iPad Professional 11 vs 12.9: M1 and M2 are nice, however which measurement do you have to purchase?

Apple’s iPad has come a good distance since its debut again in 2010. Now there are the standard iPad, the light-weight iPad Air, the compact iPad Mini, and probably the most succesful mannequin, the iPad Pro. Content material creators, digital nomads, and professionals will most definitely be drawn to that final member of Apple’s convoluted pill lineup, with the ability to take full benefit of the Professional’s superior M1 or M2 silicon, ultra-bright show, and wealth of software program options akin to Hover Mode due to premium add-ons just like the 2nd-gen Apple Pencil.

Additionally: Are you a heavy cellphone hotspot person? Get this cellular router as an alternative

When you have your thoughts set on the iPad Professional, the follow-up query is, do you have to purchase the 11-inch model or the 12.9-inch? 

On paper, the size do not sound too far aside. However in the event you’ve ever gone hands-on with the flagship tablets — which I like to recommend you do to get a really feel of issues — then you already know that one is extra like a traditional-sized pill and the opposite is an emphatically giant slab. 

Clearly, measurement is the largest distinction between the 2, however I’ve listed a number of extra key causes beneath that it’s best to take into account earlier than deciding on which configuration to purchase.

Specs

You can purchase the 11-inch iPad Professional if…

1. You like a extra transportable work machine

Do not get it twisted, each iPad Professional sizes are shockingly skinny (about 0.25 inch) and might be simply tucked into any backpack sleeve, however the smaller 11-inch is far simpler to carry and weighs about half a pound lower than the 12.9-inch mannequin. 

If you happen to plan on touring with the iPad from house to the workplace to native cafes, then the extra transportable footprint of the 11-inch Professional must be an enormous consideration.

In truth, in the event you’re upgrading from an present iPad, whether or not it is the Air, the Mini, or the vanilla mannequin, you then’ll end up proper at house with the 11-inch kind issue. And its M1-based efficiency will likely be noticeably higher.

2. You would like to save lots of a minimum of $300

Is it thought-about free cash in the event you save your self from spending extra? Both manner, choosing the 11-inch iPad Professional as an alternative of the 12.9-inch mannequin, on common, will prevent about $300. The primary distinction between the 2 — and, spoiler alert for one of many causes to purchase the 12.9-inch mannequin as an alternative — is the brighter mini-LED show on the bigger iPad. However is the next nit depend value $300 extra? The reply actually is determined by how you are going to use the pill, however for most individuals, it is a resounding “No.”

Additionally: M1 iPad Professional (2021) vs. M2 iPad Professional (2022): Definitely worth the improve?

It’s totally doubtless that in the event you’re shopping for an iPad, not to mention a Professional, you will snag one in every of Apple’s keyboard instances as effectively. Whether or not you are eyeing a full-function Magic Keyboard or a minimal folio case, you will be spending $20-$50 much less for equipment made for the 11-inch mannequin.

You can purchase the 12.9-inch iPad Professional if…

1. Your workflow requires a bigger canvas

How are you planning to make use of the iPad Professional? Are you a graphics designer who thrives on Photoshop? Do you edit uncooked 4K movies each different day of the week? If you happen to take into account your self an influence person, then the bigger iPad Professional ought to serve you higher than its smaller different. Not solely does the 12.9-inch mannequin offer you a wider show on which to visualise your graphics, video timelines, and multi-window layouts, however it’s additionally noticeably brighter, with a peak brightness of 1,600 nits.

Additionally: iPadOS 16 has fully modified the best way I take advantage of my iPad Professional

The superior visible output is due to Apple’s Professional Show XDR, an meeting of mini LEDs unfold beneath the glass to create extra dimming zones. Mainly, you may anticipate one of many best-performing excessive dynamic vary (HDR) shows on the 12.9-inch iPad Professional.

2. You desire a bigger keyboard to kind on

Hear me out: The typing expertise on any keyboard case you purchase for the 12.9-inch iPad Professional will likely be higher than that for the 11-inch mannequin. It is because each case will very doubtless have a bigger palm relaxation and trackpad to cowl up the 12.9-inch iPad’s show when closed shut.

Extra: Finest iPad keyboard instances

Whereas keyboard instances will likely be costlier for the bigger iPad, as talked about earlier than, typing on one which was made for the 12.9-inch iPad must be much less cramped and customarily extra comfy. For touring typists, that cause alone may justify the premium.

FAQs