iPad Pro 12.9" 2nd Gen 2017 vs iPad Pro 12.9" 5th Gen 2021
Swappasaurus says...
The iPad Pro 12.9” (2017) was released in June 2017 and the iPad Pro 12.9” (2021) was released in May 2021. The 2017 iPad Pro 12.9” is the 2nd generation model and the 2021 iPad Pro 12.9” is the 5th generation model in the 12.9” iPad Pro lineup.
Price Comparison
iPad Pro 12.9" 2nd Gen 2017
iPad Pro 12.9" 5th Gen 2021
iPad Pro 12.9" 2nd Gen 2017 vs iPad Pro 12.9" 5th Gen 2021 Pricing
Specs Comparison
The iPad Pro 12.9” (2017) features a 12.9” Retina display, the iPad Pro 12.9” (2021) features a 12.9-inch Liquid Retina display, and both support True Tone and ProMotion technology. Features of the iPad Pro 12.9” (2017) include an Apple A10X Fusion chip, up to 512GB of storage, a Lightning connector, four-speaker audio, two microphones, WiFi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.2, a 7MP FaceTime HD front camera, a 12MP wide-angle rear camera, and a home button with Touch ID. Accessory support for the 2017 iPad Pro 12.9” includes the 1st generation Apple Pencil and the Apple Smart Keyboard. The 2017 model with cellular connectivity supports 4G LTE. To compare, features of the iPad Pro 12.9” (2021) include an Apple M1 chip, up to 2TB of storage, USB-C (with support for Thunderbolt / USB 4), four-speaker audio, five studio-quality microphones, WiFi 6 (802.11ax), Bluetooth 5.0, a 12MP TrueDepth front camera system with Center Stage, a dual rear camera system with a 12MP wide-angle lens and a 10MP ultra-wide-angle lens, and Face ID. The accessory support for the 2021 iPad Pro 12.9” includes the 2nd generation Apple Pencil, Apple Magic Keyboard, and Apple Smart Keyboard Folio. The 2021 model with cellular connectivity supports 5G.
Size
The iPad Pro 12.9” (2017) and the iPad Pro 12.9” (2021) both feature a 12.9-inch display size, but the 2021 model is smaller and lighter than the 2017 model. Measurements for the iPad Pro 12.9” (2017) are 12” (H) x 8.68” (W) x 0.27” (D), and measurements for the iPad Pro 12.9” (2021) are 11.04” (H) x 8.46” (W) x 0.25” (D). The 2017 WiFi-only model weighs 1.49 pounds and the WiFi + Cellular model weighs 1.53 pounds. The 2021 WiFi-only model weighs 1.5 pounds and the WiFi + Cellular model weighs 1.51 pounds.
| Size | iPad Pro 12.9" 2nd Gen 2017 | iPad Pro 12.9" 5th Gen 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| Width | 221 mm 8.7 inches | 215 mm 8.5 inches |
| Height | 306 mm 12.0 inches | 281 mm 11.1 inches |
| Depth | 7 mm 0.3 inches | 6 mm 0.3 inches |
| Weight | 692 g 24.4 ounces | 682 g 24.1 ounces |
Camera
The iPad Pro 12.9” (2017) features a 7MP FaceTime HD front camera and a 12MP wide-angle rear camera. In comparison, the iPad Pro 12.9” (2021) features 7MP TrueDepth (ultra-wide-angle) front camera with Center Stage and a dual rear camera setup with a 12MP wide-angle and a 10MP ultra-wide-angle lens.
| Camera | iPad Pro 12.9" 2nd Gen 2017 | iPad Pro 12.9" 5th Gen 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | 12.0 MP | 12.0 MP |
| Resolution | 4000x3000 | 4000x3000 |
Screen
The iPad Pro 12.9” (2017) features a 12.9” Retina display, and the iPad Pro 12.9” (2021) features a 12.9” Liquid Retina XDR display. These two displays support a native resolution of 2732 x 2048 at 264 pixels per inch, an SDR max brightness of 600 nits, wide color (P3), True Tone, and ProMotion technology. Both displays are also fully laminated and have an anti-reflective coating and a fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating. Along with the SDR max brightness of 600 nits, the iPad Pro 12.9” (2021) display also supports an XDR max brightness of 1000 nits and an HDR max brightness of 1600 nits.
| Display | iPad Pro 12.9" 2nd Gen 2017 | iPad Pro 12.9" 5th Gen 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| Resolution | 2048x2732 | 2048x2732 |
| Screen Size | 328 mm 12.9 in | 328 mm 12.9 in |
| Pixels Per Inch | 265 ppi | 265 ppi |
Battery
The battery capacities of the iPad Pro 12.9” (2017) and the iPad Pro 12.9” (2021) can provide up to 10 hours of battery life when using WiFi or up to 9 hours of battery life when using cellular. The iPad Pro 12.9” (2017) has a 41-watt-hour battery and charges via the Lightning connector, and the iPad Pro 12.9” (2021) has a 40.88-watt-hour battery and charges via USB-C.
| Battery | iPad Pro 12.9" 2nd Gen 2017 | iPad Pro 12.9" 5th Gen 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 10870 mAh | 10702 mAh |
| Longevity | 10 hours | 10 hours |
| USB | Lightning | USB-C |
Processing
| Processor | iPad Pro 12.9" 2nd Gen 2017 | iPad Pro 12.9" 5th Gen 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Apple A10X Fusion APL1071 / APL1W71 (T8011) | Apple M1 APL1102 |
Color Choices
iPad Pro 12.9" 2nd Gen 2017
Available in 3 colors:
-
Gold
-
Gray
-
Silver
iPad Pro 12.9" 5th Gen 2021
Available in 2 colors:
-
Gray
-
Silver
iPad Pro 12.9" 2nd Gen 2017 vs iPad Pro 12.9" 5th Gen 2021 Colors
The iPad Pro 12.9” (2017) is available in three different colors: Space Gray, Silver, and Gold. The Space Gray model has a black bezel on the front and the Silver and Gold have a white bezel on the front. The iPad Pro 12.9” (2021) is available in two colors: Space Gray and Silver. Both of the iPad Pro 12.9” (2021) color options have a black bezel on the front.
Storage Options
iPad Pro 12.9" 2nd Gen 2017
Choose from 5 storage options:
-
32GB
-
64GB
-
128GB
-
256GB
-
512GB
iPad Pro 12.9" 5th Gen 2021
Choose from 5 storage options:
-
128GB
-
256GB
-
512GB
-
1TB
-
2TB
iPad Pro 12.9" 2nd Gen 2017 vs iPad Pro 12.9" 5th Gen 2021 Storage
The iPad Pro 12.9” (2017) is available in three storage configurations and the iPad Pro 12.9” (2021) is available in five storage configurations. The 2017 and 2021 models are both available in 256GB and 512GB storage configurations. The third storage option for the 2017 model is 64GB, and the three other storage options for the 2021 model are 128GB, 1TB, and 2TB.
Reviews
iPad Pro 12.9" 2nd Gen 2017 vs iPad Pro 12.9" 5th Gen 2021 Reviews
More Comparisons
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