Two things Apple didn't tell you about the new iPad Pro
It's not just the display that Apple scaled down for the new 9.7-inch iPad Pro. The company also slashed the amount of RAM and underclocked the processor.
Testing carried out by TechCrunch's Matthew Panzarino indicates that the newly unveiled 9.7-inch iPad Pro only has 2GB of LPDDR4 RAM, compared to 4GB in the 12.7-inch version.
But it doesn't end there. The A9X processor also appears to be underclocked compared to the silicon in its bigger brother, clocking in at 2.16GHz compared to 2.24GHz for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro.
Does this have an effect on performance? You bet it does.
The new iPad Pro received a single-core Geekbench score of 3022 and a multi-core score of 5107, compared to 3231 and 5482 respectively for the 12.7-inch iPad Pro.
It's likely that Apple underclocked the processor in order to have less heat to deal with. As to the reason why it slashed the RAM, the smaller display probably reduced how much was required, but halving the RAM still seems like an extreme move.
Cost-cutting might also be a factor.
Despite this, the new 9.7-inch iPad Pro still outperforms the iPad Air 2 and the iPhone 6S.
Good news though for those looking to buy an iPhone SE. It features 2GB or RAM just like the iPhone 6S, and the processor seems to be running at the same speed. Which means you get the same performance in a smaller form factor.
See also: