Yesterday was not all about the new iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus. Apple also announced a major shake up of the iPad line with the new iPad Pro and a significantly upgraded iPad mini.

The result is a far more convoluted iPad line up than before, so let’s help you work out all the differences…

Size — Small, Medium and Large

The most obvious point of differentiation in the updated iPad range is their sizes:

The iPad Pro is almost as large as a MacBook while the slimmed down mini 4 is only 100g heavier than an iPhone 6S Plus. Meanwhile last year’s iPad Air 2 has not been upgraded and becomes the mid-size option at a still very svelte 437-444g.

Displays — Impressive But Lacking 3D Touch

Of course the reason for the different sizes is for three distinct iPad screen sizes:

  • iPad Pro: 12.9‑inch (diagonal) LED‑backlit Multi‑Touch display, 2732‑by‑2048 resolution at 264 pixels per inch (ppi), oleophobic coating
  • iPad Air 2: 9.7‑inch (diagonal) LED‑backlit Multi‑Touch display, 2048‑by‑1536 resolution at 264 pixels per inch (ppi), oleophobic coating
  • 7.9‑inch (diagonal) LED‑backlit Multi‑Touch display, 2048‑by‑1536 resolution at 326 pixels per inch (ppi), oleophobic coating
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Interestingly none of the three add support for 3D Touch, the pressure sensitive screen technology in the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus. This is perhaps most surprising for the iPad Pro as Apple touts 3D Display as enabling a much richer iOS experience and the Pro is deemed to be a productivity-focused device.

That said, the iPads will support the new ‘Apple Pencil’ stylus which offers single pixel sensitivity and recognition for contact pressure. It charges via a Lightning port inside the Pencil’s cap, but this does make the stylus almost as wide an iPad Pro and it won’t be cheap when it goes on sale in November at $99.

Input aside, the iPads all feature extremely high resolution displays, though you’ll notice only the iPad mini 4 achieves the 326 ppi density threshold Apple classes for a ‘Retina Display’.

Read more — iPhone 6S Vs iPhone 6S Plus: The Differences Between Apple’s New iPhones

Performance — The Larger, The Faster

Where the three models also diverge is their horsepower:

  • iPad Pro: A9X third-generation chip with 64-bit architecture, CPU: 2.5x faster, Graphics: 5x faster compared to A7, M9 motion coprocessor
  • iPad Air 2: A8X second-generation chip with 64-bit architecture, CPU: 1.4x faster, Graphics: 2.5x faster compared to A7, M8 motion coprocessor
  • iPad mini 4: A8 second-generation chip with 64-bit architecture, CPU: 1.3x faster, Graphics: 1.6x faster compared to A7, M8 motion coprocessor

The iPad Pro is the only model to get the new A9 series chipset and the ‘X’ variant is even faster than the standard A9 fitted inside the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus. It should therefore be more than powerful enough to handle all your needs for 3-5 years.

The iPad mini 4 also gets an upgrade, but only from an ageing A7 processor to the A8 processor fitted inside last year’s iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. The good news is neither of these phones is considered remotely slow and again, performance should be good enough to last several years.

One kicker: the iPad mini 4 is driving the same number of pixels as the Air 2, so it would’ve been nice to see Apple give it the extra boost of the A8X chipset.

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Cameras — Functional, But Lacking

As usual Apple continues to offer older iPhone camera technology in its iPads. For me this is disappointing as all the models use iPhone 5S optics rather than the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus where a substantial jump was made:

  • iSight rear camera: 8MP photos, 1080p video, ƒ/2.4 aperture, HDR photos
  • Facetime front camera: 1.2MP photos, 720p video

Without doubt the most frustrating aspect here are the 1.2MP front facing Facetime cameras. These were already the most outdated aspect of Apple’s devices last year and the company recognises this with the jump to a 5MP Facetime camera in the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus.

Read more — iPhone 6S And iPhone 6S Plus: Best And Worst Features

Of course iPads are not primarily bought for the photographic skills (if you use them this way, stop!) but I think Apple could have easily gone for iPhone 6 rear optics and iPhone 6S front optics and made everyone happy — particularly for the expensive Pro model.

Next: Storage options, Pricing, Missing Features and Verdict…

Capacity And Price — Good and Bad News

Apple has attracted (justifiable) criticism for continuing to offer 16GB as the base model in the iPhone range, but this also remains true for the iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 4. Thankfully the iPad Pro does offer a 32GB starting point, but again it tempts users with a massive step up for more investment.

Unlike iPhones there is also the additional complication of having to consider whether you need a cellular version. My advice would be to save the expense (and second contract) by making sure your phone has a generous monthly data allowance and support for tethering.

If integrated cellular is vital then it carries the same $130 premium across the range. The big caveat is the iPad Pro a cellular model is only offered on the 128GB model — another sneaky upsell tactic.

This could be a deal breaker for some as it pushes the first generation device above an entry level MacBook Air. Especially when the iPAd Pro also needs a $169 keyboard cover to offer a similar typing experience.

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Touch ID And Missing NFC

Apple hasn’t revealed whether the new iPad Pro and iPad mini 4 have received the same Touch ID upgrade as the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus. It wasn’t highlighted in the presentation so I’m doubtful, but will update if this changes.

On the plus side, only the iPad mini 2 and iPad Air (which Apple will continue to sell) now lack Touch ID so again Apple has increased its potential customer base for Apple Pay and — whether Touch ID is generation 1 or 2 — it remains extremely fast and reliable.

What is more disappointing is there is no NFC chip inside any of the new iPads. This is understandable for Apple Pay given their size means they are unlikely to be something you want to take to the shops often, but with NFC expected to open up to third party developers in time it will then become a legacy issue with all three models.

Early Verdict

Last night’s event brought new life and direction to the iPad line. The iPad Pro sees Apple make a major push into the business / productivity space as well as beginning a longer journey to convert laptop users to iOS.

Meanwhile the upgraded iPad mini shows Apple hasn’t completely lost faith in a form factor which has been getting cannibalised by sales of the iPhone 6 Plus.

Despite this I still have reservations about the range. In omitting 3D Touch, the iPad Pro feels like a first generation product and prices escalate quickly with only two capacities on offer and the premium Pencil and keyboard accessories. A similar case can be made for the iPad mini 4 and Air 2 which are also likely to see the addition of 3D Touch next year, NFC and greatly enhanced FaceTime cameras.

The new iPad range shows Apple’s intention to reinvigorate its tablets, but if you aren’t desperate to upgrade I’d be tempted to wait until next year when the most exciting features of the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus are inevitably baked into the mix.

Read more — iPhone 6S Will Keep Worst iPhone 6 Feature

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