I know MR forum members are fine with $500 but I expect ~$300 is where more people (and perhaps businesses and education) draw the line. Wasn't the first iPad mini ~$300, too?
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iPad Pro $799 Ouch $150 Premium why ?
- Thread starter TheRealAlex
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I dont think $999 is overpriced for a 12.9 iPad considering what is inside it and all of the tech built in. Hold the 12.9 next to an iPhone XS and which is a "better" (or feels like the better) $999 value for the money? I'd argue the 12.9 any day; more materials, way bigger display, better CPU for the same selling price. Whether that's true is another story, but it certainly feels like the better value side by side with an iPhone XS
Personally, I have been in the market for a 12.9 ipad for a while. But $799 for the 2017 12.9 was already in the "am I getting a good return for spending that $800" even if I do some work on it and keep it 2 years. And kept me from buying one (plus needing a case and some type of keyboard).
At $999 it's a much tougher sell even more so; it's just too expensive as a 3rd device for my workflow when its not replacing a laptop (which I JUST got a refurb XPS 13 9360 touch 1080 display/8th gen i7/16gb RAM/512gb SSD for about the same price as a 12.9+3rd party case+bluetooth keyboard; $1100.)
Personally, I have been in the market for a 12.9 ipad for a while. But $799 for the 2017 12.9 was already in the "am I getting a good return for spending that $800" even if I do some work on it and keep it 2 years. And kept me from buying one (plus needing a case and some type of keyboard).
At $999 it's a much tougher sell even more so; it's just too expensive as a 3rd device for my workflow when its not replacing a laptop (which I JUST got a refurb XPS 13 9360 touch 1080 display/8th gen i7/16gb RAM/512gb SSD for about the same price as a 12.9+3rd party case+bluetooth keyboard; $1100.)
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I agree. Even though the phone may be more mission-critical solely on the virtue of needing phone calls and text messages, the iPad is the better overall value because there is much more you can do with a bigger screen.
So, I priced a 256gB 12.9" iPad pro with LTE. Including pencil and keyboard, it's $1700! That's nearly as much as my 15" MBP!
I think there is some economics 101 involved: you can increase prices and get higher revenue, until a point, where revenue starts to drop. I'm an iPad enthusiast, and I really like the new iPads, in particular that the 12.9" is now much more compact. I would be a prime target for Apple to make an upgrade. But I'm not going to do it at $1700. If it were $1200, I might just go out and buy. Instead I will just hold on to my 9.7" iPad pro. In other words, just from a personal experience, Apple prices have reached the point of decreasing revenue.
But I guess Apple has some great market analysts, so that they know what prices optimize their revenue.
I think iPad revenue has been constantly dropping since 2014/15? Guessing that's partly why they introduced the $329 iPad. Alas, those products have lower profit so need to make it up on the high end.
Looks like Apple is testing price elasticity of demand now.
True, but what more "stuff" does a Macbook have in it than an iPad exactly? The screens are within 2 inches size-wise. Both have motherboards, wifi & Bluetooth modules, RAM, CPU, cameras, motherboard, SSD etc. They are very comparable parts/materials lists.
You can't really compare LTE to a non-LTE laptop, not the same functionality and the modem adds cost to the ipad. And a Macbook isnt a touchscreen so the pencil can't count in a fair comparison. The keyboard yes.
The 12.9 256gb and keyboard case, comparable to a laptop setup, is $1348. That's still almost $450 cheaper than a new entry 13" Macbook Pro with the same 256gb of storage
But my point was more a phone now can cost 2/3 of a laptop; so no, I dont think the ipad is overpriced in itself for what it is. Think about it this way, a 64 new 12.9" ipad is LESS money than a XS Max 6.5" 64gb. That's nuts
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I love the new IPPs. They are truly amazing and the 12.9 is now much more easy to handle. If my main workflow would be on an iPad I would - no doubt - immediately upgrade.
However, most of my work is done on a 2017 MBP 15" with much advanced support for MS Office, a great file management system and all the other "goodies" of MacOS. I am using my 10.5 IPP as business travel "laptop" to avoid carrying my MBP and for leisure time consumption. For both tasks the 10.5 will be good for another 2-3 years before being slow/outdated.
Bottomline, if the IPP were my primary device I would upgrade - the new ones just seem fantastic. As a third device (next to MBP and iPhone XS) I will hold out a few years before upgrading again.
However, most of my work is done on a 2017 MBP 15" with much advanced support for MS Office, a great file management system and all the other "goodies" of MacOS. I am using my 10.5 IPP as business travel "laptop" to avoid carrying my MBP and for leisure time consumption. For both tasks the 10.5 will be good for another 2-3 years before being slow/outdated.
Bottomline, if the IPP were my primary device I would upgrade - the new ones just seem fantastic. As a third device (next to MBP and iPhone XS) I will hold out a few years before upgrading again.
The problem for Apple is that the vast, vast majority of iPad use is exceptionally basic. Web browsing. Email. Chat. FaceTime. Videos. Games. All of which can be done just fine on a $329 iPad or your existing iPad that is 3-4 years old.
There is a subset of users who value the note-taking capabilities, or the drawing capabilities, but that's a real sub-set - and for most of them (us) the iPad is a 3rd or 4th device after our phone and laptop(s). That, paired with abysmal iPad re-sale values makes upgrading a hard sell.
I love everything about the new iPad (with the exception of the headphone jack removal and maybe the FaceID - depending on how well that actually works on my desk) - but I'm at over $1300 for an upgrade over my 9.7" Pro, and there is almost no residual value for me to recoup in private sale.
There is a subset of users who value the note-taking capabilities, or the drawing capabilities, but that's a real sub-set - and for most of them (us) the iPad is a 3rd or 4th device after our phone and laptop(s). That, paired with abysmal iPad re-sale values makes upgrading a hard sell.
I love everything about the new iPad (with the exception of the headphone jack removal and maybe the FaceID - depending on how well that actually works on my desk) - but I'm at over $1300 for an upgrade over my 9.7" Pro, and there is almost no residual value for me to recoup in private sale.
The iPhone XS is made of stainless steel, has wireless charging, has antennas, has a better screen and all in a smaller chassis. If anything the price difference between the 11’’ and 12.9’’ iPad is quite big considering the 12.9’’ is probably just slightly more expensive to make. Bigger doesn’t necessarily mean more expensive to make.
Same. Upgrading the 9.7" to the 11" will cost me around $1300, to the 12.9" $1700. It's hard to justify.
In fact, the $1700 for the 12.9" might be easier for me to justify. If I upgrade to the 11" I don't see that it adds to my productivity, except for a slightly larger screen. But 12.9" truly allows 2 apps side-by-side, and that enables me to do things that I'm not doing with the 9.7.
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I'm a fan of the new iPad's. However, my 10.5" w/ Pencil work perfectly fine for what I use it for. I have been tempted to pull the trigger, but the 11" Pro with the new pencil and smart folio bring the total to just over $1,000. I paid less than that for my MB.
At this point, I'm going to keep my 10.5" and see if the 11" go on sale sometime next year.
At this point, I'm going to keep my 10.5" and see if the 11" go on sale sometime next year.
The problem is that every part of the iPad has increased in price. iPad: check. LTE: check. Pencil: check. Keyboard: check. AppleCare: check. It all adds up to a huge price increase on the whole system.
I absolutely agree. Just the iPad alone, maybe ok. But the whole package is more than the 13" MacBook Pro I'm typing on. Still, its a great product! I must resist!
The problem is Apple is going to hit a price ceiling soon where people simply will stop paying the price. We're already at $1100 phones for the smallest capacity big screen model. What's next, starting at $1300 like a modern laptop?
It was already a tough decision to upgrade this year, even paying monthly and trading to a new device every year. It feels less when you are only paying $550 for a year with the XS Max vs $500 for the X; $50 more over 12 months is nothing really.
But think about it. In the past 2 years the base storage biggest screen model has gone from $769 (7 Plus 32gb) to $999 (x 64gb) to $1099 (XS Max); $330 price increase in only 2 years. Almost a 50% price increase in only 2 years.
A lot for me is going to hinge upon what the iOS13 redesign looks like for my next phone. I only own an iphone so not "in the ecosystem" really. Android isn't ideal, but people like Oneplus are putting out some pretty compelling phones for right about half the price right now. $580 for: 845 CPU, 8gb RAM, 128gb storage in-screen fingerprint, dual camera, 6.4" 1080p OLED
Just stretch out the purchases. Upgrading every year just feeds the monster. Franks, I’m happy not to be tempted with this year’s new iPPs. I like my 10.5 just fine.
Not true if Apple is really becoming the Cartier of high tech. What's 5000 $ increase for a Cartier watch owner? You must be a very wealthy person to own a genuine Cartier in the beginning. Likely, are you checking the price of the gaz at the pump when you own a Ferrari? Everyone is saying Apple is now transforming itself into a Luxury items company. So those -like me- who can't afford a 2300$ maxed out iPad Pro are doomed to look elsewhere. But if Apple is not becoming a Cartier, then yes people will one day stop paying the price. There's never been a better time or opportunity for Android to clean up its act and deliver a truly polished OS like iOS. I can't stand this mess that is Android.
i doubt apple truly wants to become cartier. the business models are different. for cartier business is more straightforward; i sell you a watch, i make x profit. for apple, if i get a usre into my ecosystem, i can see you many other more profitable stuff: apps, dongles, icloud storage, apple music, apple watch. these bring huge profits to apple too.
im an apple user, but i have many friends and family happily using android. what is so wrong with it?
Indeed. For those who don't know the SF Bay Area, our housing prices are insane.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/02...w-a-struggle-even-for-apple-google-engineers/ from Feb 2018 says:
"The average software engineer at Apple, for example, makes $188,000 a year, and would have to spend 33 percent of his or her salary to afford a median-priced home in Cupertino, the study said.
...
Apple, based in Cupertino —
Median price of a home within a 20-minute commuting distance: $1.2 million"
https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/09...delay-kids-because-of-soaring-cost-of-living/ has a much lower figure
"The average base salary for a software engineer at Apple is $121,083 a year..."
I think the price increase could be two things (amongst others):
A pre-emptive strike against any possible tariffs that may occur during this new generations product cycle. Things may be fine for now, but in a year......who knows...
They may be inflating prices now to maintain margins and sales when 3rd party retailers begin having sales on the iPad. I’ve already seen a lot of people say that they may just wait until there is a sale on the iPads to pull the trigger. Price it higher now and sacrifice a small number of sales right now, but maintain margins and ASP 6 months from now when BH Photo and Best Buy start having big discounted sales.
Just a thought...
A pre-emptive strike against any possible tariffs that may occur during this new generations product cycle. Things may be fine for now, but in a year......who knows...
They may be inflating prices now to maintain margins and sales when 3rd party retailers begin having sales on the iPad. I’ve already seen a lot of people say that they may just wait until there is a sale on the iPads to pull the trigger. Price it higher now and sacrifice a small number of sales right now, but maintain margins and ASP 6 months from now when BH Photo and Best Buy start having big discounted sales.
Just a thought...