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iPad Pro Do we suspect an A13X iPad Pro refresh in Fall? Or is Apple done with iPads for 2019? [Merged]

When will iPad Pros get any kind of upgrades?

  • By the end of 2019, like last year’s October announcment

    Votes: 102 29.1%

  • Early 2020

    Votes: 128 36.6%

  • Mid 2020

    Votes: 71 20.3%

  • Late 2020

    Votes: 49 14.0%
  • Total voters
    350
My 2nd gen 12.9 with 512 gig is running fine so far although the occasional screen touch issue happens.
I thought I was going to pass 3rd gen and wait until Apple come up with more robust (in terms of physical) next gen model.

However, I’m running out of the space, and I’d really love to get 1tb ipad. I plan to wait until the end of october then make the decision.
 
jinnyman said:
My 2nd gen 12.9 with 512 gig is running fine so far although the occasional screen touch issue happens.
I thought I was going to pass 3rd gen and wait until Apple come up with more robust (in terms of physical) next gen model.

However, I’m running out of the space, and I’d really love to get 1tb ipad. I plan to wait until the end of october then make the decision.
Click to expand...
Good news is that they've already dropped retail pricing on the 1 TB 6 GB model, and refurbished pricing is even lower. And if the new iPad Pros are announced in October, refurb pricing may drop even lower.

That said, we are being optimistic for an October/November 2019 launch. It seems from the supply-chain rumours and EEC registration, a more realistic bet might be by Jan/Feb 2020. Spring 2020 seems too late, but isn't out of the question either.

But I'm hoping for October of course. :)
 
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Aydy said:
So I just picked up a 3rd gen iPad Pro a couple days ago. I love the display. I love how 12.9 is so much more real estate than it sounds BUT..I’ve been side by side comparing it with my older 10.5 (2017) both iPads have identical apps installed and I swear the older 10.5 is opening 90% of my apps noticeably faster. Even the pre-install apple apps. I don’t get it? I know the A12x is beastly but it’s not as impressive for the day to day casual stuff imo..unless I’m missing something?
Click to expand...
I tested my 10.5” next to an 11” and later a 3rd Gen 12.9”. The 11” was faster for UI navigation but only very slightly so, and only sometimes. If they weren’t side by side I’d have a very hard time noticing the difference.

For certain apps though the 3rd Gen would be way faster. For example, reviews say scrubbing and editing 4K HEVC video projects composed of several layered simultaneous video tracks is often much smoother on the 3rd Gen.
 
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EugW said:
I tested my 10.5” next to an 11” and later a 3rd Gen 12.9”. The 11” was faster for UI navigation but only very slightly so, and only sometimes. If they weren’t side by side I’d have a very hard time noticing the difference.

For certain apps though the 3rd Gen would be way faster. For example, reviews say scrubbing and editing 4K HEVC video composed of several layered simultaneous videos is much smoother on the 3rd Gen.
Click to expand...
Yup. I must say, I’ve seen the 3rd gen in action (via YouTube) and it most definitely is a powerful device. The thing for me is beginning to dawn that I will most likely never harness or utilise its capabilities. I guess I’m more an everyday casual user which this device handles expertly but as you rightly point out, the differences in casual navigating are minimal and in some scenarios, negligible. I think I will keep it. Knowing the power is there, should I need it is reassuring. And the thing is a frickin looker :)
 
Aydy said:
Yup. I must say, I’ve seen the 3rd gen in action (via YouTube) and it most definitely is a powerful device. The thing for me is beginning to dawn that I will most likely never harness or utilise its capabilities. I guess I’m more an everyday casual user which this device handles expertly but as you rightly point out, the differences in casual navigating are minimal and in some scenarios, negligible. I think I will keep it. Knowing the power is there, should I need it is reassuring. And the thing is a frickin looker :)
Click to expand...
My main reason for wanting to upgrade is because my wife wants my 10.5. :D

The second reason is because I have a big gift card sitting here unused in my Apple Wallet. :)

The third reason is an actual technical one, which is that USB support on the 10.5" is a royal pain. It works, but you need to jump through hoops to make it work. Connect Apple Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter. Plug in iPad power adapter. Plug in cable from power adapter to camera adapter. Plug in USB 3 device. For the 11", it's just plug in the USB 3 device.

The fourth reason is Pencil 1 is annoying. It seems like an afterthought the way it was implemented. Pencil 2 is way more slick (but unfortunately $$$). Truthfully though, it's not a deal killer, since I don't actually use it much. Mainly for highlighting PDF files, and the occasional photo edit. However, I don't need either Pencil 1 or Pencil 2 for that and could get by with Crayon. However, Crayon only works on the 3rd gen, and not the 2nd gen.

The fifth reason is for an iPad, Face ID is very convenient and I think I prefer it there. Interestingly though, I often prefer Touch ID on an iPhone.
 
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What do you guys make of this "final design mockup"?

https://www.macrumors.com/2019/09/17/ipad-pro-triple-lens-camera-leak/

B6898397-904A-4CE3-A7E8-4E3649DFFFA9-e1568719821445.jpeg


I'm not convinced, but it's nice to get some more iPad Pro rumours for a change.
 
I'm not looking for better cameras on a new 11" iPad Pro, but rather for more RAM, better SoC, better audio processor on the A13X... But, at this point, I need to get some advice about it:

Look, I'm going to be completely honest with you. This is my situation as of now:

> I purchased a while ago a 2018 11" Smart Folio Keyboard, at roughly half the price of a new one. It was sealed and it is new, a gift from someone else who didn't need it. A bargain, approx. 100€ (price is 200€ at Apple).

> I purchased this Smart Folio Keyboard because I thought that the next iPad Pro would come with the same cameras or at the very least, the Keyboard would be suitable for the 2019 iPad Pro. And if all the rumours are true, it probably won't (because of the square shaped camera). But who knows...

> Right now, I have a student discount AND a pair of Beats Solo 3 Wireless headphones. I could sell them for roughly 200€, or I could keep them. In any case, that's a 200€ gift that otherwise I won't have if I wait for the next 11" iPad Pro.

So, all in all, waiting for the next iPad Pro 2019 could end up costing me, at least, 300€ more, because no Beats, and I should sell this Smart Folio Keyboard and purchase a NEW one, which probably will be on the +200€ mark.

Do you think in my case is it worth the wait? Maybe having 6 or even 8GB of RAM and a faster and much more efficient SoC, a better Face ID with better angle detection, and maybe a better case is worth all the extra cash and effort selling the Smart Keyboard Folio.
 
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Populus said:
I'm not looking for better cameras on a new 11" iPad Pro, but rather for more RAM, better SoC, better audio processor on the A13X... But, at this point, I need to get some advice about it:

Look, I'm going to be completely honest with you. This is my situation as of now:

> I purchased a while ago a 2018 11" Smart Folio Keyboard, at roughly half the price of a new one. It was sealed and it is new, a gift from someone else who didn't need it. A bargain, approx. 100€ (price is 200€ at Apple).

> I purchased this Smart Folio Keyboard because I thought that the next iPad Pro would come with the same cameras or at the very least, the Keyboard would be suitable for the 2019 iPad Pro. And if all the rumours are true, it probably won't (because of the square shaped camera). But who knows...

> Right now, I have a student discount AND a pair of Beats Solo 3 Wireless headphones. I could sell them for roughly 200€, or I could keep them. In any case, that's a 200€ gift that otherwise I won't have if I wait for the next 11" iPad Pro.

So, all in all, waiting for the next iPad Pro 2019 could end up costing me, at least, 300€ more, because no Beats, and I should sell this Smart Folio Keyboard and purchase a NEW one, which probably will be on the +200€ mark.

Do you think in my case is it worth the wait? I would appreciate pros and cons. Thank you.
Click to expand...
Up to you, but here's my scenario.

I have the 10.5" iPad Pro and honestly it's OK for me (aside from the annoying workarounds needed for USB support), but my wife wants it, so I have an excuse to upgrade.

I have the educator discount with added free Beats deal too, but I'm going to let that expire because I am waiting for the 4th generation 11" iPad Pro. I won't buy the new Smart Keyboard until the new model comes out, in case they change the camera cutout, and in case they give me that backlit keyboard I want.

The big differences here though is I'm not a student and I have the luxury of being able to wait. How flexible is your budget? How soon do you need this iPad Pro?

One thing I am hoping will mitigate things for the price is a 128 GB entry level model. I don't need 256 GB, but 64 GB is a bit tight. 128 GB would be perfect. I also really would prefer to have 6 GB RAN, even though it's not critical for me at the moment. Those two capacity upgrades alone would be worth a couple of hundred $ to me.

BTW, a lot of the iPhone reviews are saying the speaker system and fake Dolby Atmos sound great. It's seems a lock that they'd do the same thing on the new iPad Pros, but with the iPad Pros there might actually better justification for Atmos since it has four speakers.
 
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ericwn said:
Im all for backlit keys but isn’t an OLED screen a disadvantage when producing content? If I am into editing images for example I cannot use a screen that has really strongly saturated blacks.
Sure, as a consumption device it’s handy but that to me is not what the Pro is designed to do for most of us.
Click to expand...
If it is calibrated properly, true blacks will give you a more accurate representation of your images. Practically true black (with an LCD screen no less) is a big selling point of Apple $6k XDR monitor. If true blacks were only for content consumption that monitor would be dead in the water.

The downside of OLED (properly implemented) is brightness not darkness. In mobile devices that isn't an issue because most mobile LCD displays don't get any brighter because of energy consumption.
 
gnomeisland said:
If it is calibrated properly, true blacks will give you a more accurate representation of your images. Practically true black (with an LCD screen no less) is a big selling point of Apple $6k XDR monitor. If true blacks were only for content consumption that monitor would be dead in the water.

The downside of OLED (properly implemented) is brightness not darkness. In mobile devices that isn't an issue because most mobile LCD displays don't get any brighter because of energy consumption.
Click to expand...
You have that backwards. Peak brightness is a huge issue in mobile devices because they are used outdoors often.
 
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rkuo said:
You have that backwards. Peak brightness is a huge issue in mobile devices because they are used outdoors often.
Click to expand...
Sure, that would be grand but most mobile devices are still limited to 400-600nits tops. Yes, the latest generation phones (mostly OLED!) can achieve 1k+. Laptops and tablets are still (usually) well under that even with LCDs. Compare that with monitors or TVs and you’ll see much brighter peaks.

Device use outdoor is also about more than just peak brightness. For example, Apple uses some of the best anti-reflective coatings in the industry. That also makes a huge difference outdoors and their displays (generally, there are so many variables) are visible with less brightness outdoors than the competition.

Like all display tech, it depends how the OLED is implemented. There is *NO* inherent disadvantage to deep blacks—that was my original point—and ATM, OLED screen on mobile devices have comparable peak brightness specs as well.
 
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I was looking at the parts list of the 3rd generation, and it turns out Apple could go right to 8 GB without having to change the logic board. The memory chips for that particular brand and class come in 4 GB, 3 GB, 2 GB, and smaller sizes.

The current 3rd generation has 2 x 2 GB memory chips in the teardown, and presumably the 1 TB model uses 2 x 3 GB memory chips.

Thus, if they didn't want to change much in the design but wanted to release a 4th generation with more memory in 2019 Q4 / 2020 Q1, all they would have to do is use 2 x 3 GB in most models (like the current 1 TB model), and would still have the option of offering a 2 x 4 GB in the new top-of-the-line model without changing the design.
 
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EugW said:
I was looking at the parts list of the 3rd generation, and it turns out Apple could go right to 8 GB without having to change the logic board. The memory chips for that particular brand and class come in 4 GB, 3 GB, 2 GB, and smaller sizes.

The current 3rd generation has 2 x 2 GB memory chips in the teardown, and presumably the 1 TB model uses 2 x 3 GB memory chips.

Thus, if they didn't want to change much in the design but wanted to release a 4th generation with more memory in 2019 Q4 / 2020 Q1, all they would have to do is use 2 x 3 GB in most models (like the current 1 TB model), and would still have the option of offering a 2 x 4 GB in the new top-of-the-line model without changing the design.
Click to expand...

In that case you're depicting, it would be the same A12X SoC? Or it could be done with a new A13X SoC?
I guess that if it's a minor refresh, an A12X with more RAM and base storage would be OK, BUT I think it would be a missed opportunity to use the newer architecture (Which is more energy efficient).

Anyways the huge jump in performance will come with the A14X chip built in 5nm technology.
 
Populus said:
In that case you're depicting, it would be the same A12X SoC? Or it could be done with a new A13X SoC?
I guess that if it's a minor refresh, an A12X with more RAM and base storage would be OK, BUT I think it would be a missed opportunity to use the newer architecture (Which is more energy efficient).

Anyways the huge jump in performance will come with the A14X chip built in 5nm technology.
Click to expand...
I'm hoping for A13X soon of course, but there were some rumours out there that said such a chip doesn't actually exist. So, if Apple were to do some small updates using a revamped A12X (Max?) they could update the RAM at the same time. Truthfully though, I don't expect them to do that. If they do a silent small update say for storage tiers and pricing, etc., it probably wouldn't include a RAM bump, esp. since they don't advertise RAM anyway.
 
gnomeisland said:
Sure, that would be grand but most mobile devices are still limited to 400-600nits tops. Yes, the latest generation phones (mostly OLED!) can achieve 1k+. Laptops and tablets are still (usually) well under that even with LCDs. Compare that with monitors or TVs and you’ll see much brighter peaks.

Device use outdoor is also about more than just peak brightness. For example, Apple uses some of the best anti-reflective coatings in the industry. That also makes a huge difference outdoors and their displays (generally, there are so many variables) are visible with less brightness outdoors than the competition.

Like all display tech, it depends how the OLED is implemented. There is *NO* inherent disadvantage to deep blacks—that was my original point—and ATM, OLED screen on mobile devices have comparable peak brightness specs as well.
Click to expand...
I am perfectly onboard with deep blacks, and I do indeed appreciate the indoor performance of the OLED on my iPhone XS Max. The problem with OLED is that the technology is not advancing so well compared to LED/LCD screens. The peak brightness modes on OLED's are actually massively inefficient compared to LCD screens, manifesting both in roughly 3x power consumption and excessive heat within the device, as well as increased risk of burn-in. I think it's pretty clear the latest OLED's have probably improved on this somewhat, but we don't have a way to quantify it right now.

FWIW I went to the Apple store to compare my iPhone XS Max with the iPhone 11 Pro Max with both at maximum brightness in a nearly outdoors area next to the window, and I really could not tell the difference. I'm wondering if the change isn't that visible or if they are defining peak brightness in terms of individual pixels or only a small percentage of the screen.
 
pika2000 said:
Personally, I would prefer seeing Apple do a two year cycle for the iPad Pros, just like how they jumped from A10X to A12X. Doing a yearly refresh offers too tiny of improvements for the price. It’s more acceptable for the entry level consumer iPads, but imo the Pro should carry better longevity.
Click to expand...

That seems to ignore that not everyone looking to buy is upgrading from the then-current iPad (or any iPad at all).
 
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I’ve changed my Mind IF there is a 2019 iPad Pro Refresh. Here goes.

#1. Stronger body design less bendy
#2. 6GB RAM across the board
#3. Full featured Thunderbolt 3 port
#4. Tripple Rear Cameras
#5. Included Fast Charger
#6. 8 Core A13X CPU
#7. Bluetooth 5.1 two devices at Once
#8. 128GB base model
#9. HDR10 compliance
 
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