It is no secret that Apple has a neglectful relationship with its MacBook Air models, and two years ago Apple discontinued the smaller of the two MacBook Air models. While I still strongly believe that Apple’s new 12 inch MacBook is the replacement of Apple’s MacBook Air line, Apple’s 2017 iPad Pro may be the second runner-up for the title of “MacBook Air Killer”.

Apple’s 2017 refresh of the iPad Pro features two iPad Pro models – a 10.5 inch display iPad Pro and a 12.9 inch display iPad Pro. Although extreme portability and lightweightness were two of the MacBook Air’s main selling points, the small size of the iPad Pro 10.5 inch model alone isn’t enough for it to replace a fully armed and operational laptop – which the MacBook Air is.

So besides being light and small, what would an iPad Pro rental have going for it? In terms of battery life the iPad Pro’s are pretty average in comparison to the tablets of other tech giants. Apple claims that both iPad Pro models have a 10 hour battery life, giving them an extra hour of operation above the Microsoft Surface Pro 4 and the 11-inch MacBook Airs of 2015, but two hours less than the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3, which Samsung claims has a 12 hour battery life.

The display on both models of the iPad Pro are better than the display equipped on the current models of MacBook Air. Both iPad Pro models come equipped with retina displays, which the Air lacks. The 10.5 inch iPad Pro has a 2224-by-1668 resolution while the larger 12.9 inch iPad Pro has a resolution of 2732-by-2048. Both models display 264 pixels per inch.

The most impressive aspect of the new iPad Pro models is the A10X Fusion chip. The A10X is the processor and graphics card running the iPad Pro, and it is an impressive piece of hardware for a tablet. The A10X allows the iPad Pro to outperform some laptops in performance, but currently the iPad Pro is limited by its operating system. Once iOS 11 releases, the iPad Pro will become a much more productive device, as the operating system update has a strong focus on increasing the amount of multitasking capable for users, and it will also allow you to search your tablet files extensively, making the iOS more laptop like than mobile device oriented.

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