iPad Pro 9.7". and Apple Pencil.
This time, I purchased iPad Pro by making good use of SIM and points of the carrier I was not using.
Unfortunately, it is not unopened because of the initial confirmation at the carrier's store, but I will open the package.
Main iPad Pro 9.7in.
iPad Pro I purchased is the 128GB model in Space Gray.
The color is because I personally keep the bezels (non-display margins) of all my devices black.
There are two other capacities available, 64GB and 256GB, but I chose 128GB because I want to do some graphical work.
I guess the general public is also more likely to choose 128GB, and immediately after the sale, everywhere was only accepting reservations.
I actually got mine less than two weeks after I pre-ordered.
The number of speakers, which have been increased to four, are installed in two cylinders at the top and bottom, so the sense of presence when playing videos and the like has increased dramatically.
Even when the screen is in landscape mode, sound can be heard from both sides.
The device is lighter than portable DVD players, so you can enjoy movies and other entertainment on the go.
If your iOS is 9 or higher, you can also use Split View, which is good for people who usually launch multiple apps.
Combined with the Apple Pencil, it is possible to draw while viewing graphics and other materials.
However, since the screen is split in two, it may be difficult to see the entire image at a reasonable size.
Apple Pencil
I thought about buying Apple Pencil at my carrier's store, but they didn't seem to carry it, so I bought it at Bic Camera because I didn't want to wait too long to get it again due to pre-order.
The only thing that came with it was a replacement nib and a conversion part for charging with a Lightning cable.
The Lightning cable is not included, so if you want to charge it by itself, you need to buy it separately.
However, if you have an iPad Pro, you can charge the pen without a Lightning cable in the worst case.
Because the Apple Pencil can be charged by plugging it into the Lightning connector on the iPad Pro.
And it is said to be faster than charging with a cable (15 seconds of charging can last 30 minutes of battery life: official information).
But the situation of sticking it in is very dumb.
Moreover, I thought it would stick firmly like a Lightning cable, but there will be a slight gap, so the sticking is even more uncomfortable.
I am afraid that the connector part of the Apple Pencil might break if it hits something or if I stick it in too hard.
When using it with the iPad Pro, the device automatically recognizes it as long as Bluetooth is turned on, so there was no need to do anything special to set it up.
I should say that this is indeed a genuine product. Even if Bluetooth is turned off/on, it is automatically recognized again after a while.
The charging status is displayed in the notification center.
Or rather, the charging and battery status can only be checked here.
Then, I tried to use it on a non-Pro iPad or iPhone, and iPad mini2 (iOS 8.4) politely displayed the message "This accessory is not compatible with this device. The message "This accessory cannot be used with this device." is displayed.
It doesn't seem to charge the battery as it is not recognized.
The message does not appear on iPhone 6Plus or iPad Air2.
I don't know if this is a difference in recognition between iOS versions.
I would be very happy if I could use this on my existing iPad and iPhone, but that's not going to happen.
However, it is rumored that the Apple Pencil may be usable on the iPhone7, so I have high hopes for that.
In that case, a model that is shorter than the current Apple Pencil will probably be marketed, since it is too longer than the iPhone as it is now.
Finally, I tried using the two!
Apple Pencil responds to screen operations and text input (keyboard operation), but its true value is tested in writing by itself.
If an app supports handwriting input, the Apple Pencil can be used as is.
Graphics seems to be quite easy to use, although it depends on the performance of the app.
Graphics are displayed on the screen just as if you were writing on paper, so you don't need to use a pen tablet and a PC, or use a scanner to capture your handwritings.
Text input is not quite as fast as writing on paper, depending on the performance of the application, but the process is not as fast as writing on paper.
Therefore, it may be difficult to write in many words, such as minutes of a meeting. I think it is enough for memos.
Conclusion
My personal impression is that I recommend it for drafting graphics as a hobby or for work.
Because it is not that hard to carry around, if you draw graphics for everyday sketching or for the web, you can do quite detailed things even with free application.
However, it seems to be quite difficult to find an application that covers all the things I want to do (adjusting the format and file size of saving, using patterns for filling, customizing the pen tip, etc.).
Also, it may be familiarity, but I can't use shortcuts to switch tools in the app (I haven't checked if it's possible with a keyboard combination), so it took me a while to do it.
I think this is one of the areas where it is still not as good as a desktop or laptop.