Apple’s 9.7-inch iPad Pro White 128G

Product Description

Apple’s 9.7-inch iPad Pro is a familiar and excellent product. While a smaller version of the large12.9-inch iPad Pro Apple just launched last fall may seem like a quick solution to iPad sales problems (it more or less peaked in 2014 and has been flat-to-falling ever since), it would be foolish to think that the company developed the 9.7 edition quickly. It’s safe to assume that it was on the drawing board when Apple was developing the first iPad Pro.

A little body work

As I mentioned earlier, the 9.7-inch iPad Pro looks almost exactly like the iPad Air 2. The dimensions are identical and both weigh an incredibly light 0.96 pounds.

The Touch ID-enabled home button is the same and supports Apple Pay for in-app purchases. Design cues like the chamfered edges on the top (it’s the tiniest bit wider) and curves leading to the flat bottom are the same. The Power/Sleep button and the volume rocker are also unchanged. Apple finally did away with the black (or white) plastic strip on the iPad back and clad the antenna in the same aluminum as the rest of the body. It’s a nice touch.

The 9.7-inch iPad Pro is the first iPad with a camera that sticks out about a millimeter from the back of the device. It’s a familiar look, one we’ve seen on the iPhone 6 and 6S devices. In this instance, the extra space accommodates a powerful 12-megapixel iSight camera. There are clear benefits to having this powerful shooter in an iPad, but I do wonder why Apple is getting so comfortable discarding its commitment to smooth lines and clean surfaces. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing about the 9.7-inch iPad Pro that’s sloppy, but it no longer sits perfectly flat on a table.

The other difference is the introduction of the Smart Connector (yes, just like the one on the 12.9-inch iPad Pro). Apple has done an excellent job of making these three copper connectors barely noticeable.

See it

While the 9.7-inch iPad Pro’s 2,048 x 1,536 screen resolution is the same as the iPad Air 2, the display is actually an upgrade from both the iPad Air 2 and the 12.9-inch iPad Pro (leaving aside the latter’s higher 2,732 x 2,048 resolution).

The 9.7-inch iPad Pro introduces a much brighter (500 nits, as measured by Apple) screen that’s noticeable to the naked eye, reduced reflectivity that doesn’t kill reflectivity all together, a wider color gamut and True Tone.

The merits of these last two screen features will depend largely on your point of view. Colors certainly pop on the 9.7-inch iPad Pro, but they look good on the iPad Air and 12.9-inch iPad Pro, too.

People who work on art, design and photography will probably appreciate the color prowess the most.

True Tone’s impact is far more noticeable. It uses the tablet’s ambient light sensors to adjust the screen color for a more simpatico hue that may help reduce eye strain. You can turn True Tone on and off in the Display & Brightness setting. The effect is, essentially, a warming of screen colors. I’m not a fan. I like the iPad’s default, crisp-near-blue screen hue.

Wi-Fi and LTEFast wireless connectivity.

iPad Pro can connect to the fastest Wi-Fi or cellular networks so you can surf the web, stream movies and share documents from virtually anywhere. With the Wi-Fi + Cellular model, you can also make phone and FaceTime calls — or even create a hotspot — with your existing data plan. And the new 9.7‑inch iPad Pro features LTE Advanced, enabling up to 50 percent faster cellular connections.³

A better experience with every touch.

iOS 9 is the world’s most advanced, intuitive, and secure mobile operating system. From powerful multitasking features to Night Shift and News, iOS 9 is designed to help you get the most out of iPad.

Great ways to expand what’s possible with iPad Pro. You can get even more creative and productive with accessories designed especially for the scale, capabilities, and power of iPad Pro. Explore the range of covers, keyboards, and more.