Like I imagine it would be the best of both worlds, modern-ish chips (like an A16, A15, A14) on an older styled body and screen (I'm thinking the Air 2). I personally own an iPad 8, but not a fan of the screen and I really would prefer the smaller 9.7 sized screen. Additionally I know the A12 is starting to get old, so having a solid upgrade path would be nice. Not sure where something like that would fit in their lineup. Maybe the basic iPad remains the iPad, for those who like the older design but want the power an SE and then Air and Pro for enthusiasts and professionals. Just a thought.
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All iPads Apple should make an iPad SE
- Thread starter ricketysquire
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I’m a fan of the 9.7-inch screen too, but I reckon there aren’t enough of us for Apple to do that. That space has been fulfilled by the iPad 10. I reckon the 8th and 9th-gen iPad were kind of like “waiting moves” until the full-screen iPad 10th-gen was eventually released.
I see the appeal (my favourite iPad ever is the best version of the 9.7-inch iPad that’s ever been produced, the 9.7-inch iPad Pro), but I doubt the majority sees it that way.
It’s kind of like on iPhones: if I could choose one iPhone, I’d probably choose the 1st-gen iPhone SE (iPhone which I don’t have, sadly, unlike the 9.7-inch iPad Pro on which I’m writing this), but it just doesn’t have enough demand for Apple to update its internals.
For basic use and content consumption, however, you can have one: my 9.7-inch iPad Pro is on iOS 12 and it works perfectly for content consumption. Yes, usage is certainly limited (web browsing starts to suffer, and new apps cannot be installed), but if you have a stable use case it is certainly usable.
Funnily enough, even though it’s not my main iPhone, I have an iPhone 5c which I use daily and I really like it, it’s way too comfortable. I’ll probably keep using it as well.
Apple’s original form factor is just perfect in my opinion. 3.5-inch screens are too small unlike 4-inch screens, but a combo like a 4-inch iPhone and a 9.7-inch iPad is just great, and if you can adapt it to your use case (or use it as a supplement), I see no reason why you can’t use one now.
I see the appeal (my favourite iPad ever is the best version of the 9.7-inch iPad that’s ever been produced, the 9.7-inch iPad Pro), but I doubt the majority sees it that way.
It’s kind of like on iPhones: if I could choose one iPhone, I’d probably choose the 1st-gen iPhone SE (iPhone which I don’t have, sadly, unlike the 9.7-inch iPad Pro on which I’m writing this), but it just doesn’t have enough demand for Apple to update its internals.
For basic use and content consumption, however, you can have one: my 9.7-inch iPad Pro is on iOS 12 and it works perfectly for content consumption. Yes, usage is certainly limited (web browsing starts to suffer, and new apps cannot be installed), but if you have a stable use case it is certainly usable.
Funnily enough, even though it’s not my main iPhone, I have an iPhone 5c which I use daily and I really like it, it’s way too comfortable. I’ll probably keep using it as well.
Apple’s original form factor is just perfect in my opinion. 3.5-inch screens are too small unlike 4-inch screens, but a combo like a 4-inch iPhone and a 9.7-inch iPad is just great, and if you can adapt it to your use case (or use it as a supplement), I see no reason why you can’t use one now.
For all intents and purposes, the regular iPad is pretty much the iPad version of the iPhone SE line.
It’s had the old design with home button TouchID from 5th gen (2017) to 9th gen (2021), and just had a small increase in size from 9.7” to 10.2”.
Apple doesn’t keep the same design forever for the iPhone SE, either. The first iPhone SE featured the 5/5s design. The iPhone SE2 and SE3 both used the 6/6s/7/8 chassis design. Current rumors are the iPhone SE4 is getting a redesign.
It’s had the old design with home button TouchID from 5th gen (2017) to 9th gen (2021), and just had a small increase in size from 9.7” to 10.2”.
Apple doesn’t keep the same design forever for the iPhone SE, either. The first iPhone SE featured the 5/5s design. The iPhone SE2 and SE3 both used the 6/6s/7/8 chassis design. Current rumors are the iPhone SE4 is getting a redesign.
They don’t want an advanced processor, they want a current one. OP said they liked the 9.7-inch iPad, and right now you have two models: the 9.7-inch iPad Pro (A9X), and the 6th-gen iPad (A10). Not exactly current.
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I think at some point, maybe the entry level iPad will get re-branded as the iPad SE.
I would also merge the iPad mini and Air into a single iPad Air line with 8.3" and 11" sizes.
While at it, I'd increase the re-branded iPad SE to 11" as well.
Then have the Pro line being 11", 12.9".
This would make for a much cleaner lineup, three lines: SE, Air, Pro, three sizes 8.3", 11", 12.9". Nice and simple.
I would also merge the iPad mini and Air into a single iPad Air line with 8.3" and 11" sizes.
While at it, I'd increase the re-branded iPad SE to 11" as well.
Then have the Pro line being 11", 12.9".
This would make for a much cleaner lineup, three lines: SE, Air, Pro, three sizes 8.3", 11", 12.9". Nice and simple.
Love the idea. They should use the aging A12 9.7 inch screen with 32gb minimum storage 2 gig ram touch id and more colors. I currently daily drive a 5th gen ipad and its awesome. The only downside is the 1gb ram. Which crashes a LOT in certain games.
The A9 on my current ipad is starting to bottleneck it also all A9 devices have been discontinued and cant run modern Ipad OS and IOS i think
It's 2GB RAM on the 5th gen, which is way too low. Even the 3GB in the A12 is too little. 4GB should be the bare minimum for any device (and it reloads safari quite a lot already)
Nope. 1.7 on the 5th. Its true that 4 gigs should be the minimum tho. Maybe they should sell this ipad for 199$ to 250$ maximum. (All apps and measuring tools show 1.7gb. If you search it up it appears 2gb for some reason)
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It’s 2GB with some of the RAM reserved by the system. My 4GB RAM iPad mini 6 shows 3.5GB total.
I used my mom's iPad 9th gen for a few days when my iPad Pro was at the repair shop for a battery swap (bloated battery) and I find I still quite like it. The A13 does feel a tad slower than the A12x, but otherwise, the iPad handled everything I threw at it. I don't hate the way the 1st gen Apple Watch pairs and charges, touch-ID works at any distance and orientation, and the curved sides still feels nicer to hold.
To me I find the 10.2" screen to be the sweet spot, but I'd take a 9.7" as well. I have a 12.9" Pro that is quite aged, and a iPad 8. I find myself using the 8 probably 90% of the time. It's so much easier to manage, and I prefer its shape. Speakers are a downgrade, but a small price to pay for what is mostly spoken word listening. The 12.9" is really a beast in your lap or when sitting on a couch, I find this better on a stand or smart cover propped up at all times.
What really gets me however, and this is perhaps leaning into the niche, but I want the proper 4:3 aspect ratio. Only the 12.9" and the home button models have this proper aspect, and I love it. I find document viewing in portrait to be better, and for my old shows that are presented in 4:3 it is splendid for them to fill the screen. Landscape in general feels slightly less cramped, but it is not a major difference. The current aspect ratio is not as Preposterous as the old 16:9 Samsung type tablets, but I will still prefer the 4:3.
I love this iPad 8, but I will probably upgrade it in 2024 or 2025. I suspect the iPad 9 is going to be discontinued within the next two months (or next year at this time) and probably will not be replaced with another home button model. I fear the base iPad price will go up permanently. It may be lower than the current retail price of the iPad 10, but it will not be quite as low as the 9 and earlier. Regardless, I feel upgrading from an 8 to 9 at this point is pointless, at least for me.
I will probably buy the iPad 11 or 12. I have no need for the features of a higher end model, as I've clearly seen with my abandonment of the Pro. Laminated display is nice, but other than that 'hollow' sound when tapping I never observe the difference. The iPad 8 still has a splendid display to my less critical eyes. An SE option as you describe would be excellent, and very good for the education market, but I fear that the time for those smaller models has gone, it's either a mini or a 10.9"+ screen.
What really gets me however, and this is perhaps leaning into the niche, but I want the proper 4:3 aspect ratio. Only the 12.9" and the home button models have this proper aspect, and I love it. I find document viewing in portrait to be better, and for my old shows that are presented in 4:3 it is splendid for them to fill the screen. Landscape in general feels slightly less cramped, but it is not a major difference. The current aspect ratio is not as Preposterous as the old 16:9 Samsung type tablets, but I will still prefer the 4:3.
I love this iPad 8, but I will probably upgrade it in 2024 or 2025. I suspect the iPad 9 is going to be discontinued within the next two months (or next year at this time) and probably will not be replaced with another home button model. I fear the base iPad price will go up permanently. It may be lower than the current retail price of the iPad 10, but it will not be quite as low as the 9 and earlier. Regardless, I feel upgrading from an 8 to 9 at this point is pointless, at least for me.
I will probably buy the iPad 11 or 12. I have no need for the features of a higher end model, as I've clearly seen with my abandonment of the Pro. Laminated display is nice, but other than that 'hollow' sound when tapping I never observe the difference. The iPad 8 still has a splendid display to my less critical eyes. An SE option as you describe would be excellent, and very good for the education market, but I fear that the time for those smaller models has gone, it's either a mini or a 10.9"+ screen.
Yeah, if it’s updated it will struggle.
The 6th-gen iPad (with an A10) can run iPadOS 17. Regardless, my 9.7-inch iPad Pro (with an A9X), is on iOS 12 and the only issue it has is that, occasionally, a website will not work. Totally fine for me.
This is an interesting point for me, as my iPad 8 is on the OS it shipped with (14) and I will never update it. Not a fan of the way 15 and 16 have gone on my friend's 8. Some of my apps are already out of support (irrelevant for now), but the primary third party app I use is YouTube which is still supported, even once that falls I can use the web version.
I do wonder though when the web browser will become unusable. It's encouraging to hear that 12 is still working for the most part. iOS 14 is already 3 year old software, and that's my observed usable timeframe for desktop web browsers. For example, the newest Reddit website design is completely broken on 2019 Firefox versions, but works on 2020. I've studied this a bit for a few years as a user of old Macs.
YouTube will work forever, I don’t think older versions ever stop working.
As for your second point, iOS 10 is very difficult to use nowadays, but it’s impossible to extrapolate. It has life for now, but honestly it’s only downhill from here as far as iOS 12 goes. iOS 14 though? It definitely has a few more years without any glaring issues. It won’t be perfect in that regard because no outdated device is, but you shouldn’t have many issues.
My iPad Air 5 is on iPadOS 15 (so the original version), and it’s perfect, too.
Unfortunately this is not true, I recently updated my YouTube app because it stopped working. Hadn't updated it since July 2021 (because the UI changes they've made are totally ghastly) and last week it finally came up with that infamous message saying "Update required. You must update to continue." after only a few seconds. I was squeezed out of YouTube on my iPad 2 with this same message back around March 2021.
2 years is not terrible though, I just have to make sure I update when possible because my iPad refuses to download latest versions of apps anymore.
Now that you mention that... you’re right, I didn’t remember.
I checked, and my iPhone Xʀ has the December 2021 version. I don’t remember, but that must have happened to me on my 9.7-inch iPad Pro because the YouTube version that I have is even newer. Unfortunately I can’t try installing it on iOS 10 right now.