Need a new laptop? Consider this instead

Apple’s latest iPad device is like a blend of an iPhone, a tablet and a laptop all in one — and it’s a bit of a game-changer.

I’ve had my laptop for close to a decade now and while it’s still good for web browsing and basic tasks, the old device is showing its age.

Since the last time I went laptop shopping, a whole raft of new tablets and two-in-one devices have come on to the market promising the best of both worlds — the portability of a tablet and the functionality of a laptop.

I’ve never really liked the idea of using a tablet as my daily driver. I prefer the solid, tactile keyboard of a laptop and the confidence that comes with the sturdier device. But Apple’s new iPad Pro has almost changed my mind.

The iPad has received its biggest redesign in years, introducing a new look and new technology.

I played around with the 11-inch version of the iPad Pro (the 12.9-inch looks massive and I would be worried about losing some of the convenience of the smaller version) and while it’s not cheap, it’s a very enticing product.

Starting at $1229, the tablet is aimed at professionals (hence the name) so it’s for more than just watching Netflix in bed.

And you’ll need to get the attachable keyboard ($269) and probably the second generation Apple Pencil ($199) to get the best out of it. So you’re looking at $1697 for the total package — but here’s a handful of reasons why it’s worth considering.

The full screen display means you get more iPad in a smaller footprint.

IT LOOKS GREAT

The iPad Pro has a brand new look. The convex back panel with the curved edges has given way to a flat, rectangular design. The 11-inch model has kept the same footprint of the 10.5-inch iPad but has more screen space.

Just like the company’s new iPhones, the Home button has disappeared to make way for a “full screen” display that has a slight black rim around the edge. As a result, the iPad has the same gestures introduced on the iPhone X. Swiping down from the top right brings up the control centre and the same swipe on the left brings up notifications.

The lack of a Home button also means Touch ID has been replaced by the more secure FaceID which uses the front facing TrueDepth camera. It gives you added security with banking apps and once you’ve attached your credit card details you can “pay with a glance” while online shopping. It works well but because you often have the tablet in landscape mode, it can be easy to accidentally block the camera with your arm.

The 2388 x 1668 Liquid Retina LCD display with 264ppi (pixels per inch) isn’t dramatically different from last year’s iPad Pro. It looks great and its performance is bolstered by Apple’s custom tech like TrueTone colour adjustment and ProMotion refresh technology.

On the back right is a 12-megapixel camera that pops out above the flat surface.

The Folio keyboard attachment is nice, but certainly doesn’t feel as nice to type on compared to a MacBook. And the absence of a trackpad can be annoying.

The 12-megapixel camera pokes out just a smidgen.

IT’S SUPER PORTABLE

At a thickness of just 6mm and weighing 468g (without the keyboard cover), it’s the perfect travel companion. There is also a SIM card slot to stay connected on the road.

I took it on a long overseas flight and it was the perfect size to perch on the tray table while still having room for a beer or a coffee.

The sides of the iPad have magnets which allow the Apple Pencil and keyboard to snap into place. The iPad also automatically charges the stylus when it’s stuck to the side — a great feature because you’ll never find yourself with a flat battery on the Pencil.

My old 13-inch MacBook has seen better days … and is much more of a chore to throw in the backpack.

But when travelling, these magnets aren’t strong enough to ensure the Pencil stays connected to the side of the device. It would be nice to have a dedicated compartment for the Pencil, otherwise get prepared to go fishing for it in the bottom of your bag after each trip.

IT’S SERIOUSLY POWERFUL

When introducing the new iPad Pro range in November, Apple boss Tim Cook framed the tablet as the laptop killer, saying it had become the most popular portable computer on the market.

“We’ve now sold well over 400 million iPads, making it the most popular tablet by far,” he said. “But what you might not know is we’ve sold more iPads in the last year than the entire notebook line-up of the big manufacturers.”

If it is to become a true laptop killer, a big part of that is performance — and it really delivers on this front.

Apple boasts that the slim device is more powerful than 92 per cent of PCs out there, and it’s a claim that is just about borne out in testing.

According to testing by GeekBench, when it came to overall performance the iPad Pro far surpassed rivals like Microsoft’s Surface Pro 6 and Dell’s XPS 13 2-in-1 laptop.

The latest iPad is the fasted Apple tablet yet and is so powerful its performance is comparable to a 15-inch Apple MacBook.

My iMac Pro has a single core speed of 5277. My iPad Pro has a score of 5065 according to @geekbench. How is this even possible

— Tobi Lütke (@tobi) November 7, 2018

The iPad Pro range is powered by Apple’s much touted 7-nanometer A12X Bionic chip processor. It packs four performance cores and four high-efficiency cores, and there’s a new GPU that promises twice the graphics performance as the A10X processor inside its predecessor iPad Pro.

APPLE DITCHES LIGHTNING FOR USB-C

The new iPad Pro includes a single USB Type-C port which supports more third-party accessories that will make many people happy. When it comes to dumping photos or video onto the device, it makes this process much quicker as USB-C allows for much greater data transfer.

It also juices up pretty quickly, charging about 60 per cent of the battery in an hour. Apple says you can expect 10 hours of battery life per charge and this seemed to hold up even when using power-intensive apps.

For creative professionals like photographers, animators and videographers, the iPad Pro range comes with the option for 1TB of storage (starting at $2349) to make sure it can handle all your files.

Adobe’s full Photoshop platform for the iPad is due out next year.

The Apple Pencil 2 has a slight redesign and includes a touch function that lets you swap back and forth between tools with a quick tap of your finger. It’s great for editing photos and doing things like manipulating and shading images. Although some users have reported a slight lag at times when using the Pencil.

Recent software updates included in iOS 12 such as split screen functionality, the ability to use two apps at once and improved drag and drop between apps make the user experience really easy and enjoyable.

You can do split screen and use two apps at the same time. Or watch a video in the background while you Facetime.

Perhaps the one thing holding the iPad Pro back from replacing your laptop is the lack of a connectable mouse or trackpad to improve work efficiency. Having to navigate with you finger or the Pencil isn’t quite as fast at times.

It would be great if Apple could build a trackpad into the attachable keyboard like Google has done with its Pixel Slate — but as the keyboard already costs $269 I should probably be careful what I wish for.

When using FaceTime in a group, the avatar of the person who is talking will become more prominent.

FUN APPS

Apple is really trying to push into the world of augmented reality (AR) and the iPad Pro is no exception.

A bunch of AR apps in the Apple Store offer a fun experience, ranging from games to education. There is an app to help you plan your landscaping project or another to improve your jumpshot.

Apple fans will really enjoy having use of apps like group FaceTime and mucking around with Memoji characters.

Playing with apps is where some users will really appreciate getting the best an Apple tablet has to offer while still getting the performance of a laptop.