iPad Pro 12.9 inch long term review

It’s now close to half a year since I got my 12.9 inch iPad Pro. I upgraded from my previous 2018, 11 inch model. I have been using it ever since and I have not regretted upgrading to the larger model.

I initially thought that the larger model was too big to use. So in 2018, I got the 11 inch model instead. I mainly used it for consuming content, like Netflix, YouTube and the occasional typing, note-taking, blogging and reading. Nothing too heavy.

But then the pandemic struck, and I suddenly realize that a large screen would make me more productive. I predicted that I will be using the iPad a lot more during the pandemic and being largely confined indoors for the better part of the year, and I was right. Because I only have a desktop without a camera or a microphone, in this current situation, Zoom meetings and work from home arrangements became crucial. So I made the decision to sell my 2018 model and get the 2020 12.9 inch iPad Pro.

I made the perfect decision. It literally is the perfect device to not only consume content, but also be productive in writing notes, doing research, reading articles and of course, attend Zoom meetings. The bigger screen means that I can be more productive using the iPad Pro, while the portability of such a device means that I can use the iPad Pro as a secondary device, hosting Zoom meetings while I use my desktop as my main computer and driver when it comes to work.

So in a way, the current situation gave me a rather unique opportunity to really make use of the iPad Pro to not only give me hours of entertainment but to get actual work done. And I still continue to do so, despite the fact that work life is back to normal. I am now able to go back to the office and the lab to do my work. However, meetings are still restricted to distance-based arrangements and the iPad Pro remains useful in this area.

Battery is still great and long lasting and I am impressed that this device can go on and on the whole day without needing to recharge, even after using it extensively to surf the web, write notes, read articles and even an occasional YouTube video now and again.

I am looking forward to upgrading to the upcoming iPad Pro, especially when I now see the value it brings to both work and play. However, there is one caveat when it comes to upgrading. I may only upgrade to the next generation iPad Pro, only if they make significant upgrades to the display quality. While the current iPad Pro’s display is best-in-class; bright, colorful and vivid, there are rumors that the next iPad Pro might introduce new, cutting-edge back-light technology to its screen. The miniLED screen promises feature even brighter and more colorful display on the iPad Pro by providing a large array of miniLEDs that will serve as the backlight. This will allow the screen to control the brightness of the screen to specific regions rather than large zones, allowing for greater contrast and more accurate color reproduction. The brightness could even rival OLED display that provides its own light to each pixel. And LCD display panel with a 1000nits of brightness or more could be a reality soon and it is pretty certain that Apple is going in that direction since Apple introduces the ability to shoot Dolby Vision videos on the iPhone 12 Pro models now.