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iPad Pro Big screen iPad

unkl bob

unkl bob

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Original poster
Mar 13, 2021
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Hello all. unkl bob here. Just new to this forum today. Reasonably tech savvy.
Among other stuff (3 iPhones incl. 12 pro max, iPad mini 5, refurbed 2012 MacBook Pro 13"w/all ssd’s) I have the original iPad Pro 12.9" (2016). My screen time on this device alone averages about three hours/day and I love it. But... I vowed at purchase to not update ‘til I could get a bigger screen. Without getting too ‘deep-divey’, when do you (y’all) think I get spend my money for one? What are the reasons for Apple maxing at 12.9 for so long? I’d. buy a 16" with no questions. I’d stand in line in the rain for an 18". And yes, I keep an umbrella in the car. ub
 
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Falhófnir

Falhófnir

macrumors 603
Aug 19, 2017
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I guess the only thing to say here is there are no rumours suggesting a larger model is coming at this point; there is an upcoming 12.9" with mini LED display tech (advanced backlight for deeper blacks) and that will likely remain as the latest model for another 12-16 months before the next update comes along.

Keep an eye out for any new rumours towards the end of the year/ beginning of next, if there is a significant design overhaul for the next cycle they might adjust the screen sizes then.
 
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Tsepz

Tsepz

macrumors 601
Jan 24, 2013
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Johannesburg, South Africa
unkl bob said:
Hello all. unkl bob here. Just new to this forum today. Reasonably tech savvy.
Among other stuff (3 iPhones incl. 12 pro max, iPad mini 5, refurbed 2012 MacBook Pro 13"w/all ssd’s) I have the original iPad Pro 12.9" (2016). My screen time on this device alone averages about three hours/day and I love it. But... I vowed at purchase to not update ‘til I could get a bigger screen. Without getting too ‘deep-divey’, when do you (y’all) think I get spend my money for one? What are the reasons for Apple maxing at 12.9 for so long? I’d. buy a 16" with no questions. I’d stand in line in the rain for an 18". And yes, I keep an umbrella in the car. ub
Click to expand...

I’m sure Apple have a few of these sizes in testing and the main issue as with ANY product is “how do we put a customer centric spin on this?” In other words, how will we tell people that they need this in their life in a profitable way.

I imagine a 16” and 18” iPad Pro would need a whole new naming scheme and great reason to exist, besides our Unkl Bob wanting one.

I think the Magic Keyboard and Pencil are slowly building a good case for larger tablet to exist, but it’s not quite strong enough yet and I think Apple would be happy if Samsung for example did it first, so that they can better assess the appetite of the market for such a device and then workout an angle to enter with. With the move to Apple Silicone, I don’t think a 16” and 18” tablet PC is a far fetched idea at all, Apple could sell them running Mac OS even, some very interesting stuff could come out the next few years,I am definitely not counting bigger tablets out.
 
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unkl bob

unkl bob

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Original poster
Mar 13, 2021
12
2
Tsepz said:
I’m sure Apple have a few of these sizes in testing and the main issue as with ANY product is “how do we put a customer centric spin on this?” In other words, how will we tell people that they need this in life in a profitable way.

I imagine a 16” and 18” iPad Pro would need a whole new scheme and reason to exist, besides our Unkl Bob wanting one. I think the MagicKeyboard and Pencil are slowly building a good case for larger tablet to exist, but it’s not quite strong enough yet and I think Apple would be happy if Samsung for example did it first, so that they can bette assess the appetite of the market for such a device and then workout an angle to enter with.
Click to expand...
Tsepz - Thx for the encouragement. Watched Mac break weekly. Someone there suggested a build-on-demand option for guys like me. 18" = $3k = OK. It never leaves the house, (because iPad mini 5) and max carry is 12-15 steps. I’m 76 y.o. for about another month or so, and I pack light when I travel. ub
 
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Flabasha

macrumors 6502
Dec 21, 2011
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Tsepz said:
I’m sure Apple have a few of these sizes in testing and the main issue as with ANY product is “how do we put a customer centric spin on this?” In other words, how will we tell people that they need this in their life in a profitable way.

I imagine a 16” and 18” iPad Pro would need a whole new naming scheme and great reason to exist, besides our Unkl Bob wanting one.

I think the Magic Keyboard and Pencil are slowly building a good case for larger tablet to exist, but it’s not quite strong enough yet and I think Apple would be happy if Samsung for example did it first, so that they can better assess the appetite of the market for such a device and then workout an angle to enter with. With the move to Apple Silicone, I don’t think a 16” and 18” tablet PC is a far fetched idea at all, Apple could sell them running Mac OS even, some very interesting stuff could come out the next few years,I am definitely not counting bigger tablets out.
Click to expand...
iPad Max. Done.? As someone who uses it to draw and watch movies on, a larger iPad would be an instabuy.
 
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loybond

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Aug 1, 2010
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The True North, Strong and Free
OP would you hand-hold a device like that, or use it mostly on a table? If it's the latter, maybe something like a Surface Studio is what you hand in mind? If the former I don't understand how you'd find that usable.
 
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Mac... nificent

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Nov 20, 2012
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RunsForFun said:
An iPad that size would be very awkward to use and hold.
Click to expand...
Correct. Apples solution to this is called Apple TV. There's a reason why Apple didn't come out with a 17" laptop.

iu.jpeg
 
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Falhófnir

Falhófnir

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Aug 19, 2017
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Mac... nificent said:
Correct. Apples solution to this is called Apple TV. There's a reason why Apple didn't come out with a 17" laptop.
Click to expand...
Yes, the reason being the retina resolution of a 17.3" retina MacBook Pro would have been 4K (3840x2400). In 2012. Too much for the graphics of the time to deal with and still offer reasonable performance. That's 9.2M pixels, going on double what the 15" needed (2880x1800 or 5.2M pixels). I mean, even today's graphics cards struggle with 4K gaming. It still means compromising on graphics settings and frame rates, and we're almost a decade on now.
 
D

Digitalguy

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Apr 15, 2019
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I think that there are quite a few people (me included) that would love a bigger iPad, you can see it here regularly or on other forums, youtube etc. Now if it's enough to make sense financially, who knows... It's like small phones... Lots of people (me included) prefer them, but then overall sales are too low... (see iPhone mini...)
As for those saying a bigger iPad makes no sense, they said it already for the 12.9, they said it back in 2015 and many still say it now... Because people think only of the way THEY use their iPad, which is maybe the Steve Jobs' vision of iPad, and don't see that there can be other uses, that we are way past that vision and that iPad...
I have a 15in tablet, I am writing from it now, it's called Surface Book 2. I love it and I detach it regularly. I don't hold it all the time, I have stands, where I can put it horizontally and vertically. But it's pretty light, barely heavier than my 2015 iPad 12.9. Just wish it was 4.3 instead of 3:2.
I'd buy a 15in iPad in a heartbeat. It would not replace my 11in pro or my mini... like the current 12.9 does not replace them, it's complementary. It might replace to a good extent my 12.9 though...
I don't think we'll see one before a couple more years, if ever...
 
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trip1ex

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Jan 10, 2008
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i think a bigger screen would happen if they can keep the weight down while not compromising strength.

AT that point though it might come on a stand for a desktop.
 
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Digitalguy

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Apr 15, 2019
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trip1ex said:
i think a bigger screen would happen if they can keep the weight down while not compromising strength.

AT that point though it might come on a stand for a desktop.
Click to expand...
If it is 15in the difference is not so significant compared to the current 13in iPad. I don't think it would need to be much more rigid or be used exclusively as a desktop device.
As for weight I fully expect it to be under 800gr / 1.8pounds
The surface book 13.5 is 720gr while the similarly sized 12.9 is around 640 with 10 hours of battery life (the lighter weight of Apple Silicon boards, compared to X86, more than offsets the bigger battery)
The surface book 15 tablet is 820gr so Apple could easily make a similarly sized iPad with the usual 10 hours battery life within this weight...
For reference here is a picture that could give an idea of what a 15in iPad could look like, comparing the iPad line (mini, 11 pro, 12.9 pro first gen) to the Surface Book 15.
iPad line vs Surface Book.jpg
 
unkl bob

unkl bob

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Mar 13, 2021
12
2
unkl bob here. THX to whoever posted the iPad Pro Max vid. Not to repeat myself, but 16” = $3K = OK
 
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