I previously published some first-look photos of the new 10.5-inch iPad Pro. I’ve used the machine for a week and a half, and I understand it better now. Things — and people — are ill-served by complex and lengthy reviews. Ultimately, an iPad is a technically sophisticated object that aspires to conceptual simplicity. My thoughts are correspondingly brief.
This new iPad Pro looks and feels the same in the hand as the previous one. The screen area is noticeably larger, with a greater sense of space, but that’s a digital rather than physical difference. Responsiveness is also perceptibly better — when scrolling, switching apps, and using the Pencil. It’s visibly brighter, too. Touch ID is faster. All that stuff is readily apparent.
The 10.5-inch model isn’t really a different size from the 9.7”, though. Apple long ago chose the most comfortable balance of portability and an expansive canvas. This one has an active area that’s closer to its ideal physical size, and a responsiveness that’s closer to a natural, direct-manipulation, chameleonic device.
This is the same iPad that Apple keeps making and refining. It’s just the truest one so far.