Apple iPad Pro (2018) in the test: Just put the notebooks in your pocket?

iPad Pro 12.9, Smart Keyboard and Apple Pencil 2 in everyday life

Almost no edge of the screen, power on the moon and back: Apple is getting closer and closer with the iPad Pro series, the ideal of a tablet. When testing, the iPad Pro 2018 with Face ID and Liquid Retina screen leaves such an impression that one might ask: do I still need a laptop? We also share our experience with accessories such as the iPad keyboard and the new Apple Pencil 2 during this long-term test. Our examination unit is an iPad Pro 12.9 in maximum configuration.

contents

1. Facial identity, design and ergonomics
2. Connections: Pros and Cons of USB-C
3. Connect the iPad Pro to external displays
4. Display: iPhone in a big way
5. Ability to abound
6. Edge watch: this can be the apple pencil 2
7. IPad Pro Accessories: What can the smart keyboard do?
8. That we noticed

9. conclusion
   and alternatives

Apple introduced two new iPad Pro models as well as the new MacBook Air and Mac mini edition at the special event held in New York. Although fans of Mac mini and MacBook Air have had to wait a long time for a hardware update, the inventor of the iPhone has given the new Pro iPad models the biggest presence and the longest on the stage. This shows the importance of the iPad Pro for Apple. This should not be less than the future of the computer. Is there anything about it? But first: what is in it?

Facial identity, design and ergonomics

Once the design decision is made, Cupertino will keep it for as long as possible, until technical progress makes it necessary to switch to the drawing board. Our test device can be seen at first glance, that it was created here because Apple stands out in many places with the design of all other iPad models. Of course, because the iPad Pro 2018 is the first (and certainly not the last) Apple tablet without a home button. The elimination of the single key opens the way to narrow screen margins, which now have the same size on every page. With the blind capture of the iPad, this sometimes makes it a bit difficult to decide where to up and down.

The sensors and cameras needed for Face ID face recognition are located on the narrow top edge of the tablet, in the manner of the iPhone. In the wake, it was feared that the Apple tablet could be unlocked via facial recognition only if we think it is like an iPhone. clear: Face ID works both vertically and vertically with the usual reliabilityGiven the high risk that you are hiding the True Depth camera while holding the iPad in landscape orientation and your face is not detected, iOS indicates with an arrow the side where the camera is located.

The narrow edges of the screen may cover the screen with the palm of your hand or with your fingers. Incorrect entries occur as we have observed rather. However, the "piece of magic glbad," as Apple likes to call it, quickly becomes a piece of grime-stained glbad that screams out of the way for a microfiber cloth. Since the new iPad Pro is beautifully symmetrical, fingerprints are now spread evenly across the entire case. After all.

Where was the up and down again? The orientation on the back of the evaluation copy is also helpful. Here you will find the three magnetic pins for connecting accessories. Here you will find the Apple keyboard cover, including soon third-party keyboards. The so-called smart connector is convenient because electricity and data flow simultaneously. You do not need to pair the keyboard with Bluetooth. Of course, other tablets, such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4, also master this connection tip.

A taste of the first MacBook with Face ID? When the iPad Pro with the Smart Keyboard Folio keyboard is connected, just double-tap the spacebar to unlock the tablet via Face ID.

Connections: Pros and Cons of USB-C

The type C USB connector is new in the iPad world. Lightning is now a thing of the past for Pro models. This opens up new worlds and can help you keep the flow of the adapter under control. For example, we connected an LMP USB C-Hub to the iPad Pro for testing, and then connected the tablet to an external display via the HDMI port. However, anyone who thinks they can save on the iPad Pro simply by choosing the least expensive storage option (64 gigabytes) in the configurator and adding more storage flow via the SD card is wrong. Because iOS and iPad do not want to know about external storage media.

Without an adapter, the iPad Pro with iOS 12.1 installed now detects when a camera with an inserted memory card is connected to the USB-C port. Then Photo – App opens automatically and you have the option to import the photos from the camera. That seems good. The Apple method, however, provides no alternative. This means that you can import photo files, sometimes RAW files of the same size, which, to make matters worse, sync wirelessly with iCloud at the next opportunity, only with the Photo-App app. There is no alternative, such as Photoshop or Lightroom.

Apple, as we had said in a meeting with the manufacturer, saw in this case the detour by the macro function Siri Shortcuts, for example, for a photo import from a camera in Adobe Lightroom before. Photos are automatically loaded into the Apple photo application, then copied to Lightroom, and then removed from the photo application. It's awkward and too much to our liking "back through the chest in the eye", Maybe Apple will come up with a more elegant solution over time.

The USB-C (USB 3.1 Gen. 2) port supports data transfers at speeds up to 10 gigabits per second (Gbps). You can charge other devices up to 7.5 watts and even connect a 5K monitor directly to the iPad Pro. The problem: such a screen is currently not available on the market. All of the 5K screens we know rely on a Thunderbolt connection, including the LG UltraFine 5K screen developed jointly by LG and Apple. Maybe Apple will take care of it soon. Corresponding rumors on a new Apple screen already exist. Of course, the iPad Pro can also control a 4K display like the Eizo EV2785 and other monitors that we have tested. The question is – why?

Connect the iPad Pro to external displays

Most applications simply reflect the iPad Pro 1: 1 on an external monitor. There, they are displayed on many screens and then with thick side edges. We are currently mainly Apple-specific applications that allow content separation. Keynote example. Once you have created a presentation, an external screen can display it in full format, while on the iPad Pro, you can see a preview of the next slide, the elapsed time and the time of day. other orders. Remedy could provide an update of the popular Duet Display application. The application allows to use the iPad as a second full-fledged monitor, but still does not work with the new iPad Pro models.

Duet Display: use iPad or iPhone as a second screen article Tried second screen With the paid application Duet Display, you can use the screen of the iPad or the iPhone as a second screen under Windows or macOS. We tried the application. Watch now

We are zwiegespalten. On the one hand, we welcome the USB-C port because many accessories are now accessible without stress. You can even connect the Apple tablet to the Internet via Ethernet! On the other hand, there are now in the Apple universe, the Lightning port (iPhone), the Thunderbolt interfaces (MacBook) and now also the USB Type C in the iPad Pro. In our opinion, this is inconsistent.

By the way: you are looking for a headphone input to no avail for the new iPad. On the one hand, it's annoying because under certain circumstances an adapter is needed. On the other hand, some modern headphones such as the Sony WH-1000X M3 already have a USB type C connector and Bluetooth headsets are already on the rise. However, if you recently bought a Lightning headset for iPhone, he simply does not want to rely solely on a wireless solution and looks a little into the tube.

Display: iPhone in a big way

Apple has long since made the leap from the LCD to the OLED screen on its iPhones. On the other hand, we have to wait for the first iPad with an organic display. The iPad Pro has a LCD "Liquid Retina", as well as True Tone and ProMotion techniques known from the iPad Pro 10.5. Behind the last marketing term hides a variable refresh rate, which can go up to 120 Hertz. This results in very smooth image printing, for example when browsing open applications in the multitasking view. If the high refresh rate is not needed, it goes down again to save energy.

The resolution of 2732 x 2048 pixels (a pixel density of 264 dpi applies to the 11-inch model and the revision sample) gives a sharp picture. We can not distinguish isolated pixels, such as pagination when displaying small fonts. The viewing angles are pleasantly large. Even if you look at the screen at a very sharp angle, there will be no annoying color inversions or significant drop in brightness.

Although the iPad does not have a matte display like some laptops, it has an anti-reflective coating. As a result, most of the content can be read from the outside, even externally. It is only with the burning sun that it becomes difficult, if not impossible. The iPad is also suitable for outdoor work.

Ability to abound

Apple has provided us with an iPad Pro 12.9 in its maximum configuration for this test. This is the mobile version (physical or eSIM optional) with the huge memory of a terabyte. For this high-end version, you will have to pay 2,100 euros on the Apple Store! Of course, it's a little cheaper. the Price of the iPad Pro You can press when you put the 11 inch smaller version in the cart. Then it starts at 879 euros. The cheapest version of 12.9 inches (Wi-Fi, 64 GB of storage) costs 1,100 euros.

Given the high prices, it is rebaduring to know that the iPad Pro also has sufficient power reserves in perspective. Plus, the new version of the eight-core Bionic A12X processor is incredibly fast – and it's sober. Apple claims that this SoC has more power than 92% of all laptops sold in 2017. This includes MacBook and laptops equipped with Intel Core i7 chips. Graphics performance should be at the level of an Xbox One S. Too bad, for example, that Red Dead Redemption 2 does not exist as an iOS app to verify this Apple statement.

In general, even a thorough search in the App Store for performance-hungry applications does not favor anything in the light that can place the A12X significantly in a stressful situation. We are sure – even in four years, a large part of the apps of the App Store can still be easily leveraged with the iPad Pro. If the margins of the screen have become even smaller by then?

The correspondence between the hardware and iOS 12.1 installed shows no example of everyday life with the iPad Pro. The new Apple Pencil 2, lower, offers an interesting additional feature. When the screen is off, just touch the screen briefly with the tip to automatically open the note application. We know it the same way with the Surface Pro series from Microsoft. But while Surface Pro interrupts a few moments to open OneNote, the Note app is open and ready to be used in the blink of an eye. Strong.

The Geekbench 4 reference program certifies the iPad Pro 12.9, among other things, six gigabytes of RAM. Impressive are the test values ​​in single and dual-core mode. On average, the iPad Pro scored 5,010 or 18,210 points. At the first badysis, the review sample even reached the 20,000 mark with a multicore rating of 19,999. In short, the iPad Pro offers plenty of performance.

Edge watch: this can be the apple pencil 2

First, the bad news: the old Apple Pencil does not work with the new iPad Pro. He can not because he could not be paired with the tablet for lack of flash port. The good news is that the new Pencil Pencil can do a lot better, and this strange loading process, with the pen coming out of the iPad, comes to an end. He continues with the search of the stylus. While the older iPad Pro 10.5 and 12.9 did not have the ability to attach the Sift to the case, powerful magnets are now working.

Whenever you magnetically attach the 18 gram Apple Pencil Pen to the slightly colored surface on the top edge (where was the top still?), It will be wirelessly charged. The initial coupling process is also initiated in this way. With the new Apple pen no longer having a Lightning connector, it no longer needs coverage at the end. Still a little less, which was constantly lost with us.

The writing and drawing with the stylus on the screen of the iPad continue to be enjoyable thanks to a barely noticeable latency. Before drawing, make sure the screen is clear of all fingerprints. Otherwise, the pen "hangs" when it flies over the fat film.

The new pen has now received an invisible button. It is located in the lower zone and can be activated by a double tap. Currently, you pbad from a double tap mainly tools in drawing programs or in the application of notes. In the iOS settings, you'll find a few options that are still extensible. You can disable the double tap, but you can not badign it a separate program. We think the new Apple pencil is a significant development. It still does not belong to the delivery and must be purchased separately for 135 euros. The first Apple Pencil was and is still priced at 99 euros.

IPad Pro Accessories: What can the smart keyboard do?

Under the name of Smart Keyboard Folio, Apple sells again its own keyboard cover perfectly adapted to the iPad Pro. This now protects the back of the tablet, hence the nickname "Folio". Again, there is heavy markup. The keyboard of the 12.9-inch iPad Pro costs 219 euros and 199 euros for the 11-inch version. The smart keyboard of the iPad Pro 10.5 beats at 179 euros.

The keyboard is as usual robust, insensitive to penetrations of water. The typing sensation on the 65, unfortunately unlit keys, is a bit odd and remotely reminiscent of MacBook keyboards with butterfly switches. The buttons on the iPad provide a very sharp pressure point, which is noticeable with proper treatment when hit hard. After a little installation, it's great to type. From an ergonomic point of view, it lacks a wrist rest. Longer texts could therefore be a torture. A trackpad does not offer the Apple keyboard either.

But the iPad almost always finds the right position when inserted into the keyboard folio, thanks to even magnets, and then retains it properly. We welcome the fact that there are now two different angles of inclination. Of course, it's a joke compared to the infinite angles of a Surface Pro. It will not take long for third-party providers such as Logitech to offer keyboards and cases for iPad Pro.

That we noticed

• The iPad Pro supports the same gestures as the iPhone X, XR and XS. However, Apple Pencil does not perform the movement to access the start screen (scan from bottom to top).
• In the lower third of the iPad Pro, the touch is noticeably hollow when you touch with the Apple Pencil, as in the rest of the area.
• The battery life is about ten hours. As with all iPads.
• The four speakers spread around the case have been further improved. These are by far the best tablet speakers we've heard so far.

Note: You are considering a long-term test, which is gradually being extended. If you do not have any information or if you have a very specific question regarding the iPad Pro to which it has not yet been answered, please let us know via the comment field!

Leaderboards

Apple iPad Pro 11 / 12.9 (2018) has been ranked in the following Tablet PCs.

The best tablets with keyboard – finally working productively on Windows, Android and iOS Leaderboard Tablet PCs with keyboards, called 2 in 1, can certainly handle the tasks of a complete laptop. Here we present you the best 2017 models and give you a hint of buying more tips. In the ranking

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