New iPad vs. iPad Pro: Apple's Old And New Tablets Compared

Apple launched a new tablet Tuesday, which it simply calls the iPad. The 9.7-inch tablet is a budget device, which costs $329 for the 32GB Wi-Fi only version and goes on sale Friday. While it looks quite similar to the 9.7-inch iPad Pro, that is where the similarities end.

The new iPad is a budget device, while the 9.7-inch iPad Pro is more high-end device that costs $599 for the 32GB version.

Let’s compare both tablets and find out what they offer.

Display

Both devices come with 9.7-inch displays but there are succinct differences between them. While both devices come with LED-backlit displays, with multi-touch support and fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating, the iPad Pro features a more vibrant P3 wide color True Tone display.

A True Tone display is not influenced by light in the surroundings, which makes reading on the tablet, even in sunlight, easy.

Read: Apple Unveils New 9.7-inch iPad

Camera

The 9.7-inch iPad comes with a 12-megapixel f/2.2 rear camera while the new iPad comes with an 8-megapixel f/2.2 camera.

The iPad Pro is much more advanced in terms of camera since it offers features such as Live Photos, True Tone flash and wide color photo capture. While both tablets have autofocus, iPad Pro’s is slightly refined since it uses Apple’s technology called focus pixels, which provide better depth of field in photos. The iPad Pro offers Panorama up to 63-megapixels, while the new iPad’s Panorama is limited to 43-megapixels.

Another feature that the iPad Pro has and the new iPad doesn’t is Auto HDR, which automatically adjusts the colors of a photo taken by the tablet's camera. In terms of video recording too, the iPad Pro’s camera comes out on top. The 9.7-inch iPad Pro features 4K recording while the new iPad records full HD 1080p video.

Processor

The new iPad comes with an Apple A9 processor, while the iPad Pro comes with an A9X processor. The A9X is a 64-bit chipset with M9 motion coprocessor embedded. It performs better than A9 and has better storage performance. Most importantly, it has integrated LTE while the A9 doesn’t.

Read: 9.7-inch iPad Comes With A9X Chipset, 2GB RAM

Apple Pencil

The iPad Pro is the only device in Apple’s tablet line-up, which can be used with the company’s $99 Apple Pencil Stylus. While all iPads are touch screen and you can interact with them using your fingers, the Apple Pencil can be used for work, which needs more precision, such as creating pie charts.

Smart Connector

Unlike the iPad Pro, the new iPad Pro does not come with a smart connector, which is used to connect devices such as keyboards. Therefore, accessories such as the $149 smart keyboard are not available for the new iPad. Consumers will have the option to use a bluetooth keyboard with the new iPad though.

Colors

The 9.7-inch iPad pro is available in rose gold color, while the new iPad isn’t.

In conclusion, the new iPad is a budget tablet, which will replace the iPad Air 2, but in terms of specs, it doesn’t stand up to the premium features of the iPad Pro 9.7-inch tablet.