iPad Pro future of iPad Pro

[Scott Sherman]

Well, the 2021 iPad Pro has been released to the wild and has been out for a month or so. It has the new M1 chip, mini led, up to 16gb ram and 2 tb storage. So where does Apple go from here? I can't use the available ram and probably will never be able to use a tb of storage or more without better apps or at least apps that can use more ram. WWDC 2021 made it clear that this wasn't even being considered and hasn't been since they made these things avail in the 2020 iPad Pro.

So what could the future possibly hold for iPad Pro. I don't think apple really wants to make this a competitor for their own hardware like MacBooks or iMacs so they will probably continue to throttle the chips and ram. Doubt they would ever go to oled screens or smaller micro led's in my lifetime at least.

Did apple just paint themselves into a corner with this iPad. Perhaps it might be a good reason to top off the ram in this purchase since this may be the iPad that you will have for the next 5 years or more. Can't imagine what would make me upgrade in the future that apple could build into this device.

What are your thoughts?

 

[KittyKatta]

Well, the 2021 iPad Pro has been released to the wild and has been out for a month or so. It has the new M1 chip, mini led, up to 16gb ram and 2 tb storage. So where does Apple go from here? I can't use the available ram and probably will never be able to use a tb of storage or more without better apps or at least apps that can use more ram. WWDC 2021 made it clear that this wasn't even being considered and hasn't been since they made these things avail in the 2020 iPad Pro.

So many issues/complaints wouldnt exist if Apple only named it A14X rather than M1. It created an expectation that Apple has no intention on fulfilling.

Did apple just paint themselves into a corner with this iPad. Perhaps it might be a good reason to top off the ram in this purchase since this may be the iPad that you will have for the next 5 years or more. Can't imagine what would make me upgrade in the future that apple could build into this device.

What are your thoughts?

I know many here don't agree, but I feel that the Apple iPad Pro should have more Pro Apple iPad apps.

Apple already has Pro Music, Photo and Video programs (Logic, Aperture, Final Cut) so their reliance on 3rd party to do their job for them is lazy and a bit of a kick in the face to those investing in Apple Pro hardware.

So, my hopes in the future of iPadOS is NOT to turn it into a Mac Tablet, but for Apple to simply put effort into software. Not only with the obvious Pro Apps that are missing but also with some much overdue updates to their own consumer apps like Photos, iMovie and the rest of their neglected library.

 

[007p]

I really have no clue anymore. I’m surprised that the market for such a device is still big enough for Apple to make it worth their while. I was fully expecting Apple to open it up to more use cases with the large hardware increase, but no.

I’m definitely not saying there’s no future for iPad, but I honestly couldn’t recommend an iPad Pro to anyone currently over an iPad Air. Unless you needed the larger storage for a specific reason or happened to work in or like one of the few use cases Apple allows its software to take advantage of the hardware properly.

 

[Scott Sherman]

So many issues/complaints wouldnt exist if Apple only named it A14X rather than M1. It created an expectation that Apple has no intention on fulfilling.


I know many here don't agree, but I feel that the Apple iPad Pro should have more Pro Apple iPad apps.

Apple already has Pro Music, Photo and Video programs (Logic, Aperture, Final Cut) so their reliance on 3rd party to do their job for them is lazy and a bit of a kick in the face to those investing in Apple Pro hardware.

So, my hopes in the future of iPadOS is NOT to turn it into a Mac Tablet, but for Apple to simply put effort into software. Not only with the obvious Pro Apps that are missing but also with some much overdue updates to their own consumer apps like Photos, iMovie and the rest of their neglected library.

Agree, Apple needs to bring apps up to the ability of this device, but I am curious where the next or future iPad pros hardware might go, not the software.

 

[gshaw1967]

I think the apps are coming from third parties. For instance, I know that Capture One is coming to the Ipad pro shortly. They just created the M1 Mac version. So, I wonder if Apple is making it a little easier to convert your Mac Apps to M1 IPad apps because extensions, ect are already there. I'm excited to see Capture One coming to IPad.

I am glad tho I didn't get the 1tb, 16gig version. I really struggled back and forth between 512 & 1TB but just couldn't cough up another $400! Besides the 512 version went from 6gig to 8gig of memory, which is a 25% increase in memory. I'll be ok with that.

Anyway, relax enjoy that screen and apps are coming.

 

[cupcakes2000]

So many issues/complaints wouldnt exist if Apple only named it A14X rather than M1. It created an expectation that Apple has no intention on fulfilling.


I know many here don't agree, but I feel that the Apple iPad Pro should have more Pro Apple iPad apps.

Apple already has Pro Music, Photo and Video programs (Logic, Aperture, Final Cut) so their reliance on 3rd party to do their job for them is lazy and a bit of a kick in the face to those investing in Apple Pro hardware.

So, my hopes in the future of iPadOS is NOT to turn it into a Mac Tablet, but for Apple to simply put effort into software. Not only with the obvious Pro Apps that are missing but also with some much overdue updates to their own consumer apps like Photos, iMovie and the rest of their neglected library.

Aperture hasn’t existed for years.

there are great pro apps on the iPad, and why wouldn’t Apple let 3rd party devs ‘do its job for them’? It’s been that way for years on the mac and arguably almost all 3rd party apps better the first party ones.

There are plenty of iPad devs putting effort into pro iPad apps.
This weird idea that until Apple bring their (3) pro apps into the fray, the iPad is useless? Admittedly Xcode, as there wasn’t any other option, but they may have mitigated that with playgrounds extra functionality (we have to wait to see).

 

[NastyMatt]

As much as yesterday was a huge let down I don't want to over react based purely on that.

The IPP was a hugely capable device before yesterday and will only get better with iPadOS 15, only not as much as a lot of us hoped for and know it is capable of. What is the future? My guess is it will edge, slowly, towards being a fully featured laptop alternative. But only slowly because Apple will give more focus and priority to media consumption aspect of it. i.e. better screen tech , audio (spatial, lossless), visual - Facetime.

I don't mean this just because it's just had those updates, the IPP had promotion, spatial audio has been around for a while etc - but because with every step change these seem to be the focus. What I would term 'pro' capabilities - those features that put it on par with laptops never seem to be high priority (monitor support is mirrored not extended, multitasking is getting it's second polish) they happen just not at the same rate as the media consumption features.

 

[Scott Sherman]

Apple must differentiate the iPad from the MacBook and MacOs or iPad will cut into the sales of these devices. So, before they can make the 16gb ram accessible with pro apps, they will have to build M2 and M3 chips into the MacOs devices to make them "much" better than iPad Pro so they are not competing with iPad Pro. Right now there are a ton of YouTube comparisons between iPad Pro and MacBooks because they are so similar with the magic keyboard. When you see the future MacBooks you will probably see the future of the iPad Pro as being a really pro device, just not as pro as MacBook and not as versatile as macOS. It just can not exceed or even be the same as MacBook or why have two lines of products? Ipad is first a consumption device and second a production device, where the MacBook is the opposite. That's why no mini led display for MacBook this time around.

 

[hovscorpion12]

I actually went back and watched the iPad Pro video in which a handful of devs talked iPad Pro and M1. These individuals saw the iPad hands on. They must know something that we don't. ?

 

[RSB96]

I expect we will see rather small improvements.

Maybe we'll see an iPad with a glass back and wireless charging (I don't see much point in it either, but hey, for whoever wants it there it is), which would look great. I would also like a slight reduction of the bezels, squeezing them a little more (they have room), enlarging perhaps a little more the screens, keeping the current size (11.3" and 13.2").

The miniLED screens should be extended to the 11" iPad Pro.

A new Magic Keyboard with function keys and a slightly larger mouse.

And although iOS 15 has improved multitasking, it needs to make multitasking more permissive, like on Mac. The camera issue when you have an app in splitview or sliceover, the issue of music playback and stopping if you want to listen to something else simultaneously, etc.

And we need native apps imported directly from Mac. I'm not talking about the usual ones, Final Cut, Logic Pro, etc., but even the Office suite, because the iOS one is still quite limited for certain things.

 

[Tsepz]

Well, the 2021 iPad Pro has been released to the wild and has been out for a month or so. It has the new M1 chip, mini led, up to 16gb ram and 2 tb storage. So where does Apple go from here? I can't use the available ram and probably will never be able to use a tb of storage or more without better apps or at least apps that can use more ram. WWDC 2021 made it clear that this wasn't even being considered and hasn't been since they made these things avail in the 2020 iPad Pro.

So what could the future possibly hold for iPad Pro. I don't think apple really wants to make this a competitor for their own hardware like MacBooks or iMacs so they will probably continue to throttle the chips and ram. Doubt they would ever go to oled screens or smaller micro led's in my lifetime at least.

Did apple just paint themselves into a corner with this iPad. Perhaps it might be a good reason to top off the ram in this purchase since this may be the iPad that you will have for the next 5 years or more. Can't imagine what would make me upgrade in the future that apple could build into this device.

What are your thoughts?

The iPad Pro got M1 because M1 was the natural successor to the A12Z, A12Z is technically M0.
It seems Apple saw this move as best because finally their iPad Pro chips were now beating laptop chips and in terms of profit margin and logistics it is more efficient and profitable to have devices share chips.

Putting M1 in iPP was never meant to be a big change in iPad, it was profit driven decision.

Honestly you can get a 2018 1TB, 2020 or 2021 iPad Pro and will probably not see any difference day to day unless you need MiniLED.

Pick the iPad Pro you want and enjoy it for the next 5 years. If the iPad Air 2 could be updated as long as it has, the whole “future proof” idea basically applies to every iPad Pro, think about it, the 1st gen iPad Pro from 2015 is still enjoying updates itself, LOL.

My opinion is that you pick the iPad Pro you want and run with it, don’t even bother with Air or standard iPad, if you want a tablet with +9.7inch screen just pick any year of iPad Pro between 2018, 2020 and 2021 and treat yourself to what is in your budget, simple.

 

[Scott Sherman]

I keep reading buy the iPad or device you need for today, not for what might be coming. But at almost $2000, (depending on config), I can't just buy for today. This version will loose a lot of value as soon as I drive it off the lot. Even if the next version doesn't see any significant upgrades. I need to buy for what I assume and hope the future potential is.

I assume the next iPad will have better cameras (repositioned) and speakers, more ports, possibly lighter or thinner and maybe a better battery. But these are not worth upgrading for since as mentioned, this is a consumption device first and already very capable in all these areas. If you don't have another device like a MacBook or iMac or mini, you probably are not using your computer (iPad Pro) to make a living.

 

[gollum]

People go from complaining about not enough RAM (and/or storage) to too much RAM (and/or storage), right? Got it!

 

[Scott Sherman]

I think this conversation might change in the next year or two. Today, a lot of people did not buy the 16gb ram because there is no current reason to. But as pro apps and better utilization of multi tasking begins to appear if you have the maxed out ram model, those who were forward thinking enough to max out ram today will be very happy with themselves while the 8 gig buyers are trying to figure out how to pay for the next iPad. I could be wrong and it is a gamble but it seems like the future always moves forward not backward. Everything gets bigger, faster, more efficient etc.

 

[Scott Sherman]

There is one other less obvious factor to consider. There are strong indications that everything will cost more over the next several years due to inflation and tax increases. So the $2000 16gb ram 1 tb storage device of today may seem like a great deal going forward.

 

[slplss]

So many issues/complaints wouldnt exist if Apple only named it A14X rather than M1. It created an expectation that Apple has no intention on fulfilling.


I know many here don't agree, but I feel that the Apple iPad Pro should have more Pro Apple iPad apps.

Apple already has Pro Music, Photo and Video programs (Logic, Aperture, Final Cut) so their reliance on 3rd party to do their job for them is lazy and a bit of a kick in the face to those investing in Apple Pro hardware.

So, my hopes in the future of iPadOS is NOT to turn it into a Mac Tablet, but for Apple to simply put effort into software. Not only with the obvious Pro Apps that are missing but also with some much overdue updates to their own consumer apps like Photos, iMovie and the rest of their neglected library.

Aperture is dead, Dave.

 

[cupcakes2000]

I think this conversation might change in the next year or two. Today, a lot of people did not buy the 16gb ram because there is no current reason to. But as pro apps and better utilization of multi tasking begins to appear if you have the maxed out ram model, those who were forward thinking enough to max out ram today will be very happy with themselves while the 8 gig buyers are trying to figure out how to pay for the next iPad. I could be wrong and it is a gamble but it seems like the future always moves forward not backward. Everything gets bigger, faster, more efficient etc.

There are already pro apps which can already use the extra power. If you don’t use them, then you obviously don’t need them. Waiting for apples pro apps won’t change a thing, and nothing says it will make them necessarily better than the pro apps already available, and nothing says Apple introducing them will somehow make the iPad ‘more pro’. Just like on the mac.

 

[richpjr]

I think this conversation might change in the next year or two. Today, a lot of people did not buy the 16gb ram because there is no current reason to. But as pro apps and better utilization of multi tasking begins to appear if you have the maxed out ram model, those who were forward thinking enough to max out ram today will be very happy with themselves while the 8 gig buyers are trying to figure out how to pay for the next iPad. I could be wrong and it is a gamble but it seems like the future always moves forward not backward. Everything gets bigger, faster, more efficient etc.

I opted for an 8 GB model. If and when something that truly needs or can take advantage of more memory, I’ll trade in my iPad along with the $600 I saved for and put that towards the latest and greatest model at that point. In the meantime, I have an extra $600 and an iPad that works great now.

 

[cupcakes2000]

People go from complaining about not enough RAM (and/or storage) to too much RAM (and/or storage), right? Got it!

Right? Never in my life have I ever heard anyone complain about too much ram. Yet with the iPad it’s a thing.
Even a few years ago everyone was kicking off that an iPhone had 3gb but androids could come with 8 or 12. SMH. There is no sense to some of these threads or replies.

 

[bscheffel]

As has been noted in other threads the future is integration not replacement. Universal Control feature tells you what Apple will invest in going forward - making iPad work as a companion to Mac to iPhone. I get this future but then there is no reason to buy an iPad Pro - let alone a high end spec that costs over $2000. That's far too expensive an "accessory" for Mac and the Pro model doesn't do anything NEW that the base $329 iPad can't do. I just wish Apple would stop marketing it as a "computer" and say what it is - a very capable consumption machine, light productivity machine, and good companion for Mac but it isn't replacing your Mac unless you do consumption and light productivity.

 

[cupcakes2000]

a very capable consumption machine, light productivity machine

So, a computer then - to most average users.

 

[Scott Sherman]

I opted for an 8 GB model. If and when something that truly needs or can take advantage of more memory, I’ll trade in my iPad along with the $600 I saved for and pick up the latest and greatest model at that point.

The other side of the argument is that if your device is doing what you need or want it to do for you right now, why waste money on something that may or may not come in the future. That is why I feel it is a gamble to buy more now. The main thing I am paying for is peace of mind that if the future goes as I believe it will, I am already set. If money were a bigger issue, I would not have made the investment now, I would wait. Both sides are valid and there really is no wrong answer.

 

[one more]

There is one other less obvious factor to consider. There are strong indications that everything will cost more over the next several years due to inflation and tax increases. So the $2000 16gb ram 1 tb storage device of today may seem like a great deal going forward.

I think you might be mistaking an iPad for a piece of a real estate. IMO, it makes no sense whatsoever to pay a lot today for something that is not good for you as it currently is, whatever the future might bring. If we are talking iPad Pro line, any of iPad Pros from 2020 will be doing fine for the next 3-5 years, depending on how you use them. Rumour-wise, iPad Pro 11” could be getting a mini-LED in 2022 and iPad Air - an OLED. So at least the screens should be getting better with each new generation. Basically, I would buy the best iPad I would be comfortably able to afford today, also knowing that the future ones will be bettering it in some way.

 

[cardfan]

Apple must differentiate the iPad from the MacBook and MacOs or iPad will cut into the sales of these devices. So, before they can make the 16gb ram accessible with pro apps, they will have to build M2 and M3 chips into the MacOs devices to make them "much" better than iPad Pro so they are not competing with iPad Pro. Right now there are a ton of YouTube comparisons between iPad Pro and MacBooks because they are so similar with the magic keyboard. When you see the future MacBooks you will probably see the future of the iPad Pro as being a really pro device, just not as pro as MacBook and not as versatile as macOS. It just can not exceed or even be the same as MacBook or why have two lines of products? Ipad is first a consumption device and second a production device, where the MacBook is the opposite. That's why no mini led display for MacBook this time around.

Or the iPad will cut into sales of these devices? Sounds like a win for Apple in that scenario. They’d much rather sell iPads because of the App Store lock in which boosts services revenues for them.

 

[cardfan]

As has been noted in other threads the future is integration not replacement. Universal Control feature tells you what Apple will invest in going forward - making iPad work as a companion to Mac to iPhone. I get this future but then there is no reason to buy an iPad Pro - let alone a high end spec that costs over $2000. That's far too expensive an "accessory" for Mac and the Pro model doesn't do anything NEW that the base $329 iPad can't do. I just wish Apple would stop marketing it as a "computer" and say what it is - a very capable consumption machine, light productivity machine, and good companion for Mac but it isn't replacing your Mac unless you do consumption and light productivity.

You’re starting to get it. I don’t want “pro” apps for iPad. Universal control is exactly the type stuff I want Apple focusing on. The only way an iPad could replace anything is to come with macOS which obviously isn’t happening.

And nope you don’t need an iPad Pro unless you just want the most premium iPad you can buy. That’s what apple means with Pro.