Apple iPad Pro 10.5 preview: A new iPad brings new tricks

Apple continues to find new reasons for users to want to upgrade their aging iPads, as the company looks to appeal to the pro user even more.

Announcing a new version of the iPad Pro at the start of its developer’s conference, WWDC, the newly announced iPad Pro 10.5 will come with a much brighter, bigger display, but not overly changed too much in size, thanks to changes to the design.

iPad Pro 10.5 design

At a distance, the new 10.5-inch model looks similar in design terms to the 9.7-inch iPad Pro and 12.9-inch screen models. However, it now features a much thinner bezel, allowing the company to create a device that is not overly large in comparison.

The new design is slightly heavier than the previous 9.7-inch model, as you would expect, but in the hand, the weight difference is barely noticeable. It’s still a very thin, very light device that is well balanced.

Pocket-lint

The increased size means it is still going to happily slip into a bag in the same way users of the 9.7-inch model have come to expect, and the new thinner bezel doesn’t affect holding the tablet.  

Of course, it is not just about a bigger display; the iPad Pro 10.5 gets a number of new enhancements in terms of power, cameras, software, and accessories, and that display isn’t just larger, but more capable, too, thanks to the introduction of a new technology called ProMotion.

The iPad Pro ProMotion display

Claimed by Apple as the most “advanced iPad display yet”, it is certainly bright, crisp, and clear. Adding to other buzz tech words used by Apple like its True Tone tech, ProMotion delivers a variable refresh rate of up to 120Hz based on what you are doing on screen at the time.

In technical terms, that means that if you are viewing fast moving motion, you get the improved screen refresh rate to make things “buttery smooth”, but view something more static, and the iPad doesn’t need to over exert itself and therefore doesn’t gobble battery power either.

The technology isn’t just for high-octane, action-packed movies or video games, but it’s used all the time to do everything from make web scrolling smoother or app graphics better, and you can tell Apple is clearly hoping the improvements will appeal to those who want to push the iPad way beyond just watching the latest box set on Netflix or reading an email.

Better performance

A new model means more power. The 10.5-inch version gets the same two front and rear cameras from the iPhone 7, a new A10X fusion processor, and bigger storage options starting from 64GB and going all the way up to 512GB.

We weren’t able to really give the device a run for its money during our hands-on time after the keynote, but what we did see at this stage gave us no reason for concern.

Apps loaded fast, graphic demos for images, videos, and AR were smooth, and overall things look as impressive, if not more impressive, than what we’ve seen previously on the two current iPad Pro models.

iOS 11

Although the iPad Pro 10.5 is out in June, it will still come with iOS 10 to start with before iOS 11 eventually launches in the “fall”.

The latest operating system update from Apple features a number of new features, but in particular a number aimed at really “super-charging” the iPad for pro users, including a new dock, switching options, and a new app called Files. The changes look to make a huge difference and will compel the question of whether you even need to bother with a laptop in the future. 

Pocket-lint

App switching, although looking complicated for the novice user, should make a huge difference for power users, and that, combined with a number of other features coming to the iOS, will only look to make things even better when it comes out later in the year.

We look forward to testing the new software when it’s updated first with the public beta at the end of June and then when it’s out in “September”. 

Accessories

The new iPad gets Apple’s usual array of cases and smart keyboards. The new size means the iPad Pro keyboard is now “full size”, which means typing isn’t so squished, while the introduction of a new smart case gives you a slot to store the Apple Pencil so you don’t lose it in the void of your bag.

Pocket-lint

First Impressions

The iPad Pro 10.5 looks like a lovely tablet. The enhanced speed, bigger screen, and eventually, new software options make this a worthy addition to the iPad Pro range – and one that is unlikely to disappoint. 

We’ve yet to properly live with the iPad Pro 10.5 to see whether the addition of the ever-so-slightly bigger screen makes a difference over the 9.7-inch version (which is now discontinued), but we suspect it will make multitasking so much easier.

This isn’t a drop-everything-and-upgrade solution, but if you’ve held off going Pro before, this is certainly going to appeal to many looking to their iPad to do much more than when it was first announced in 2010.