Introduced in 2015, the first-generation iPad Pro represented Apple’s ambitious foray into the realm of larger, more powerful tablets aimed at professionals looking for a laptop replacement and creative audiences.
First to release on November 11 2015 was the expansive 12.9-inch Retina display Pad Pro model alongside the original Apple Pencil 1st Generation, followed by the smaller slightly less powerful 9.7″ model based on the chassis of the iPad Air 2.
Driving its capabilities was the A9X chip with an M9 motion coprocessor, ensuring seamless performance across demanding applications and multitasking scenarios. The 12.9″ variant packs an impressive 4GB of fast LPDDR4 RAM (the most of any iPad released at the time) however the smaller 9.7″ model only features 2GB of RAM.
Despite its larger form factor, the iPad Pro maintained a slim design, weighing in at 1.57 pounds, making it surprisingly portable for its size and features a Smart connector for keyboard support. The 12.9″ tablet featured an 8-megapixel iSight camera with advanced optics and the capability to record 1080p HD video, complemented by a 1.2-megapixel FaceTime HD camera.
What the smaller 9.7″ variant lost in performance was made up with a significantly more powerful 5MP selfi camera and 12MP 4K rear-facing camera.
The iPad Pro 1st Generation shipped with iOS 9 and is updatable to iPadOS 16.7.2, however lacks hardware support for iPadOS 17 and greater.
| Release Date | 12.9-inch: November 11, 2015 9.7-inch: March 31, 2016 |
| Price | 12.9-inch From USD$ 799 9.7-inch From USD$ 599 |
| Model No | 12.9-inch: A1584 (WiFi), A1652 (WiFi & Celluar) 9.7-inch: A1673 (WiFi), A1674, A1675 (WiFi & Celluar) |
| Software Support | End Of Life – iOS 16.7.2 |
| Variants | 32, 64, 128, 256 GB Storage, WiFi & Celluar |
| Colours | White, Black Bezel with silver, space grey, gold rear |
| CPU | 2.26 Ghz Dual Core Apple A9X with M9 Coprocessor (9.7inch downclocked to 2.16 GHz) |
| Memory | 12.9-inch 4GB LPDDR4 9.7-inch 2GB LPDDR4 |
| WiFi | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac at 2.4 GHz and 5Ghz, Bluetooth 4.2 |
| Screen | 12.9-inch: 12″ IPS 2732×2048 px (264 ppi) 9.7-inch: 12″ IPS 2048×1536 px (264 ppi) |
| Camera | 12.9-inch: Front: 1.2 MP, Rear: 8.0 MP 9.7-inch: Front: 5 MP, Rear: 12 MP |
| Connector | Lightning |
| Security | Touch ID in Home Button |
| Apple Pencil | Yes – 1st Generation Apple Pencil |