Editor’s View: Do you need the new 10.5″ iPad Pro 2017?

The 10.5″ iPad Pro 2017 has been out for a few months now, and by just observing what people are using while they are commuting, you will realise the absence of the Apple’s latest tablet. Apple boasted that the new iPad Pro series could go as far as replacing laptops. However, the question here is not whether the iPad Pro can kill off the regular laptops. The question should be whether the iPad Pro is finally good enough for your work and personal use.

Here’s our Editor’s View of the 10.5″ iPad Pro 2017.

The Looks

The iPad Pro is beautifully designed just like many of their products, and aesthetically, it stands out from the other competitors in an instance. It has a 2,224 x 1,668 screen resolution and a True Tone display to automatically adjust the intensity and colour temperature of the screen that you need.

Apple also put on two types of coating onto the screen of the iPad Pro. One is called the Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating and the second is the Anti-reflective coating. Like what both names suggest, these layers are there to reduce fingerprints stains on your screen and glares bouncing off hurting your eyes. Although these are not the key selling points of the device, they are good-to-know add-ons that make the user experience a better one.

Speaking of the screen and display, the 10.5 inch iPad Pro 2017 has a ProMotion technology built-in. It means that the device has a refresh rate of up to 120Hz, which is stunning for a tablet. Other brands of tablets or even smartphones often hover around 60Hz so you can expect a silky smooth transition when switching apps or scrolling through websites. What’s also unique about this is that the device changes its “ProMotion rate” according to your needs. So if you are using an app that requires more than 60Hz, it will automatically adjust the “ProMotion rate” accordingly.

Audio Quality

Moving on to the speakers, yes, SPEAKERS. In fact, there are four of them, which sound amazing. Watch this audio test carried out by TLD, and let the quality speaks for itself.

What’s New on iOS 11?

The 10.5″ iPad Pro ships with iOS 10 but with the iOS 11 out on the market, there are more exciting things you can do with it, now more than ever. For example, on the screen, you have a dock like what you see on the Macbook. You can easily drag-and-drop your apps or even text or photos from one app to another for your convenience. You can multitask between two applications and this time; Apple also included a Files feature where you can store your photos, videos or documents on Cloud services, not restricted to just the iCloud.

Technical Specifications

The iPad Pro runs on the Apple-made A10X Fusion Chip. Its CPU speed is 30 percent faster than its previous model and 40% faster in graphical speed. Coupling it with 4GB of RAM, you should not experience any noticeable lags at all. As far as storage space goes, the iPad Pro comes with 64GB, 128GB, 256GB and 512GB of storage. And as you may have already guessed, the pricing gets a boost too when you choose a larger storage.

Camera

The camera has never been the most talked-about on an iPad before because, first of all, they are normally bad and second of all, one would look ridiculous taking photos with it. However, we decided to include it in this article because the camera on the 10.5″ iPad Pro is great. To be precise, it is the same as the iPhone 7 – 12MP rear camera and 7MP FaceTime HD camera.

We are very sure that the image quality will turn out better than many of the competitors. It could also come in handy when you want to scan your documents.

Battery Life

Apple says that the iPad Pro can “tahan” (Singlish) or lasts up to 10 hours of usage. Many reviewers are claiming the same. The only downside to the battery is the time it takes to charge. Sadly, there’s no quick charge built-in so charging the iPad Pro may take a few hours. We are talking about up to 5 hours. One way to charge your iPad Pro at the fastest time possible, you can try using the Macbook 29W adaptor. Many are reporting that it halves the normal charging time.

You are welcome.

Do you need it?

Almost everything about the 10.5″ iPad Pro 2017 is perfect. The only remaining question is whether it is for you?

Well, the iPad Pro is meant for everyone. However, not everyone wants to buy it thanks to its price tag, which could probably get you an equally good laptop, without having to pay for an additional keyboard.

In our opinion, we feel that it is more suitable for working professionals who want to remain productive even when they are travelling, like graphic designers, researchers, writers and photographers. And thanks to Apple’s free apps like Keynote, Pages, Numbers and iMovie, the iPad Pro is a productive beast of its own.

That said, the Apple iPads are known to slow down after a few years due to their constant updates of their iOS. It is uncertain how long and how fast the iPad Pro’s speed will last this time around.

The 10.5″ iPad Pro 2017 is available at the Apple Store and all major resellers. It retails at S$968 and is available in Silver, Space Grey, Rose Gold and Gold.