Last September, Apple launched the 12.9-inch iPad Pro. This is Apple’s most powerful iPad but we imagine that the 12.9-inch display can be a bit too big for some users, so we can only imagine many users were chuffed when Apple launched the 9.7-inch iPad Pro yesterday. Apple glossed over the details of the tablet, but essentially they made it sound like it was just a smaller version of the 12.9-inch model.
They claimed that it will come with the same A9X chipset and will come with support for similar accessories like the Smart Keyboard and Apple Pencil. They even touted new features like a “True Tone” display, but unfortunately if you were hoping for a smaller and equally powerful iPad Pro, you would be disappointed as reports have shown that the latest model is anything but equal.
While it is true that the new iPad Pro sports the same A9X chipset, comparisons found on Apple’s own website have indicated that it could be an underclocked version of the A9X. For example Apple says that the A9X on the 12.9-inch iPad Pro is 2.5x faster than the A7, while the 9.7-inch iPad Pro says that it is only 2.4x faster. Its graphics are also 4.3x faster compared to the 12.9-inch model which is 5x faster.
TechCrunch’s Matthew Panzarino has also confirmed that in terms of RAM, the new iPad Pro sports 2GB of RAM versus the 12.9-inch model’s 4GB. Note that this does not mean that the new iPad Pro is bad, but rather if you were hoping for equal performance (at least on paper, real-world usage could vary) between both models, think again. If the faster A9X and 4GB of RAM is essential to you, then maybe you should consider the larger iPad Pro.