iPad Pro A14X iPad Pro. Could it debut at the iPhone event? (It should)

[Royksöpp]

I'm a little annoyed that Apple skipped straight ahead to the A14 for the Air, and consequently left the Pro high and dry. It would ultimately make sense for it to be released alongside the iPhone since that is the big event everyone is waiting for. Since when did a mid-tier device beat the flagship to a new chip? Even if they wait until March, the Air would still have a 6 month lead. That leaves a sour taste in my mouth. How does everyone feel about this?

 

[quagmire]

X variants have usually lagged behind the regular version. But given there should be more powerful variants for the upcoming AS transition, an A14X iPad Pro may still follow soon enough.

 

[retta283]

I assume the Pros will use an X chip as a selling point over the Air, being that it will probably launch in the spring of 2021 or later. Other than adding more RAM to the new Pros, this is the only other "longevity" seller they can put in it.

 

[Keniutek]

I assume the Pros will use an X chip as a selling point over the Air, being that it will probably launch in the spring of 2021 or later. Other than adding more RAM to the new Pros, this is the only other "longevity" seller they can put in it.

If this is the case, why wait till spring 2021? I bet they can "update" the Pro's along with the new iPhone... but don't want to piss of people who bought the Pro's this year. On the other hand, they did it once with the iPad3 and 4.

 

[one more]

The tech evolution is inevitable and iPad Pro 2020 still have something “extra”, compared to the new Air (quad speakers, ProMotion, LIDAR, 6 GB of RAM, FaceID). The next rumoured update to iPad Pro included the Micro-LED screen. I expect both Air and Pro to do fine with most iPad tasks for a while and when iPad Pro does get its update, its A14 chip will certainly be more powerful than that used in Air 4.

 

[Tsepz]

I'm a little annoyed that Apple skipped straight ahead to the A14 for the Air, and consequently left the Pro high and dry. It would ultimately make sense for it to be released alongside the iPhone since that is the big event everyone is waiting for. Since when did a mid-tier device beat the flagship to a new chip? Even if they wait until March, the Air would still have a 6 month lead. That leaves a sour taste in my mouth. How does everyone feel about this?

I honestly do not get this drama over a chip, lol. Do we have final benchmark numbers for the A14? Is this all people buy an iPad for?

 

[Dave245]

I don’t get why people are annoyed over this, the Air has the A14 chip, but the Pro 2020 has the A12Z chip. The Air has had a seriously nice update, as far as I’m concerned Apple should be applauded for doing it.

The iPad Pro is a different beast altogether from the Air. The Pro is bound to have more Ram, it has a better screen (Promotion for those that want it) and has a bigger version with the 12.9” Pro.
Also in reality how many people even make the most of the current A12Z chip inside their 2020 iPad Pro’s? Unless you are gaming, video editing or photo editing heavily you really probably are not even stressing it out.

 

[EugW]

"Could the A14X iPad Pro debut at the iPhone event?"

Sure, that's possible. However, it seems rather unlikely to me, given all the prior rumours indicating iPad Pros and mini-LED not happening until 2021.

"How does everyone feel about this?"

I don't know about everyone else, but I personally feel pretty excited. This coming iPad Pro is shaping up to be an awesome machine:

A14X
6 GB RAM
128 GB storage minimum
Mini-LED LCD screen
Qualcomm X55 5G
etc.

I just hope they don't raise the price. A 2021 11.0 to 12.0" iPad Pro with those specs would be my dream machine, and an excellent upgrade to my 2017 10.5" iPad Pro with A10X, 4 GB RAM, 64 GB storage, standard LED LCD screen, and no cellular.

 

[mhd2100]

There's just one thing thats going to cannibalise sales of the new iPad Air. A 2018 iPad Pro which you can get used on ebay (in great condition) with more storage, quad speakers, ProMotion for roughly the same or sometimes less than the new Air,

 

[bluespark]

I'm a little annoyed that Apple skipped straight ahead to the A14 for the Air, and consequently left the Pro high and dry. It would ultimately make sense for it to be released alongside the iPhone since that is the big event everyone is waiting for. Since when did a mid-tier device beat the flagship to a new chip? Even if they wait until March, the Air would still have a 6 month lead. That leaves a sour taste in my mouth. How does everyone feel about this?

This type of move is not uncommon for Apple. We saw something similar earlier this year when the MacBook Air received a newer processor than the one used in the 13" MacBook Pro. The MBP is clearly the overall better performer, but people who expect *everything* about it to be better than the MBA were disappointed.

The question, though, is why any of this matters. The iPad Pro, just like the MacBook Pro, is still the same device it was before its cousin received an update, and we all know by now that the "Pro" upgrade schedule differs from the consumer upgrade schedule. If the iPad Pro is a less compelling update this week than it was last week, it's only because there is now another device close on its heels that is priced lower -- unquestionably a good thing for anyone looking to spend a bit less and who finds what they need with the Air. In addition, the staggered upgrade timing avoids disappointment by those who might have purchased an iPad Pro during the last few months ago. This way, potential Pro purchasers can be reasonably certain their device will be upgraded in roughly half a year, and therefore can make an informed purchase decision now.

In my view, Apple got this one right. The Pro device is still better overall, buyers have a new lower-priced option, and iPad Pro buyers now avoid a surprise.

 

[rui no onna]

I'm a little annoyed that Apple skipped straight ahead to the A14 for the Air, and consequently left the Pro high and dry. It would ultimately make sense for it to be released alongside the iPhone since that is the big event everyone is waiting for. Since when did a mid-tier device beat the flagship to a new chip? Even if they wait until March, the Air would still have a 6 month lead. That leaves a sour taste in my mouth. How does everyone feel about this?

I'm pretty much resigned with delayed releases this year. I'm more disappointed the Black Widow movie will probably be postponed again than I am with the iPhone and iPad delays.

I was all set to upgrade my iPad Pro this year but I guess it's a blessing in disguise that I found the 2020 refresh quite disappointing. Finally got expenditures that I've been delaying out of the way (upgrade for 7-11 yr old desktops and laptops, upgrade for 4 yr old iPhones).

 

[doboy]

I just hope they don't raise the price. A 2021 11.0 to 12.0" iPad Pro with those specs would be my dream machine, and an excellent upgrade to my 2017 10.5" iPad Pro with A10X, 4 GB RAM, 64 GB storage, standard LED LCD screen, and no cellular.

Seeing the price increase on the Air, I have a feeling price hike may be coming to the next Pro especially if it uses a new screen tech.

 

[rui no onna]

Seeing the price increase on the Air, I have a feeling price hike may be coming to the next Pro especially if it uses a new screen tech.

Yep. In fairness, I think a price hike was already rumored back when the iPad Pros were refreshed earlier this year.

Oh well, haven't gone on vacation since forever and unlikely to do so in the foreseeable future so those funds are available for other hobbies/entertainment.

 

[oneMadRssn]

There's just one thing thats going to cannibalise sales of the new iPad Air. A 2018 iPad Pro which you can get used on ebay (in great condition) with more storage, quad speakers, ProMotion for roughly the same or sometimes less than the new Air,

The 2018 11" iPad Pro comes in and out of stock on the refurb store fairly regularly. If folks can catch that, it's a smashing deal compared to everything else.

 

[doboy]

Yep. In fairness, I think a price hike was already rumored back when the iPad Pros were refreshed earlier this year.

Oh well, haven't gone on vacation since forever and unlikely to do so in the foreseeable future so those funds are available for other hobbies/entertainment.

Yeah, that's the only bright spot in being cooped up

 

[aeronatis]

A14X
6 GB RAM
128 GB storage minimum
Mini-LED LCD screen
Qualcomm X55 5G
etc.

I just hope they don't raise the price. A 2021 11.0 to 12.0" iPad Pro with those specs would be my dream machine, and an excellent upgrade to my 2017 10.5" iPad Pro with A10X, 4 GB RAM, 64 GB storage, standard LED LCD screen, and no cellular.

That would be an amazing device for sure.

A14X has been consistently rumoured to have 8 GB of RAM. I believe price would increase along with mini-LED since iPad Air is already quite close. None of us can know for sure before they announce though.

 

[EugW]

A14X has been consistently rumoured to have 8 GB of RAM.

Not that I've seen.

All I've seen about that is some wishful posts for 8 GB here at MacRumors.

Personally I think 8 GB is unlikely.

 

[rui no onna]

Personally I think 8 GB is unlikely.

We can dream. ?

 

[barkomatic]

I don’t get why people are annoyed over this, the Air has the A14 chip, but the Pro 2020 has the A12Z chip. The Air has had a seriously nice update, as far as I’m concerned Apple should be applauded for doing it.

The iPad Pro is a different beast altogether from the Air. The Pro is bound to have more Ram, it has a better screen (Promotion for those that want it) and has a bigger version with the 12.9” Pro.
Also in reality how many people even make the most of the current A12Z chip inside their 2020 iPad Pro’s? Unless you are gaming, video editing or photo editing heavily you really probably are not even stressing it out.

I certainly take your point, but this is similar to what people said about the iPad 3 years ago. Then, it was laggy with everything after a single iOS update and almost unusable the update after the next one.

To be clear, I don’t think the situation with the 2018/2020 Pros is going to be nearly as extreme and iOS 14 runs just fine on my Pro — but with a better chip in the mid range iPad out do you think that developers are gonna offer the same features for devices with both chips? My guess is they’ll focus on the future knowing an A14x chip is around the corner.

I’m enjoying my Pro but with the new Air out there is no way I’d recommend it now to anyone intending to use it for advanced applications. It’s great for content consumption though and would still suggest it for people who want an awesome experience doing that.

 

[Dave245]

I certainly take your point, but this is similar to what people said about the iPad 3 years ago. Then, it was laggy with everything after a single iOS update and almost unusable the update after the next one.

To be clear, I don’t think the situation with the 2018/2020 Pros is going to be nearly as extreme and iOS 14 runs just fine on my Pro — but with a better chip in the mid range iPad out do you think that developers are gonna offer the same features for devices with both chips? My guess is they’ll focus on the future knowing an A14x chip is around the corner.

I’m enjoying my Pro but with the new Air out there is no way I’d recommend it now to anyone intending to use it for advanced applications. It’s great for content consumption though and would still suggest it for people who want an awesome experience doing that.

I think the Air definitely muddles the water a little. For example, I currently use an iPad Pro 2017 (12.9”) for which I use for Netflix, YouTube, web browsing, some Pixelmator Pro photo editing and some minor LumaFusion HD video editing.

The thing is the new Air could probably do all of that and then some. But I lean towards the Pro, I think I think most people (myself included) get caught up in the specs and how fast the chip is, when in reality how many people actually take full advantage of it? In which case should I buy the new Air and save around £200?

 

[EugW]

I think the Air definitely muddles the water a little. For example, I currently use an iPad Pro 2017 (12.9”) for which I use for Netflix, YouTube, web browsing, some Pixelmator Pro photo editing and some minor LumaFusion HD video editing.

The thing is the new Air could probably do all of that and then some. But I lean towards the Pro, I think I think most people (myself included) get caught up in the specs and how fast the chip is, when in reality how many people actually take full advantage of it? In which case should I buy the new Air and save around £200?

I think the bigger concern for you should be whether you prefer the 12.9" size or the 11" size.

 

[Keniutek]

Seeing the price increase on the Air, I have a feeling price hike may be coming to the next Pro especially if it uses a new screen tech.

Och, it's coming, im sure of it.

 

[Dave245]

I think the bigger concern for you should be whether you prefer the 12.9" size or the 11" size.

i’ve been pondering that myself. I have never had the 11” to make the comparison. Ever since the iPad Pro came out in 2015, I have had the 12.9” iPad Pro.

 

[rui no onna]

I certainly take your point, but this is similar to what people said about the iPad 3 years ago. Then, it was laggy with everything after a single iOS update and almost unusable the update after the next one.

To be clear, I don’t think the situation with the 2018/2020 Pros is going to be nearly as extreme and iOS 14 runs just fine on my Pro — but with a better chip in the mid range iPad out do you think that developers are gonna offer the same features for devices with both chips? My guess is they’ll focus on the future knowing an A14x chip is around the corner.

I’m enjoying my Pro but with the new Air out there is no way I’d recommend it now to anyone intending to use it for advanced applications. It’s great for content consumption though and would still suggest it for people who want an awesome experience doing that.

I don't think performance is going to be an issue at all.

Personally, I just don't like the pricing. It's one thing for iPhones to get the latest chipsets before iPads. A lesser model iPad trading blows with the flagship on CPU? Bit of raised eyebrow there.

This would be like if Apple hadn't released the 2018 iPad Pro and instead continued selling the 2017 iPad Pro 10.5" at a higher price after they released the 2019 iPad Air 3.

Granted, this was pretty much what I felt about the iPhone 6 (A8/1GB, $549) after Apple released the first SE (A9/2GB, $399).

In any case, I skipped the 2020 iPad Pro as it wasn't much of an upgrade over the 2018 model so I'm looking forward to the next release.

 

[joeblow7777]

Aren't the 2020 Pros only like 6 months old? There's not another one coming this year. I'd say March at the earliest.