Range should be the same, at least in ideal conditions. There are plenty of videos on YT with people flying ~9 miles out with the 'cheap' RC. Outside of ideal conditions I wouldn't be surprised if the RC Pro was a bit better with external antennas and the ability to angle the antennas towards the drone rather than having to change the orientation of the entire controller.
Screen is 700 nits vs 1000 nits, and you need 4X the nits to perceive a doubling of brightness (it's a logarithmic scale). It's not 40% brighter as the numbers may suggest if it were a linear scale. That's also assuming DJI is accurately rating their screens and also assuming the maximum brightness is sustained (iPhones, for example, dramatically reduce their brightness when they get too hot and brightness ratings are instantaneous spot ratings rather than full-screen sustained ratings). I have no problem seeing the DJI RC screen in bright sunlight and while wearing sunglasses, but YMMV. I also have the original Smart Controller for comparison (1000nits), which is most similar to the RC Pro, and the screen is slightly brighter but it's not a big difference.
The RC Pro is larger, built better, and more customizable. The average flyer probably won't use most of the features it adds though, such as HDMI out. The RC Pro is indeed better but it also makes the regular RC look like a bargain. Great to have options, especially for those already invested.
