Apple starts taking orders for the 9.7-inch iPad Pro on March 24, and the new tablets will start shipping March 31. Mark those dates in your calendar if you’ve been waiting for a Rose Gold tablet to match your similarly hued iPhone, as Apple doesn’t sell the 12.9-inch Pad Pro or iPad Air 2 in that color. MORE: Our Favorite Tablets for Work and Play

Size

The iPad Pro 9.7-inch is definitely more portable, yet still be large enough for many activities such as watching movies. Of course, the larger 12.9-inch display was made for creating detailed drawings on a big canvas. But the larger of the two is unlikely to fit neatly in a purse, and for $200 less you can get the iPad Air 2 in the same 9.7-inch size. 

Accessories

If you wanted the 12.9-inch iPad Pro’s Pencil and Smart Keyboard, but felt that was tablet too large, you’ll be happy the new 9.7-inch model supports both. However, during our hands-on time with the 9.7-inch tablet, the new, smaller keyboard wasn’t exactly a joy to use. Its keys still have plenty of travel, but the cramped layout reminded us of the pains of writing on a netbook. The iPad Air 2 doesn’t support the pencil or come with its own Apple-made keyboard. But there are plenty of third party options available. 

Display

Both iPad Pros and the Air 2 have the same 264 ppi resolution, but the 9.7-inch Pro introduces a new True Tone Display. It uses dual ambient light sensors to detect nearby light and adjust color for accuracy. Apple claims the 9.7-inch tablet’s display panel can emit 500 nits (a measure of brightness), a higher amount than our tests found in the 12.9-inch iPad Pro (374 nits) and iPad Air 2 (368 nits).

Camera

It’s baffling to me, but some users prefer to snapping photos with an iPad. With this in mind, Apple fitted the 9.7-inch iPad with a 12-megapixel rear camera and 5-MP selfie camera. That’s an upgrade from the 8-MP rear camera and 1.2-MP front camera found in the 12.9-inch iPad Pro and the iPad Air 2. The new 9.7-inch iPad Pro can also shoot Live Photos, the .gif-like moving images, which the iPad Air  2 and 12.9-inch iPad Pro cannot. The 9.7-inch iPad Pro also stands out from its brethren because it’s the only Apple tablet that can record 4K video. Both the iPad Air 2 and 12.9-inch iPad are limited to shooting 1080p HD video.

Performance 

No matter which size iPad Pro you buy, you still get Apple’s speedy A9X and M9 co-processors, which earned high marks for performance in our review of the original 12.9-inch tablet. While the A8X-packing iPad Air 2 worked well in real-world experience, it didn’t fare as well in comparisons with newer devices. For instance, it was outmatched by the Surface Pro 3 in a number of categories. So if you own an iPad Air 2 or earlier, and find it unable to meet your needs, the 9.7-inch iPad Pro may give you the speed you want.

Price

Starting at $599 with 32GB of storage, the 9.7-inch iPad Pro will also appeal to customers unwilling to pay the 12.9-inch tablet’s $799 starting price. At each storage capacity, the 9.7-inch tablet is $200 less than its big brother, and it maxes out at a $899 model with a 256GB hard drive. If you don’t need the fastest processor or Apple’s own stylus and keyboard, definitely consider the 9.7-inch iPad Air 2. Its 16GB entry-level model is $200 less expensive than the baseline 9.7-inch iPad Pro. Even the 64GB iPad Air is $100 cheaper than the starting price for the 9.7-inch iPad Pro, and it comes with twice as much storage too.

Bottom line

The 9.7-inch iPad Pro is a compelling addition to Apple’s tablet family, bringing wanted features to a familiar size. We’ll have to test the slate’s display to see if it’s as fantastic as the company claims, but on paper, this seems like a powerhouse slate.

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