Comparison Apple iPad 2017 32 GB vs Apple iPad Pro 9.7 2016 32 GB

The maximum brightness in nits provided by the tablet screen.

The brighter the display, the more readable the picture remains on it under intense ambient light. Also, high brightness is important for the correct display of HDR content. However, a large margin for this indicator affects the cost and power consumption of the screen. Manufacturers can specify standard, maximum, and peak brightness values. At the same time, an equal sign cannot be put between the maximum and peak brightness. The first indicates the ability of the screen to produce the specified brightness over its entire area, while the peak one - in a limited area and for a short time (mainly for HDR content).

The model name of the processor installed in the tablet.

The processor is the “heart” of the device. It is he who is responsible for performing all the computing operations necessary for the normal operation of the tablet, and largely determines the overall performance. Knowing the name of a specific processor model, you can easily find detailed information on it, incl. and comparison with other models.

The most popular chips these days are from Qualcomm(in particular, the top solutions Snapdragon 800 series and Snapdragon 8 series), MediaTek(budget and “mid-range” MediaTek Helio processors and the line of advanced MediaTek Dimensity chipsets with 5G support), and among Windows tablets Intel processors (mainly the Intel Core family) are often found. Quite a rarity are branded Kirin processors from Huawei and Honor.

The clock speed of the processor installed in the tablet is actually the maximum number of operations performed by one processor core per second. This indicator is important for the speed of the system, but a high clock frequency in itself does not guarantee speed. The actual speed of the processor also depends on its architecture, the number of cores and many other features, and the overall speed of the device also depends on the amount of “RAM”, the installed OS, etc. Therefore, situations are not uncommon when powerful advanced tablets have a lower CPU frequency than more modest models.

Model of the graphics card installed in the tablet. The graphics card in such devices is not a separate device, but part of the processor; however, she still has a clear specialization and is responsible for graphics.

Accordingly, the graphics capabilities of the tablet directly depend on the characteristics of the video accelerator. Theoretically, knowing the name, you can find detailed specifications of a graphics card, reviews, test results and other information and evaluate how it suits you. At the same time, in most cases there is no need to delve into such details — all system components, including the graphics card, are usually selected in such a way as to correspond to the general class of the tablet and the capabilities necessary for this class.

The result shown by a device when undergoing a performance test (benchmark) in the AnTuTu Benchmark.

AnTuTu Benchmark is a comprehensive test designed specifically for mobile devices, primarily smartphones and tablets. It evaluates the performance of the processor, memory, graphics, and input/output systems, providing a clear impression of the system's capabilities. The better the performance, the higher the score. According to AnTuTu, top models are those that score more than 500,000 points.

As with any benchmark, this test does not provide absolute precision; for more details on measurement inaccuracies, see the "3DMark Gamer's Benchmark" section.

The result shown by the device when passing the performance test (benchmark) 3DMark Gamer's Benchmark.

3DMark is a series of benchmarks originally designed to test the graphics performance of a device; later, these tests were supplemented by checking the capabilities of the processor. Testing is carried out primarily in terms of performance in games (in fact, the benchmark itself is described as “a game without the ability to influence the process”), however, given that modern games can have very high requirements, 3DMark is a fairly visual tool for assessing the overall performance of the system . And since the latest versions of the test are made cross-platform, it also makes it possible to compare devices under different operating systems and even different classes (for example, smartphones with tablets). The more points this or that model received on this test, the more performant it is.

It is worth noting that the results of any benchmark are usually quite approximate, because. they depend on many factors that are not directly related to the system — from the load of the device with third-party programs and ending with the air temperature during testing. The error due to these factors is usually on the order of 5-7 %; therefore, it is possible to speak of a significant difference between the two models only if the difference in their indicators goes beyond this error.

The result shown by the device when passing the performance test (benchmark) Geekbench.

Geekbench is a specialized benchmark designed for CPUs. Since version 4.0, the test has also been applied to graphics accelerators; towards the end of 2019, the benchmark was released under the number "5". The characteristics of portable gadgets usually provide data specifically for the CPU. During testing, Geekbench simulates the workloads that occur when performing real-world tasks, and takes into account both the capabilities of a single core and the efficiency of multiple cores running simultaneously. Thanks to this, the final results characterize well the capabilities of the processor in everyday use. In addition, the test is cross-platform and allows you to compare the CPUs of different devices (smartphones, tablets, laptops, PCs). The help information only lists the multi-core test values for CPU.

— microUSB. A smaller version of the USB connector, widely used in modern tablets as a universal interface. MicroUSB is used primarily to charge the battery and connect the device to a computer, and with USB OTG support, flash drives and other accessories are connected to it (of course, an adapter is required to work with a full-size USB plug). This connector is gradually being replaced by a more convenient and advanced USB-C (see below), but microUSB is still very far away from the complete disappearance.

— USB-C.It has similar dimensions to microUSB (see above) and replaced it, but differs in the design of the connector – it is symmetrical, which allows you to connect the plug to either side. In terms of application, this interface is also similar to microUSB, with the adjustment that USB-C often supports the advanced USB 3.2 gen2 standard, which provides speeds up to 10 Gbps. In addition, it is easier to implement fast charging through such a connector — some of the charging technologies were originally created for USB-C.

— USB4. A high-speed revision of the USB interface introduced in 2019. It uses only symmetrical USB-C connectors and does not have its own data format — instead, such a connection is used to transfer information according to several standards at once: USB 3.2 and DisplayPort as mandatory, as well as PCI-E as an option. Another feature...is that USB4 is based on the Thunderbolt protocol. It is also worth noting that this USB revision allows connecting devices in a daisy chain and by default supports Power Delivery technology, which allows you to optimize the process of charging external gadgets (provided that they also implement this technology).

The maximum data transfer rate for such a connector should be at least 10 Gbps, in fact, options for 20 Gbps and even 40 Gbps are often found (depending on the technologies and standards supported by a particular port). At the same time, the USB4 inputs are quite compatible with the peripherals of the USB-C connector.

— USB 2.0. Full size USB port 2.0 compliant. Such a port allows you to connect ordinary USB peripherals to the tablet — for example, flash drives or keyboards; however, due to its large size, it is rare, mainly in business models and in "hybrids" equipped with docking stations (in such cases, the port can be placed on the docking station). Version 2.0 supports data transfer rates up to 480 Mbps and is still quite popular, although it is gradually being replaced by more advanced standards — primarily USB 3.2 (see below).

— USB 3.2 gen1. USB version, formerly known as USB 3.1 gen1 or USB 3.0. Utilizes a traditional full-size USB port and delivers speeds up to 4.8Gbps — 10 times faster than the previous 2.0 version — as well as more power. At the same time, it is quite possible to connect USB 2.0 peripherals to such connectors.

— HDMI. A digital interface specially designed for broadcasting HD content: high-definition video and multi-channel audio. It is very popular in video technology, in particular, it is used in almost all modern TVs, it is often found in projectors, media players, etc. So HDMI support will be very useful if you plan to broadcast video from a tablet to an external screen. In portable technology, it is usually not a full-size connector that is used, but a reduced miniHDMI or microHDMI, however, finding a cable for such a port is not a problem.

— Mini-jack (3.5 mm). Standard 3.5mm mini-jack. Such a plug is used by the vast majority of modern wired headphones, headsets and portable speakers, therefore, in most tablets, it is the 3.5 mm port that plays the role of an audio jack. However if there are no problems with headphones and speakers, then compatibility with headsets needs to be specified separately — these devices have their own connection specifics. Also note that there are tablets without a 3.5 mm jack — they are usually designed for specialized accessories connected via a proprietary connector, or for wireless Bluetooth audio equipment.

— The number of lenses. The characteristics of the main (rear) camera of the tablet are represented primarily by the number of modules, which in most cases are 1, but there are also tablets with a dual camera.

— Resolution. The second important factor of the camera is the number of megapixels. Many really believe that the more MP, the better the quality of filming. However, this is not entirely true: only the maximum resolution of the resulting images depends on the resolution of the matrix, and their quality is determined by many other parameters. However a large sensor resolution may be a sign of an advanced camera, but this is not necessary — two "eyes" with the same number of megapixels can radically differ in the quality of shooting. Rear cameras in tablets may well be used for photo and video shooting; therefore, they have cameras of 8 MP, 10 MP and even higher (12 and 13 MP).

— Autofocus. For focus in such cameras, a movable lens system controlled by automation is responsible. It takes some time for the automation to work, and the lenses themselves turn out to be more complicated and more expensive than optics with a fixed focus (fixed lenses that are initially set to a large range of distances). However, the quality of the pictures is disproportionate...ly higher than that of cameras without autofocus, and the systems themselves are constantly being improved, and their response time is increasingly approaching instantaneous.

— Flash. Flash significantly expands the capabilities of the camera. First of all, it allows you to shoot in low light conditions; in this case, the backlight, usually, can also be used in the constant glow mode — for video shooting. The second situation where a flash can come in handy is backlighting when the subject is in shadow. In addition, in many tablets, the flash LED can also be used as a regular flashlight, without a camera.