10 reasons to buy the new 9.7-inch iPad Pro

Apple’s new iPad is finally here, and there are 10 reasons why it’s better than ever before.

Launched at the Apple’s spring 2016 event on March 21, the new iPad Pro is the first tablet to strike a balance between affordability and enough features to make it a contender for those looking to replace their laptop computer.

Also read: Apple’s March 21 launch event: five things to expect

The gadget has already created quite a stir among fans falling over themselves to get their hands on the tech giant’s latest tablet, and here’s why.

Compact size

The little brother of the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, Apple’s more compact 9.7-inch version is obviously much smaller and incredibly more versatile.

The gadget – which comes in silver gold, space grey or rose gold – addresses some of the size issues faced by its larger counterpart and at just 6.1mm thick, weighing less than a pound its far more portable without sacrificing any user experience.

Ramped up display

Not only does the display have photo alignment, oxide TFT, variable refresh rate and a custom timing controller like the 12.9-inch version, Apple have taken the advanced display of this model even further.

The new 2048x1536 resolution 3.1m pixel display is 25% brighter but with 40% less reflectivity while the ramped up colour saturation (by 25%) means everything, including photos, looks far more vivid and realistic.

The gadget also uses True Tone display, which uses advanced four-channel ambient light sensors which automatically adapt the display to suit your environment.

Also read: Apple vs Samsung: which is best?

Night shift mode

Not only has the display of the smaller iPad Pro been significantly advanced, it also now includes a night shift mode which uses the device’s clock and geolocation to adjust the display colours as the sun goes down to make it easier on the users eyes.

Multi screen view

Multitasking QuickType features make formatting even easier.

New shortcuts to open a second app without closing the first (Slide Over), split the screen view (Split View), access photos while video is open (Picture in Picture) and easily access editing tools (QuickType) make the device far more user friendly and convenient.

Four audio speakers

To complement the iPad Pro’s amazing new display, Apple has created more powerful, clear and immersive sound with four corner speakers that automatically adjust the sound depending on how you’re holding the iPad – mid and high frequencies always come from the top two speakers.

Improved software and fluid functionality

The iPad Pro’s third-generation architecture and A9X chip means the device can now do tasks which were previously restricted to PCs and workstations.

Combined with the iPad Air 2’s CPU performance, the A9X chip makes even complex tasks, like video editing up to 3 streams at once, fluid and responsive.

Aside from working with video editing, the new chip also gives a far better video game experience with detailed graphics.

Also read: Apple, Google, Facebook: where would you put your money?

‘Hey Siri’

Apple’s ‘Hey Siri’ function is also hugely improved by the A9X chip.

The sensors on the iPad are always ready to go on any instruction, even on a locked screen.

The functionality also has the capacity to quickly answer simple questions about the weather to complicated calculations.

Stunning photography

The 12-megapixel iSight camera is capable of capturing ultra-defined images, panoramas, videos and slow-mo but the iPad Pro also offers a number of firsts.

This is the first iPad with True Tone flash which matches the colour of the flash to the users skin tone, taking much more flattering pictures.

This is also the first iPad which takes live photos – the camera captures the moments just before and after a photos is taken, with movement and sound.

Also read: Game-changing products Apple will launch in 2016

Retina flash

Make those selfies even better with Apple iPad Pro’s retina flash – now the flash on the front of the screen means the camera captures images with clearer, more natural colour.

Touch ID technology

Apple’s has expanded its touch ID capability so that now it can not only used be to access the device without a passcode, but makes approving iTunes purchases, accessing Apple Pay or even logging into accounts a much more streamlined process.