Is it worth upgrading to the iPad Pro 9.7 from the iPad Air 2?

[James Falconer]

So - quick question for the community here.

My wife and I have been longtime iPad users. In fact, I still remember waiting in line (at a Minneapolis Apple Store) to get the original iPad... we've been using them ever since.

At the moment we have an iPad 2, and iPad Air 2, and an iPad mini 2. My question is this: Is it worth upgrading from the iPad Air 2 to the iPad Pro 9.7? I would say the Air 2 does us just fine, but am really wondering if the beefier specs on the Pro would be something we'd enjoy... couple it with the keyboard, could be good? Or simply overkill for the casual user?

 

[Qdiddy09]

So - quick question for the community here.

My wife and I have been longtime iPad users. In fact, I still remember waiting in line (at a Minneapolis Apple Store) to get the original iPad... we've been using them ever since.

At the moment we have an iPad 2, and iPad Air 2, and an iPad mini 2. My question is this: Is it worth upgrading from the iPad Air 2 to the iPad Pro 9.7? I would say the Air 2 does us just fine, but am really wondering if the beefier specs on the Pro would be something we'd enjoy... couple it with the keyboard, could be good? Or simply overkill for the casual user?

I would say it really comes down to one thing and that's the pencil. If you have a real need/desire for its use then yes absolutely if not then the only other reason honestly would be for games IMO as the Air 2 would easily run regular apps for the foreseeable future.

Although if your are looking to replace the Air 2 then it would also be worth it I guess if you get good value for your Air 2 towards the new little pro

 

[maverick786us]

I own the first generation iPad Air. The only game I play in my iPad air is Clash of Kings. Although I have started feeling the lag in the game. Gaming is not my primary objective in my iPad, rest, will it be worth to upgrade to this iPad pro? Although i do feel excited about 4 speakers, don't know how much I will use the pencils. But the overall resolution remains the same.

 

[Just_Me_D]

I own the first generation iPad Air. The only game I play in my iPad air is Clash of Kings. Although I have started feeling the lag in the game. Gaming is not my primary objective in my iPad, rest, will it be worth to upgrade to this iPad pro? Although i do feel excited about 4 speakers, don't know how much I will use the pencils. But the overall resolution remains the same.

You will have to decide whether it's worth it, but the iPad Pro (9.7 " version) is worth it to "me" and I will be buying one within the next few weeks as a replacement to my obsolete early 2009 model MacBook.

 

[jian158]

The pencil is definitely a powerful tool, however if you're no an artist and is content with typing, the Air 2 should work just fine. One thing about the new iPad Pro, it's price is definitely much higher than the Air 2. And since you will definitely go with the 128GB instead of the 32GB, it may be a big commitment. After all, it depends on your need and budget. If you feel it's for you, just go for it!

 

[James Falconer]

All good points here. Very much a personal choice I suppose.

Didn't think about the importance of the pencil and 4 speaker setup... all very valid points!

 

[James Falconer]

The pencil is definitely a powerful tool, however if you're no an artist and is content with typing, the Air 2 should work just fine. One thing about the new iPad Pro, it's price is definitely much higher than the Air 2. And since you will definitely go with the 128GB instead of the 32GB, it may be a big commitment. After all, it depends on your need and budget. If you feel it's for you, just go for it!

Good point. Pencil = Pro. If you're not a pencil user, Air 2 should do just fine!

 

[yoshimiya08]

Good point. Pencil = Pro. If you're not a pencil user, Air 2 should do just fine!

I have a air 2 and love it. Unless your a designer or artist that needs the pencil for drawing the air 2 will do just fine.

 

[ragingfighter]

It comes down to your use set for the device. If you will use the camera pencil and so on. I have an air generation one as well and its plenty fine. Sure you cant do split screen but its no big deal. All ipads can have a little lag I have demoed the pro and have seen it slow down a little as well for basic functions in stores even after a restart. If you don't do a lot of photo projects video projects you may consider just sticking with the first gen. I was able to get mine for a good price and save like 300 dollars so to me I don't need the pro. I will tell you beyond gaming though and even the camera the screen anti glare mixed with the true tone is a real treat. If you do a lot of web surfing and a lot of video watching then for that reason you may consider the upgrade. Go to best buy pick one up demo them side by side a few days. If you don't like what you see take it back and then you know for sure.

 

[Evilguppy]

I'll stir the pot here: True, an Air 2 is a fine device, I loved mine. I decided to upgrade anyway and got the Pro 9.7. And wuzzah, I'm in love. It is markedly faster and smoother to operate. The battery life is improved. The speakers/sound system is really nice, miles better than on the Air 2. The camera is better, too. The split screen function works better. And the pencil is really cool. I can truly use it as I would a pen and paper. I didn't get the keyboard because I have no use/interest in one, but the virtual keyboard on the iPad feels more stable, less typos, less error clicks. So was it absolutely necessary for me to upgrade? No. But boy am I glad I did! Oh. And then there's the 256 GB. Can't beat that.

 

[Matty]

So - quick question for the community here.

My wife and I have been longtime iPad users. In fact, I still remember waiting in line (at a Minneapolis Apple Store) to get the original iPad... we've been using them ever since.

At the moment we have an iPad 2, and iPad Air 2, and an iPad mini 2. My question is this: Is it worth upgrading from the iPad Air 2 to the iPad Pro 9.7? I would say the Air 2 does us just fine, but am really wondering if the beefier specs on the Pro would be something we'd enjoy... couple it with the keyboard, could be good? Or simply overkill for the casual user?

In my opinion, it purely depends on what you need it for. It you are browsing the web with Facebook, Youtube, and watching movies. I don't think its worth the cash to upgrade. Sure, you are getting better speakers, better camera, better screen which will help with the movies (watching & Capturing) but overall no.

The iPad Air 2, does a really good job.

If however, you like to draw, and use graphic intensive applications, then yes. Every upgrade is worth it since its saving you time and no one likes to wait

 

[Robster33]

I was all set to get the Pro 9.7 after i sold my 12.9, but i found a Sealed New Gold Air 2 16gb 4G for $300, they are $756 here in Australia new, the Pro 9.7 32gb 4G is $1099, was pretty hard to justify the extra $800 for my uses.

 

[morjoie]

TO: OP - I had a 1st gen iPad Air, just like you do. Against all conventional wisdom, I upgraded a couple of weeks ago to the iPad Pro 9.7. I am not an artist and I have not bought the pencil. I may get it one of these days, but I'm in no hurry. So, my uses sound similar to yours.

However, I really enjoy my Pro and yes, I am really very glad I upgraded. Did I need to?? No. There was nothing wrong with my iPad Air. It was plenty fast and very reliable. But I think there is a case to be made for the Pro, even if you're not an artist. I like the smart connector feature. I did spring for the Apple keyboard and I love not having to worry about bluetooth connectivity and charging. I do a lot of writing/typing and I really feel like bluetooth for keyboards is on its way out. I didn't realize how tedious the bluetooth connection requirement had become until I got rid of it. I like that the camera is now the same as the iPhone 6s. I don't often take photos with my tablet, but there have been times when I needed to take screenshots of power points at conferences, for example. And I can see a situation where I might need to get a picture of a group Of friends. LIke the saying goes, the best camera is the one you have with you. Even if the best camera isn't needed, it is certainly appreciated. I love the display, especially with the nighttime adjustment and the true tone options. Movies just look stunning on the Pro. The 1st gen iPad Air doesn't have fingerprint recognition, but the Pro does. I really love not having to type a password to access my device, or to buy things from the Apple Store. There are other shopping apps that are starting to add fingerprint support, too. I got the 128gb tablet and I am hoping this will provide sufficient future proofing insurance. My iPad Air had a 64gb capacity. The Pro is significantly faster. My iPad Air wasn't slow, but the Pro just flies. This comes in handy when you have multiple tabs open, multiple apps open, etc. Also not to be forgotten are the speakers. The Pro has 4 speakers, not 2. This makes a significant difference. It is so much more enjoyable to watch movies, listen to music, etc., without always having to stop to find a pair of headphones or a portable speaker. I definitely needed one or the other with the Air, which sounds like it whispers, in comparison to the Pro. Now, to be fair, the speakers don't produce the highest fidelity sound, not by a long shot. But they are much louder and, at the end of the day, that is great. If I want great fidelity, I can always find headphones or a speaker.

Anyway, this is a very long way of saying that "love" isn't always logical. And I love my iPad Pro 9.7! The conventional wisdom is that an Air owner doesn't need a Pro unless he or she is an artist. I disagree. Once I bought my Pro, I started using it immediately. I have so enjoyed it. And I gave significant thought to returning the Pro over the last two weeks. But after the Pro, there is no way I would go back to the iPad Air. I'm using an awesome tool. No way am I going back to what is only "sufficient."

 

[kipstewart]

Anyone got any comments about how good the pencil response time is? I'd love to see if it is as good as the Apple videos make it out to be, but haven't had the opportunity. Any difference between the 9.7 and 12.3 inch iPads Pro in this regard — I assume the pencil works just as good on both?

 

[Frost Forged]

Anyone got any comments about how good the pencil response time is? I'd love to see if it is as good as the Apple videos make it out to be, but haven't had the opportunity. Any difference between the 9.7 and 12.3 inch iPads Pro in this regard — I assume the pencil works just as good on both?

The pencil response time is pretty good. If you write fast you can out pace it. I have seen zero difference between the 9.7 and the 12.9.

 

[Evilguppy]

 

[roystreet]

Hi James,
When I purchased the iPad Pro 9.7", I considered several things. The screen quality is higher (Even though it has same resolution, that isn't necessarily the same screen quality like brightness, less reflective, color saturation, etc) Also, better quality sound. Of course pencil support - Pencil is great for other things besides drawing, I take lots of notes in OneNote (Occasionally annotations in word) & it's perfect!! Split screen is great! The camera is better, although I don't use the camera basically at all.

It is more future-proof, having a more powerful processor & pencil support. Even though the connectors on the side are basically only for keyboard connections, I believe it could be used for other things in the future. I believe this Pro series is just the beginning for what Apple is going to do in the future with the iPad.

Although, as has been mentioned many times...It's what you really want it to do that heavily dictates if you should (or want to) get one. I have found the Pro to be pretty productive, even working with large files. Like I said though, future-proofing is a big one for me also.

Just some of my thoughts.

 

[CBR9927]

I was on the fence for a week 9.7 pro vs Air 2.

Only reason mainly for choosing the 9.7 Pro was the speaker quality. They are awesome.
The Air 2 vibrates with higher sound, really turned me off to buying it.

I will the display quality is basically a wash between these 2, I find both completely the same to my eyes.

 

[afctee]

Just got back from Best Buy. They are offering me about $212 trade in for my iPad Air II (WIFI, 64GB). And, I'm tempted to trade up to an iPad Pro 9.7". Besides the screen quality and possible (not checked yet) force touch, anything else I'm gaining?

PS: Apple has gotten all my money in 2016:
- iPhone 6s Plus in March
- iMac 27" in July
- iPhone 7 Plus in Sep (16th)
- Apple Watch Series II in Sep (26th)

My missus is going to lose it!!!

 

[deezus48]

I have a Macbook Pro 2014 and an Ipad Air 2 2014. I just bought the iPad Pro 9.7" last week and I have to say...I love this thing! I haven't touched my Macbook since getting the iPad Pro. I primarily use this as a note taking device, doodling, and media consumption. Granted it can't do everything a full fledged laptop can but still occupies my time over my gaming desktop (i5-4690k/MSI 1070) and my Macbook pro. I also bought a Microsoft Universal Foldable Keyboard. I noticed majority of the safari shortcuts on the Mac OS applies on iOS such as tab switching, opening new tab, etc. Keep in mind you can have FaceTime, NetFlix, Hulu, the native iOS media player in PIP while in split screen. The screen, speakers, and battery life are great! Haven't had buyers remorse at all.