As expected, Apple has officially unveiled the 9.7-inch iPad Pro. While the device is essentially the same as the larger 12.9-inch model, there are a few notable differences that may perhaps frustrate users of the larger model, but also encourage iPad Air 2 users to upgrade. Read on as we break down all of the differences between the two models…
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The differences are not related to their processing power though, with both tablets coming with Apple’s powerful A9X chipset. Cutting the chase though, below you will find the differences between the 9.7-inch and the 12.9-inch iPad Pro.

Display & Dimensions

  • The obvious difference here is screen size and resolution. The 9.7-inch Pro has a resolution 2048×1536 resolution at 265 ppi, and the 12.9-inch model is at 2732×2048 at 264 ppi. The smaller iPad also features a wider color gamut and True Tone display tech, for better color in a variety of settings.
  • The smaller 9.7″ display, however, features True Tone and Wide color display that makes it better than the 12.9-inch display of the larger Pro tablet
  • The smaller display ensures that the smaller iPad Pro is…well…smaller than the 12.9-inch iPad Pro. The former is 240mm tall, 169.5mm wide and 6.1mm thick; while the latter is 305.7mm tall, 220.6mm wide, and 6.9mm thick
  • As you did imagine the dimensions of the two tablets vary quite a bit. The 9.7-inch Pro measures 9.4″ x 6.6″ x 0.24″ and weighed 0.96 pound (Cellular models weight 0.98 pound), and the 12.9-inch Pro measures 12″ x 8.68″ x 0.27″ and weighs  1.57 pounds (1.59 Cellular). So the smaller iPad Pro is 0.03 inches thinner and weighs more than half a pound less.
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Camera

  • The iSight camera on the 9.7-inch iPad Pro uses the same camera setup as found on the iPhone 6s. This means we are looking at a 12MP 1.22u pixels shooter with f/2.2 aperture, while the 12.9-inch iPad Pro uses an 8MP shooter with f/2.4 aperture
  • The former’s 12MP shooter features a sapphire crystal lens cover, improved local tone mapping and noise reduction, which are all missing from the larger iPad Pro
  • The smaller Pro tablet is also capable of recording videos in 4K resolution, Full HD at 60fps, and slo-mo at up to 240fps. In comparison, the 12.9-inch iPad Pro can only record videos in Full HD resolution at 30fps and at up to 120fps in slo-mo
  • The FaceTime camera on the front of the 9.7-inch iPad Pro is also significantly better than its larger brother. The former features a 5MP shooter with an f/2.2 aperture, while the larger 12.9-inch iPad Pro features a 1.2MP shooter with f/2.2 aperture
  • The improved camera specs on the 9.7-inch iPad Pro do come at a cost though: it features a slight camera hump, which is non-existent on the larger 12.9-inch iPad Pro

Battery

  • Obviously because of their different sizes, the two tablets have different batteries. The 9.7-inch model has a 27.5-watt-hour lithium‐polymer battery, and the 12.9-inch model has a 38.5-watt-hour battery. You can really disregard these numbers though, because the end result for both iPad Pro sizes is “up to 10 hours of usage.”

Pricing, Storage and Colors

  • The smaller 9.7-inch iPad Pro has been priced at $599, which is $200 lesser than the 12.9-inch iPad Pro
  • Apple will be offering the 9.7-inch iPad Pro in 128GB and 256GB variants. The company also launched a 256GB storage option for the larger 12.9-inch iPad Pro
  • The smaller iPad Pro will be offered with 32GB of storage space with LTE connectivity. This option is not available for the larger Pro tablet, which is only available in 128GB and 256GB variants with LTE connectivity
  • The 9.7-inch iPad Pro is available in four colors: Silver, Gold, Space Gray and Rose Gold. The 12.9-inch iPad Pro is not available in Rose Gold color.
Let us know in the comments if the price difference between the model and feature gap still makes the 12.9-inch iPad Pro worth it, or if you’d rather go with the 9.7-inch.