Apple iPad Pro 10.5
Verdict
Key specs
Critic consensus
“Apple has decided not to give the iPad Pro 10.5 a full makeover and instead made real improvements where it matters most. Particularly the new display is impressive - its great reflective properties and HDR capabilities will be particularly interesting for fans of movies, TV series and gaming. Unfortunately, we could not measure the promised P3 color-space coverage, but only the smaller sRGB color space.”
“Iif you’re trying to choose between the larger and smaller Pro models, Apple has made your choice much simpler by syncing up the refresh cycle. The old 12.9-inch Pro had a bigger screen, more memory, and a better Smart Keyboard, but the smaller one had the better screen and the superior camera. Now the screen tech and the specifications and the size of the keyboards and the camera quality is all synced up, just pick the size you want and run with it. I’d say that if you do intend to use the iPad for its original purpose—watching movies and playing games—for any significant amount of time, the 10.5-inch option is going to be more comfortable and versatile, but that’s your choice to make.”
“Apple strikes a very attractive balance with the new 10.5-inch iPad Pro. The larger screen size over the typical 9.7-inch variety gives you a tad more elbow room than you'd have on a smaller tablet, making things like reading text-dense websites slightly more comfortable. The bigger deal here is that Apple was able to give us such a screen without making the tablet's dimensions significantly larger than before.”
“The iPad Pro 10.5 is a lovely tablet to not only look at, but also to use. It wins on performance, display, camera (if you ever use it), and size, with the promise of becoming even better when iOS 11 becomes available later in the year.”
Watch before you decide
In Depth
Apple’s latest iPad release tries to further blur the line between laptop and tablet. With its larger screen, impressive spec list and established pedigree, it certainly looks great on paper.
Whether you’re looking for a portable workstation or a powerful media machine, the iPad Pro 10.5 seems to have something to offer everyone. Reviews are rolling in! Let’s see if they agree.
Apple is known for their build quality. The iPad Pro 10.5 is no exception. Reviewers loved the finish on the metallic back, the feel of the buttons and the lightweight yet sturdy feel of the device in hand.
The tablet features a TouchID fingerprint sensor, headphone jack and stereo speakers. In typical Apple fashion, there’s no microSD support. However, with up to 512GB of internal storage depending on the model, there’s certainly no lack of storage space.
The iPad 10.5’s display received rave reviews. Running at a resolution of 1668-by-2224, the display is clear and colorful. Reviewers loved the TrueTone and ProMotion features. These help to adjust the display based on your surrounding lighting and provide smoother scrolling. Wired noted, “… everything looks smoother than butter. Swiping homescreens, playing games, or just scrolling through WIRED feels like you’re actually touching the things you see, not just whacking pixels on a screen.”
Pushing those pixels, you’ll find Apple’s latest A10X hexa-core processor. While Apple doesn’t disclose the amount of RAM in the tablet, benchmarks from a few reviews showed it has 4GB of RAM. Performance reviews were stellar. Reviews touted zero lag, fluid movement, fast multitasking and solid media and gaming performance. TechRadar summed up opinions well, saying, “Apple really isn’t lying about putting the best of the best in its A10X chipset—this is, by far, the most impressive mobile CPU we’ve seen.”
Software was one sticky point for most reviews. While the tablet ships with iOS 10, the fall update to iOS 11 promises a massive set of feature upgrades. This lead many to question whether purchasing before the update was worth it or if they were getting a true idea of the power of the tablet.
If you don’t mind holding a giant tablet up to snap a shot, you’ll find a camera similar to the iPhone 7 in the new iPad. With a 12MP rear lens and 7MP front-facing shooter, reviews showed some stunning photos.
News is equally good on the battery front. While specifications from Apple are scant, reviewers had no trouble getting multiple days on a charge with casual use. If you’re planning to use it as a productivity machine, TechRadar noted, “We managed to watch some video, browse the internet and do a lot of writing using the Smart Keyboard, and the battery was nearly dead after six and half hours of constant use.”
The Smart Keyboard is one accessory designed for the new tablet with the new Apple Pencil being the other. Reviewers noted that they add to the experience and functionality of the tablet but question the overall pricing.
This was the biggest issue cited by reviewers. By the time you add accessories and opt for a mid-tier storage capacity, you can nearly by a high-end laptop. Yet, until the released of iOS 11, reviewers couldn’t say if the iPad Pro 10.5 is a real laptop replacement. However, all agreed that if you don’t mind the price, the tablet offers one of the most compelling experiences on the market.
What people actually want to know
When was the Apple iPad Pro 10.5 released?
The Apple iPad Pro 10.5 was released on June 5, 2017.
How long does the battery last on the Apple iPad Pro 10.5?
The Apple iPad Pro 10.5 has a 30 mAh battery.
Does the Apple iPad Pro 10.5 have NFC?
Yes, the Apple iPad Pro 10.5 has NFC. You can use Google Wallet, Apple Pay, and tap-to-pair with Bluetooth accessories.
Where can I get support for the Apple iPad Pro 10.5?
Visit Apple's official support page for warranty info, repairs, and troubleshooting.
Questions & answers
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