IPAD PRO 9.7 PACKS IN THE PUNCH OF THE 12.9-INCH IPAD PRO, BUT CAN IT GET YOU TO DUMP YOUR LAPTOP FOR IT?

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) launched the smaller, sleeker 9.7-inch model of the iPad Pro alongside the iPhone SE on March 21 this year. While the tablet market has been in a steady slump for quite some time now, the iPad Pro 9.7 has everything inside its miniature 9.7-inch frame that you could ever want in a tablet. Apple would argue that it can even replace your laptop for the wide variety of tasks that the iPad Pro can perform, with its sheer power and aesthetic excellence. But the question is how much of it is really true?

The iPad Pro 9.7 packs the power and performance of the 12.9-inch iPad Pro launched with the iPhone 6S last Fall, in the all too-familiar and formidable design of the iPad Air 2. Identical to the way the iPhone SE was designed, the iPad Pro 9.7 also features the power of a much-bigger device under its vintage hood that users are already familiar with. Therefore it is no surprise that the smaller iPad Pro has been dubbed as the best tablet launched by Apple so far, which also throws in its hat for the best tablet computer made yet.

But the question still remains that will it be able to take our minds – and hands – off the laptops that have become the part and parcel of our daily lives. Let’s start with the display and externals of the iPad Pro 9.7. This device features a screen which would make the mouth water of any tablet computer user with a resolution of 2048x1536p and the clarity and precision of any Apple tablet. The Apple Pencil stylus is a formidable shout for the best stylus in the market, and coupled with the iPad Pro 9.7’s beautiful, elegant display, the tablet would be a preference for graphics-intensive use. iPad Pro 9.7’s Smart Keyboard cover is also a sleek accessory that boasts all the marks in aesthetics but lacks slightly in functionality; a typical Apple accessory some would say. Nevertheless, detachable keyboard is another reason why it could yet be a replacement for a laptop - although it is not for those who seem to need a huge space in their cubicle at work.

As for the power and performance specs, the iPad Pro 9.7 includes 2GB of memory - less than its 12.9-inch big brother. However, any concerns of a decline in performance were thrown out of the window right when the first user reviewed the new iPad Pro. Apple’s A9X chipset coupled with the smaller screen make up for the memory that it lacks from the bigger iPad Pro, and makes for no discernable decrease in performance. For any laptop user, the gaming experience and the smooth photo editing and rendering that the iPad Pro 9.7 delivers, the smallness of its size doesn’t seem like a major tradeoff in any way.

While it might not yet completely replace the productivity juggernaut that a high-end flagship laptop is, Apple iPad Pro 9.7 has all the components of a tablet computer that makes it a good shout for a smaller version of a powerful work computer that you can fit in your hand.