Siliconrepublic.com’s editor John Kennedy gets his hands on Apple’s new 9.7in iPad Pro, a device that Apple is tipping as an ideal PC replacement.
Apple’s new 9.7in iPad Pro features the same firepower as the 12.9in model and works with the Apple Pencil and new Smart Keyboard revealed last September.
It comes with a new Retina display that Apple claims is brighter and has a wider colour gamut.
Powered by the 64-bit A9X chip that rivals most portable PCs, it boasts a four-speaker audio system.
It also comes with a new 12MP iSight camera for shooting 4K videos, as well as a 5MP front-facing FaceTime HD camera.
The camera also features Focus Pixels for fast-focusing and can take 63MP panoramas.
It also boasts four remarkable hi-stereo speakers on each corner that can boom sound at twice the audio output of an iPad Air 2.
The iPad Pro can do everything a PC can do and possibly more, but this may still take a bit of getting used to for generations of computers users who grew up using the mouse.
But Apple isn’t exactly replacing the PC for existing users, but offering a new option for a new generation of users who just want to work differently and in a more versatile way.
In that sense, the 9.7in iPad Pro isn’t a PC-killer, but it is an extremely viable alternative.
Pros:
* A9X chip is blisteringly fast
* Colourful high-definition Retina screen
* 4 hi-fi speakers produce great sound quality
* Excellent 10-hour battery life
* Multitasking features include split screen
* 12MP camera with True Tone flash
* Software runs very smoothly
* Smart keyboard very responsive
Cons:
* Camera juts out slightly at rear
Verdict: 4.5/5
Pricing and availability: Available from early April, the 9.7-inch iPad Pro comes in silver, space grey, gold and a new rose gold metallic finish, and starts at €699 (inc VAT) for the 32GB with Wi-Fi model and €849 (inc VAT) for the 32GB Wi-Fi + Cellular model
Words by John Kennedy
