Apple’s new 9.7-inch iPad Pro looks like a great update to the 12.7-inch iPad Air 2 or larger iPad Pro. The power and flexibility that Apple offers on the 12.9-inch iPad display with Apple Pencil support comes to the smaller and more manageable iPad Air 2 form factor. iPad fans may want the power and flexibility of the two new iPad Pros, with great Apple Pencil stylus for inking and drawing, and great Smart Keyboard support, but they can’t afford the extra money.

If you want iPad Pro functionality at no extra cost, consider our tips below. We have suggestions for replacing the new Apple Pencil with a third-party stylus that will provide users with a similar type of pressure sensitivity and accuracy. We also have an excellent selection of keyboard covers that can give users more flexibility than the new Apple Smart Keyboard cover. Add a few apps to emulate some of the ways users draw or write on the iPad, and you’ve got a great iPad Pro for less.

Anyone interested in using an older iPad like the iPad Pro should know that the 3rd party stylus options they can buy will not work with the iPad and the Apple Pencil will work with an iPad Pro. Third-party stylus manufacturers can only emulate the new pressure-sensitive 3D touchscreen on the iPad Pro. Also, older iPads don’t use the new magnetic connector, which allows iPad Pro owners to connect a keyboard without using Bluetooth.

Please see 4 Ways Surface Pro 3 Beats Apple iPad Pro

Apple Pencil Replacements

The best fine tip pens come from Adonit. They make a number of excellent writing and art tools for the iPad, but the newest are Adonit Jot Dash ($49.99).

The Adonit Jot Dash comes with a USB charger that plugs into a port and magnetically attaches to the top of the pen. Press the button on the top of the pen to turn it on and it starts working without any Bluetooth connection.

Hyphen only works on iPad Air and iPad Air 2 works on all iPads and but she works great. I can draw and write with precision. I take a lot of notes on my iPad in many note-taking apps, including: Fame ($5.99), the best note-taking app for iPad.

a second option “Pencil” out of fifty-three (currently $49.99 on sale), makers of the fine art/drawing app Paper (Free and now on iPhone). It looks like an old-fashioned art pencil with straight edges and a thick pencil-like tip.

Like the Apple Pencil, while a user is working in supported apps like Paper, the illustrator can use the nib for a finer point and angle it for a wider, smoother drawing point. The other end of the pencil, fifty-three, acts as an eraser. Press the drawing tip harder for a darker mark. Use your finger to blend or smudge as you would with regular paper and pencil. There is palm rejection when using Pen fifty-three in paper application.

The app is free and works both on iPad and they recently added support for iPhone.

Apple Smart Keyboard Replacements

The Apple Smart Cover attaches to the iPad Pro using magnetic connectors along one of the long sides of the iPad Pro. No iPad Air or iPad Air 2 keyboard will work this way, but once the user connects the keyboard via Bluetooth, the iPad will connect with Bluetooth turned on. To save battery life, leave the keyboard closed when not in use and open it using the iOS Control Center with a swipe up.

Please see How to Connect a Bluetooth Keyboard to Your iPad.

Using an external keyboard requires Bluetooth. To turn on Bluetooth, tap the third button from the left on the top row as seen above.

To type on a Bluetooth keyboard, the user must pair the keyboard with the iPad using the instructions included with the keyboard. After the person has paired the keyboard with the iPad, it will reconnect each time the user turns on their iPad’s Bluetooth and Bluetooth keyboard.

First choice comes from Logitech. this Logitech Keyboard Folio The ($99.99) case works similarly to the iPad Pro Smart Keyboard. It protects the iPad with a slim cover and also adds a Bluetooth keyboard.

Logitech Keyboard Folio charges using an included USB cable. It connects via Bluetooth and lasts up to three months on a single charge.

Inside the lid are hidden magnets that hold the lid closed and open the screen when the lid is opened.

The case/keyboard keeps iPad at a comfortable viewing angle while typing.

Logitech also makes another iPad keyboard cover called. Logitech BLOCK ($129.99). It’s somewhat similar to the Microsoft Surface Pro 3 design in that it’s a keyboard that opens up and has a kickstand on the back to support it.

BLOK offers more robust protection with shockproof edges that jam if the owner drops their tablet. It also provides protection against regular bumps and even spills. The BLOK comes in multiple colors and splits like the Surface Pro 3 Type Cover.

Apps for iPad Pro-Style Functionality

As we said above, Pencil by fifty-five works best with Paper, the company’s beautiful drawing app. This isn’t the only app that takes advantage of the pressure sensitivity that comes with the Pencil. this the company lists a few more and here are a few recommended iPad apps.

Apple has gained a lot from the new version of iMovie available on the iPad Pro. Get this power on other iPads with: Pinnacle Studio ($9.99), a multi-track editing app.

Pinnacle Studio includes some advanced editing features on iPad. This includes things like a storyboard, precise cuts between clips, professional-grade transitions and effects, as well as a soundtrack feature.

Pinnacle is up to 1080p with built-in export to YouTube, Facebook and Box.

App works with advanced consumer level Pinnacle Studio video editing apps for desktop. This way the user can edit on their iPad and then transfer it to their computer for finishing touches.

Thanks to the Apple Camera Connection kit, which connects to the iPad’s Lightning connection, users can work with any media on their iPad as well as media from an external flash card. They can also import media from services like Dropbox, Vimeo, Box, Google Drive, or Microsoft’s OneDrive (this requires an in-app purchase).

Users of the Adobe Creative Cloud package will prefer Adobe’s mobile applications. Adobe Premier Clip It works like iMovie or Pinnacle Studio but syncs with Adobe Premiere CC. This is my favorite iPad video editor.

Premiere Clip users can quickly import their media, fix lighting, add transitions or slow motion effects, and then amplify it with some audio tracks. They can edit the audio of the video and make all the clips sound the same with simple normalization tools.

When you’re done, it’s easy to share clips on Twitter, Facebook, or YouTube, or send them to Adobe Premiere Pro CC for further editing.

Other Adobe mobile apps make it easy to work with images or videos before exporting them to Clip.

Save vs. iPad Pro

Using the above accessories and apps extends iPad Pro functionality to iPad Air or iPad Air 2. It also saves a lot of money. Here is why:

The 12.9-inch iPad Pro starts at $799 and the iPad Air 2 starts at $499. A savings of $300 to get started. An Apple Pencil will cost $99, and the Smart Keyboard $149. That adds up to $248 for the iPad Pro, Apple Pencil, and Smart Keyboard for a total of $1,047.

9.7-inch iPad Pro buyers will pay $599 plus $99 for the Apple Pencil and $149 for the Smart Keyboard. That’s a total of $847.

The most expensive of the two keyboards above plus one of the two stylus costs up to $178 ($129+$49). Add that to a $499 iPad Air 2 with Wi-Fi for just $678.98 total. That’s a savings of $368.98 over the larger iPad Pro and $168.98 over the smaller iPad Pro. Considering that many people already own an iPad Air or iPad Air 2, they can save even more by adding just $180 worth of accessories to get iPad Pro functionality.

iPad Air or iPad Air 2 plus A stylus and Bluetooth keyboard cannot be compared to the power and full functionality of any of the iPad Pros and Apple accessories. But many buyers have to ask whether the iPad Pro brings $169 to $867 worth of functionality over the iPad Air.