Apple iPad 9.7-inch vs iPad Air 2 vs iPad Pro 9.7-inch: a specs comparison

No, you're not dreaming - Apple just announced a new tablet. We can't say it came out of the blue since we were somewhat expecting a similar device announcement for this week, but anyways, the newest slate from Cupertino is here and it's called the... iPad 9.7-inch and will go for $329.
If its name is ambiguous enough for you, make no mistake - the iPad 9.7-inch comes with 9.7-inch Retina display that is brighter than the one on the Air 2 but dons the same resolution of 2048 x 1536 pixels. There are close to no changes on the outside, but that's not an issue given that the most important change is inside the slate. It comes with a 64-bit A9 chipset, which is way faster than the one inside the new iPad's predecessor. That's a win, no?
To put things into perspective, we thought it will be neat to compare new versus old and see what the fuss with that fresh iPad 9.7-inch is all about. Here goes:
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Apple iPad 9.7-inch | Apple iPad Air 2 | Apple iPad Pro 9.7-inch |
Design
Dimensions | ||
---|---|---|
9.45 x 6.67 x 0.30 inches 240 x 169.5 x 7.5 mm |
9.45 x 6.67 x 0.24 inches 240 x 169.5 x 6.1 mm |
9.4 x 6.6 x 0.24 inches 238.8 x 167.6 x 6.1 mm |
Weight | ||
16.86 oz / 478.0 g | 15.41 oz / 437.0 g | 15.66 oz / 444.0 g |
Materials | ||
Back: Aluminum | Back: Aluminum | Back: Aluminum |
Biometrics | ||
Fingerprint (touch) | Fingerprint (touch) | Fingerprint (touch) |
Keys | ||
Right: Volume control | Right: Volume control | Right: Volume control |
Colors | ||
Gold, Gray, Silver | Gold, Gray, Silver | Gold, Gray, Pink |
Display
Size | ||
---|---|---|
9.7-inch, 71.65% screen-to-body | 9.7-inch, 71.65% screen-to-body | 9.7-inch, 72.80% screen-to-body |
Type | ||
IPS LCD | IPS LCD | IPS LCD |
Resolution | ||
2048x1536px, 4:3 ratio, 264 PPI | 2048x1536px, 264 PPI | 2048x1536px, 4:3 ratio, 264 PPI |
Colors | ||
16 777 216 | 16 777 216 | |
Features | ||
Oleophobic coating, Ambient light sensor | Oleophobic coating, Ambient light sensor | Oleophobic coating, Ambient light sensor |
Hardware
System chip | ||
---|---|---|
Apple A9 APL0898 (16 nm) | Apple A8X | Apple A9X APL1021 (16 nm) |
Processor | ||
Dual-core 1850 MHz Twister | Triple-core 1500 MHz Cyclone |
Dual-core 2260 MHz Twister |
GPU | ||
PowerVR GT7600 | PowerVR GXA6850 | PowerVR Series 7XT |
Memory | ||
2GB (LPDDR4) 2GB/32GB 2GB/128GB | 2GB (LPDDR3)/128GB 2GB/16GB 2GB/64GB 2GB/128GB |
2GB (LPDDR4)/256GB 2GB/32GB 2GB/128GB 2GB/256GB |
OS | ||
iOS (13.x, 12.x, 11.x, 10.x) | iOS (13.x, 12.x, 11.x, 10.x, 9.x, 8.x) | iOS (13.x, 12.x, 11.x, 10.x, 9.x) |
Battery
Type | ||
---|---|---|
8827 mAh, Li - Polymer | 7340 mAh | 7306 mAh, Li - Polymer |
Camera
Rear | ||
---|---|---|
Single camera | Single camera | Single camera |
Main camera | ||
8 MP (Autofocus, BSI sensor) Aperture size: F2.4 Pixel size: 1.1 μm |
8 MP (Autofocus, BSI sensor) Aperture size: F2.4 Focal length: 31 mm |
12 MP (Sapphire crystal lens cover, Autofocus, BSI sensor) Aperture size: F2.2 Focal length: 29 mm Sensor size: 1/3" Pixel size: 1.22 μm |
Flash | ||
Dual LED | ||
Video recording | ||
1080p (30 fps) Time-lapse video, EIS, Video calling, Video sharing | 1080p (30 fps), 720p (120 fps) Time-lapse video, EIS, Video calling | 4K UHD (30 fps), 1080p (120 fps), 720p (240 fps) Time-lapse video, EIS, Video calling, Video sharing |
Front | ||
1.2 MP (HDR) Video capture: 720p |
1.2 MP Video capture: 720p (30 fps) |
5 MP (HDR) |
Connectivity & Features
Bluetooth | ||
---|---|---|
4.2 | 4.0 | 4.2 |
WLAN | ||
a,b,g,n,ac,dual-band MIMO, Wi-Fi Direct 802.11 a, b, g, n, ac | a,b,g,n,ac,dual-band Multiple antennas, MIMO, Hotspot 802.11 a, b, g, n, ac | a,b,g,n,ac,dual-band MIMO 802.11 a, b, g, n, ac |
USB | ||
Lightning | Lightning | Lightning |
Sensors | ||
Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass, Barometer, Ambient light sensor | Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass, Ambient light sensor | Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass, Barometer, Ambient light sensor |
Location | ||
GPS, A-GPS, Glonass, Cell ID, Wi-Fi positioning | GPS, A-GPS, Glonass, Cell ID, Wi-Fi positioning | GPS, A-GPS, Glonass |
Other | ||
UMA (Wi-Fi Calling), Tethering, Computer sync, OTA sync, AirDrop | Tethering, Computer sync, OTA sync, AirDrop | NFC, Tethering, Computer sync, OTA sync, AirDrop |
Multimedia
Headphones | ||
---|---|---|
3.5mm jack | 3.5mm jack | 3.5mm jack |
Speakers | ||
Multiple speakers | Multiple speakers | Multiple speakers |
Features | ||
Album art cover, Background playback | Album art cover, Background playback | Album art cover, Background playback |
Screen mirroring | ||
Wireless screen share | TV-out | |
Additional microphone(s) | ||
Yes | Video recording |
Cellular
4G (FDD) Bands | ||
---|---|---|
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29 |
4G (TDD) Bands | ||
38, 39, 40, 41 | 38, 39, 40, 41 | |
3G Bands | ||
5, 8, 4, 2, 1 | 5, 8, 4, 2, 1 | 5, 8, 4, 2, 1 |
Data Speed | ||
LTE Cat 4 (150/50 Mbit/s) | LTE, HSPA, UMTS | LTE, HSPA, HSUPA, UMTS |
SIM type | ||
Nano SIM | Nano SIM | Nano SIM |
Phone Features
Notifications | ||
---|---|---|
Flight mode, Silent mode | ||
Other features | ||
Voice commands, Voice recording | Voice commands, Voice recording |
Regulatory Approval
FCC approval | ||
---|---|---|
Date approved: Oct 16, 2014 FCC ID value: BCGA1566 | ||
Measured SAR | ||
Simultaneous Transmission: 1.56 W/kg |
Availability
Officially announced | ||
---|---|---|
Mar 21, 2017 | Oct 16, 2014 | Mar 21, 2016 |
Prices (MSRP) | ||
$559 | $829 | $1029 |
See the full
Apple iPad 9.7-inch vs Apple iPad Air 2 vs Apple iPad Pro 9.7-inch specs comparison
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