Head-To-Head: Apple iPad Pro Vs. iPad

iPad Showdown

It looks as if 2017 is turning out to be a huge year for new Apple products. The WWDC 2017 keynote was jammed with product announcements, and among them was the introduction of a new size for the iPad Pro -- as well as an update of the existing 12.9-inch iPad Pro model. The big product unveiling came just a few months after Apple made some other product moves, including a refresh to its entry-level iPad offering. Which of the new iPads is the better fit for you? In the following slides, the CRN Test Center compares Apple's new iPad Pro vs. the latest iPad refresh on price and specs.

First Things First

As suggested by the name, the iPad Pro is targeting professionals that are going to be using their tablet for a lot more than Netflix and Facebook. The entry-level iPad, meanwhile, is aimed more at affordability than at having the most-premium specs to offer. That being said, either device will at least give you a nice display and plenty of battery life, as you'll see in the following slides.

Also worth mentioning up front: The iPad Pro now comes in two distinct sizes. The larger iPad Pro model has a 12.9-inch display. The smaller model now measures 10.5 inches (diagonally on the display) rather than the previous 9.7-inch size. The overall size of the smaller iPad Pro model has increased a bit with the expansion of the display; the smaller iPad Pro model now measures to 9.8 x 6.8 inches, up from 9.4 x 6.6 inches previously.

Display

With the increased size for the smaller iPad Pro model, both of the iPad Pro displays are now larger than the display on the entry-level iPad, which measures 9.7 inches. All of the tablets feature Apple's super-bright Retina display, but each has a different resolution. Generally speaking, the larger the tablet, the higher resolution Apple gives it. The entry-level iPad features a resolution of 2,048 x 1,536, while the 10.5-inch iPad Pro is a bit higher-res at 2,224 x 1,668. The 12.9-inch iPad Pro has the most pixels to offer, with resolution of 2,732 x 2,048.

Weight And Thickness

Both the iPad and the 10.5-inch iPad Pro weigh a pound. But despite the larger display size, the 10.5-inch iPad Pro is a bit thinner at 0.24 of an inch versus 0.29 of an inch thick for the iPad. The 12.9-inch iPad Pro weighs in at about 1.5 pounds but is still thinner than the iPad, at 0.27 of inch thick.

Processor

One of the big upgrades of the new iPad Pro models the addition of the A10X processor, which the company says is 40 percent faster than the previous generation, the A9X. While Apple doesn't share what its processors are clocked at, benchmark tests from Geekbench have revealed that the A9X runs at 2.16GHz (in the 9.7-inch iPad Pro) and 2.24GHz (in the 12.9-inch model). Apple's statement, then, suggests that the new iPad Pros will run at around 3GHz for the smaller model and around 3.14GHz for the larger model. Graphics performance on the new iPad Pros is also 40 percent faster than on the previous models.

That's a significant speed advantage over the iPad, which uses the A9 processor (also the processor used in the iPhone 6S). The A9 comes with a clock speed of 1.85GHz, which should be a noticeable difference from the iPad Pro, but still has a decent amount of horsepower for a basic tablet.

Battery Life

Both the new iPad Pro models and the iPad come in Wi-Fi-only and Wi-Fi/cellular models, and Apple says that expected battery life will depend on whether Wi-Fi or cellular service is in use. Apple actually promises the same battery life for the iPad and the two iPad Pro models, though. When you're on Wi-Fi, the tablets promise up to 10 hours of battery life per charge. For using the tablets over cellular, the estimate falls to a maximum of nine hours of battery life.

Storage

As a device focused on meeting the needs of professionals, the iPad Pro is a lot more generous in terms of storage. Both iPad Pro models are configurable with either 64 GB, 256 GB or 51 2GB of storage space. For the iPad, Apple is offering 32 GB and 128 GB configurations.

Ports, Keyboard And Pen

Neither the iPad Pro nor the iPad offer USB ports of any variety, but the iPad Pro does have what it calls a Smart Connector, which can connect to Apple's Smart Keyboard and third-party accessories. The Smart Keyboard is sold separately from the iPad Pro. The iPad doesn't come with the Smart Connector port--and also doesn't support the Apple Pencil, a digital stylus made for the iPad Pro and sold separately. Both the iPad and iPad Pro do have a Nano-SIM tray that supports Apple SIM.

Price: WiFi-Only

With a smaller, lower-res display and a less-speedy processor--among other things--the iPad is geared toward affordability. Its starting price is $329, for the base Wi-Fi-only model with 32 GB of storage. By comparison, the starting price for the 10.5-inch iPad Pro (W-iFi-only, with 64 GB of storage) is nearly twice as much, at $649. The 12.9-inch iPad Pro starts at $799. Getting the Smart Keyboard will add $169 for the 12.9-inch version and $159 for the 10.5-inch version, while the Apple Pencil will add another $99.

Price: Wi-Fi/Cellular

For the models with both Wi-Fi and cellular connectivity, you'll pay a fairly significant premium. The starting price for the latest iPad with Wi-Fi/cellular is $459, a jump of $130 over the Wi-Fi-only model. The iPad Pros with W-iFi/cellular increase by the same amount, with a starting price of $779 for the 10.5-inch model and $929 for the 12.9-inch model.