All iPads Anyone else planning to downgrade from Pro to Air? Why?

[nj-morris]

There are basically five things that will influence the decision for me, in no particular order.

1. Display tech. It's all but confirmed that the Pro will get OLED, but on the off chance that the 13-inch Air gets MicroLED then that would be a big deal.

2. Processor. This isn't actually a massive deal since I'd be very happy with an M2, but AFAIK (correct me if I'm wrong) Apple have never released a device with a last generation M chip. I'd be curious to see if they release the Air with an M3, maybe with watered down power for better battery life. I can dream.

3. Weight. I'm actually a proponent of a thinner Pro, because if they can cut some weight from it, and also from the magic keyboard as a result, then it would put a lot less strain on my shoulders when I'm carrying it in a backpack, for example. Only thing is that it doesn't really make sense for them to do this for the Pro and not the Air. I mean, the whole point of the 'Air' label is that it's supposed to be lighter. Let's see if Apple addresses this.

4. Front-facing camera placement. This is a huge deal for me since I take a lot of Teams calls, and I hate it when my eyes are off-centre. Even got called out for it in a job interview once. Seems the Pro will be getting the landscape camera, but renders of the Air showed that it wouldn't. If that holds true, it would turn me off the Air big-time.

5. Price. I'm expecting the Pro to be about £350/$400 more expensive than the Air, which if the Air falls short in the above criteria would probably be worth it. The new magic keyboard for the Pro may be more pricey than whatever the Air ends up having, that will make a difference too.

 

[Isamilis]

So new iPads are imminent.
I am still usinga 2018 iPad Pro which is now a bit long in the tooth and sluggish. It’s time to upgrade. However as a MacBook Pro user , Apple have done nothing in that time to convince me that the iPad Pro can be used as a serious computer nor worth the premium. Therefore when the new models are announced I’ll be opting for an Air.
Anyone else in the same boat, or think otherwise? What are your thoughts?

Yes if I plan to buy the new one. Reason: more reasonable price for what it worth.

 

[darthbane2k]

There are basically five things that will influence the decision for me, in no particular order.

1. Display tech. It's all but confirmed that the Pro will get OLED, but on the off chance that the 13-inch Air gets MicroLED then that would be a big deal.

2. Processor. This isn't actually a massive deal since I'd be very happy with an M2, but AFAIK (correct me if I'm wrong) Apple have never released a device with a last generation M chip. I'd be curious to see if they release the Air with an M3, maybe with watered down power for better battery life. I can dream.

3. Weight. I'm actually a proponent of a thinner Pro, because if they can cut some weight from it, and also from the magic keyboard as a result, then it would put a lot less strain on my shoulders when I'm carrying it in a backpack, for example. Only thing is that it doesn't really make sense for them to do this for the Pro and not the Air. I mean, the whole point of the 'Air' label is that it's supposed to be lighter. Let's see if Apple addresses this.

4. Front-facing camera placement. This is a huge deal for me since I take a lot of Teams calls, and I hate it when my eyes are off-centre. Even got called out for it in a job interview once. Seems the Pro will be getting the landscape camera, but renders of the Air showed that it wouldn't. If that holds true, it would turn me off the Air big-time.

5. Price. I'm expecting the Pro to be about £350/$400 more expensive than the Air, which if the Air falls short in the above criteria would probably be worth it. The new magic keyboard for the Pro may be more pricey than whatever the Air ends up having, that will make a difference too.

Fair response. I miss the days Apple just made the best product they could make, the days before all of this upselling and product fragmentation.

 

[geta]

Unless you need more then 256GB storage, the Air is a great value for the money - portable size, M1 chip, 8GB RAM and TouchID.

 

[EtherealMAC]

I currently rock an a 12.9 M2 IPP + with Magic Keyboard , which I am very happy with and I have the Pitaka accesory (forgot the name) that allows it to be carried as if it were a beiefcase.

Not planning to upgrade to M3 IPP nor to downgrade to M2 Air 12.9 in the short term but , say next year or the next they update the Air with an M4 , with massive gains in the battery department. If that M3-M4 air still fits in my Magic Keyboard , then I'll get that instead of the IPP because I wont pay Apple for another Keyboard if the one I have still works perfectly fine.

 

[EtherealMAC]

There are basically five things that will influence the decision for me, in no particular order.

1. Display tech. It's all but confirmed that the Pro will get OLED, but on the off chance that the 13-inch Air gets MicroLED then that would be a big deal.

2. Processor. This isn't actually a massive deal since I'd be very happy with an M2, but AFAIK (correct me if I'm wrong) Apple have never released a device with a last generation M chip. I'd be curious to see if they release the Air with an M3, maybe with watered down power for better battery life. I can dream.

3. Weight. I'm actually a proponent of a thinner Pro, because if they can cut some weight from it, and also from the magic keyboard as a result, then it would put a lot less strain on my shoulders when I'm carrying it in a backpack, for example. Only thing is that it doesn't really make sense for them to do this for the Pro and not the Air. I mean, the whole point of the 'Air' label is that it's supposed to be lighter. Let's see if Apple addresses this.

4. Front-facing camera placement. This is a huge deal for me since I take a lot of Teams calls, and I hate it when my eyes are off-centre. Even got called out for it in a job interview once. Seems the Pro will be getting the landscape camera, but renders of the Air showed that it wouldn't. If that holds true, it would turn me off the Air big-time.

5. Price. I'm expecting the Pro to be about £350/$400 more expensive than the Air, which if the Air falls short in the above criteria would probably be worth it. The new magic keyboard for the Pro may be more pricey than whatever the Air ends up having, that will make a difference too.

I'd say "Battery Life" should be the sixth factor in your list. I'd say even higher in priority than most of the ot factors. If a IPP can go to 12 hours from the current 10 ( one can dream...) , that'd be a significant improvement for such a mobile device as iPads are.

 

[nj-morris]

I'd say "Battery Life" should be the sixth factor in your list. I'd say even higher in priority than most of the ot factors. If a IPP can go to 12 hours from the current 10 ( one can dream...) , that'd be a significant improvement for such a mobile device as iPads are.

That's a point, although iPads have had the same advertised battery life since the dawn of time so I'd be surprised if it changes with this upgrade.

 

[PlayUltimate]

Currently have a 2020 12.9" iPP. About a month ago, a horizontal and vertical blue line appeared on two of the edges; which might mean a hardware failure. Waiting to see what is offered. I personally find the 12.9" a bit to big for travel so I will likely look at the 11". Want to see what the differences are between the Air and Pro. I usually use AirPods if I am watching anything on it so the speakers are not that important.

 

[great high wolf]

That's a point, although iPads have had the same advertised battery life since the dawn of time so I'd be surprised if it changes with this upgrade.

They'll use the OLED power efficiency to cut the size of the battery so they maintain the 10 hour battery life but can make the thing thinner again.

 

[FeliApple]

I'd say "Battery Life" should be the sixth factor in your list. I'd say even higher in priority than most of the ot factors. If a IPP can go to 12 hours from the current 10 ( one can dream...) , that'd be a significant improvement for such a mobile device as iPads are.

With light or moderate usage every iPad on its original iOS version has been able to get more than 10 hours. Depends on usage, of course, but advertised battery life is oftentimes less than the actual one.

 

[boultonn]

Having had an IPP with FaceID I don't think I could go back to TouchID so its gonna be pro or bust (if they're stupid money).
If IPP+Magic Keyboard is £1800 then that's a serious consideration.

 

[nj-morris]

They'll use the OLED power efficiency to cut the size of the battery so they maintain the 10 hour battery life but can make the thing thinner again.

I think the idea is that the panel itself is much thinner so would take up a lot less space. That combined with the increased power efficiency of the M3 is what allows them to make it thinner.

With light or moderate usage every iPad on its original iOS version has been able to get more than 10 hours. Depends on usage, of course, but advertised battery life is oftentimes less than the actual one.

I remember when the iPad Air 2 came out and people were complaining that it had worse battery life than iPads usually do. Which is funny because I have an iPad Air 2 which I still use on a daily basis nine years on, and I charge it about once a week.

 

[NastyMatt]

There are basically five things that will influence the decision for me, in no particular order.

1. Display tech. It's all but confirmed that the Pro will get OLED, but on the off chance that the 13-inch Air gets MicroLED then that would be a big deal.

2. Processor. This isn't actually a massive deal since I'd be very happy with an M2, but AFAIK (correct me if I'm wrong) Apple have never released a device with a last generation M chip. I'd be curious to see if they release the Air with an M3, maybe with watered down power for better battery life. I can dream.

3. Weight. I'm actually a proponent of a thinner Pro, because if they can cut some weight from it, and also from the magic keyboard as a result, then it would put a lot less strain on my shoulders when I'm carrying it in a backpack, for example. Only thing is that it doesn't really make sense for them to do this for the Pro and not the Air. I mean, the whole point of the 'Air' label is that it's supposed to be lighter. Let's see if Apple addresses this.

4. Front-facing camera placement. This is a huge deal for me since I take a lot of Teams calls, and I hate it when my eyes are off-centre. Even got called out for it in a job interview once. Seems the Pro will be getting the landscape camera, but renders of the Air showed that it wouldn't. If that holds true, it would turn me off the Air big-time.

5. Price. I'm expecting the Pro to be about £350/$400 more expensive than the Air, which if the Air falls short in the above criteria would probably be worth it. The new magic keyboard for the Pro may be more pricey than whatever the Air ends up having, that will make a difference too.

I too have been thinking about what I need in the new IPP. No. 4 on the list is the biggie for me. Current IPP have everything else I need (over my current IPP - extended screen support) and no landscape camera was the only reason I didn’t upgrade my 2020 IPP. I have to apologise on every call I do that I am not looking directly at the other person.

Everything else I feel is a bonus - OLED 👍.. CPU 👍.. Thinner 👍.ow

What I am also excited about is the hope they bring new functionality to it and devices (pen / MK) that have not been leaked yet.

 

[FeliApple]

I remember when the iPad Air 2 came out and people were complaining that it had worse battery life than iPads usually do. Which is funny because I have an iPad Air 2 which I still use on a daily basis nine years on, and I charge it about once a week.

Yeah, all iPads have been astonishing on original iOS versions. Just curious, do you have the cycle count and battery health?

 

[nj-morris]

Yeah, all iPads have been astonishing on original iOS versions. Just curious, do you have the cycle count and battery health?

No I was curious as well and checked this morning but as far as I could find, my version of iPad OS (15 I think?) didn't have that information available in settings.

 

[FeliApple]

No I was curious as well and checked this morning but as far as I could find, my version of iPad OS (15 I think?) didn't have that information available in settings.

You need Coconut Battery on a Mac (or settings-privacy-analytics)

 

[great high wolf]

Having had an IPP with FaceID I don't think I could go back to TouchID so its gonna be pro or bust (if they're stupid money).
If IPP+Magic Keyboard is £1800 then that's a serious consideration.

Oh I had forgotten that. My iPad mini 6's TouchID power button was dreadful at recognising my finger. Admittedly I regularly grate my fingerprints off rock climbing so I can't really blame it.

I think the idea is that the panel itself is much thinner so would take up a lot less space. That combined with the increased power efficiency of the M3 is what allows them to make it thinner.

Agreed, plenty of scope to reduce the thickness of the device, but I would firmly prefer that the existing thickness is kept. Not because I think we need more battery life (although that's always nice) but because we've had a few years without the return of Bendgate and I can't face another outbreak of it...

 

[Yebubbleman]

So new iPads are imminent.
I am still usinga 2018 iPad Pro which is now a bit long in the tooth and sluggish. It’s time to upgrade. However as a MacBook Pro user , Apple have done nothing in that time to convince me that the iPad Pro can be used as a serious computer nor worth the premium. Therefore when the new models are announced I’ll be opting for an Air.
Anyone else in the same boat, or think otherwise? What are your thoughts?

I don't really have need for iPads in the 10-11" size category these days. There's too much overlap with the iPad mini. Plus, for that size, I'm happier with a Galaxy Tab S and/or a Pixel Tablet.

I do have a 12.9-inch iPad Pro and it does serve a unique purpose in my arsenal. But, if the rumors of a 12.9" iPad Air are true (especially if the camera gets moved to landscape mode), I don't know that I need to stick with the "iPad Pro" brand at all. I use 12.9-inch iPad Pros mainly for the keyboard and due to it being of an actually ergonomic (read: not cramped) size. The ProMotion and refresh rates are nice, but not even remotely a must for my needs. Similarly, while using an Apple Pencil would be nice; I'm drawing crude diagrams; not creating art in things like Procreate; I'm sure a ReMarkable 2 would be better for me in that regard, anyway. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9+ and Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra also make the current iPad Pro with Magic Keyboard look downright cheap by comparison. So, while I am firm in my using an iPad mini in my arsenal, I'm not anywhere near as married to any other iPad at this point.

 

[kp98077]

I think ipads are horribly overpriced for what they are, got a galaxy tab at costco for $450 and a nice samsung keyboard and couldnt be happier (12.4")

 

[aurora_sect]

I need all available information to make a decision and I don't know what pricing will be on the new iPads yet, nor the exact features.

That said, I think I will probably "downgrade" from my 2017 Pro to a new Air. My iPad use case is a bit limited and I've decided the extra features aren't really worth the extra dough for me.

 

[Turfschipper]

Going from old pro to new air... ain't it better to go to last gens pro instead of new air in that situation?

 

[scupking]

Back in the day the only iPad option was the best that Apple came out with. Same for the phone. Now you have watered down versions of both. If you want what Apple intended the iPad to be you get the pro.

 

[dturner123]

I downgraded from having MacBook Pros to having a MacBook Air 15 inch. So I'm thinking about going from iPad Pro to iPad Air because all I do is surf the web and occasionally watch videos. I also have the 12.9 inch and it's so huge. I also think I prefer Touch ID than Face ID on an iPad.

 

[iPadified]

Whatever is better for you (SoC, SSD, design, size, screen, price, camera, ...) with the new device is an upgrade. I soon need to pension my 2017 iPP 12.9 and will look very hard on the 12.9 Air value proposition. A marketing down grade (Pro>Air) but a performance upgrade and I might get it in blue! Who cares about losing the "pro" label on my device if I am satisfied?

We joke in Europe about Americas value of "bigger is better"*. Has that cultural difference something to do with upgrade/downgrade discussions that are so strong at MR?

*which is of course a sweeping statement/joke that does not apply to all Americans but look at your so called cars

 

[troubleonline]

Yes but only because my (work) iPad Pro is original 10.5" 2017 model and getting a bit slow and sticky so even an entry level iPad will be an improvement at this point! In fact picked up my in law's 10th gen iPad a few weeks ago and it was so much faster. Also horrified with myself to say that I quite liked the bright pink colour they have . I'd actually forgotten mine was a pro until I found the box recently.

Am not really sure what I'll be going for at this point until I see all the prices and spec. Although I always get Pro in iPhone I might actually get just a 10th gen iPad as I just want lighter, faster, better screen, better battery as really just for web browsing, viewing photos, social media and watching YouTube/Netflix etc. Definitely not interested in larger 12.9" screens.

Currently have cellular+wi-fi version and would like to get another cellular but it's such a bump in price and am buying myself this time that I'll likely choose storage over cellular if a compromise is required. Am likely upgrading from iPhone 14 Pro Max to 16 PM this year so would rather keep the iPad spend a bit lower.