The essential question of the iPad Pro: 11” or 12.9”?

Apple presents us with conundrums. Small differentials in the product line—like screen size—can cause consternation, strive, and product return-driven Apple Store trips for many of us. 

The biggest question—so to speak—in the iPad Pro line is one of size: 11 inches or 12.9?

Fear not. I have waffled, made purchases, returned iPads, sold iPads, and have reached my own conclusion. Maybe my thought process can help yours, too. Here are a few things to think about. 

Portability: the size difference is negligible 

I owned the original, comically-large 12.9” iPad Pro. It’s sidewalk-like bezels made it unwieldily. On several occasions, helicopters attempted to land on my device. 
But the modern Pros have much small bezels, and to me the footprint difference is negligible. Both can be easily carried around, even with the Smart Folio Keyboard. 

The weight difference—the 12.9 inch weights about 1.4 lbs., .4 more than the 11 inch—isn’t a big deal for me but may be for others. If you plan to often hold your tablet one-handed in portrait mode (vertically), then this might make a difference for you. I rarely use my iPad that way. 

Multi-tasking with split-screen mode

For me, this is the deal breaker, or deal maker depending on your point of view. iPad’s split-screen view is really useful, placing two apps side-by-side and allowing you to easily go back and forth. 

On the 11-inch model, Split Screen felt too cramped to be useful. The additional screen space afforded by 12.9-inch model makes a huge difference here. It feels like the perfect size for Split Screen mode: enough room to be useful without wasted space. You can read a Kindle book on one side and take notes on the other. Or run YouTube on the left and surf with Safari on the right. 

Conclusion: 12.9-inch is the victor 

You probably saw where I was going with this. The 12.9-inch model gives you a lot more screen real estate with limited drawbacks. The difference in footprint is small, and the weight difference only matters if you are a big user of the iPad in portrait mode.