Design

Just as with smartphones, iPad screens seem to be getting bigger. For years, we had just the iPad and the iPad Mini, with their 9.7 and 7.9-inch screens respectively. In the last two years we’ve had the original iPad Pro (12.9 inches) and now the new 10.5-inch model.

But even if the screen is bigger, the new iPad itself isn't – not noticeably at least. The 10.5 has cut down on borders so it’s only a touch longer wider than this year’s 9.7-inch iPad, and impressively – no heavier.

So instead of being a compromise, the 10.5 is as portable as ever, but big enough to properly type on – either on the touchscreen itself or with the optional keyboard (and really, if you’re going to do much typing at all on this thing, you should have the keyboard).

If I have a complaint about the design, its that Apple hasn’t found a way to get rid of the iPad Pro’s camera bump. It’s less of an issue on the iPad than on the iPhone of course, but it’s still a bit unsightly.

Display

It’s not just the size of the display that has changed. The screen technology has changed in a few significant ways.

The most significant is something Apple calls “ProMotion”, which doubles the screen’s refresh rate to 120Hz. In English, that means scrolling down webpages or minimising apps is silkily smooth, with no judder - little things that make the whole experience easier on the eye.