iPad Pro 9.7" vs iPad Pro 12.9" 5th Gen 2021

Swappasaurus says...
Apple released the iPad Pro 9.7” (2016) in March 2016 and released the iPad Pro 12.9” (2021) in May 2021. The 2016 iPad Pro 9.7” arrived as the first smaller-sized iPad Pro, and the 2021 iPad Pro 12.9” serves as the 5th generation model in the 12.9” iPad Pro lineup. The iPad Pro 12.9” (2021) is more advanced than the iPad Pro 9.7” (2016) with a list of specs that include a 12.9-inch Liquid Retina XDR display with ProMotion technology, an Apple M1 chip, up to 2TB of storage, USB-C (with Thunderbolt / USB 4 support), Face ID, and more.
Price Comparison
iPad Pro 12.9" 5th Gen 2021
iPad Pro 9.7" vs iPad Pro 12.9" 5th Gen 2021 Pricing
Specs Comparison
The iPad Pro 9.7” (2016) feature set includes a 9.7-inch Retina display with True Tone, an Apple A9X chip, up to 256GB of storage, a 5MP FaceTime HD front camera, and a 12MP wide-angle rear camera. This model also features a Lightning connector, four-speaker audio, two microphones, WiFi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.2, and Touch ID in the home button. Accessory support for the iPad Pro 9.7” (2016) includes the Apple Smart Keyboard and the Apple Pencil (1st gen). To compare, the highlight specs for the iPad Pro 12.9” (2021) include a 12.9-inch Liquid Retina XDR display with True Tone and ProMotion technology, an Apple M1 chip, up to 2TB of storage, a 12MP (ultra-wide-angle) TrueDepth front camera system with Center Stage, and a dual rear camera array with a 12MP wide-angle lens and a 10MP ultra-wide-angle lens. This model also features a USB-C port (with support for Thunderbolt / USB 4), four-speaker audio, five studio-quality microphones, WiFi 6 (802.11ax), Bluetooth 5.0, Face ID, and 5G cellular. Accessory support for the iPad Pro 12.9” (2021) includes the Apple Magic Keyboard, the Smart Keyboard Folio, and the Apple Pencil (2nd gen).
Size | iPad Pro 9.7" | iPad Pro 12.9" 5th Gen 2021 |
---|---|---|
Width | 215 mm 8.5 inches | |
Height | 281 mm 11.1 inches | |
Depth | 6 mm 0.3 inches | |
Weight | 682 g 24.1 ounces |
The iPad Pro 9.7” (2016) measures 9.4” (H) x 6.6” (W) x 0.24” (D) and features a 9.7-inch display size. The WiFi-only iPad Pro 9.7” (2016) weighs 0.96 pounds and the WiFi + Cellular version weighs 0.98 pounds. To compare, the iPad Pro 12.9” (2021) measures 11.04” (H) x 8.46” (W) x 0.25” (D) and features a 12.9-inch display size. The WiFi-only iPad Pro 12.9” (2021) weighs 1.5 pounds and the WiFi + Cellular version weighs 1.51 pounds.
Camera | iPad Pro 9.7" | iPad Pro 12.9" 5th Gen 2021 |
---|---|---|
Primary | 12.0 MP | |
Resolution | 4000x3000 |
The iPad Pro 9.7” (2016) has a 5MP FaceTime HD front-facing camera and a 12MP wide-angle rear-facing camera. In comparison, the iPad Pro 12.9” (2021) has a 12MP TrueDepth (ultra-wide-angle) front-facing camera and a rear-facing camera setup that includes a 12MP wide-angle and 10MP ultra-wide angle lens.
Display | iPad Pro 9.7" | iPad Pro 12.9" 5th Gen 2021 |
---|---|---|
Resolution | 2048x2732 | |
Screen Size | 328 mm 12.9 in | |
Pixels Per Inch | ppi | 265 ppi |
The iPad Pro 9.7” (2016) has a 9.7-inch Retina display and the iPad Pro 12.9” (2021) has a 12.9-inch Liquid Retina XDR display. Display specs for the iPad Pro 9.7” (2016) include a resolution of 2048 x 1536 at 264 pixels per inch, and an SDR max brightness of 500 nits. Display specs for the iPad Pro 12.9” (2021) include a resolution of 2732 x 2048 at 264 pixels per inch, an SDR max brightness of 600 nits, an XDR max brightness of 1000 nits, and ProMotion technology. Both of these displays support True Tone and are fully laminated with an anti-reflective coating and a fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating.
Battery | iPad Pro 9.7" | iPad Pro 12.9" 5th Gen 2021 |
---|---|---|
Capacity | mAh | 10702 mAh |
Longevity | hours | 10 hours |
USB | USB-C |
The iPad Pro 9.7” (2016) is equipped with a 27.5-watt-hour battery and the iPad Pro 12.9” (2021) is equipped with a 40.88-watt-hour battery, both of which allow for up to 10 hours of battery life when on WiFi or up to 9 hours of battery life when on cellular. The iPad Pro 9.7” (2016) charges via the Lightning connector and the iPad Pro 12.9” (2021) charges via USB-C.
Color Choices
iPad Pro 9.7"
Available in 4 colors:
-
Gold
-
Gray
-
Rose Gold
-
Silver
iPad Pro 12.9" 5th Gen 2021
Available in 2 colors:
-
Gray
-
Silver
Which color iPad Pro 12.9" 5th Gen 2021 is the most popular?
iPad Pro 9.7" vs iPad Pro 12.9" 5th Gen 2021 Colors

The iPad Pro 9.7” (2016) is available in Space Gray, Silver, Gold, and Rose Gold. The Space Gray model has a black bezel on the front, and the Silver, Gold, and Rose Gold models have a white bezel on the front. The iPad Pro 12.9” (2021) is available in two colors: Space Gray and Silver.
Storage Options
iPad Pro 9.7"
Choose from 3 storage options:
-
32GB
-
128GB
-
256GB
iPad Pro 12.9" 5th Gen 2021
Choose from 5 storage options:
-
128GB
-
256GB
-
512GB
-
1TB
-
2TB
Which storage iPad Pro 12.9" 5th Gen 2021 is the most popular?
iPad Pro 9.7" vs iPad Pro 12.9" 5th Gen 2021 Storage

The iPad Pro 9.7” (2016) storage options top out at 256GB and the iPad Pro 12.9” (2021) storage options top out at 2TB. The full range of storage options for the iPad Pro 9.7” (2016 includes 32GB, 128GB, and 256GB, and the full range of storage options for the iPad Pro 12.9” (2021) include 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB.
iPad Pro 9.7" vs iPad Pro 12.9" 5th Gen 2021 Reviews
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