Review: Apple finally matches the hype with latest iPad Pro 10.5
The iOS 11 software upgrade shifts the device into a new dimension where it can now be considered a viable laptop replacement but the hefty price tag gives pause for thought
When Apple released the iPad Pro in the autumn of 2015, the company hailed it as a device that, after pairing with a keyboard, could replace the laptop as a productivity machine. But virtually everyone other than diehard Apple fans disagreed.
The problem was that the iPad Pro, despite the large screen, fancy new keyboard cover and stylus, still ran iOS – a mobile software built for the iPhone. Not only is iOS not meant for multitasking, its lack of a traditional folder system meant basic computer functionality such as dragging and dropping a file from one folder to another is impossible.
And so for the iPad Pro to live up to Apple’s claims, it was the software that needed to improve, not the hardware. Now we’re getting both, as Apple unveiled in June a second generation iPad Pro (dubbed the iPad Pro 10.5, with the number signifying its new screen size) and new iOS (version 11) that drastically changes the way an iPad operates.
We recently got our hands on it and a beta version of iOS 11 and it seems Apple’s product has finally caught up with the marketing hype.
Design and hardware
At first glance, the hardware of the 10.5 looks like previous versions, but Apple has made subtle improvements across the board. The left and right bezels are thinner, making this 10.5-inch screen iPad still roughly the same size as previous iPads with 9.7-inch displays.