2024 iPad Pro: Key Rumors to Be Aware of Ahead of Announcement

[Darth Tulhu]

A new Magic Keyboard will not bring your iPad closer to a laptop experience, as such. Tweaking iPadOS accordingly might, however. Will Apple do it? Not so sure…

I don't think that was ever the intention of the Magic Keyboard.

Given that it's a keyboard, I always read the intention to be to bring a more familiar typing experience to the iPad, for those that would find it useful.

And it succeeds in spades at that.

 

[Darth Tulhu]

Designers don't work at Apple anymore.

I wouldn't be surprised if Jeff Williams just designed this one himself with AI and call it a day.

zero innovation, zero designers, zero vision. LAZY.

I was set on buying this after owning the 2018 model but since the "redesign" of the iPhone 15 I had a feeling it was over for Apple designers. Expect a "redesign" of Apple Watch 10 in the same vein.

All about bean counters and churning out same feed for the sheep.

I'll just get a new battery or buy the 14" OLED Galaxy tab 9 Ultra for £999.

I just don't get the expectation here. How many variations on a rectangle can there be? Apple's designs are still my favorite out there, but I concede this is PURELY subjective. Beauty IS in the eye of the beholder.

That said, computing devices are mature... they're not going to change significantly going forward, and any changes will have diminishing returns (like the whole folding craze).

Refinements in the hardware and the OS (not revolutions) is where it's at (i.e. thinness, comfort curves, battery life enhancements, etc.)

I believe new Apple products are really targeted towards new users and/or replacers of (significantly) older models, as well as for bleeding-edgers and technophiles (the fans).

In this case, Apple needs to fill the iPad's gaps in usability and capability available in more powerful devices like desktops, WITHOUT resorting to just slapping a desktop OS on a tablet (like their competitors do).

Which is easier said than done.

Any improvements in efficiency, capability, weight, and power are welcome.

 

[Darth Tulhu]

Ahh, here they come again - "laptop experience" for those few naive folks to sell this as a laptop replacement at a hefty premium.
It never was and, until they improve iPadOS or allow dual boot MacOS on iPad Pro with 8GB of RAM, never will be laptop replacement in general.
Just because it does few things that a laptop does too doesnt mean that it can be considered a complete laptop replacement - this ones for those Apple fanboys/girls who try to convince anyone that they can watch Youtube and send emails on iPad so it MUST BE a laptop replacement. Yeah, right...
Anyway, they redesigned keyboard due to technical reasons, not because this thing all of a suddent will make iPad Pro better laptop replacement.

If sending emails and watching YouTube was all you did on a laptop, then the iPad IS a laptop replacement for those folks.

I don't think Apple ever positioned the iPad is a replacement for all. They purposefully put the iPad BETWEEN iPhone and a Mac since its introduction:

Over the years, the iPad has become so capable for general computing that with it Apple merely posits a QUESTION:

"Do you really need a laptop anymore?"

Both my adult daughter and my parents answered "no" to that question, and stopped at the iPad. My Macs confused them (less so now that macOS is more iOS-like).

But Apple cleverly still believes in their original setup: If you want to draw, you need an iPad. If you want to do intensive/professional-level computing, only a Mac will do. The iPhone became and will remain, the Sun everything orbits around.

 

[HiVolt]

So if you had a choice of 4:3 OR 16:9 for ALL iPad uses, you’d choose 16:9? Watching content is one single use of a massive system. 16:9 is horrible when using the iPad in portrait mode, like reading.

No, but perhaps a different ratio, 3:2 is gaining popularity in PC laptops and tablets. The usage in portrait I think is shifting, as Apple has put the camera in landscape mode now on the one iPad, others will follow soon.

4:3 is extremely antiquated for a device that is mainly designed for content consumption.

 

[steve09090]

No, but perhaps a different ratio, 3:2 is gaining popularity in PC laptops and tablets. The usage in portrait I think is shifting, as Apple has put the camera in landscape mode now on the one iPad, others will follow soon.

4:3 is extremely antiquated for a device that is mainly designed for content consumption.

I’m not sure what antiquated means in this context. In so far as, based on what? On what basis do you limit (cripple) the use of an iPad by making it skinny solely for the purpose of watching YouTube? And who says it’s majority use case is consumption that requires a skinny screen? Let’s assume this is not purely a TV.

Web browsing, photo editing is definitely limited with less height in landscape. Most apps are made with 4:3 in mind.

By using an iPad in landscape mode, I have considerable more height (when you consider the width) with a 4:3 screen ratio than a 3:2 ratio and certainly more than 16:9. You would have to extend a 3:2 screen by about 2 centimetres to get the same height. More cost, more weight and less portable. Or less height at the same length.

I think people generally like the size of 'paper’ and I suspect this has more or less determined the size of iPads. International uses A4 (ratio of 1.4:1). US use Letter which is 1.29:1. The iPad is 1.33:1 which is pretty much in the middle. You are asking for 1.5:1 (3:2) or 1.8:1 (16:9). Waaay too skinny for most people I believe.

But let’s not argue. We can agree to disagree on this. Purely subjective opinions.

 

[HiVolt]

I'm just saying 4:3 is a bad aspect ratio for watching tv/movie/youtube content. How are you still arguing this?

 

[steve09090]

I'm just saying 4:3 is a bad aspect ratio for watching tv/movie/youtube content. How are you still arguing this?

All I’m saying is that watching video is a small, yet still important part of the iPad. Why is this such a big deal for you?

Like I said. You think 4:3 is so seriously bad. I, and probably most people don’t actually care. Love how you don’t actually address any of the positives of that screen size. Shows a pretty narrow view imo.

 

[Abazigal]

I'm just saying 4:3 is a bad aspect ratio for watching tv/movie/youtube content. How are you still arguing this?

I disagree. For one, I don’t need my content to fill out my screen perfectly. I don’t mind having some space above and below for say, media controls and I don’t feel it impacts immersion one bit.

 

[EugW]

I stream a lot of old TV shows in the background on a iPad while I do paper work. 4:3 is perfect for this.

 

[steve09090]

I disagree. For one, I don’t need my content to fill out my screen perfectly. I don’t mind having some space above and below for say, media controls and I don’t feel it impacts immersion one bit.

And even if they did have black bars, it’s NO different to having a thinner device. The video size is still the same.

 

[Apollo68]

All that wasted just to run iPad OS. No IP rating that your competitor has on their tablet. Not much reason to upgrade when the software is lacking.

To paraphrase Steve Jobs, iPadOS is "baby software." Ipad Pro should run full macOS.

 

[HiVolt]

I disagree. For one, I don’t need my content to fill out my screen perfectly. I don’t mind having some space above and below for say, media controls and I don’t feel it impacts immersion one bit.

it wouldnt be so bad for instance if subtitles were in the black bars. but they are not. its a total waste of space.

 

[koelsh]

In this case, Apple needs to fill the iPad's gaps in usability and capability available in more powerful devices like desktops, WITHOUT resorting to just slapping a desktop OS on a tablet (like their competitors do).

To be fair, probably 70% of the iPad's gaps would be filled if they chilled out with some App Store restrictions. For instance, allowing developers to do proper upgrade pricing.

I don't think Apple ever positioned the iPad is a replacement for all. They purposefully put the iPad BETWEEN iPhone and a Mac since its introduction:

Over the years, the iPad has become so capable for general computing that with it Apple merely posits a QUESTION:

"Do you really need a laptop anymore?"

Both my adult daughter and my parents answered "no" to that question, and stopped at the iPad. My Macs confused them (less so now that macOS is more iOS-like).

But Apple cleverly still believes in their original setup: If you want to draw, you need an iPad. If you want to do intensive/professional-level computing, only a Mac will do. The iPhone became and will remain, the Sun everything orbits around.

The iPad was positioned between iPhone and Mac as that's what processor's were capable of at the time. Today they are the same processor except only one of them is allowed to be touched while only the other is allowed to run applications.

 

[Darth Tulhu]

To be fair, probably 70% of the iPad's gaps would be filled if they chilled out with some App Store restrictions. For instance, allowing developers to do proper upgrade pricing.

Perhaps, but the apps in question need to be touch-based apps, not desktop ones

The iPad was positioned between iPhone and Mac as that's what processor's were capable of at the time. Today they are the same processor except only one of them is allowed to be touched while only the other is allowed to run applications.

The iPad does run applications... that are designed for the iPad. Just because the processor is the same doesn't mean the device is used the same way as a desktop or laptop (same thing, really).

The iPad is a Tablet. Everything for the iPad has to be designed for a touch-based interface (larger targets than a cursor-based OS).

 

[Darth Tulhu]

To paraphrase Steve Jobs, iPadOS is "baby software." Ipad Pro should run full macOS.

Why is it so hard for people to understand that a device DESIGNED for touch will not work right with software designed for a cursor?

It's the reason Jobs avoided the stylus when developing the iPad and the iPhone: your fingertip is too fat.

This required lateral thinking, which is the opposite of a conservative mindset regarding OS design.

And they NAILED it with the OS they came up with. Now it's just a matter of bringing desktop, or rather, cursor-based capability to a touch-based-interface OS.

Thus, the iPad does not need macOS (which is a cursor-based interface). It needs more powerful iPad software at the OS level and beyond.

Power != cursor.

 

[Apollo68]

Why is it so hard for people to understand that a device DESIGNED for touch will not work right with software designed for a cursor?

It's the reason Jobs avoided the stylus when developing the iPad and the iPhone: your fingertip is too fat.

This required lateral thinking, which is the opposite of a conservative mindset regarding OS design.

And they NAILED it with the OS they came up with. Now it's just a matter of bringing desktop, or rather, cursor-based capability to a touch-based-interface OS.

Thus, the iPad does not need macOS (which is a cursor-based interface). It needs more powerful iPad software at the OS level and beyond.

Power != cursor.

On the contrary, in my experience macOS works quite well with a touch screen. Wouldn’t even require a cursor per se.

 

[NewOldStock]

13.0" iPad Pro with eye watering OLED screen or loaded Mac mini-Pro M3 this fall.
Going to be tuff decisions here.
I never have had OLED anything. Going to be a treat either way.

 

[NewOldStock]

Steve09090 (Page 5) Well said. A lot of people don't know that iPad is used outside of just media consumption.
Out in the field a lot of companies have made their own special app for the convenience of the iPad size, shape, form factor, and power. A bigger screen and portability aspect is needed versus a smaller phone size.
Panasonic Tuffbooks vs Apple iPads comes to mind. One uses Microsoft Windows and the other IpadOs.
Ipad is used as a tool not entertainment in some a lot cases.

 

[Isamilis]

It's already thin enough! Any thinner and it'll be as thin as the nearly non-existent amount of cash in my wallet. 😢

Agree. Thinner means more fragile to bend.

 

[Darth Tulhu]

On the contrary, in my experience macOS works quite well with a touch screen. Wouldn’t even require a cursor per se.

How EXACTLY are you doing this, and on which device?

How do you get stuff like drop-downs to work?

I'd need a video to believe that it works, not just that it's "workable".

 

[Apollo68]

How EXACTLY are you doing this, and on which device?

How do you get stuff like drop-downs to work?

I'd need a video to believe that it works, not just that it's "workable".

Well for one, with side car. I primarily use the Apple Pencil to interact with a secondary sidecar display. And touch screen monitors do exist. And no, you arent getting video of my setup.

 

[stealthytolkien]

iPad Pros are for people who really need the power and capabilities of that kind of device for business or creative fields, often in tandem with the Apple Pencil. Artists like the iPad Pro. It also appeals to those who just have to have the latest and greatest toy.

The iPad Air has moved into the position the Pro once had—a capable better-than-average device.

The iPad 10, and soon to be retired 9, work well for most people as a consumption device.

The Mini appeals largely to those who like its compact size.

I love the Pro mainly for the high resolution screen. But it’s astonishing that there are people out there who are able to push these devices to their limits. But I also (secretly) think that there are probably, like, 4 of them on earth. Rest are, like you said, buy these to have the latest and greatest toy

 

[dgdosen]

This. I have super high hopes as from what I understand the Snapdraon X will bring significant battery life and performance on par with Apple. I can only speak for myself, but my Surface Pro's just absolutely trounce the functionality of an iPad with the caveat being crappy battery life, I can't wait for this to be evened out. If Apple offered MacOS on their iPads I would highly consider that route, but iPadOS will never be sufficient for my needs no matter how much CPU/GPU power they throw at it.

An M3 iPad Pro that can run MacOS with 1TB and 16GB of ram (or better) and a truly 'lap-able' configuration at < 2lbs, would make this a compelling device.

Otherwise, the iPad Pro just isn't really compelling. Even with OLED.