iPad Disappointed with the current iPad range

[sunking101]

I'm amazed, I really am. I haven't owned an iPad for many years but recently felt the itch to try one again. My Huawei M5 8.4" tablet is heavy and I find it cumbersome to use. I figured that Apple would have this design element sorted with curved corners and a light device so off I popped to the store to take a closer look at the iPad Air.

Ugh. Really? A physical home button? I was expecting a touch sensitive home button like my Huawei has and like older Samsungs used to have but the Air and entry level iPads have this horrible, archaic button which actually presses down. A physical button like phones used to have years ago. I've been buying Android phones since the iPhone 7 Plus so I left physical home buttons behind years ago.

What with the ridiculous bezel sizes and especially the physical home button I'm out. I'll have to wait for Apple to move into 2020 before I rejoin the 'i' brigade. It's a shame because I was genuinely wanting to get back into an iPad. Android tablets are limited but I just can't get past the home button. I remember wearing the button out on my iPhone 4 & 5 and having to use the floating on-screen home button which was a pain.

I'm sure this will be seen as an Apple-bashing 'trollling' thread but it really isn't. I'm a longtime MacRumors member and when I joined I was very much an iPhone and Mac boy.

 

[sparksd]

Sounds like you should be looking at the Pro models. I have the 2018 12.9 Pro and love it. And six unused Android tablets in a box.

 

[sunking101]

Sounds like you should be looking at the Pro models. I have the 2018 12.9 Pro and love it. And six unused Android tablets in a box.

Yes, the Pro models look more like it but they're so expensive. I only want a tablet for consumption; web surfing, YouTube and Nefflix etc. The regular iPads are made for that but they're just so shockingly behind the times design-wise. I had my mind set upon the Air until I saw the physical home button. Spec-wise and price-wise it hits the mark (*other than storage of course but that's something Apple will never change!)

 

[Professor Rucy]

So, to sum up your dilemma—you want a lighter Android tablet thats cheap but are curious about iPads yet you don’t want to come near the bezels in any way. Got it. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[sunking101]

So, to sum up your dilemma—you want a lighter Android tablet thats cheap but are curious about iPads yet you don’t want to come near the bezels in any way. Got it. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Nope. I wanted an iPad Air but the antiquated physical home button is a dealbreaker. Who mentioned cheap? An iPad Pro is overkill for my needs. The pricing of the iPad Air is fine, I just find the design offputting.

 

[sparksd]

Nope. I wanted an iPad Air but the antiquated physical home button is a dealbreaker. Who mentioned cheap? An iPad Pro is overkill for my needs. The pricing of the iPad Air is fine, I just find the design offputting.

Check out the Samsung offerings?

 

[sunking101]

Check out the Samsung offerings?

I looked at the S6. A swanky design and all but I do think that Android is somewhat lacking when it comes to tablets.

 

[BATman.Berlin]

I looked at the S6. A swanky design and all but I do think that Android is somewhat lacking when it comes to tablets.

That what bought me from the S6 (which is a awesome device) to the iPad Pro. It’s the ecosystem of apps. Android apps are lacking that level of sophistication. No matter how well the h/w is build, the software needs to be ways better.

Btw, I was in the same situation and finally pulled the trigger on a Walmart deal for a pro11. Suddenly I do a lot of advanced video and photo editing on my iPad that was MacBook exclusive before.

 

[Professor Rucy]

Nope. I wanted an iPad Air but the antiquated physical home button is a dealbreaker. Who mentioned cheap? An iPad Pro is overkill for my needs. The pricing of the iPad Air is fine, I just find the design offputting.

Who makes a tablet decision based on a home button??

 

[rui no onna]

Who makes a tablet decision based on a home button??

Lol, I do (in that I prefer my iPad to have one).

 

[sunking101]

Who makes a tablet decision based on a home button??

Me.

 

[muzzy996]

Lol, I do (in that I prefer my iPad to have one).

Same here. We’re all different.

 

[bobsamm]

An iPad Pro is overkill for my needs.

They are overkill for most peoples needs, once you own one though you'd never go back to bezels, home button, no pro motion, no light bleed or white spot.

 

[ericwn]

Sounds like the current Pro line is preferred but regarded as too expensive. One could look for a used model or a deal when the new ones come out.

 

[KittyKatta]

What with the ridiculous bezel sizes and especially the physical home button I'm out. I'll have to wait for Apple to move into 2020 before I rejoin the 'i' brigade.

You’ll be waiting for 2021-22 then.


You’re not wrong to criticize Apples hardware aesthetics. Under Tim Cook then old hardware and stale design is allowed to live far longer than it should. iMac/5k, MacBook Air/Pro, iPad/Air/Mini, iPhone. It’s really sad because sometimes even the highest end industry leading hardware is still packed in the same 2005 tin can they use for the low end model.


It stinks but that’s just how it is and 2020 is not going to be the year it changes.

 

[sunking101]

They are overkill for most peoples needs, once you own one though you'd never go back to bezels, home button, no pro motion, no light bleed or white spot.

My Huawei M5 cost me $300 and it has no real bezels to speak of, no physical home button (there is a touch sensitive fingerprint reader button) and no light bleed etc. You shouldn't have to scale to the top of Apple's range just to get these now common attributes. Spec-wise I'm happy with the iPad Air but not whilst it's in that 2015 casing. I'm not a massive tablet user so the iPad Pro is overkill and expensive for what I would use it for. I tend to live on my Note 12 Plus or MacBook.

 

[AutomaticApple]

And six unused Android tablets in a box.

Six of them just sitting in a box? Wow!

 

[sparksd]

Six of them just sitting in a box? Wow!

I'll screw around with them occasionally - I root them and try out different ROMs for the fun of it. I was an Android power user from its inception and as a retired engineer I have the time and expertise to work with them. But for regular usage, they can't come close to the iPad Pro in terms of performance, stability, and availability of a sophisticated third party app base. And that's just the tablets - didn't count the phones ... (I've now switched to the iPhone, an XS Max).

 

[xraydoc]

I'm amazed, I really am. I haven't owned an iPad for many years but recently felt the itch to try one again. My Huawei M5 8.4" tablet is heavy and I find it cumbersome to use. I figured that Apple would have this design element sorted with curved corners and a light device so off I popped to the store to take a closer look at the iPad Air.

Ugh. Really? A physical home button? I was expecting a touch sensitive home button like my Huawei has and like older Samsungs used to have but the Air and entry level iPads have this horrible, archaic button which actually presses down. A physical button like phones used to have years ago. I've been buying Android phones since the iPhone 7 Plus so I left physical home buttons behind years ago.

What with the ridiculous bezel sizes and especially the physical home button I'm out. I'll have to wait for Apple to move into 2020 before I rejoin the 'i' brigade. It's a shame because I was genuinely wanting to get back into an iPad. Android tablets are limited but I just can't get past the home button. I remember wearing the button out on my iPhone 4 & 5 and having to use the floating on-screen home button which was a pain.

I'm sure this will be seen as an Apple-bashing 'trollling' thread but it really isn't. I'm a longtime MacRumors member and when I joined I was very much an iPhone and Mac boy.

FYI, the iPads with the Home buttons still respond to the 'swipe up from the bottom' gesture that the buttonless iPad Pro's use. So you don't actually even need to use the button except as a fingerprint reader (which doesn't require you to press it down).

If you enable the other multitasking gestures (5-finger pinch-in to get to the app switcher), you'll never actually need to press the home button.

 

[revmacian]

Nope. I wanted an iPad Air but the antiquated physical home button is a dealbreaker. Who mentioned cheap? An iPad Pro is overkill for my needs. The pricing of the iPad Air is fine, I just find the design offputting.

It's the difference between being willing to change and work with what is available versus being stuck in your expectations, refusing what is available and then blaming someone else because your expectations aren't being met. I've found that the iPad Air 3 is a wonderful device if you're willing to be flexible enough to work with what is available.

 

[bobsamm]

My Huawei M5 cost me $300 and it has no real bezels to speak of, no physical home button (there is a touch sensitive fingerprint reader button) and no light bleed etc. You shouldn't have to scale to the top of Apple's range just to get these now common attributes. Spec-wise I'm happy with the iPad Air but not whilst it's in that 2015 casing. I'm not a massive tablet user so the iPad Pro is overkill and expensive for what I would use it for. I tend to live on my Note 12 Plus or MacBook.

We just get them on our Telco account here, mine was $60AUD a month with 7gb data shared over 2 years, works out data is free as iPad is worth $1440 for a 11" 64gb 4G.
Have had mine for 15 months now, best iPad have ever had and have had tham all except current air, 7th gen.

I am not paying apple for a home button and bezels and the light bleed lottery anymore, got a mini 5 last year and sold it because of magenta coloured screen.

 

[Digitalguy]

Lol, I do (in that I prefer my iPad to have one).

same here, I do prefer the home button to face id... I hated the need to swipe after facial recognition and the fact that I couldn't unlock while standing... It was one of the reasons I returned the pro 11, although not the main one and one I could have lived with if it was the only one... Still I miss USB C and pencil 2.... And in part also the 3:2 screen...

 

[KittyKatta]

Who makes a tablet decision based on a home button??

FaceID doesn’t work when you’re wearing a face mask.

My mom is in Asia and she prefers the home button over pulling down a mask just to unlock, pay or password.

 

[MisterSavage]

They are overkill for most peoples needs, once you own one though you'd never go back to bezels, home button, no pro motion, no light bleed or white spot.

Yep, living that overkill iPad Pro lifestyle myself.

 

[Professor Rucy]

FaceID doesn’t work when you’re wearing a face mask.

My mom is in Asia and she prefers the home button over pulling down a mask just to unlock, pay or password.

I didn’t say there are differences per use cases. I myself prefer TouchID. The convo was about who would exclusively choose a tablet over the presence of a physical home button, no matter it’s function.