generation so Apple can add the items that it left out like the better front/rear cameras and the new touch ID sensor. For $800+ the IPP should've had the latest and greatest, nothing from last year imo.
This made me laugh. Touch ID and front/rear camera are perfectly fine. The 6s second gen is quicker, sometimes too fast to check just the time or charge left.
I'm thinking you found the ONLY two things 'from last year' left. All other facets of the new iPP's hardware is brand new and extremely well thought out for the 1.0 release. I'm not using the keyboard (yet, I love the new iOS 9 keyboard on screen) but I really dig the Pencil.
If you've not had a chance to use one yet, I'm a bit confused about 'the latest/greatest'. Like doubling the RAM, AGAIN! 2-->4GB, one small stereo pair of speakers on bottom but too close for stereo separation -- while iPP uses four - at each corner intelligently recognizing its position being held for a sonic experience that eats every older smaller iPad for lunch. It's new SoC and the higher clocked A9 (over iPhone 6s) - the third ...or even the 3.5rev, 64bit SoC and its eight, or is it 10 core ImagTech GPU never before used on a mobile SoC with the iOS 9 improvements to optimize the software and make the most of the massive canvas ...IMHO, as an owner of each iPad since the drop in 2010, easily make it the best iOS True, Honest productivity tablet so far, and because of the improvements I listed ...and so many more!
The biggest I've noticed since receiving ours is the speed of which developers are optimizing their apps to take advantage of split/slide over and real, side by side or overlay multitasking. Something being begged for since 2010! This alone makes the "last year camera" thing a 'who cares' deal ...cause I'm sure not holding my new iPP up to grab a snap (& it's front FT cam works just fine when I've used FaceTime.
As always, ymmv BUT keep in mind the latest rMBP is also 'last year's tech' but I picked up a CTO from Best Buy before Christmas decked with the TB PCIe drive and the update to its GPU, three year old core tech from AMD --- could've fooled me! It was on sale and ultimately exactly $600 off Apple's CTO price. It was the perfect update for my 2012 15" first gen rMBP which is still just as quick, reliable and good lookin' as the day I bought it. October 2012.
There's always another coming a year from now. Maybe. But when it comes to iPP - you don't HAVE to wait. Especially if you're able to capitalize on its abilities because of your needs/workflow as I believe for MANY, it'll be the transitional computer that eliminates the need for both home lap/desktop and portable tablet. The MS suite, highly productive Adobe Creative Suite apps and Autodesk are three significant software developers devoting massive resources to their mobile 'apps' and in some cases, all extensions that'll NEED a powerful home/business desk or laptop to finish what you started on the iPP slate.
I love mine --- and we use a lot of iPads to run our business including a ½ dozen Air 2s, four of which we picked up for $200 off this year on sale and replaced four of the aging iPad 4s. That's when I made the change, the iPad 4 from late '13 is and has been a workhorse for us, always connected and more durable than the MacBook or iMacs we'd been using for years (CDs before the comps, DATS pre-CD, and of course milk crates of vinyl in the day!)
The power of the iPP mimics that's of my 2012 MBA but looks a helluva lot better - does nearly everything the 13" Air's able to do and in many cases FASTER!
To OP, and if tl/dr --- I'm a 'fan' and responded early without getting totally through the thread but there was a day offered not too far back on MR advice for folks soliciting, by folks with 'experience and REAL usage' of the product. Drive by in the Apple Store doesn't count. Once in your hands --- you'll know in a month, I knew in a week, if it's for you. It's certainly the crown jewel in the tablet lineup today, iOS or otherwise. Nothing comes close to replicating the first edition large form factor v1.0 larger scale iPads. As all other OEMs just plugged their current cellular (phone) SoC, same packaged RAM and anemic - tiny (32GB w/ as slow as can be MicroSD option) - and zero, zilch - no, or very very few -- certainly not from MS, Adobe, Autodesk or creative developers, any immediate support and optimization. That said my Air 2's are incredible. A BIG jump from my Air 1s. Doubling RAM and graphic power as well as the sonics, active stylus to smoke all others I've used for near zero latency as well as the multitudes of apps available for nearly any profession in the creative world, we're starting to see the point a laptop or desktop becomes irrelevant for each family member. Single home iMac for when the situation arises, you're handled.
From your email to browsing, media consumption and gaming, creation by hand, photo or motion visuals and social sites -- there's not a whole lotta tasks outside above folks are using the computer for. Especially 'on the go' and I carry the 15" rMBP, iPad Mini 4 and iPP in my case nearly everywhere I go during the workweek (& most of the weekend!) -- and under 6 pounds total, that's three powerhouse computers compared to a ½ decade ago ....weighing half as much as a single laptop and associated bricks to charge it --- and with the instant on, always connected 10-15 hours of battery achieved TRUMPS all that came before.
In 2012 the rMBP reinvigorated my interest in computing again as something other than mandatory work. The same can be said for HiDPI (retina) displays on the rest of the line. But the iPP will make even the hard core, gotta have my new MacBook crowd to check Facebook and movie times, write a term paper or surf and reference, the iPP is opening a new world (without needing to force iOS and OS X as one, rather building up handoff and continuity into iOS and OS X so they're always aggregating & integrated horizontally and vertically with a much more powerful computing platform to back it up.
I've found a use case for each iOS device - iPhone, mini and Air, as well as the large iPad. Kinda like five years ago when the family used the iMac, mom or dad the MacPro, teens and their Airs, along with a complimentary piece - iPad. The latter has grown past complimenting through to completion of 'most' computing projects 97% of the world is doing. I'm pulling a circa 2006 PC this weekend with 80GB HDD PC of a very high ranking government official this weekend to switch him to a MacBook and iPad. He surfs, does some banking and financials and maybe music once in awhile --- but regardless of what I went over on solely using the iPad --- he felt redundancy was in order and insists lap and tab. He mid 60s and change is weird the older we get but embraced, there's money to save and enjoyment to be had for less with Apple and their hardware.
From the front end no security/mal/adware protections or security suites, fastest storage drives in consumer computing and a display to die for that's been nailed since day one. On the back end - you'll enjoy very nice resale value, even three, four and five years later --- it's trouble free, the time in maintenance is worth the peace of mind when it comes to reliability and less dollars spent to "keep it in peak shape" on a Win rig than the 'Zero' investment you'll make into security and/or updates. Security patches and true, point updates. While Win10 indeed bucked the trend with updates gratis from7 or 8/8.1 - 10 for a year --- it's looking more and more like MS will go subscription for ten OS. Trying to tie '10' into the console (Xbox) Windows phones, tablets, surfaces and books as well as hybrid tablets from OEMs the world over, the NUC boxes and AIOs --- it's just too big an undertaking to optimize for what's literally an infinite world when it comes to hardware mix/match but single software with mandatory, unstoppable update Tuesday that can (& has! Many times....) and will eventually 'break' something or not work, BSOD because of incompatibility with a part you're using. And one that can be very tough to isolate.
My vote. iPad Pro. Need a laptop too? You'll save plenty buying older Haswell models this year as the last years drop 20% and absolutely SMOKE!
Good luck! I love mine
