Initial Thoughts On The New iPad

I got the Space Grey WiFi 256GB model. I also got the Keyboard Folio an the Pencil. Initial thoughts after spending an evening setting up and using it. Further thoughts and photos to come.

  • The build quality is great. As expected from Apple. I love the the slight throwback to the squared off design on the iPhone 4 & 5. It feels more industrial and less stuck up than previous iPads. Functional rather than snooty.

  • Coming from a 1st gen Pro, the screen on this is a revolution. 120Hz plus the colour gamut. Whoa boy. I know people have seen this already on the 2nd Gen, but it’s suuuuuuper impressive to see in the flesh. Add the edge to edge design and it just looks fab.

  • Forget the Keyboard folio haters. This thing is super thin and adds a great deal of functionality. I can type at full speed on it as well. I prefer it to my MacBook Pro Keyboard. The only thing I hate is the cloth finish. I feel like it’s going to stain eventually like my 1st Gen did. I hope it doesn’t eventually die due to poor design like my 1st Gen.

  • The performance makes it effortless to use. This thing is crazy smooth. Everything I’ve tried on it has been like butter to coin a Steveism.

  • 2nd Generation Pencil makes it a much more appealing proposition being attached to the device and charged. I’m no artist but I do like to write out thought sometimes when planning projects or on conference calls. I use Linea when I’m auditing or sketching out network diagrams whilst on site-visits for my day job

  • Battery life seems great. I’ve set this up from scratch, installed all my apps and have had videos playing the background as I noodle around and the battery has only just hit 80% after 4 hours. Quite good considering I’ve basically had the screen on and been hammering the WiFi the entire time.

  • The cable they give you with the charge is suuuuuper stingy vs the old Pros. 1mtr is fine for a phone. Not fine for a ‘computer’. In my living room I can no longer use my iPad on the couch whilst plugged into a nearby socket as the cable is just too short. Even more annoying is the fact the cables are the same price in the online store. Both £19! Come on Apple!? The ‘little touches’ are what I used to love with Apple (extension power cable with the Pros, longer cable with the iPad Pro, spare nibs with the pencil for example) and these little considerations are just becoming more absent with Apple. They’re sadly missed.