Apple iPad Pro

The 3rd Generation 11” iPad Pro and 5th Generation 12.9” iPad Pro are two new tablets released by Apple in 2021. So, what are the main differences between these products?

You can find out in this comparison guide between the two iPad Pros.

Quick Summary

When compared to the 3rd Generation 11” Apple iPad Pro, the 5th Generation 12.9” Apple iPad Pro features a bigger screen that provides a higher resolution. With that said, the pixels per inch are identical for these two tablets.

The 5th Gen 12.9” Apple iPad Pro is also better at displaying HDR content thanks to the local dimming zones, high HDR nits levels in addition to an 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio.

Aside from the aforementioned differences, the two 2021 iPad are basically the same as both have identical hardware specs, general features, battery life in addition to operating and storage conditions.

11” 3rd Gen iPad Pro vs. 12.9” 5th Gen iPad Pro Comparison Chart

You can take a look at Seeking Tech’s comparison table for the 2021 iPad Pro tablets below.

What’s in the Box

You can check out the content included inside each box for both products below:

3rd Gen 11” iPad Pro:

• 3rd Generation 11” Apple iPad Pro
• 1 meter USB-C Charge Cable
• 20 W USB-C Power Adapter

5th Gen 12.9” iPad Pro:

• 5th Generation 12.9” Apple iPad Pro
• 1 meter USB-C Charge Cable
• 20 W USB-C Power Adapter

Color Options

The 3rd Gen 11” Apple iPad Pro and 5th Gen 12.9” Apple iPad Pro are available in the color options:

• Silver
• Space Gray

Capacity Options

Both tablets in this versus showdown also come with the following capacity options:

• 128GB
• 256GB
• 512GB
• 1TB
• 2TB

Connection Options

There are two connection versions available for both computer tablets as you can choose the following:

• Wi-Fi only version
• Wi-Fi + Cellular version

Dimensions

As expected, the 5th Gen 12.9” iPad Pro is bigger all around when compared to the 3rd Gen 11” iPad Pro.

You can find the measurements for both below:

• 3rd Gen 11” iPad Pro: 9.74 inches x 7.02 inches x 0.23 inch (or 247.6 mm x 178.5 mm x 5.9 mm)
• 5th Gen 12.9” iPad Pro: 11.04 inches x 8.46 inches x 0.25 inch (or 280.6 mm x 214.9 mm x 6.4 mm)

Weight

The Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi/Cellular versions of the new 12.9” iPad Pro are also heavier when compared to the Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi/Cellular versions of the new 11” iPad Pro.

You can find the weight specifications below:

3rd Gen 11” iPad Pro:

• Wi-Fi models: 1.03 pounds (or 466 grams)
• Wi-Fi + Cellular models: 1.04 pounds (or 470 grams)

5th Gen 12.9” iPad Pro:

• Wi-Fi models: 1.50 pounds (or 682 grams)
• Wi-Fi + Cellular models: 1.51 pounds (or 685 grams)

Accessories

Both products are compatible with the following accessories:

• 2nd Generation Apple Pencil
• Magic Keyboard
• Smart Keyboard Folio

Display Type

You can also check out the display type used by each tablet below:

• 3rd Gen 11” iPad Pro: 11″ LED backlit Multi‑Touch Liquid Retina display with IPS technology
• 5th Gen 12.9” iPad Pro: 12.9″ mini-LED backlit Multi‑Touch Liquid Retina XDR display with IPS technology

Display Resolution

Thanks to the bigger screen, you will get a higher resolution with the 5th Gen 12.9” iPad Pro. With that said, the pixels per inch are the same for both.

You can find the display resolutions below:

• 3rd Gen 11” iPad Pro: 2388 x 1668 (264 pixels per inch)
• 5th Gen 12.9” iPad Pro: 2732 x 2048 (264 pixels per inch)

SDR Brightness

When it comes to SDR brightness, the two PC tablets can display up to 600 nits.

HDR Brightness

The 5th Gen 12.9” iPad Pro is the only one of the two to have HDR brightness specs listed as its screen can reach up to 1600 nits.

Display Features

When it comes to display features, the 5th Gen 12.9” iPad Pro is the only one to feature a 2D backlighting system, which comes with 2596 full‑array local dimming zones. The bigger screen version also features a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio.

Aside from the aforementioned differences, the two tablets have the same display features.

You can find a breakdown of the features below:

• 3rd Gen 11” iPad Pro:
• 1.8% reflectivity
• Antireflective coating
• Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating
• Fully laminated display
• P3 wide color display
• ProMotion technology
• True Tone display

5th Gen 12.9” iPad Pro:

• 1.8% reflectivity
• 2D backlighting system with 2596 full‑array local dimming zones
• 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio
• Antireflective coating
• Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating
• Fully laminated display
• P3 wide color display
• ProMotion technology
• True Tone display

Chip Specifications

The 2021 iPad Pros have the same chip specifications, which you can find a list of below:

• Apple M1 chip
• 8-core CPU (4 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores)
• 8-core GPU
• 16-core Neural Engine
• 8GB RAM for 128GB, 256GB and 512GB versions or 16GB RAM for 1TB and 2TB versions

Camera Features

The built-in cameras are the same for the two tablets in this comparison guide.

You can find the list of camera features for both below:

• 12MP Ultra Wide camera, 122° field of view
• ƒ/2.4 aperture
• 1080p HD video recording at 25 fps, 30 fps and 60 fps
• Animoji
• Auto image stabilization
• Burst mode
• Cinematic video stabilization at 720p and 1080p
• Extended dynamic range for videos up to 30 fps
• Lens correction
• Memoji
• Photos and live photos wide color capture
• Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and depth control
• Portrait Lighting with Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono and High‑Key Mono effects
• Retina Flash
• Smart HDR 3
• Time‑lapse video with stabilization

Number of Speakers

The 3rd Generation 11” Apple iPad Pro and 5th Generation 12.9” Apple iPad Pro are both equipped with four built-in speakers.

Number of Microphones

The two tablets also come with five built-in microphones.

Thunderbolt/USB 4 Port Features

Both new iPad Pros feature a Thunderbolt/USB 4 port, that can be used for the following features:

• Charging
• DisplayPort
• Thunderbolt 3 (up to 40Gb/s)
• USB 4 (up to 40Gb/s)
• USB 3.1 Gen 2 (up to 10Gb/s)

Sensors

The 3rd Gen 11” Apple iPad Pro and 5th Gen 12.9” Apple iPad Pro are equipped with the following sensors:

• Accelerometer
• Ambient light sensor
• Barometer
• Face ID
• LiDAR Scanner
• Three-axis gyro

Wireless Connection

When it comes to wireless connections, the iPad pros utilize Bluetooth 5.0 along with 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 simultaneous dual band (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz) HT80 with MIMO.

Video Calling Features

For video calling, the two products support the following:

• Center Stage
• FaceTime video
• iPad to any FaceTime-enabled device over Wi-Fi or cellular

Audio Calling Features

For audio calling, you can do the following on both computer tablets:

• FaceTime audio
• iPad to any FaceTime-enabled device over Wi-Fi or cellular

Audio Playback Formats

The 2021 iPad Pros support the following audio playback formats:

• AAC‑LC
• Apple Lossless
• Audible (formats 2, 3, 4, Audible Enhanced Audio, AAX, and AAX+)
• Dolby Atmos
• Dolby Digital (AC‑3)
• Dolby Digital Plus (E‑AC‑3)
• FLAC
• HE‑AAC
• HE‑AAC v2
• Linear PCM
• MP3
• Protected AAC

Audio Features

When it comes to audio features, both devices support spatial audio playback as well as user-configurable maximum volume limit.

Video Playback Formats

For video formats, the tablets can playback the following:

• HEVC
• H.264
• MPEG‑4 Part 2
• Motion JPEG

Supported HDR Formats

The following HDR formats are also supported:

• Dolby Vision
• HDR10
• HLG

Video Mirroring Features

If you want to mirror the display of the 3rd Gen 11” iPad Pro or 5th Gen 12.9” iPad Pro to another screen, you have the following options:

• AirPlay wireless to AirPlay 2 smart TV devices
• USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter
• USB-C VGA Multiport Adapter

Viewable Document File Types

The following document formats can also be viewed on both tablets:

• .doc
• .docx
• .gif
• .htm
• .html
• .ics
• .jpg
• .key
• .numbers
• .pages
• .pdf
• .ppt
• .pptx
• .rtf
• .tiff
• .txt
• .usdz
• .vcf
• .xls
• .xlsx
• .zip

Face ID Features

Using the Face ID sensor, the two Apple iPad Pros offer the following face recognition features:

• Buy from Apple Books, App Store and iTunes Store
• Secure personal data in apps
• Unlock iPad

Apple Pay

Both the 3rd Gen 11” iPad Pro and 5th Gen 12.9” iPad Pro support Apple Pay.

Siri

The two tablets also use Siri for voice control.

Operating System

For the operating system, the two products come with iPadOS 14.

Built-In Apps

The following applications are included with these tablets:

• App Store
• Books
• Calendar
• Camera
• Clock
• Contacts
• FaceTime
• Files
• Find My
• Home
• iITunes Store
• Mail
• Maps
• Measure
• Messages
• Music
• News
• Notes
• Photo Booth
• Photos
• Podcasts
• Reminders
• Safari
• Settings
• Shortcuts
• Siri
• Shocks
• Tips
• TV
• Voice Memos

Accessibility Features

The accessibility features are also identical as you have the following options:

• AssistiveTouch
• Closed Captions
• Magnifier
• Siri and Dictation
• Speak Screen
• Switch Control
• VoiceOver
• Voice Control
• Zoom

Battery Type

The 5th Gen 12.9” iPad Pro has a bigger capacity internal battery when compared to the 3rd Gen 11” iPad Pro.

You can find the specs below:

• 3rd Gen 11” iPad Pro: Built-in 28.65-watt-hour rechargeable lithium-polymer battery
• 5th Gen 12.9” iPad Pro: Built-in 40.88-watt-hour rechargeable lithium-polymer battery

Battery Life

The two tablets have the same battery life depending on what connection is being used.

You can check out the battery life specifications below:

• Up to 10 hours with Wi-Fi
• Up to 9 hours with cellular data

System Requirements

The system requirements are the same for the two iPad Pros as you need the following:

• Apple ID (required for some features)
• Internet access

Mac Sync Requirements

To sync to a Mac, the Mac needs the following requirements:

• macOS Catalina 10.15 (or later) using the Finder
• macOS El Capitan 10.11.6 through macOS Mojave 10.14.6 using iTunes 12.8 (or later)

PC Sync Requirements

To sync to a computer, your PC needs the following requirements:

• Windows 7 or later using iTunes 12.10 (or later)

Operation and Storage Conditions

The operating and storage conditions are the same for both devices with the following parameters:

• Operating Ambient Temperature: 32° F to 95° F (or 0° C to 35° C)
• Non-Operating Temperature: −4° F to 113° F (or −20° C to 45° C)
• Relative Humidity: 5% to 95% noncondensing
• Operating Altitude: Up to 10,000 feet (or 3000 meters)

Resource:

• https://www.apple.com/ipad-pro/

Apple has two new tablets on the market for 2020 with the 2nd generation 11-inch iPad Pro and 4th generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro. So, which of these two best fit your needs?

You can find out in this versus guide.

Quick Summary

Aside from the screen size and battery capacity, the 11″ iPad Pro (2nd Gen) and 12.9″ iPad Pro (4th Gen) have identical specs, features and battery life.

Thus, your choice should ultimately be between which screen size you prefer.

If you are more interested in portability, then you should get the 11″ iPad Pro (2nd Gen).

If you prefer having a bigger display, then you should get the 12.9″ iPad Pro (4th Gen) instead.

11″ iPad Pro (2nd Gen) vs. 12.9″ iPad Pro (4th Gen) Comparison Chart

You can find Seeking Tech’s comparison table between the two tablets below.

Colors

Both versions of the new iPad Pro comes in two color variants: Silver and Space Grey.

Connection Types

You can buy a Wi-Fi only version or Wi-Fi + Cellular version of both the 11″ iPad Pro (2nd Gen) and 12.9″ iPad Pro (4th Gen).

Storage

You can also purchase the two tablets in four different storage configurations: 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB and 1TB.

Dimensions

As expected, the 12.9″ iPad Pro (4th Gen) is slightly bigger when compared to the 11″ iPad Pro (2nd Gen) in terms of length and width. With that said, the height is the same across the two models.

You can find the exact dimensions below (via the official Apple website):

• 11″ iPad Pro (2nd Gen): 9.74 inches (or 247.6 mm) by 7.02 inches (or 178.5 mm) by 0.23 inch (or 5.9 mm)
• 12.9″ iPad Pro (4th Gen): 11.04 inches (or 280.6 mm) by 8.46 inches (or 214.9 mm) by 0.23 inch (or 5.9 mm)

Weight

The bigger tablet also weigh more when compared to the smaller one.

You can check out the weight for the Wi-Fi only version as well as the Wi-Fi + Cellular version of the two tablets below:

New iPad Pro 11 inch:

• Wi-Fi only: 1.04 pounds (or 471 grams)
• Wi-Fi + Cellular: 1.04 pounds (473 grams)

New iPad Pro 12.9 inch:

• Wi-Fi only: 1.41 pounds (or 641 grams)
• Wi-Fi + Cellular: 1.42 pounds (or 643 grams)

What’s in the Box

In addition to the respective tablets, both products also come with a 1 meter USB-C charging cable and 18W USB-C power adapter.

Display Features

The bigger screen size of the latest 12.9 inch iPad Pro also results in having more pixels when compared to the latest 11 inch iPad Pro (2388p x 1668x vs. 2732p x 2048p).

Otherwise, the two tablets have identical display features.

You can check out the full list of what the two devices share in common when it comes to this category below:

• 1.8% reflectivity
• 600 nits brightness
• Antireflective coating
• Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating
• Fully laminated display
• LED-backlit
• Liquid Retina display
• Multi Touch display with IPS technology
• ProMotion technology
• True Tone display
• Wide color display (P3)

Computer Chip

Both computer tablets uses the same 64-bit architecture A12Z Bionic chip with Neural Engine and embedded M12 co-processor.

Photo Camera Features

The photo camera features are also the same as both computer tablets are equipped 12MP wide and 10MP ultra wide cameras.

You can find the full list of similarities below:

• Wide: 12MP, ƒ/1.8 aperture
• Ultra Wide: 10MP, ƒ/2.4 aperture, and 125° field of view
• 2x optical zoom out; digital zoom up to 5x
• Autofocus with Focus Pixels (Wide)
• Auto image stabilization
• Backside illumination sensor
• Brighter True Tone flash
• Burst mode
• Exposure control
• Five element lens (Wide and Ultra Wide)
• Hybrid IR filter
• Image formats captured: HEIF and JPEG
• Noise reduction
• Panorama (up to 63MP)
• Sapphire crystal lens cover
• Smart HDR for photos
• Tap to focus with Focus Pixels (Wide)
• Timer mode
• Photo geotagging
• Wide color capture for photos and Live Photos

Video Recording Features

Both new Apple iPad Pros also have the identical video recording abilities. You will be able to capture 4K footage at 24 fps, 30 fps or 60 fps in a wide angle in addition to 60 fps at an ultra wide angle. 1080p videos can be recorded in 30 fps or 60 fps while 720p video can be capture at 30 fps.

You can find the full list of video recording features below:

• 4K video recording at 24 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps (Wide); 60 fps (Ultra Wide)
• 1080p HD video recording at 30 fps or 60 fps
• 720p HD video recording at 30 fps
• Brighter True Tone flash
• Cinematic video stabilization (1080p and 720p)
• Continuous autofocus video
• Noise reduction
• Slo mo video support for 1080p at 120 fps or 240 fps (Wide); 240 fps (Ultra Wide)
• Take 8MP still photos while recording 4K video
• Time lapse video with stabilization
• Playback zoom
• Video geotagging
• Video formats captured: HEVC and H.264

TrueDepth Camera Features

The 11″ iPad Pro (2nd Generation) and 12.9″ iPad Pro (4th Generation) are equipped with the same TrueDepth Camera.

You can find the features that are available on both devices below:

• 7MP photos
• 1080p HD video recording at 30 fps or 60 fps
• Animoji and Memoji
• Auto image stabilization
• Backside illumination sensor
• Burst mode
• Exposure control
• ƒ/2.2 aperture
• Portrait mode
• Portrait Lighting
• Retina Flash
• Smart HDR
• Timer mode
• Wide color capture for photos and Live Photos

Video Calling Features

You will be able to use the two latest iPads to make FaceTime video calls over the Wi-Fi or cellular connection to other FaceTime-enabled devices.

Audio Calling Features

You will also be able to make audible calls with both tables over the Wi-Fi or cellular connection to other FaceTime-enabled devices.

Speakers

The second generation 11-inch iPad Pro and fourth generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro use the same four speaker audio setup.

Microphones

Furthermore, both tablets utilize the same five studio-quality mics for making calls, recording audio and capturing video.

Wi-Fi Connections

The 2nd Gen 11″iPad Pro and 4th Gen 12.9″ iPad Pro both use 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6, which features simultaneous dual band (2.4GHz and 5GHz) in addition to HT80 with MIMO.

Bluetooth Connections

Both devices also use version 5.0 of Bluetooth.

Cellular Connections

You can also take a look at the cellular data connection features, which are the same across the two new models, below:

• UMTS/HSPA/HSPA+/DC HSDPA (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
• Gigabit-class LTE (Models A2068 and A2069: bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 29, 30, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 48, 66, 71)
• Data only
• eSIM
• Wi-Fi calling

SIM Card

When it comes to SIM Card support, you can use either eSIM or Nano SIM (which has to be supported by Apple SIM) for both tablets.

Location Features

The two tablets also have the same location determining features. In the Wi-Fi only hardware, you can use the digital compass, iBeacon microlocation or Wi-Fi.

The same aforementioned features also applied to the Wi-Fi + Cellular hardware, which will also features cellular and built-in GPS/GNSS.

Sensors

The new tablets are equipped with the identical sensors.

You can find the full list below:

• Accelerometer
• Ambient light sensor
• Barometer
• Face ID
• LiDAR Scanner
• Three-axis gyro

Face ID

The Face ID feature in both hardware uses the aforementioned TrueDepth camera for facial recognition to unlock the iPad Pro, keep personal data within apps secure in addition to providing security when buying from the App Store, Apple Books and iTunes Store.

Apple Pay

You can also use Apple Pay with the new 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pros. You pay using the aforesaid Face ID feature.

You can also send and receive messages via the Messages app.

Siri

Both pads also support Siri. As a result, you will be able to use voice controls to identify songs send messages, set reminders and other hands-free functions.

Battery Capacity

The battery capacity is different in the two new hardware.

The 11-inch version uses a built-in 28.65-watt-hour rechargeable lithium-polymer battery.

The 12.9-inch version utilizes a bigger capacity with a built-in 36.71-watt-hour rechargeable lithium-polymer battery.

Battery Life

Despite the different battery capacity, the battery life is the same across the two computer tablets.

On Wi-Fi, you will get up to 10 hours of web surfing or watching videos.

With a cellular connection, you get up to 9 hours web surfing.

Operating System

Both tablets use iPadOS as the operating system.

Accessibility Features

Furthermore, the two new pads have the same accessibility features.

You can take a look at the list below:

• AssistiveTouch
• Closed Captions
• Magnifier
• Siri and Dictation
• Speak Screen
• Switch Control
• VoiceOver
• Voice Control
• Zoom

Pre-Installed Apps

Moreover, the pre-installed apps are the same in the new tablets.

You can check out what’s included below:

• App Store
• Apple Store
• Books
• Calendar
• Camera
• Clips
• Clock
• Contacts
• FaceTime
• Files
• Find My
• GarageBand
• Home
• iMovie
• iTunes Store
• iTunes U
• Keynote
• Mail
• Maps
• Measure
• Messages
• Music
• Music Memos
• News
• Notes
• Numbers
• Pages
• Photo Booth
• Photos
• Podcasts
• Reminders
• Remote
• Safari
• Settings
• Shortcuts
• Siri
• Stocks
• Support
• Swift Playgrounds
• Tips
• Trailers
• TV
• Voice Memos

PC and Mac Synch Requirements

To sync both New iPad Pros to a Mac, you will need macOS Catalina 10.15 (via Finder) or macOS El Capitan 10.11.6 through macOS Mojave 10.14.6 (via iTunes 12.8 or later). For PC, you require Windows 7 or later (via iTunes 12.10 or later).

Audio Formats

The two tablets support the following audio formats:

• AAC (8 to 320 Kbps)
• AIFF
• Apple Lossless
• Audible (formats 2, 3, 4, Audible Enhanced Audio, AAX, and AAX+)
• Dolby Atmos
• Dolby Digital Plus (E-AC-3)
• HE-AAC, MP3 (8 to 320 Kbps)
• MP3 VBR, Dolby Digital (AC-3)
• Protected AAC (from iTunes Store)
• WAV

Video Features

Both also have identical video features:

• Apple TV (2nd Gen or later) AirPlay Mirroring, audio, photos and video out
• Dolby Vision
• HDR10

4K Video Mirroring and Video Out Adapters

You can use the following adapters (sold separately) for video mirroring and video out for both new iPad releases:

• USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter
• USB-C VGA Multiport Adapter

Video Formats

The 2nd Gen 11-inch and 4th Gen 12.9-inch iPad Pros support the H.264 and MPEG 4 video formats.

Operating Requirements

The operating requirements are also the same for both devices.

You can find the requirement stats below:

• Operating ambient temperature: 32° F to 95° F (0° C to 35° C)
• Non-operating temperature: −4° F to 113° F (−20° C to 45° C)
• Relative humidity: 5% to 95% non-condensing
• Operating altitude: tested up to 10,000 feet (3000 m)

Resources:

• https://www.apple.com/ipad-pro/specs