AppleInsider takes a look at both sizes of the 2020 iPad Pro – 11-inch vs. 12.9-inch – to see what the differences are in specs as well as what it is really like to use the larger or smaller versions.
Andrew O’Hara for AppleInsider:
Between the two, the processors, internals, and other specifications are exactly the same, with the only difference being the larger display. The 11-inch has a 2388-by-1668 display at 264 pixels per inch while the 12.9-inch comes in at 2732-by-2048 at the same pixel density.
If you do a significant amount of typing on your iPad Pro, the 12.9-inch is a far better option for two distinct reasons.
The first is the on-screen keyboard. Going from the 11-inch to the 12.9, the keyboard covers up far less of the display. Depending on the app, you can get far less usable space on the 11-inch model. The 12.9-inch takes up less than half the screen while the 11-inch is more than half the screen. Then there’s the physical Smart Keyboard Folio. With this, the 12.9-inch has a full-sized keyboard. Comparing it to our Mac’s keyboard, they are the same size… The 11-inch iPad Pro has a compressed keyboard and doesn’t align with how your fingers were trained. It is still a solid keyboard, but requires your fingers to “relearn” the key placement each time.
MacDailyNews Take: The new iPad Pro 12.9-inch is insanely great for everything from typing to consumption to content creation. If you haven’t tried a modern iPad in awhile – we know there are millions of users still rocking iPad Air 2 models – the new 2020 iPad Pro 12.9-inch will chock you with its performance and surprisingly light weight. Once the Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro arrives “in May,” a lot more people are going to be considering an iPad Pro for their main computer.