Hands-On With the New 2018 12.9-Inch iPad Pro

Today is the official launch day for the 11 and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models, and we got our hands on one of the new larger versions along with a Smart Keyboard Folio and an Apple Pencil 2, the new accessories that go along with the updated tablet.

Check out our latest YouTube video for an unboxing and feature overview of the new device, which has been radically overhauled compared to the previous-generation model.


Apple's new iPad Pro models feature an entirely new design with a near edge-to-edge display that replaces the Touch ID Home button with a TrueDepth camera system and Face ID for authentication purposes.

The all-screen design is, unsurprisingly, gorgeous, especially when paired with True Tone, ProMotion for 120Hz refresh, and wide color support for vivid, true-to-life colors.

ipaddprodisplay
Design wise, the iPad Pro models no longer use smooth, rounded edges that taper into the back of the tablet, instead featuring a flat, more industrial band around the sides that's reminiscent of the iPhone 5.

ipadproiphone5s
The 11-inch model is the same size as the 10.5-inch model just with a bigger display, but for the 12.9-inch model, Apple kept the 12.9-inch display and shrunk the body size, so it's smaller and more compact, and easier to hold.

There's a new USB-C port that replaces the Lightning port, so you can plug in all manner of things, like 4K displays, cameras, and even your iPhone. Over USB-C, the iPhone can charge from the iPad Pro, much like it would from a Mac.

Face ID on the new iPad Pro works great, and unlike the iPhone, it can unlock the iPad in either portrait or landscape orientation. You need to be careful not to cover up the sensor with a hand when using it in landscape mode, but it's otherwise pretty flawless.

ipadprodesign
The A12X in the iPad Pro is super speedy and faster than many notebooks on the market, but there's one thing to be aware of. All 64, 256, and 512GB iPad Pro models feature 4GB RAM, while the 1TB models have 6GB. It's not yet entirely clear why the higher-capacity models have more RAM, but it's worth noting if you're aiming for maximum performance.

Apple designed two accessories to go with the iPad Pro: the Apple Pencil 2 and the Smart Keyboard Folio. If you like to sketch and draw, the Apple Pencil 2 is a must have. It's smaller than the original and it charges and syncs when you connect it to the iPad Pro using magnets.

ipadproapplepencil
The Smart Keyboard Folio feels similar to the previous-generation Smart Keyboard with the same general key feel, but the folio style is nice because it offers all-around device protection.

ipadprosmartkeyboard
The 12.9-inch iPad Pro isn't going to be for everyone because of its size, but it offers maximum display for making art, gaming, and other purposes. For those who think the 12.9-inch model is just a bit too big, the 11-inch iPad Pro is a great compromise, offering a lot more screen real estate than the previous 10.5-inch model.

Unfortunately, neither of these two new iPads is cheap, which is the biggest negative. The 11-inch model starts at $799 for the 64GB version, while the 64GB 12.9-inch model starts at $999.

Did you get a new 2018 iPad Pro? Let us know what you think in the comments.

Related Roundup: iPad Pro
Related Forum: iPad

Top Rated Comments

SigEp265 Avatar
70 months ago
I like the square edges a lot
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BruceEBonus Avatar
70 months ago
Looks like a real computer. Costs like one too. But ... isn’t. And the little boy asked “Daddy, why.” And his father sighed and replied ... “Son, sometimes people get sidetracked and get stuff cos it’s ‘new’ not for any other reason”
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Illuminated Avatar
70 months ago





The way the iPhone is lined up with the table makes my OCD very happy.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Brainjax44 Avatar
70 months ago
I don’t get why no one is commenting how stupid it was for Apple to design the last smart keyboard with the felt-side-down when typing. You know, the part that covers the screen when closed? That thing picked up so much dust and debris that then scratched up your screen, it’s ridiculous the designer got away with it. This is a huge step up.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Veinticinco Avatar
70 months ago
Tempted I cannot lie...but for all the new form factor feel, unless you go basic spec it's still a psychological barrier to buy an iPad when you can buy the new MBA for similar price.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Seoras Avatar
70 months ago
The big advantage of Intel or compatible, esp. for systems often doing duty somewhere between desk/laptop vs server, is that you can run a Windows or Linux VM (or Docker for Mac) if you have something that's best done in those environments. A fast enough non-Intel could emulate, but it'd have to be a LOT faster, and for laptops, that'd be power hungry.

Phones and tablets lock you into an ecosystem, and unless you're a developer, give you very limited freedom in how you can do things. Laptops and desktops, although they may optionally offer such controls (App Store apps only, for instance), give you more flexibility; if not, there's really not that much point to them.

When the Apple ARM was truly at the level of a replacement (for both CPU and GPU/crypto/etc engines) - and probably more power-efficient, I could maybe see the point of a laptop/desktop that had both an Apple ARM CPU and an Intel CPU, where the main OS ran on the ARM, with an auxiliary kernel that ran on the Intel; and the Intel would sleep except when needed. That would allow the widest range of apps on the laptop/desktop.
I remember in my first year of University studying this new CPU concept called RISC. It so happened I'd just purchased the world's first ARM powered desktop computer and decided to take a large C function and compiled it on 3 different systems. My Acorn Archimedes with it's ARM2, the faculties Intel powered Sequent server and a department Sinclair QL with it's 68000.
I wrote a paper on this and the findings were that the ARM could do the same thing using 1/4 of instructions that either CISC CPU could manage. The total opposite of what a Reduced Instruction Set CPU was supposed to do.
The Acorn guys in Cambridge (UK) didn't design ARM for mobile. They designed ARM for desktop.
It was a complete accident that it just happened to be incredibly low powered and ended up being the mobile CPU of choice.

So I think it's only fitting that the ARM returns to the platform that is was originally intended for. The desktop.
In the desktop power and heat aren't the same concern as mobile. Stick a big fan on it and run it on mains power. How much more can you crank up the A12X and future architectures?
Apple has been really good at not saddling itself with legacy support which has always been the millstone around the neck of Intel.
We are in an age now where i386 compatibility means nothing anymore.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

reset password request iphone

Warning: Apple Users Targeted in Phishing Attack Involving Rapid Password Reset Requests

Tuesday March 26, 2024 4:34 pm PDT by
Phishing attacks taking advantage of Apple's password reset feature have become increasingly common, according to a report from KrebsOnSecurity. Multiple Apple users have been targeted in an attack that bombards them with an endless stream of notifications or multi-factor authentication (MFA) messages in an attempt to cause panic so they'll respond favorably to social engineering. An...
maxresdefault

Apple to Launch New iPad Pro and iPad Air Models in May

Thursday March 28, 2024 11:07 am PDT by
Apple will introduce new iPad Pro and iPad Air models in early May, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman previously suggested the new iPads would come out in March, and then April, but the timeline has been pushed back once again. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Apple is working on updates to both the iPad Pro and iPad Air models. The iPad Pro models will...
Generic iOS 18 Feature Purple

iOS 18: What to Expect From 'Biggest' Update in iPhone's History

Wednesday March 27, 2024 11:10 am PDT by
At least some Apple software engineers continue to believe that iOS 18 will be the "biggest" update in the iPhone's history, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Below, we recap rumored features and changes for the iPhone. "The iOS 18 update is expected to be the most ambitious overhaul of the iPhone's software in its history, according to people working on the upgrade," wrote Gurman, in a r...
maxresdefault

Apple Announces WWDC 2024 Event for June 10 to 14

Tuesday March 26, 2024 10:02 am PDT by
Apple today announced that its 35th annual Worldwide Developers Conference is set to take place from Monday, June 10 to Friday, June 14. As with WWDC events since 2020, WWDC 2024 will be an online event that is open to all developers at no cost. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. WWDC 2024 will include online sessions and labs so that developers can learn about new...
apple maps 3d feature

Apple Maps May Gain Custom Routes With iOS 18

Tuesday March 26, 2024 3:10 pm PDT by
Apple may be planning to add support for "custom routes" in Apple Maps in iOS 18, according to code reviewed by MacRumors. Apple Maps does not currently offer a way to input self-selected routes, with Maps users limited to Apple's pre-selected options, but that may change in iOS 18. Apple has pushed an iOS 18 file to its maps backend labeled "CustomRouteCreation." While not much is revealed...
General iOS 17 Feature Orange Purple

Apple Releases Revised Versions of iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 With Updated Build Number

Wednesday March 27, 2024 5:59 am PDT by
Apple on late Tuesday released revised versions of iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 with an updated build number of 21E237, according to MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris. The updates previously had a build number of 21E236. The revised updates are available for all iPhone and iPad models that are compatible with iOS 17 and iPadOS 17, but they can only be installed via the Finder app on macOS...
applephilschiller

Apple's Phil Schiller Works 80 Hours a Week Overseeing App Store

Wednesday March 27, 2024 2:03 pm PDT by
With the App Store and app ecosystem undergoing major changes in the European Union, The Wall Street Journal today shared a profile on App Store chief Phil Schiller, who is responsible for the App Store. Though Schiller transitioned from marketing chief to "Apple Fellow" in 2020 to take a step back from Apple and spend more time on personal projects and friends, he is reportedly working...