Apple iPad Pro Review _ Unboxholics
Apple's big iPad wasn't really a surprise and many thought it would be named XL or something similar, but went for “Pro” instead. A tablet better suited for professionals or people that do something extra than the typical user on an iPad…exactly what Macbook Air does. I am Sakis Karpas, you are watching Unboxholics and this is iPad Pro, a powerful tablet that comes for a specific category of consumers that want a tablet and a laptop in one package.
I'm particularly skeptical about hybrids, as I think there are really few users that will take advantage of their potential. And I become even more skeptical when the cost doesn’t add up. But that’s just my concerns, so let’s get right to iPad Pro. The device comes in a premium but simple package, the usual Apple way, which contains a lightning cable, a power adapter and the usual manuals and notes of Apple.
iPad Pro is the biggest tablet I had in my hands. I’m starting rather blunt, because the feeling when I first held it was blunt too. I can’t hide the fact that its size was very uncomfortable at first and I couldn’t feel good holding it. But with each passing hour, I got used to it and its size.
Numbers say it has a 12.9-inch display with the dimensions being 305.7 x 220.6 x 6.9 mm. The last number is an achievement by Apple. On the plus side of its size is that Apple’s engineers managed to fit in a huge 10.307mAh battery in there. On the other hand, it's a bit heavy.
The battery is one of the strong points of iPad Pro, which can last - depending on the usage - two to four days. The American giant didn’t take any chances on design. The tablet follows the same design line as the rest of the iPads, especially the Air series. We have great quality materials, as expected, with aluminum shell and slippery matte surfaces for my hands.
No surprises on the frame either, there is an audio jack, volume keys, a smart port for accessories, a sleep switch, the home button that works as a fingerprint scanner, a lightning port and there are two cameras in the front and on the back, 1.2 and 8MP respectively. I’m not going to say anything about the cameras. They have really typical performance and while many will think of it as a redundancy, I’d like a flash in such an expensive device.
Who is shooting pictures with a tablet you say. Well some do. Didn’t mention the speakers yet because they deserve a special reference. iPad Pro has 4 stereo speakers, 2 for each sound channel. I admit that the sound made my jaw drop. The speakers produce a heavy bass, deep, powerful and clean sound that you would never expect to hear from a mobile device.
They’re also properly placed so when you have it on landscape mode, the sound reaches your ears from all directions creating a nice multi-dimensional feeling. The other impressive element of iPad Pro is the Retina display. We have a bright and sharp panel with vivid but natural colors, great viewing angles and beautiful black and white.
The impressive element is on the size. We’re not used to work on touch displays of such size. Working on iPad Pro, you have all the space you could possibly need. It fits everything, there is great accuracy on the touch and you see everything with great detail. Its resolution reaches 2048 x 2732 pixels.
The display highlights iOS 9 capabilities too. For instance, multi windows is a whole new game on this one. I won’t tire you with the stubborn shortcomings of the software. I have made my case long ago and I still have complains. I can’t argue though that the user has access to the most rich and complete digital app store on the planet.
Apps that can fully take advantage of the hardware capabilities. To be specific, iPad Pro is one of the most powerful mobile devices on the market right now, with an excellent A9X 64-bit chip and 4GB RAM. This chip can handle demanding tasks, such as editing music or 4K video. I can confirm that too, besides what Apple says.
The tablet was ridiculously fast in whatever I threw at it. iPad Pro can be found on the Greek market starting from about €1.000 for the simple WiFi edition of 32GB of storage. For the record, there’s only a 128GB edition and not a 64GB one. No surprises that the price is quite high considering what you get.
On the other hand, iPad Pro can be used in a more creative way than a standard tablet. It's great for presentations and it's got all the necessary tools to make your presentation look really professional. The battery life may not be as long as some of its competitors but overall I'm very happy with my purchase and I think you will be too.
I would definitely recommend iPad Pro to anyone who wants a powerful tablet that can handle anything they throw at it. It's perfect for professionals, students, and anyone else who needs a device that can keep up with their busy lifestyle.