10 "basics" that show the awesomeness of the new iPad Pro: Everything from Apple Pencil, Face ID, power off (GetNavi web)

The 3rd generation iPad Pro has eliminated the home button, following the iPhone X series. Many people may be attracted to the beautiful design with a thin bezel display that spreads across the entire surface. Apple Pencil can also be attached to the side of the main unit while wirelessly charging. The Smart Keyboard Folio, which doubles as the back cover, has also been greatly revamped. There are really a lot of stories, such as the adoption of USB Type-C, which is not Lightning.

In this article, we actually used a 12.9-inch iPad Pro to verify the basic usability. If you are considering purchasing it, please refer to it.

1) Will it malfunction if I touch the edge of the display?

While the previous iPad Pro was roughly the size of A4 paper, the new iPad Pro is one size smaller than A4 paper. As I mentioned at the beginning, the home button is gone and the screen edges are thinner. The full-screen display is very beautiful, but on the other hand, you may be worried about accidentally touching the screen when holding the terminal.

But when you actually use the new iPad Pro, it's almost impossible to accidentally touch it. The width of the bezel has been adjusted to just the right width, which is necessary to hold it with the pad of your thumb.

2) What about the display?

The new iPad Pro uses the same “Requid Retina” liquid crystal display as the iPhone XR. It complies with the wide color gamut standard "PCI-P3" used in movie production, and can reproduce colors with rich gradation. Of course, it also supports "True Tone technology" that reproduces natural colors according to the ambient light. When you try correcting photos and editing videos, you will be overwhelmed by its power. Another point is that the thickness of the glass layer has been reduced, making it easier to feel as if you are directly touching the screen.

On the other hand, I was worried that some app UIs were not compatible with screen display with rounded corners.

For example, when I started "d magazine" and tried to read a magazine, a black band was displayed on the edge of the app screen (at the time of writing). With this, the goodness of the iPad, which has become bezelless, is halved. I have to wait for this to be fixed by the app side.

3) How comfortable is the Apple Pencil?

Apple Pencil can now be attached to the side and wireless charging can be performed in that state. It is a nice improvement that does not cause the battery to run out when you want to use it. It looks smart because you don't have to remove the cap of the pen and insert the Lightning terminal like before. However, if the PC case is a slim bag, it may get caught when you put it in and take it out, and the magnet may come off. .

Focusing on the material of the 2nd generation Apple Pencil, it has changed from the conventional glossy surface to a matte texture. The hand sweat problem was improved with this. If you concentrate on drawing detailed illustrations for a long time, your hands will sweat. The previous Apple Pencil was slippery, but the new model didn't bother me at all.

In addition, the length of the pen is about 1 cm shorter. When I held it in my hand, I got the impression that it was considerably lighter. The weight itself is also lighter, but the fact that the center of gravity is closer to the pen tip is a big factor.

If you tap the iPad Pro's sleep screen with the tip of the pen, the memo app will start up (double-tap on the lock screen), and I have a feeling that even people who don't draw illustrations will use it more frequently.

4) What is the most convenient double-tap operation?

Double-tap is a new feature of the 2nd generation Apple Pencil. While holding the Apple Pencil, lightly tap the shaft with your index finger. By default, you can quickly switch the pen tip to an eraser while hand-drawing in the Notes app, markup PDFs and photos, and smart annotations in Pages. This is very comfortable, and work such as taking notes has become much more efficient.

In terms of third-party apps, "Procreate", which is a classic illustration creation app, has good linkage functions. By default, it is also switched to the eraser, but I recommend the "QuickShape" function that can be used by customizing from the settings. You can quickly create straight lines, circles, squares, etc., so you don't need to use a ruler.

5) How comfortable is the keyboard?

Smart Keyboard Folio is an accessory that doubles as a back cover and keyboard. It is firmly fixed to the iPad Pro with 102 magnets, and it never moved out of position during use. However, the magnets placed on the keyboard side are limited, and if you twist it to the left or right, the corners of the iPad Pro will be exposed. You shouldn't expect too much about the performance of "protecting the main unit when dropped".

Regarding the all-important feel of hitting, the keystrokes are deep enough to provide a stable feeling of use. If you get used to it, it is a level that can be used for manuscript writing. Regarding the Smart Keyboard Folio for the 12.9-inch model, the left and right widths are not much different from the full-size keyboard. The feel of a material of the keyboard surface is smooth, too, and the feel is good, too. On the JIS keyboard, keys for "English" and "Kana" conversion were prepared on the left and right of the space key.

By the way, on social media, it seems that using the magnet on the back of the iPad Pro to stick it on the refrigerator is a rite of passage. I can't recommend it because it won't look stylish if you drop it, but it's an interesting way to use it. On the other hand, there is a risk of being affected by weak magnets such as analog watches and precision instruments, so be careful not to inadvertently place them on the iPad Pro.

6) Can voice input be used?

I have been creating sentences with voice input on both iPhone and MacBook. It depends on how you use it, but it's pretty convenient not to type. In fact, I used about half of it in this manuscript. Then, it may be a maniac story, but I wonder if it can be used conveniently on the iPad Pro.

Unfortunately, dictation doesn't seem to work when leaning against the Smart Keyboard Folio. If you remove the magnet on the keyboard surface, the on-screen keyboard will be displayed, so let's use it from there.

7) How much does it weigh with the cover on?

The 12.9-inch iPad Pro weighs 631g for the Wi-Fi model and 633g for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model, according to the specs. When I held it in my hand, I got the impression that it was quite light. However, with the 12.9-inch model, the conventional pattern is that if you have all the peripherals, it will be about the same as carrying a laptop. So I measured the weight of the Smart Keyboard Folio for the 12.9-inch model.

When I measured it with my kitchen scale, it was about 410g. In other words, when combined with the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, it weighs a little over 1kg. Since the MacBook is 0.92 kg, it will be a little heavier than that. Is this perfectly acceptable?

8) Can Face ID really work in any orientation?

In exchange for the abolition of the home button, Face ID can now be used. It is said that it can be used regardless of the orientation, but I actually used it and verified it.

In conclusion, I was able to use it comfortably in any orientation (I hope the Phone X series will be like this). In particular, if you hold it upside down, the camera used for authentication is located at the bottom, so depending on the angle of view and line of sight, the characters "Look down to unlock" are displayed on the display to guide you. It was a specification. Also, if you accidentally cover the camera with your hand, you can rest assured that the "camera is covered" alert will appear.

You don't have to worry about the position of the physical button on the iPad Pro, which can wake up from sleep by tapping the screen. Therefore, it is comfortable to lift it up and use it as it is without worrying about top, bottom, left and right. However, for those who have used the iPad so far, it seems that until the human side gets used to it, they will check the top and bottom (laughs). By the way, when connected to the Smart Keyboard Folio, you can wake up from sleep and unlock by tapping any key.

9) Can I use the adapter I used with my MacBook?

The new iPad Pro uses USB Type-C instead of the Lightning connector. Everyone using the MacBook series should already have a dock for peripherals. When I verified it, I was able to use it as it was with the one I had.

When connecting the iPhone, the iPad Pro can be used as a mobile battery, and it was convenient to be able to download the photo app via wire. It's faster than sharing with AirDrop, so it's a good idea to use this when synchronizing a large number of photos and videos. Also, with an adapter that can connect to LAN, wired LAN can also be connected. It seems to be helpful even when there is only wired LAN at the hotel of the business trip destination.

By the way, when the iPad Pro is connected to the MacBook Pro, the iPad Pro will be charged.

10) How do I turn off the power?

Last but not least, holding down the power button on the new iPad Pro activates Siri. It is a familiar operation method for those who are accustomed to the "iPhone X" series, which also does not have a home button, but I have a feeling that some people will be confused. For the time being, it is also displayed in the notification of the "Hint" app, but let's review it.

The correct answer is "Long press power & volume button". It doesn't matter if the volume button is up or down.

By the way, the method of taking a screenshot is similar, "Press the power & volume (up) button once". Let's also remember this together.

Because the iPad has a long life, it is difficult to decide when to replace it. However, when you look at it with the new iPad Pro, you get the impression that the times have changed. The conventional shortcomings have been firmly improved, and the range of usage has expanded further. Many people have been interested in the iPad Pro so far, but have been unable to get their hands on it, but this new model is a "buy".