It is ridiculous! The price of the iPad Pro 2018 is based on unspoken promises. I have always believed Apple should have released a different operating system for the iPad Pro series. I have expected this since 2015, but nothing has happened.
Am I the only one thinking it’s ridiculous that my iPad Pro 2018 (costing over $2000) runs the same OS as iPhone 5s (now only $200)?
The iPad Pro 2018 is the most powerful tablet. It’s more powerful than some MacBooks, but it is not a MacBook! Apple released a tablet powerful enough to run macOS programmes but didn’t bother to develop any apps to demonstrate this. Now we are waiting for Adobe Photoshop, whenever that is released. In the meantime, buy this tablet for a ridiculous amount of money because it has potential!
The build
The iPad Pro 2018 is beautiful. The small bezels give it a classy look. It is light, and its weight is well-balanced, as is to be expected for a tablet costing this much. However, it’s not a new design. Very little innovation went into this. But I must say, a 12.9-inch iPhone 5s looks fantastic!
Face ID
It’s very accurate; it recognises my face from any angle, which is impressive. After a while, it becomes annoying, though. The ergonomics applied to the placement of the camera were terrible. I constantly get reminded to remove my hand from the camera. This is making me miss Touch ID. No matter where I sit or what I do, I fidget too much to use Face ID on this new iPad Pro. That would be fine and dandy if I used the iPad once a week, perhaps. But I use mine every day, picking it up multiple times a day!
USB-C port
In my opinion, it has more inconveniences than advantages. My accessories (from my older iPad Pro and my iPhone) were immediately rendered useless! Is Apple trying to force us to buy newer, more expensive accessories? It sure feels like it. The USB-C port on the iPad Pro 2018 doesn’t connect to my Windows laptop without an adapter. Are you kidding me?
The cable is too short. It is practically useless! I can only charge my iPad Pro from the edge of a desk, directly above a socket or adapter. I definitely need to buy a new cable. How much more would it cost to ship out this iPad Pro with a longer cable? I am having a very hard time finding positives for this iPad Pro. Except for its impressive specs, which no app on App Store actually needs! Oh, wait, that’s not positive!
Thanks to the USB-C port, my iPhone XR earphones don’t work on the iPad Pro 2018. I need to get wireless headphones now! Or an adaptor (which would be cheaper). I’m still leaning towards the headphones. One perk of sticking to a brand is the convenience of using accessories interchangeably. It’s alright if a Samsung charger doesn’t work on my iPhone, but two iPads that don’t share the same charger? My iPhone XR (released the same year as the 3rd-gen iPad Pro) doesn’t have a USB-C port. Can you imagine how many cables I have to deal with when travelling?
The good
Let me say something positive, because now I am just getting depressed. The battery life on the iPad Pro 2018 is great. It lasts longer than the one on my older iPad Pro (2015). But then again, that battery has been around for 3 years, so it’s an unfair comparison. The battery is good. Let’s leave it at that.
The screen on the new iPad Pro is much brighter. The brightness doesn’t seem to drain too much battery. That is a good thing. True tone is great, but it’s nothing new. I’m just mentioning it because this is my first time experiencing it. I tried replicating it on my 1st generation iPad Pro by tempering with the colour filters, and I failed dismally.
So far, I don’t feel like I upgraded anything! I just feel like I wasted money. I should have gone for the iPad Pro 2017, 12.9 inches. I would be able to use my older Apple Pencil on it. My iPhone earphones would work on it. I’d have an extra charger for my iPad Pros; my 1st-gen iPad Pro charger needs replacing anyway. I could still use some cases and covers that I have from my older iPad Pro.
If you’re looking to purchase a 12.9-inch iPad Pro to go paperless, get the 2017 versions. 2015, if you can still find them. You’re not missing much, trust me. Apple made great improvements on the Apple Pencil 2, though.
User experience
The new iPad Pro 2018 feels exactly the same as my iPad Pro 2015. It is very familiar, not an upgrade. For an iPad with such impressive specs, it is very disappointing. I still have to wait for some apps to load. The response time for my applications is identical. Individually, I honestly can’t tell the difference. But when put side by side, the new iPad Pro seems faster by a fraction of a second. Which is hardly impressive. At the moment, I just feel like I just paid more for the same iPad Pro I had before.
I could conclude this review by telling you that the new iPad Pro 2018 is faster and a better buy. But that would be a lie. The iPad Pro 2018 is a great tablet because it is an iPad Pro. In terms of value for your money, it is by far the worst choice you can make, especially if you’re on a budget.
Verdict
It is not worth upgrading from any iPad Pro if you’re going to use it for note-taking, document creation, and entertainment. Even for creators, I’d say if your current iPad Pro is not giving you any problems, you are better off sticking to the one you have. But if you’ve got some money to burn and you like the idea of the 1TB storage on your mobile device, by all means, get the iPad Pro 2018.
