Engadget
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Engadget Review
iPad Pro 9.7 review: Apple's best tablet, but it won't replace a laptop
Summary
Calling it a full-blown laptop replacement is a stretch, but Apple's new 9.7-inch iPad Pro is the best conventional tablet the company has made. It combines the power of the original 12.9-inch iPad Pro with the thin frame of the iPad Air 2. Additionally, it brings a vibrant, color-accurate screen and the best camera we've seen on an iPad to date. If you need a proper laptop, you should still buy one, but if all you want is a great tablet, the 9.7-inch Pro is the one to get.
$454.1+
Pros
- Fantastic screen
- Slim design with excellent build quality
- Strong performance
- Best iPad camera yet
Cons
- iOS still isn't great at multitasking
- Only has half the RAM of the larger model
- Optional keyboard is cramped
The iPad Pro raised some eyebrows when it debuted last year, but it really shouldn't have. Although tablet sales as a whole have been tanking, sales of tablets with detachable keyboards have actually grown. Is it any surprise, then, that Apple built a 9.7-inch version of the Pro to try and regain some of its tablet momentum? Not at all. Whether or not this new Pro can be the "ultimate PC replacement" Apple was hyping at its launch event depends on your personal preferences, but let's get one thing straight from the start: This is one the best tablets you can buy.
