I can continue to do what I have always done with it - it didn't become useless.
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iPad Pro future of iPad Pro
- Thread starter Scott Sherman
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Only if you need "limitless" software and Mac-only apps in particular.
Personally, I'm much more used to and prefer Windows on desktop/laptop paired with iPad for tablet. I couldn't care less about Final Cut, Logic Pro or Xcode.
What I really want to get on iPadOS is full alternate browsers like Chrome/Edge (Blink) and Firefox (Gecko).
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Since Apple Silicon Mac can also use iOS apps, I dont see a point of having iPad Pro for pro apps.
Do you want a tablet or a laptop? I have both and want both.
There are tablets with Windows. Apple is being stubborn about keeping iPad Pro with iOS. So why not merge them together?
Doesn't matter. Apple need to make a decision wether they ditch iPad Pro and then merge with macOS or dont use a word Pro if they gonna keep limiting hardware with iPadOS. Otherwise, many users will keep furious about iPadOS and iPad Pro.
No, they don't. And their sales show it. The majority of users could care less about these kind of things - it's just hot with the niche group on forums like these.
I've used Windows tablets. Frankly, I just used them as laptops most of the time because they didn't work well as tablets. The only time they were actually useful as tablets was for Netflix.
Vocal minority on the internet. You don't see folks complaining the iPhone Pros aren't really Pro.
Besides, most people aren't buying iPad Pros. They go for the entry level iPad or iPad Air. Someone willing to spend $1000+ on the iPad Pro do it for their own reasons (screen size, storage, better/lower latency display, etc).
If the iPad Pros stop being profitable, Apple will just stop making them. Simple as that.
I dont but it's obvious. People buy cheaper versions more than expensive one and even run no onna says the same thing "Besides, most people aren't buying iPad Pros. They go for the entry level iPad or iPad Air. Someone willing to spend $1000+ on the iPad Pro do it for their own reasons (screen size, storage, etc)."
Agree. I have the Surface Pro 7 and primarily use it in laptop mode.
You're telling me my 12 Pro Max isn't Pro? Great, something new to complain about ...
Likely so. But they still sell them to people like rui no onna and myself.
I don't think they are at a point where they are forced to merge iPadOS and macOS. I'm still on the fence if that will ever happen. I'd wager not since they're on a path of differentiating OS based on device type generally. But that still doesn't mean you can't see Apple Silicon macOS App Store apps, for instance, appearing on iPads in the future.
I think the corner they've painted themselves into with the M1 iPadPro is similar to the one they've painted themselves into with the iPad Pro overall. They aren't doing enough to differentiate it from the rest of the iPad lineup and as you climb up in altitude the air gets a lot thinner up here. Meaning they'll continue to struggle to find buyers at this price point without compelling features that make the existing buyers upgrade. I can easily see an M1 iPad Pro lasting 10 years. Will a faster CPU and better screen compel people to upgrade next year? Some, sure, but as I said the air is thin up here so you need many. I think the M1 marketing and branding helped to fuel a boost this time, but you can only sell smoke without fire so many times.
That being said, Apple doesn't disclose iPad Pro sales so we can't easily see how good or bad the iPad Pro lineup is faring overall and even if it were to be performing poorly Apple has enough iPad sales and revenue they can keep it around as an aspirational product where they are fine with a low or negative profit on the line as it can make lower tier models less price sensitive versus the competition. It all depends on what Apple's goals are and we're not privy to those details.
All I can say is without specific needs that are fully and properly enumerated only a few very specific buyers would be better off with an M1 iPad over an iPad Air.
The only concern for Apple is whether the iPad Pro line is profitable.
Besides, chances are the higher profits for the Pro pay for the tech R&D that eventually trickles down to the basic iPad and Air. It's a similar case with iPhones.
Heck, the R&D for the M1 originated from the iPad Pros (A9X, A10X, A12X/Z).
That's simply what happens when technology matures.
At my workplace, when XP was EOLed, we replaced a bunch of Pentium IV and Core 2 Duo based PCs with Haswell-based quad-core i5-4570 PCs. However, when Windows 7 EOL happened, we just replaced the HDDs with SSDs and upgraded RAM to 16GB on the existing Haswell PCs.
I upgraded the home PCs for 7 EOL because the old ones (7-10 yr old Nehalem to Haswell) aren't capable of 4K HEVC playback. I expect the new PCs will last us another 7-10 years.
Macs saw a boost thanks to COVID and M1. I feel like after the transition though, sales will probably slow down again since majority of users simply aren't replacing their Macs every year/generation.
I expect the same on iPads. I've already gone from upgrading every 1-2 years to 4 years with the 2017 iPP. With the 2021 iPP, hardware (CPU, RAM & storage) is at the more than good enough stage that I'll probably end up keeping it for at least 5 years.
At least iPads are battery-powered. Chances are most customers will upgrade after 5-7 years due to degraded battery instead of getting the battery replaced.
I dunno. I actually think iPad Pros help increase the profit on the iPad line since markup on the base iPad and iPad Air are probably lower.
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I think the iPad Pro line should actually be labelled iPad Ultimate Toy Edition. It’s just a whole pile of nice-to-have features which lift it above the level of an iPad Air, while there is very little software that takes advantage of the power of M1.
I agree with you that we need more competent apps for iPadOS as it exists today - there isn't anything inherent in the OS that would limit great full featured apps. Apple should start with the iPad Music app. It is missing so many features that the MacOS Music app has. Can't add songs on the iPad unless purchased from iTunes Store, can't modify any music file metadata or tags, can't create smart playlists. etc.
I expect this one is by design and that Apple has no intention of changing this particular behavior. Same goes for videos.
Check out the Services revenue.
Apple wants to sell more iPads. Mac sales are irrelevant. An iPad buyer is the gift that keeps on contributing to service revenue for apple. Because that App Store is locked down.
macOS on iPad would sell more ipads. And be more profitable. My guess is there’s a different reason apple won’t go there. Perhaps it would compromise iPadOS. Or take away some incentive to develop “pro” ipad apps.
I'd question how has technology matured on the iPad? There has been very little innovation that substantially differentiates the iPad from the iPhone. Apple Watch is a new product category and has yet to peak. iPads should be in the same category as they are redefining the intersection between "mobile" and "desktop", but so far it has yet to fully step out of the iPhone shadow and into its own.
iPad Pros definitely do help boost profits I expect, but we don't know how long an iPad Pro user keeps their device compared to an iPad Air user, for instance. It could have double the profit on the date of sale and 50% of the profit in a 5 year timeframe if an iPad Pro user upgrades 0 times compared to 1 time by the iPad Air user (obviously I am speculating here, but I think you get the point).
The problem for Apple is that developers are struggling with this just as much as users. Developers either develop for the iPhone and decide to make "bigger" versions of their apps for iPad or they develop for Mac and wonder why they should develop for iPad and have to give apple a 30% cut and deal with the limitations of the sandbox. Except in the few niches Apple has managed to carve out for the iPad like in note taking for students and professionals or image editing the product is largely sort of bucktooth.
I think this go round people were hoping Apple would finally pull the iPad into a unique space that it could start defining, but they aren't there yet. If they stay in this spot I can't see how me (or others) upgrading my iPad at the same timeframe as my MacBook (3x as long as my iPhone) is their goal as I'm sure an Air would start to cause an upgrade itch sooner than a M1 iPad Pro would.