Apple iPad Pro (2nd Gen) 12.9-Inch 512GB (Cellular) - Refurbished Excellent - - Space Grey - Refurbished Grade A

Apple
Apple iPad Pro (2nd Gen) 12.9-Inch 512GB (Cellular) - Refurbished Excellent - - Space Grey - Refurbished Grade A
Apple iPad Pro (2nd Gen) 12.9-Inch 512GB (Cellular) - Refurbished Excellent - - Space Grey - Refurbished Grade A
Apple iPad Pro (2nd Gen) 12.9-Inch 512GB (Cellular) - Refurbished Excellent - - Space Grey - Refurbished Grade A
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Apple iPad Pro (2nd Gen) 12.9-Inch 512GB (Cellular) - Refurbished Excellent Design and build

The iPad’s design has come a long way in seven years. Compared to older models, the 12.9in Pro is comically large and isn’t a device you’ll be comfortable using with one hand to read on. But this isn’t an iPad aimed at the casual reader of news or browser of web. Though it does those things with aplomb thanks to the expansive Retina display that’s bigger than the smallest MacBook’s.

It’s my favourite iPad in this sense despite its size, with only a Touch ID button, power/lock button and volume keys on the chassis (plus a nano-SIM tray on cellular models).

Aside from these, there’s a Lightning port, 3.5mm headphone jack and four speaker grilles. The Apple logo on the rear is reflective aluminium and the weight of the device, while not the most shoulder-bag friendly, has a reassuring heft behind it.

The tablet is undoubtedly unwieldy, even with two hands. It works well docked with Apple’s Smart Keyboard that frustratingly does not come in the box. You’ll want it though, as it is very slim and adds little bulk to the unit while adding the benefits of a stand as well as keyboard.

They keyboard is powered directly from the iPad via the three pin Smart Connector and is fool proof in its operation. It means the keyboard needn’t have its own battery or even rely on Bluetooth for connection. For illustrators and designers (or just plain curious) you’ll want to indulge in the Apple Pencil.

Apple’s move away from pushing the iPad Pro as a laptop alternative is evident in the new slip case it is selling, which is for just tablet and Pencil. The Pencil remains expensive and charging via the iPad’s Lightning port is still precarious, but as an input device it is second to none, easily matching (price) and in some instances surpassing (look and feel) the Microsoft Surface Pen.

Hardware, features and specifications Headline specs The unit measures 305.7 x 220.6 x 6.9mm. 6.9! It’s wonderfully thin for what is a very advanced computer. It’s powered by Apple’s A10X Fusion chip, a variation on the A10 chip used in the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. Paired with 4GB RAM it runs superbly, a result of Apple’s excellent optimisation of hardware and software.

The storage options are different from last year, with 64GB now being the entry-level model. You can up it to 256 or 512 if you want, but it will cost you. It does mean that taking the hit now will set you up admirably for the coming years. It’s an iPad to indulge in, safe in the knowledge that it’ll still run very well two or three years down the road. In my testing it did not lag for even a second.

DisplayThe display is a sensuous 2732 x 2048 resolution with 256 pixels per inch. It is improved for 2017 with what Apple calls ProMotion, screen tech that can achieve refresh rates of up to 120Hz. This is insanity on an iPad, but it makes a massive difference on a machine that relies at its most advanced on quick rendering and fluidity of input from finger and Pencil alike.

Scrolling looks incredibly slick and with the addition of the True Tone display previously not on the 12.9in model, you have one seriously capable slab. True Tone was introduced on last year’s 9.7in iPad Pro (RIP) and adapts your iPad’s screen to the most realistic colour possible depending on the light. Apple lets you toggle it on and off to show the benefits, and trust me – you’ll keep it on.

HD video streaming on several platforms looks phenomenal, no doubt a result of the resolution and ProMotion working in tandem. Video rendering in high-intensity applications also benefits massively, and designers will see their creations come to life in ways that simply don’t present themselves on a smaller display.

Brightness is well managed by the ambient light sensor, though it’s hard to read in direct sunlight and despite the decent oleophobic coating, it’ll pick up some pretty smudgy prints. Cameras There are also massive camera improvements, not that it’s socially acceptable to use a 12.9in screen as a viewfinder. Apple has done this for professionals for scanning documents, photographing in-studio and other handy things, so it’s not a useless upgrade.

The 12Mp sensor is the same as in the iPhone 7 and works amazingly well, with Live Photos, optical image stabilisation, digital zoom up to 5x and 4K video recording. Little things show themselves in use, like how panoramas are easier to achieve as opposed to relatively pokey iPhone screens. It’s impressive but probably adds to the price along with the improved display tech.

It shows excellent detail on this photo of St Pancras in London, while close ups give good low light reproduction with auto HDThe front facing camera is a 7Mp HD sensor so rest assured; it’s just as good for FaceTime as every other iPad out there.

Audio The iPad Pro has the advantage of four speakers compared to the iPad and iPad mini 4. While not truly room-filling, they are superb for the size of the unit and will keep you happy on solo or small group viewing on Netflix, FaceTime or YouTube. Music reproduction is fine, but not party-worthy. You’ll have to wait for the HomePod for that.

There are also dual microphones that work for calls and video and audio recording. They are decent for the former, but for the latter you won’t want to rely on them for anything above casual filming or note taking.

Battery life Battery life on the 12.9in iPad Pro is quite pleasing, though it’s still not the powerhouse you might expect for the price. Apple stuffs a decent-sized 41-watt-hour battery into the chassis that’ll carry you through a heavy work day much more satisfyingly than the phone in your pocket will.

But it takes a long time to recharge, even with the supplied charger. If you have the 30W charger (slightly older versions may be 29W) Apple ships with its USB-C MacBooks then you can invest in a USB-C to Lightning cable to charge your iPad faster. But that is an expensive faff.

  • PROCESSOR: Processor (Clock): Six-core A10X 64-bit
  • RAM: 4GB
  • STORAGE: Internal Storage: 512GB
  • DISPLAY: Screen (Size & Type): 12.9 Inches LED-backlit IPS Display
  • CAMERA: Camera Overview: 12 Megapixels / 7 Megapixels
  • BATTERY: Non-Removable 41 Wh Lithium-