We just finished reviewing the iPad Pro 2021 (12.9"), Apple's most powerful tablet to date. But if you decide to shell out for the iPad Pro, which is likely to be one of the best tablets on the market, you have to decide which size to buy; Apple has made the larger 12.9-inch iPad Pro one of the best displays we've ever seen on a tablet with what could be one of the best displays we've ever seen on a tablet, making the decision more difficult than ever.

This is because the 12.9-inch model will feature the new Liquid Retina XDR display. This display is said to deliver bright, vivid colors equivalent to 5.6 million pixels, taking advantage of what Apple has learned from the desktop Pro Display XDR.

It's an exciting piece of technology, but if you want to see that screen in person, you'll pay at least $300 extra for the privilege - and that's on top of the $800 minimum Apple is asking for the new iPad Pro.

The smaller 11-inch iPad Pro is not to be outdone. It's cheaper than the larger model and doesn't have the same Liquid Retina XDR display, but it has the same super-fast M1 chip inside, the latest camera, 5G support, and a Liquid Retina display that can show 4 million pixels.

Not sure which size iPad Pro is right for your needs? Read on for a more in-depth comparison to make that decision a little easier.

Apple's new iPad Pro 2021 starts at $799 for the 11-inch model and $1,099 for the 12.9-inch version.

More storage and the option to add cellular connectivity in addition to Wi-Fi are also available, bringing the total price for all of these tablets to $2,099 for the 11-inch iPad Pro 2021 and $2,399 for the 12.9-inch model.

Both are fairly easy to purchase from Apple's website (with a choice of either space gray or silver paint), so ultimately the decision comes down to whether the larger iPad Pro is worth the extra $300 to you.

Note that the Magic Keyboard adds $299 to the price of the 11.9-inch iPad Pro and $349 to the 12.9-inch model; the Apple Pencil costs $129 for either tablet.

The biggest difference between the two iPad Pro 2021 models is undoubtedly the disparity in display quality. The new iPad Pro comes with two different screens, depending on the size you purchase. The smaller, cheaper 11-inch iPad Pro 2021 has a Liquid Retina display with over 4 million pixels, while the larger 12.9-inch iPad Pro has Apple's first tablet-sized mini LED, which can display over 5.6 million pixels

The 12.9-inch iPad Pro is the first tablet to feature a mini LED display.

The new Liquid Retina XDR display on the 12.9-inch iPad Pro packs 10,000 mini-LEDs into the tablet and delivers what Apple claims is a peak brightness level of 1,000 to 1,600 nits XDR ( Extreme Dynamic Range) content can be displayed. If true, this would significantly surpass the 12.9-inch iPad Pro in 2020.

We won't know what difference the new Liquid Retina XDR display on the larger iPad Pro will make until we bring it to the test and see for ourselves. However, we do know that mini-LEDs are a big one that could revolutionize tablet displays,

as we have seen the same technology bring significant improvements in TV display quality.

Because mini-LEDs are so much smaller than regular LEDs, manufacturers can mount many more mini-LEDs on a screen, giving the display smaller, more tightly controlled lighting zones that can be individually dimmed and lit. This can improve the contrast of the screen, creating deep blacks and bright highlights.

So if screen quality is important to you, the 12.9-inch iPad Pro 2021 should offer the best tablet display on the market, especially if you plan to watch or work with a lot of HDR (high dynamic range) content important.

If it's not worth the extra $300, the 11-inch iPad Pro 2021's LED display should also deliver great image quality. Both displays also support a wide color gamut and offer refresh rates of up to 120 Hz thanks to Apple's ProMotion technology.

Another major selling point of the new iPad Pro 2021 is the inclusion of Apple's new M1 chip.

Since its debut last year, the M1 chip has significantly improved the performance of all added Apple devices, and we have already seen significant improvements in the MacBook Pro M1 and MacBook Air M1.

The iPad Pro 2021 is the first iPad to feature the M1, and according to Apple, this octa-core chip will deliver 50% faster CPU performance compared to the already powerful iPad Pro 2020, which relied on Apple's A12Z Bionic processor and 40% improved graphics performance, according to the company.

The new iPad Pro 2021 model is said to offer twice as fast access to storage compared to the already quite fast iPad Pro 2020. The new iPad Pro 2021 also supports USB-4 and Thunderbolt 4, providing more bandwidth than ever before when using external devices and displays.

So while we won't know how much of a difference the M1 will make to the iPad Pro until we try it out, it is safe to say that no matter what size iPad Pro you buy, you will be getting one of the most powerful tablets on the market.

Apple claims that both new iPad Pro 2021 models can surf the web and watch videos for up to 10 hours with a Wi-Fi connection, but that figure drops to 9 hours with a cellular connection.

We look forward to verifying these numbers in Tom's Guide battery tests. However, Apple has recently become quite adept at offering products with longer-lasting batteries, as the company claims, so we have no doubt that both iPad Pro models will get reasonably good battery life.

The appearance of these new iPad Pro 2021 models is remarkably similar to their predecessors, with a machined aluminum body and the same thin black bezels and rounded edges.

The most noticeable design difference is that the 12.9" model is slightly thicker than its predecessor, from 0.23" to 0.25". The increased thickness is rumored to be due to the new mini-LED display, but in actual use, one would not notice the larger size.

There is no difference in the cameras of the two new iPad Pro models, so whichever one you buy, you are guaranteed to get Apple's latest tablet camera technology.

There are some notable improvements over last year's model: the iPad Pro 2021's rear camera is the same as before (12MP wide (f/1.8) and 10MP ultra-wide (f/2.4)), but there are significant changes to the front-facing camera. A 12MP TrueDepth sensor replaces the 7MP sensor on the previous model, a cool new feature that adds spice to the previous zoom calls.

This new camera feature is named "Center Stage" because it takes advantage of the iPad Pro's ultra-wide-angle camera to keep the frame centered on you even if you move sideways during a video call. When someone else enters the frame, the camera recognizes them and zooms out to capture them as well. This is a very useful feature, especially for those who often make video calls on their tablets, and is available on both new iPad Pro 2021 models.

If price is the deciding factor when deciding between the two new iPad Pro models, one must remember that if one chooses the larger 12.9-inch iPad Pro, one will have to pay a little extra for some accessories (mainly cases and covers) .

In particular, Apple's Magic Keyboard costs $299 for the 11-inch iPad Pro and $349 for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro. Also, if you already have the older 12.9-inch Magic Keyboard, we are not sure if it will work perfectly with the new 12.9-inch iPad Pro. The 9-inch iPad Pro is just a bit thicker than last year's model, so it doesn't fit well with the older Magic Keyboard.

If you want to take notes, draw, edit photos, or perform other functions more precisely, the Apple Pencil for both the 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro costs $129.

Apple's premium pricing for the iPad Pro means that investing in an iPad Pro is not an easy decision. This time around, the price difference between the two iPad Pro sizes is larger than ever ($300 versus $200 for last year's model), but the difference in what you get is also larger.

No matter which size iPad Pro you buy, you're getting one of the most powerful tablets on the market (thanks to the M1 chip) and one of the brightest, most beautiful displays for years to come, no matter which of the two iPad Pro 2021 models you buy, It should be able to run all of your favorite applications.

So if you don't need the most amazing display, or if you like the smaller, lighter size of the 11" iPad Pro 2021, you can save $300 (or more if you plan to invest in a keyboard or cover) without sacrificing too much You should know.

But if you absolutely, positively must have the best screen possible, or if you really want to see what the mini LED display on Apple's most powerful tablet looks like, the 12.9-inch iPad Pro is an extra $300 It's worth paying the extra $300 to get it.