Key Difference – iPad Pro 9.7 vs iPad Air 2
The key difference between iPad Pro 9.7 and iPad Air 2 is that the iPad Pro 9.7 is a smaller and more portable device, comes with a better front-facing and rear camera, better display, more built-in storage and a faster processor. The iPad Pro 9.7 comes with an Apple pencil and better sound as well. Let us take a closer look at both the devices and find out what they offer in detail.
iPad Pro 9.7 Review – Features and Specifications
This may be the device which will define the future of iPad. The size of the device is manageable and also comes with an industry leading display which can be mainly used to create art. This can be said to be the downsized sibling of the 12.9 inches iPad Pro. The new iPad Pro comes with the same screen size as the iPad Air 2. There are features that have been mainly targeted at improving the productivity of the device as with many devices in the same competitive market.
Design
The design of the device is made of premium quality as with the original iPad Pro. The device is rigid and dense. It can fit in almost anywhere and is very portable. The body of the device is made up of anodized aluminum which feels comfortable in the hand and nice to touch. The device has been designed with a lot of attention to detail and precision. The iPad Pro resembles the iPad Air 2 in many ways. The thickness is almost the same as well as the material found on the body. If we are to compare the handling of the device, it is very much similar to that of the iPad Air 2. The only notable difference is the change in the input mechanism. The interaction between the user and the device will also increase thanks to the Apple Pencil and the Smart Keyboard. The device is a compact one which can fit in most place while even traveling.
Display
The display is a true tone display which is brighter than most of the displays found in the market. The specialty of the display is the true tone feature which is able to measure the ambient light around it and adjust the screen properties accordingly. This is mainly aimed at making the screen look easier for the eyes. It will use real world cues in order to adjust the screen to an almost accurate one all the time. The screen is also brighter and less reflective, making it one of the best displays around.
Processor
The processor that comes with the device is the A9X, which is one of the most powerful processors in the market. The performance of the device is great as the apps do not struggle from any type of lag. As with the iPad Pro, this device also comes with the powerful A9X processor.
Storage
The built-in storage which comes with the device is 256 GB.
Camera
The camera that comes with the device is the 12 MP iSight camera which is assisted with a True Tone camera. The image processor also comes with an upgrade when compared with its previous version. The camera also carries 4K support and the new Live Photos. The front facing camera comes with a 5MP face time camera which is ideal for selfies.
Memory
The device also comes with additional memory to support multitasking and graphic intensive games.
Operating System
Although it would be great for this device to come with an OS X, it comes with an iOS which is also a great OS.
Connectivity
The smart connector which came with the iPad Pro is also available with this device. This connector will be responsible for powering the keyboard and transferring data from it.
- Battery Life
- Additional/ Special features
There are now four speakers with this device instead of two as found with its sibling. The device also comes with a new connector to connect with a newly designed keyboard. The Apple Smart Pencil is also available with the device to bring out the productivity part of the user out of him. The device can also be docked with a new Smart keyboard.
iPad Air 2 Review – Features and Specifications
Design
The device comes with the dimensions of 240 x 169.5 x 6.1 mm and the weight of the device is 437g. The main body of the device is made up of aluminum, and the device is secured via fingerprint scanner which supports swipe. The device is available in the colors of Gray and Gold.
Display
The display comes with the size of 9.7 inches. The resolution of the display is 1536 X 2048 pixels. The pixel density of the device is 264 ppi. The display technology which powers the device is IPS LCD. The screen to body ratio of the device is 71.65 %.
Processor
The processor which comes with an Apple A8X, which comes with a triple core. The speed which the processor clocks is 1.5 GHz. The graphics are powered by PowerVR GXA6850 GPU.
Storage
The built-in storage which comes with the device is 128 GB.
Camera
The rear camera comes with a resolution of 8 MP. The aperture of the lens stands at 2.4 mm and the focal length of the camera is 31mm. The front facing camera comes with a resolution of 1.2 MP.
Memory
The memory that comes with the device is 2 GB.
Operating System
The operating system which powers the device is the iOS 9 and the iOS 8 before the update was available.
Battery Life
The battery capacity of the device is 7340 mAh.
What is the difference between iPad Pro 9.7 and iPad Air 2?
Design
iPad Pro 9.7: The iPad Pro 9.7 inch comes with the dimension of 238.8 x 167.6 x 6.1 mm and the weight of the device is 444g. The device body is made up of aluminum, and the fingerprint scanner is powered by touch. The colors that the device comes with are Gray, Pink, and Gold.
iPad Air 2: The iPad Air 2 comes with the dimension of 240 x 169.5 x 6.1 mm, and the weight of the device is 437g. The device body is made up of aluminum, and the fingerprint scanner is powered by swipe. The colors that the device comes with are Gray and Gold.
There is not much to separate the two devices here. The new iPad Pro 9.7 inch model is smaller, but the iPad Air 2 is a lighter device. The iPad Pro support touch on the fingerprint scanner over the swipe fingerprint scanner with the other device. This feature is available in the home button on both the devices. The iPad Pro 9.7 inch model comes with four speakers, a new smart connector to attach the keyboard. This device also comes with an Apple Pencil for added productivity.
Display
iPad Pro 9.7: The iPad Pro 9.7 inch come with a 9.7 inch display which consists of a resolution of 1536 x 2048 pixels. The pixel density of the display is 264 ppi. The display technology which powers the display is IPS LCD. The screen to body ratio of the device is 72.80 %.
iPad Air 2: The iPad Air 2 come with a 9.7 inch display which consists of a resolution of 1536 x 2048 pixels. The pixel density of the display is 264 ppi. The display technology which powers the display is IPS LCD. The screen to body ratio of the device is 71.65%.
The iPad Pro 9.7 inches comes with a true tone display which is able to produce a wide color range. This is expected to improve the user experience in relation to the display. Apple Pencil is also supported by the screen of the new device.
Camera
iPad Pro 9.7: The iPad Pro 9.7 comes with a rear camera having a resolution of 12 MP, which is assisted by a Dual LED. The aperture of the lens is f 2.2, and the focal length of it is 29 mm. The size of the camera sensor is 1 / 3 , and the individual pixel size is 1.22 micros. The camera is also capable of supporting 4K videos, and the front facing camera comes with a resolution of 5 MP. The cameras also support HDR.
iPad Air 2: The iPad Air 2 comes with a rear camera which has a resolution of 8 MP. The aperture of the lens is f 2.4, and the focal length of it is 31 mm. The front facing camera comes with a resolution of 1.2 MP.
From the above comparison, it is clear that the new iPad Pro comes with the better camera specs. It comes with a true tone flash on the rear camera and a Retina flash with the front camera.
Hardware
iPad Pro 9.7: The iPad Pro 9.7 is powered by an Apple A9X processor which comes with a dual-core capable of clocking a speed of 2.26 GHz. The graphics are powered by PowerVR Series 7XT GPU, and the memory that comes with the device is 2 GB. The built-in storage supported by the device is 256 GB.
iPad Air 2: The iPad Air 2 is powered by an Apple A9X processor which comes with a triple core which is capable of clocking a speed of 1.5 GHz. The graphics are powered by PowerVR GXA6850 GPU, and the memory that comes with the device is 2 GB. The built-in storage supported by the device is 128 GB.
The iPad Air 2 comes with 16 GB and 64 GB options as well. As with many Apple devices, both the devices do not support a micro SD card. The new iPad Pro also comes with a faster processor which is also efficient.
iPad Pro 9.7 vs iPad Air 2 – Summary
| iPad Pro 9.7 inches | IPad Air 2 | Preferred | |
| Operating System | iOS (9.x) | iOS (9.x, 8.x) | – |
| Dimensions | 238.8 x 167.6 x 6.1 mm | 240 x 169.5 x 6.1 mm | iPad Pro 9.7 |
| Weight | 444 g | 437 g | IPad Air 2 |
| Body | Aluminum | Aluminum | – |
| Finger Print | Touch | Swipe | iPad Pro 9.7 |
| Colors | Gray, Pink, Gold | Gray, Gold | iPad Pro 9.7 |
| Display Size | 9.7 inches | 9.7 inches | – |
| True tone display | Yes | No | iPad Pro 9.7 |
| Resolution | 1536 x 2048 pixels | 1536 x 2048 pixels | – |
| Pixel Density | 264 ppi | 264 ppi | – |
|
Display Technology |
IPS LCD | IPS LCD | – |
| Screen to Body Ration | 72.80 % | 71.65 % | iPad Pro 9.7 |
| Rear Camera Resolution | 12 megapixels | 8 megapixels | iPad Pro 9.7 |
| Front Camera Resolution | 5 megapixels | 1.2 megapixels | iPad Pro 9.7 |
| Aperture | F2.2 | F2.4 | iPad Pro 9.7 |
| Focal Length | 29 mm | 31 mm | iPad Pro 9.7 |
| SoC | Apple A9X | Apple A8X | iPad Pro 9.7 |
| Processor | Dual-core, 2260 MHz, | Triple-core, 1500 MHz, | iPad Pro 9.7 |
| Graphics Processor | PowerVR Series 7XT | PowerVR GXA6850 | – |
| Built in storage | 256 GB | 128 GB | iPad Pro 9.7 |
| Memory | 2GB | 2GB | – |