Apple iPad Pro 10.5 (2017) prices and specs

Pros

•  Amazing display
•  Extremely powerful
•  Promise of iOS 11
•  Works brilliantly with Pencil

Cons

•  Big price jump from previous iPad Pro models
•  Expensive peripherals
•  No fast charger in the box

The iPad Pro 10.5-inch is the best tablet I have ever used, but the mass of high-end features leave it with a price-tag that might be hard to stomach. It’s £120 more expensive than the 9.7-inch model was last year – granted, you do get double the base-storage – and it’s double the price of the basic iPad 9.7-inch, which will offer enough power and features for the vast majority of people.

But, if you have the money and want the absolute best tablet experience there is nothing that comes close. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 pales in comparison, as does the aging Pixel C, and no one else seems to be making high-end tablets anymore. There’s always the Microsoft Surface Pro, but that feels like an entirely different proposition.

When you take that stunning display, good battery life, the accurate Pencil and the huge number of apps available on the App Store, the iPad Pro 10.5-inch is an exciting proposition. But it’s one that won’t feel completely ready until iOS 11 hits.

The iPad Pro 10.5 is a slightly larger version of the standard sized iPad you’ve seen from Apple for many years now, which means many older accessories won’t fit. That extra size comes from — surprise — the larger 10.5-inch screen, but Apple reduced the bezels around the edge of the screen a bit so the overall size difference isn’t really all that noticeable. It weighs about a pound and is less than a quarter of an inch thin. Even though it’s a “Pro,” it very much feels like any other iPad you’ve used.

Now that we know that the 10.5-inch iPad Pro is an impressive device and that we further know that iOS 11 is going to radically change how you use it, let’s get back to that value equation I mentioned earlier. Basically, should you buy it? The iPad Pro 10.5 presents a conundrum: it is a stupendous device that I firmly believe most people shouldn’t buy just yet.

To me, if you’re going to spend $650 on a computer, it should almost surely be your main computer. And if you’re going to make the iPad Pro your main computer, you should probably get more than 64GB of storage and you should also probably get a keyboard to go with it (to say nothing of the Apple Pencil). It hits the $1,000 mark very quickly.

If you’re going to spend that much money on an iPad, you should know exactly what you’re going to do with it that takes advantage of all the Pro features. There are people who are already doing that, but I don’t think the majority of computer users can be comfortable using an iPad as their main device. For those who can, go out and buy the hell out of this thing (unless you already have the iPad Pro 9.7).

For the rest of us, my advice is to hold out and see whether iOS 11 changes the calculus.

The 10.5-inch iPad Pro is a stunning machine in many ways. The speed and raw power on offer when doing pretty much any task on it can't be understated, and the upgrades to the screen are just beautiful at times.

The issue comes when comparing what's on offer to the cost – when you add up all the things you need to make the iPad Pro a real laptop competitor – the Smart Keyboard, Apple Pencil and the iPad itself – you're looking at around $900 / £900 / AU$1200, and that's verging on MacBook territory.

iOS 11 does help this tablet a lot, with Files and such really making a difference - we're not totally sold on the new interface, with elements moved around, but being able to drag and drop between apps is helpful. It's still not a full laptop replacement with the new software, but it's closer and more useful.

The camera, battery life, screen technology and audio output are all top-notch in the tablet world, and there's no doubting this is the best tablet on the market right now (with the only competitors being the 12.9-inch iPad Pro and the Surface Pro 4, a laptop that masquerades as a tablet).

The iPad Pro 10.5 is the best iPad you can buy if you want an Apple tablet that balances entertainment, productivity and a sleek 10.5-inch form factor. With the tablet-focused iOS 11 update, it's easier to switch apps, even if it's not quite a touchscreen MacBook. It's close to that. The new screen with thinner bezel and powerful speakers is also an audio visual treat.

FOR

• Amazing audio
• Smooth and crisp screen
• Insanely powerful

AGAINST

• High price
• Keyboard is necessary but extra
• Still not quite a laptop replacement