When Apple released the 9.7-inch iPad Pro , the iPad lineup became a little more complicated. Which model should you get? A product review can help you make a decision.

Calling it a full-blown laptop replacement is a stretch, but Apple's new 9.7-inch iPad Pro is the best conventional tablet the company has made. It combines the power of the original 12.9-inch iPad Pro with the thin frame of the iPad Air 2.

Apple is targeting the iPad Pro device category at people that it wants to rescue from the trauma of using PCs. With the iPad Pro 9.7in, it achieves this in some respects, but not all.

I've tired of tablets, and I'm not alone. The glorious days of finger-computing arrived, certainly, but it was big-screen smartphones that benefited most from them, and persuading new or existing tablet owners to take the plunge or upgrade has proved harder than manufacturers expected.

The 9.7-inch iPad Pro is more powerful than the iPad Air 2, but I'm having trouble justifying the increased price for most buyers. For $499, you can get a 64GB iPad Air 2 with similar size, shape, and performance. The Pro's sweet spot is the 128GB model, which costs $749 (or $879 with cellular).

Fast; Top-notch Pencil stylus and keyboard accessories; Loud speakers; Great-looking screen

Expensive; iOS apps fall short of Mac and Windows apps in traditional business functionality

Nearly a year and a half after the release of the iPad Air 2, Apple recently unveiled a new 9.7-inch iPad. However, this was not the iPad Air 3, but rather a new member of the iPad Pro family.

Apple raised a few eyebrows when it launched the iPad Pro at the end of last year. After spurning hybrid devices such as Microsoft's popular Surface range for years, the arrival of the 12.9-inch iPad Pro -- complete with keyboard and stylus accessories -- was the sort of screeching U-turn that a...

A9X processor delivers impressive performance; Brighter; more colourful display; 12MP front camera; with 4K video recording; 10 hour+ battery life

Expensive; Lacks USB port and SD card slot; Requires expensive accessories to function as a laptop; Only 2GB of RAM

Apple's new iPad Pro is the best tablet you can buy. But it's still not a laptop

Best tablet cameras and speakers ever; Powerful enough for real productivity; Thin and portable; Apple Pencil is the best stylus available; iOS has best tablet apps; frequent updates

Expensive at every option level; Cramped screen for multitasking; Not a true laptop replacement

Apple thinks it's created the 'ultimate PC replacement' and while we're not convinced, the new iPad Pro 9.7 is still one of the best tablets you can buy.

Last autumn, Apple released the giant iPad Pro. With a near 13-inch screen, it felt twice as big as the standard 10-inch iPad we’ve been used to for half a decade and promised to replace our notebooks. The iPad Pro brought laptop levels of power, different keyboard and stylus options, and fantastic speakers, all while remaining ridiculously thin. Yet as much as it tries, a giant iPad was still no substitute for a MacBook or Windows 10 PC. That hasn’t stopped Apple from trying. If you liked the giant iPad pro, but had a problem with its … bigness … then say hello to the same old iPad you’ve always known, now with more Pro-iness. The new 9.7-inch iPad Pro is better than its big brother in some ways, and worse in others, but its mission is the same: Apple wants to get people to buy more iPads, and charge more for them. Yes, iPad sales (and all tablet sales) have been declining, and that’s not a fun trend if you’re a consumer electronics company. Did a little Pro turn things around for the...

Best tablet cameras and speakers ever; Powerful enough for real productivity; Thin and portable; Apple Pencil is the best stylus available; iOS has best tablet apps, frequent updates;

Expensive at every option level; Cramped screen for multitasking; Not a true laptop replacement;