iPad Pro 9.7-inch
Pro power and a True Tone screen in the familiar 9.7-inch size.
Overview
For people who found the 12.9-inch Pro too big, Apple brought the same Pro feature set to the familiar 9.7-inch body in March 2016. Visually it matched the iPad Air 2 closely, but the display was a significant upgrade: a wider color gamut, brighter backlight and True Tone, which uses ambient sensors to match the white point to room lighting.
It carried the A9X chip, though with 2 GB rather than 4 GB of RAM, and kept support for Apple Pencil and the Smart Keyboard. The rear camera was a major leap, a 12-megapixel unit with a lens that slightly protruded from the back and could shoot 4K video, with a True Tone flash for better skin tones.
A rose gold finish joined silver, space gray and gold, and the tablet was updated only once before being replaced by the 10.5-inch model in 2017.
Why it mattered
Brought True Tone and wide-color displays to iPad and gave the Pro line a size that most people found more practical.
At a glance
- Announced
- March 21, 2016
- Released
- March 31, 2016
- Discontinued
- June 5, 2017
- Launch price
- $599
- Chip
- Apple A9X, 2.26 GHz dual-core
- Display
- 9.7"
- Storage
- 32GB, 128GB, 256GB
- Status
- Vintage
Highlights
- True Tone display with wide P3 color
- 12 MP camera with 4K video
- Four speakers and A9X chip
- Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard support
Tech specs
Specifications as published at launch. Some values (like battery life) are manufacturer estimates.
Display
- Size
- 9.7-inch
- Type
- Retina LED IPS, laminated, True Tone, wide color (P3)
- Resolution
- 2048 x 1536 (264 ppi)
- Refresh rate
- 60 Hz
- Brightness
- 500 nits
Chip
- Chip
- Apple A9X, 2.26 GHz dual-core 64-bit
- Coprocessor
- Apple M9 motion coprocessor
Memory
- RAM
- 2 GB
- Storage options
- 32GB, 128GB, 256GB
Camera
- Rear camera
- 12 MP iSight, 4K video, True Tone flash
- Front camera
- 5 MP, Retina Flash
Battery
- Battery life
- Up to 10 hours of web, video or music
- Capacity
- About 27.5 Wh
Connectivity
- Wi-Fi
- 802.11a/b/g/n/ac with MIMO
- Cellular
- Optional 4G LTE model
- Connector
- Lightning and Smart Connector
- Bluetooth
- Bluetooth 4.2
Accessories
- Apple Pencil
- Apple Pencil (1st generation)
- Keyboard
- Smart Keyboard via Smart Connector
Audio
- Speakers
- Four speakers
Design
- Dimensions
- 240 x 169.5 x 6.1 mm
- Weight
- 437 g (Wi-Fi), 444 g (cellular)
Security
- Authentication
- Touch ID fingerprint sensor
Software
- Launch OS
- iOS 9.3
- Latest supported OS
- iPadOS 16.7.x
How it compares
More in the iPad Pro family
iPad Pro 12.9-inch (1st generation)
A giant-screen iPad built for work, drawing and four speakers.
iPad Pro 10.5-inch
ProMotion arrives, filling a larger screen into the same body.
iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2nd generation)
The big Pro gains ProMotion, a faster chip and a better camera.
iPad Pro 11-inch (1st generation)
A new look: no home button, Face ID and USB-C.
iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation)
The Face ID redesign in the large 12.9-inch size.
iPad Pro 11-inch (2nd generation)
Dual cameras and a LiDAR scanner join the Pro.
iPad Pro 12.9-inch (4th generation)
The large Pro gains LiDAR, dual cameras and an A12Z Bionic.
iPad Pro 11-inch (3rd generation)
An M1 Mac chip arrives in the iPad Pro.
iPad Pro 12.9-inch (5th generation)
Mini-LED Liquid Retina XDR brings HDR to the biggest iPad.
iPad Pro 11-inch (4th generation)
M2 speed and Apple Pencil hover in an unchanged body.
iPad Pro 12.9-inch (6th generation)
The M2 refresh keeps the mini-LED display and the big canvas.
iPad Pro 11-inch (M4)
Impossibly thin, with a tandem OLED display and the first M4 chip.
iPad Pro 13-inch (M4)
The thinnest Apple product ever, in the large size.
iPad Pro 11-inch (M5)
M5 speed and Apple's own wireless silicon in the OLED Pro.
iPad Pro 13-inch (M5)
The 5.1 mm OLED Pro, upgraded to M5 and Wi-Fi 7.