Although both iPad Pro tablets that Apple unveiled so far use the same A9X chip, it looks like the recently announced 9.7-inch model is slower than the 12.9-inch one. Unfortunately, this does not happen only due to the fact it has just 2 GB of memory, but also because its processor is slightly underclocked.
According to TechCrunch, the review unit they received has a processor clocked at 2.16 GHz, while the A9X SoC inside the 12.9-inch iPad Pro runs at 2.24 GHz. As expected, the GeekBench scores show a difference in performance (2977 single core and 5577 multi-core vs. 3231 single core and 5482 multi-core). However, the smaller iPad Pro also has a smaller battery, so underclocking its processor to increase its autonomy seems like a not-so-bad choice, especially since the impact on the performance of the device is minimal.
While the 9.7-inch iPad Pro does not support USB 3.0 speeds via its Lightning connector, it also offers a better camera and a better display, as well as an integrated Apple SIM.