The iPad Pro — Does Bigger Mean Better?

The long rumored “big” iPad finally arrived during Apple’s September event focused on the new iPhone 6s. The iPad Pro with its external, attachable keyboard and Apple Pencil reminds one of the Microsoft Surface, albeit with a more robust app market available through the iTunes App Store.

With the new iPad Mini 4 and iPhone 6s Plus also boasting powerful tech specs and iOS app compatibility, is the marketplace really interested in a super-sized iPad? Let’s take a closer look at the details and see.

iPad Pro Features and Specs

The most notable feature of the iPad Pro is its 12.9-inch Retina display, capable of a resolution of 2732 x 2048 pixels. If you enjoy watching movies or TV shows on your tablet, this display is a great reason for upgrading to a larger iPad. Perform regular speed tests to ensure your Internet bandwidth can handle HD streaming with little buffering.

The iPad Pro also sports Apple’s A9X processor and a M9 motion coprocessor, making this the most powerful iPad model to date. The enhanced iSight camera features 8MP resolution as well as a host of features to please shutterbugs, although many users still prefer using their smaller smartphone to take pictures. HD video recording is supported as well.

Surprisingly, one new Apple feature not part of the iPad Pro is the pressure sensitive 3D Touch display available on both iPhone 6s models. Cost is probably the main reason for this decision when considering the much larger touchscreen of the iPad Pro. iPad musicians are probably the most disappointed, hoping for pressure sensitivity to be included in the next line of music creation apps.

The WiFi version of the iPad Pro retails for either $799 (32GB) or $949 (128GB). The one model with both WiFi and cellular connectivity is priced at $1079 with 128GB of storage. The attachable keyboard and new Apple Pencil cost extra. The new iPad is expected to arrive online and in stores in November.

Does a Larger iPad Pro Make Sense for Most Users?

In short, the iPad Pro is larger and more powerful than any previous iPad. Many Apple power users can simply purchase a lower end MacBook for essentially the same price, albeit without the new Pencil. Windows users are probably going to stay with the Microsoft Surface or a similar Windows tablet.

Will the iPad Pro succeed in a tablet market filled with smaller models that many users find are easier to hold and operate? While its large Retina display makes it the arguably preeminent tablet for streaming movies and video, is that enough of a market for Apple to deem the device to be a success? Expect the answers to these questions after this year’s Holiday season once the sales numbers have been tabulated.