When Apple officially unveiled the smaller 9.7-inch iPad Pro, the Cupertino company mentioned that the new tablet has the same processor as the bigger 12.9-inch model. While this is accurate, it has been reported that the Apple A9X processor powering the new iPad Pro is actually underclocked; this effectively affects the performance of the tablet.
Then again, there has to be reason why the A9X processor of the 9.7-inch iPad Pro had to be underclocked; it’s possible that this is done to avoid any heating issue with the tablet. After all, the A9X processor is running in a smaller chassis than the larger 12.9-inch iPad Pro. This could be a way to preserve the battery life of the tablet as well.
Here's a single Geekbench run with stats on iPad Pro 9.7" pic.twitter.com/vwqlKtsIUm
— Matthew Panzarino (@panzer) March 22, 2016
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It’s certain that the new 9.7-inch iPad Pro isn’t as fast as the 12.9-inch model, and the fact that it has only 2GB of RAM – in comparison to the bigger model’s 4GB of RAM – isn’t making it any more appealing. Then again, the smaller iPad does have a better 12MP rear camera that is capable of 4K video recording: a feature that isn’t available on the 12.9-inch iPad Pro. On top of that, the smaller tablet also has a better 5MP front-facing camera; the 12.9-inch model has a 1.2MP shooter instead.
Although the new 9.7-inch iPad Pro isn’t as fast – and has less RAM – as its bigger counterpart, consumers may be willing to accept these compromises for the new tablet’s smaller size and better cameras, among other things.
(Source: TechCrunch)
