Home Tablet comparison Apple iPad Pro 12.9" (3rd Gen, 2018) and Apple iPad 10.2" (9th Gen, 2021) - Which is better?

Apple iPad Pro 12.9" (3rd Gen, 2018) vs Apple iPad 10.2" (9th Gen, 2021)

71 out 100
Apple iPad Pro 12.9
VS
63 out 100
Apple iPad 10.2
Apple iPad Pro 12.9" (3rd Gen, 2018)
Apple iPad 10.2" (9th Gen, 2021)

Compared 2 smartphones : Apple iPad Pro 12.9" (3rd Gen, 2018) Manufactured in November, 2018, with display 12.9 with chipsetApple A12X Bionic, vs Apple iPad 10.2" (9th Gen, 2021), Manufactured in September, 2021with chipsetApple A13 Bionic. Below are specs, tests, pros and cons for each device

  1. Differences
  2. Review
  3. Specs
  4. Benchmarks
  5. Battery Life
  6. Cameras
  7. Comments (0)

Key Differences

Device key advantages
Reasons to choose Apple iPad Pro 12.9" (3rd Gen, 2018)
  • Larger display: 12.9in
  • Higher refresh rate: 120Hz
  • Higher battery capacity: 9720mAh vs 8557mAh
  • Newer Bluetooth version: 5 vs 4.2
  • Supports newer USB: 3.1 vs 2
Reasons to choose Apple iPad 10.2" (9th Gen, 2021)
  • Lighter design: 487g vs 631g
  • Fingerprint scanner

Versions

Available versions and configurations
Memory Options - 4/64 GB
- 4/256 GB
- 4/512 GB
- 6/1024 GB		 - 3/64 GB
- 3/256 GB

Review

Key Specs Apple iPad Pro 12.9" (3rd Gen, 2018) and Apple iPad 10.2" (9th Gen, 2021)
Display
Color accuracy, sharpness & brightness
Performance
App & system performance
Battery
Battery life, charging speed & type
NanoReview Score
Overall score by NanoReview
Adjust each parameter’s importance to find the best match for you.
Customize your score
Function
Importance (Weight)
Display:
Camera:
Performance:
Gaming:
Battery:
Connectivity:
Higher weight means greater impact on NanoReview score.

Tests & specs

Specs & test comparison
Tablets:
iPad Pro 12.9" (3rd Gen, 2018)
vs
iPad 10.2" (9th Gen, 2021)

Display

Display quality comparison
Type IPS LCD IPS LCD
Size 12.9 in 10.2 in
Resolution 2048x2732 pixels 1620x2160 pixels
Aspect ratio 4:3 4:3
Pixel density 265 ppi 265 ppi
Refresh rate 120 Hz 60 Hz
Adaptive refresh rate Yes (24-120 Hz) No
Max brightness 600 nits 500 nits
HDR support Yes HDR10 No
Screen-to-body ratio 85.5 % 73.8 %
Features DCI-P3 DCI-P3
Display test
Peak brightness (auto)
Apple iPad Pro 12.9" (3rd Gen, 2018)
601 nits
Apple iPad 10.2" (9th Gen, 2021)
486 nits
sRGB gamut99.7 %97.9 %
PWM (Flicker)n/a40000 Hz
Response time36 ms27 ms
Contrast1975:11014:1
Sources: NotebookCheck [Apple iPad Pro 12.9" (3rd Gen, 2018)], [Apple iPad 10.2" (9th Gen, 2021)]

Design & Build

Design and ergonomics comparison
Height 280.6 mm (11.05 in) 250.6 mm (9.87 in)
Width 214.9 mm (8.46 in) 174.1 mm (6.85 in)
Thickness 5.9 mm (0.23 in) 7.5 mm (0.3 in)
Weight 631 g (22.26 oz) 487 g (17.18 oz)
Area 603 cm² (93.47 in²) 436 cm² (67.58 in²)
Water resistance No No
Back panel Metal Metal
Frame Metal Metal
Colors - Silver
- Gray		 - Silver
- Gray
Fingerprint sensor No Yes In-Button
Screen-to-body ratio
Apple iPad Pro 12.9" (3rd Gen, 2018)
85.5 %
Apple iPad 10.2" (9th Gen, 2021)
73.8 %

Performance

Testing Apple iPad Pro 12.9" (3rd Gen, 2018) and Apple iPad 10.2" (9th Gen, 2021) In benchmarks
Processor
Chipset Apple A12X Bionic Apple A13 Bionic
Max Frequency 2500 MHz 2650 MHz
CPU Cores n/a 6 (2 + 4)
Architecture n/a - 4/1.6 (Thunder)
- 2/2.65 (Lightning)
Process n/a TSMC
Transistor Size n/a 7 nm
Neural Processor n/a Apple Neural Engine
Graphics n/a Apple A13 GPU
GPU Cores n/a 256
GPU Frequency n/a 1230 MHz
FLOPS n/a 629.8 GFLOPS
GeekBench v6
Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)
Apple iPad Pro 12.9" (3rd Gen, 2018)
1358
Apple iPad 10.2" (9th Gen, 2021)
1792
Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)
Apple iPad Pro 12.9" (3rd Gen, 2018)
4736
Apple iPad 10.2" (9th Gen, 2021)
4214
Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)13581792
Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)47364214
Sources: Geekbench v6 [Apple iPad Pro 12.9" (3rd Gen, 2018)], [Apple iPad 10.2" (9th Gen, 2021)]
AnTuTu 10
AnTuTu 10
Apple iPad Pro 12.9" (3rd Gen, 2018)
677981
Apple iPad 10.2" (9th Gen, 2021)
901330
CPU210201232283
GPU207538267845
Memory122462157505
UX137780243697
NanoReview Score677981901330
3DMark Wild Life
3DMark Wild Life
Apple iPad Pro 12.9" (3rd Gen, 2018)
11793
Apple iPad 10.2" (9th Gen, 2021)
7261
Max Surface Temp.41.2 °C39.7 °C
Stability76 %87 %
Graphics Test70 fps43 fps
Graphics Score117937261
Sources: 3DMark [Apple iPad Pro 12.9" (3rd Gen, 2018)], [Apple iPad 10.2" (9th Gen, 2021)]

Memory

RAM
RAM Size 4 GB 3 GB
Memory Type LPDDR4X LPDDR4X
Memory Frequency 2133 MHz 2133 MHz
Channels 2 4
Storage
Storage Capacity64 GB64 GB
Storage TypeNVMeNVMe
Memory CardNoNo

Software

OS iPadOS 12 (Upgradeable to iPadOS 18.1) iPadOS 15 (Upgradeable to iPadOS 18.3)

Battery

Volume 9720 mAh 8557 mAh
Max Charging Power 30 W 30 W
Battery Type Li-Po Li-ion
Removable No No
Wireless Charging No No
Reverse Charging No No
Fast Charging Yes (50% in 60 min) Yes (24% in 30 min)
Full Charge Time 2:45 h 2:45 h
Battery Life Test
Battery Life
Apple iPad Pro 12.9" (3rd Gen, 2018)
31:49
Apple iPad 10.2" (9th Gen, 2021)
n/a
Web Browsing11:25 hn/a
Video Playback16:28 hn/a
Games07:17 hn/a
Standby Mode179 hn/a

Main camera

Matrix 12 MP 8 MP
Photo resolution 4032x3024 pixels n/a
Flash Quad LED No
Stabilization Digital Digital
8K Recording No No
4K Recording Yes (Up to 60 fps) No
1080p Recording Yes (Up to 60 fps) Yes (Up to 30 fps)
Slow Motion 120 fps (1080p) 120 fps (720p)
Lenses count Standard: 12 MP Standard: 8 MP
Features Bokeh effect
Main lens
Matrix12 MP8 MP
Aperturef/1.8f/2.4
Focal length29 mm31 mm
Sensor size1/3.0"n/a
Pixel size1.4 μm1.12 μm
AutofocusPhase autofocusPhase autofocus
StabilizationDigitalDigital

Front camera

Matrix 7 MP 12 MP
Matrix 3472x2063 pixels 4032x3024 pixels
Aperture f/2.2 f/2.4
Focal length 32 mm n/a
Autofocus No No
Stabilization Digital Digital
Video resolution 1080p (Full HD) at 30 fps 1080p (Full HD) at 30 fps
TOF 3D sensor No No

Connectivity

Wi-Fi version Wi-Fi 5 (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac) Wi-Fi 5 (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac)
Wi-Fi features - Dual Band
- Wi-Fi Direct
- Wi-Fi Hotspot
- Wi-Fi Display		 - Dual Band
- Wi-Fi MiMO
- Wi-Fi Direct
- Wi-Fi Hotspot
- Wi-Fi Display
Bluetooth version 5 4.2
Bluetooth features LE n/a
USB type USB Type-C No
USB version 3.1 2
USB features - Charging
- USB Storage Mode
- OTG		 - Charging
- USB Storage Mode
- OTG
DisplayPort No No
GPS - GPS
- GLONASS		 - GPS
- GLONASS
NFC* No No
Infrared Port No No
Connectivity
SIM Count*11
SIM TypeNanoNano
eSIM Support *YesYes
Hybrid SlotNoNo
2G BandsGSM/EDGE 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHzn/a
3G BandsUMTS/HSPA/HSPA+/DC‑HSDPA 850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHzUMTS/HSPA/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA 850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz
LTE Bands*LTE (B1/B2/B3/B4/B5/B7/B8/B11/B12/B13/B14/B17/B18/B19/B20/B21/B25/B26/B29/B30/B34/B38/B39/B40/B41/B46/B66/B71)LTE (B1/B2/B3/B4/B5/B7/B8/B11/B12/B13/B14/B17/B18/B19/B20/B21/B25/B26/B29/B30/B34/B38/B39/B40/B41/B66/B71)
5G SupportNoNo

Sound

Speakers 4.0 Stereo
3.5 mm Jack No Yes
FM Radio No No
Dolby Atmos Yes Yes
Speaker Test
Max Volume
Apple iPad Pro 12.9" (3rd Gen, 2018)
82.9 dB
Apple iPad 10.2" (9th Gen, 2021)
91.9 dB

Other

Class Flagship Mid-range
Announced October, 2018 yr September, 2021 yr
Release Date November, 2018 yr September, 2021 yr
Launch Price ($) 999 329
Sensors - Barometer
- Proximity Sensor
- Gyroscope
- Accelerometer
- Ambient Light Sensor
- Compass
- Face Sensor		 - Barometer
- Gyroscope
- Accelerometer
- Ambient Light Sensor
- Compass
- Fingerprint sensor
Charger Included Yes 18 W Yes 20 W
* Attention! Config, frequencies, NFC, and other specs may vary by region.

Results

No clear favorite identified yet; updates may follow as new data arrives.

Survey

Which tablet would you pick?
3 (27.27%)
8 (72.73%)
Total Votes: 11

User comments

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