I use many devices throughout the year, with pros and cons. On the one hand, you get to carry the latest tech all year round, more or less. On the other hand, it’s a constant move, a nomadic lifestyle of your data from one device to the other, irrespective of how much the cloud might help you.
Despite that, as do most reviewers, I have a personal daily driver, a favorite, which sticks around throughout its lifecycle as the primary device. It can be a device I reviewed, a review unit, or, as is the case with my iPad Pro, a device I purchased for my private usage. The iPad Pro is my primary personal tablet.
Here’s why I’m not upgrading to the 2021 iPad Pro. I purchased it in October 2020 when I purchased my iPhone 12 Pro Max. I knew a refresh was around the corner, but I just needed to fill that gap in my home ecosystem. Usually, when a new device, a successor, is announced, I get “the itch”. We all know it, and as I was sitting and watching the Apple Spring Loaded event, I was looking down at my 2020 iPad Pro, and I was like, “Nah, I’ll pass”.
The specs factor
I own the 2020 11-inch iPad Pro, Wi-Fi only, 128GB. Since I only use my tablet within the Wi-Fi range (or, at worst, I tether to my iPhone), I have zero need for a 4G version, let alone a 5G variant, like the 2021 iPad Pro. That’s one point, right there, in favor of my current device. Yes, I am aware that there’s a Wi-Fi-only model as well! Feel free to disregard this point if you want. I’ve got plenty below. I deliberately opted for the 11-inch model last year because I considered the 12.9-inch variant too big. However, Apple introduced a new mini LED display for the iPad Pro this year, only for its larger version. The 11-inch still packs the good old IPS panel, with which I’m okay and satisfied. Here’s one (more) point in favor of keeping my current device.
I have never taken a single picture using the iPad Pro (or any other tablet, save for review purposes, and even then, I cringed). For my personal use, I couldn’t care less about the camera improvements on the 2021 iPad Pro, and since I also don’t do video calls on the iPad, the new wide-angle FaceTime camera doesn’t faze me. I’ve got the iPhone for the 3 FaceTime calls I receive yearly. One more point in favor of my 2020 iPad Pro.
