iPad I'm disappointed with the iPad lineup

[Sensamic]

The one feature I REALLY want and need on any tablet is 120Hz, which I can't get unless u spend almost 1.000€, which is just crazy, more so considering you only get 128GB.

I really don't need the best iPad out there. I could very well live with the basic iPad 10, just with 120Hz and maybe 256GB. Don't need more, but Apple does know who to make you spend more than you actually need.

There is no way I can go back to 60Hz screens in 2024. It is NOT a Pro feature. Apple doesn't give consumers like me good choices for their tablet offerings. They could give Promotion to the Air lineup with the next refresh. Will they? Probably not, but they will still charge you 700/800€ for 60Hz and 64GB storage... But hey, you get a lot of horsepower with M2, which iPadOS doesn't actually take advantage of, but in 2/3 years you will REALLY start to notice how old a 60Hz screen feels, making you itch for an expensive upgrade again...

It's frustrating been almost completely certain that the next iPad 11, iPad Air and iPad Mini won't get a simple feature that's a must in 2024: 120Hz screen. Therefore, you pay 1.000€ or more for these new OLED iPad Pro or buy Android.

 

[HDFan]

get a simple feature that's a must in 2024: 120Hz screen.

Guess you are very sensitive so it is a must for you. Most people like myself don't care.

 

[Sensamic]

Guess you are very sensitive so it is a must for you. Most people like myself don't care.

IMO, it should be standard in 2024. There's no reason to stay with 60Hz screens. I feel the same way with FHD monitors, for example. Staying with old tech is just cheap from the manufacturers perspective.

 

[chabig]

IMO, it should be standard in 2024. There's no reason to stay with 60Hz screens. I feel the same way with FHD monitors, for example. Staying with old tech is just cheap from the manufacturers perspective.

It also keeps the price down for consumers, which broadens the market so more people can participate.

 

[Sensamic]

It also keeps the price down for consumers, which broadens the market so more people can participate.

We have phones with 120Hz displays for 200€, and I've seen 4K monitors also for 200€. They are not high-end, but having this tech in entry level products is possible.

 

[Basic75]

but Apple does know who to make you spend more than you actually need

That's their job. They are a corporation. Why are you expecting something else?

 

[Digitalguy]

promotion is pro only, just like quad speakers. I don't care about promotion but quad speakers is non negotiable (many don't care).
I don't need the latest and greatest either so what do I do? I buy an older model used in mint condition or open box (either locally where I can inspect it or from a seller where I can return it for free) at a much cheaper price.
However some people only want to by new, if that's your case, bad luck I guess.

 

[FeliApple]

I actually tested them side by side and barely noticed a difference. This is very person-specific.

I actually think, like @Digitalguy said, that Quad Speakers are a far better feature to have. My 9.7-inch iPad Pro has far better speakers than my Air 5.

 

[Sensamic]

That's their job. They are a corporation. Why are you expecting something else?

Isn't their job also to have their customers happy so they don't lose them to the competition?

 

[HDFan]

Isn't their job also to have their customers happy so they don't lose them to the competition?

That's probably their goal and they are doing quite nicely given their sales numbers.

 

[ericwn]

Isn't their job also to have their customers happy so they don't lose them to the competition?

Wait there is any noteworthy competition in that space? Apple’s upsell areas are well known these days. As long as people keep buying these devices nothing changes.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

To each their own. 120Hz makes zero difference to me, so in my opinion it should not be used on basic models until the cost drops to the realm of 60Hz.

 

[erikkfi]

My 9.7-inch iPad Pro has far better speakers than my Air 5.

Same here, the 9.7 Pro's speakers are amazing. That was a good consolation as the Pro line rapidly accumulated interesting new features (120hz, magnetic pencil charging, bezel reduction) over the past 7+ years.

 

[FeliApple]

Same here, the 9.7 Pro's speakers are amazing. That was a good consolation as the Pro line rapidly accumulated interesting new features (120hz, magnetic pencil charging, bezel reduction) over the past 7+ years.

You know, that’s interesting, because I kind of see it in the opposite way:

For me, the best differentiation isn’t Apple’s Pro moniker. The 9.7-inch iPad Pro isn’t, in my opinion, the initial iteration of what can be called the “full-screen standard”, the 3rd-gen iPad Pro (or, to avoid confusion, the 2018 iPad Pro).

It is, conversely, the final iteration of Apple’s original design intention with the iPad: the best version of Apple’s 9.7-inch design language, with all available features (at the time).

The 10.5-inch iPads are kind of a middle-of-the-road experiment, and then we have the full-screen design.

So yeah, I think it’s the final (and best) version of Apple’s original idea for the iPad, rather than “the Pro that lacks some features”.

 

[Yebubbleman]

The one feature I REALLY want and need on any tablet is 120Hz, which I can't get unless u spend almost 1.000€, which is just crazy, more so considering you only get 128GB.

I really don't need the best iPad out there. I could very well live with the basic iPad 10, just with 120Hz and maybe 256GB. Don't need more, but Apple does know who to make you spend more than you actually need.

There is no way I can go back to 60Hz screens in 2024. It is NOT a Pro feature. Apple doesn't give consumers like me good choices for their tablet offerings. They could give Promotion to the Air lineup with the next refresh. Will they? Probably not, but they will still charge you 700/800€ for 60Hz and 64GB storage... But hey, you get a lot of horsepower with M2, which iPadOS doesn't actually take advantage of, but in 2/3 years you will REALLY start to notice how old a 60Hz screen feels, making you itch for an expensive upgrade again...

It's frustrating been almost completely certain that the next iPad 11, iPad Air and iPad Mini won't get a simple feature that's a must in 2024: 120Hz screen. Therefore, you pay 1.000€ or more for these new OLED iPad Pro or buy Android.

What if you got something like an Apple Certified Refurbished 2nd (A12Z; 2020) or 3rd (M1; 2021) Generation 11-inch iPad Pro? Not saying that it fully offsets the whole "costs too much for this one feature" element, but it helps a bit.

For what it's worth, I'm in a similar spot when it comes to the 12.9-inch iPad Pro. I really just want an iPad that I can use a Smart Keyboard Folio (not even the Magic Keyboard) with and type in a way that is ergonomically comfortable (which I'd argue you can't really do with a 12.9" iPad). The fact that my cheapest option brand new is $1100 is crappy. Am hopeful that the 12.9" iPad Air remedies this (as I was completely fine back when I was doing this on the very first generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro and would probably still be doing it today were it not for the fact that the keyboard cover for that one had a Apple Repair Extension Program that never addressed the underlying inevitably repeating flaw it had...that and the fact that it caps at iPadOS 16).

 

[erikkfi]

You know, that’s interesting, because I kind of see it in the opposite way:

For me, the best differentiation isn’t Apple’s Pro moniker. The 9.7-inch iPad Pro isn’t, in my opinion, the initial iteration of what can be called the “full-screen standard”, the 3rd-gen iPad Pro (or, to avoid confusion, the 2018 iPad Pro).

It is, conversely, the final iteration of Apple’s original design intention with the iPad: the best version of Apple’s 9.7-inch design language, with all available features (at the time).

The 10.5-inch iPads are kind of a middle-of-the-road experiment, and then we have the full-screen design.

So yeah, I think it’s the final (and best) version of Apple’s original idea for the iPad, rather than “the Pro that lacks some features”.

You know, I've had this exact same thought. For all its shortcomings compared to its successors, the 9.7 Pro is the ultimate expression of the original iPad concept that Steve introduced to the world in 2010. Everything released since then has been a departure -- not in a bad way but a departure all the same.

I am so ready to replace mine, though.

 

[FeliApple]

You know, I've had this exact same thought. For all its shortcomings compared to its successors, the 9.7 Pro is the ultimate expression of the original iPad concept that Steve introduced to the world in 2010. Everything released since then has been a departure -- not in a bad way but a departure all the same.

I am so ready to replace mine, though.

Yeah, absolutely, and interestingly enough, there were rumours about a 2nd-gen 9.7-inch iPad Pro, but it resulted in the 10.5-inch and those rumours never came to fruition.

I still use mine and plan to keep it, as it’s my favourite iPad ever. I managed to keep it on iOS 12, so it works pretty well.

As a user who likes to use iPads for content consumption, the 9.7-inch iPad Pro is (and will be) great.

At worst, I can lose access to some websites once they stop supporting iOS 12, but it’s okay.

 

[erikkfi]

I still use mine and plan to keep it, as it’s my favourite iPad ever. I managed to keep it on iOS 12, so it works pretty well.

I kept upgrading mine like a sucker but it's not that bad. I even use it for Lightroom and Photoshop as if it's a modern device. It crashes on Lightroom pretty easily, though. I've gotten to know exactly when it's about to crash.

Oddly enough one of the things it's worst at is simply watching a YouTube video in Safari. Horrible, horrible experience.

Once I get the M3 Pro I expect to still use this one for basic streaming, like at the gym or someplace I don't want to take my new $1000 device.

 

[FeliApple]

I kept upgrading mine like a sucker but it's not that bad. I even use it for Lightroom and Photoshop as if it's a modern device. It crashes on Lightroom pretty easily, though. I've gotten to know exactly when it's about to crash.

Oddly enough one of the things it's worst at is simply watching a YouTube video in Safari. Horrible, horrible experience.

Once I get the M3 Pro I expect to still use this one for basic streaming, like at the gym or someplace I don't want to take my new $1000 device.

Very interesting... why is it that YouTube on Safari on updated devices falls apart???!!!

iPhone 5c on iOS 10... unusable. iPad Mini 1 on iOS 9... unusable. iPhone 6s on iOS 10 and iPhone Xʀ on iOS 12: flawless. Is YouTube that heavy on an updated device (which already is constrained by iOS)? I wonder why this happens.

I reckon that for basic streaming it will be fine, provided you can somehow get the battery life to be enough for you.

 

[Jackbequickly]

Isn't their job also to have their customers happy so they don't lose them to the competition?

Part of keeping customers happy is having hardware at a reasonable price.

 

[klasma]

That's their job. They are a corporation. Why are you expecting something else?

It's not their job. Companies don’t need to operate that way and many don't. Otherwise we wouldn’t have the $200 Android phones with 120 Hz.

 

[klasma]

That's probably their goal and they are doing quite nicely given their sales numbers.

They lost some sales to Android tablets for me, and I haven't upgraded an iPad for the last five years, so they could certainly do better.

 

[MegaBlue]

Isn't their job also to have their customers happy so they don't lose them to the competition?

Sure, the problem is that you're assuming that people are refusing to buy the iPad in droves because it's not 120Hz.

They're still selling millions of iPads that are 60Hz because there are more people who don't care than people who do. The amount of money earned by moving the feature down market is less than what they lose from the customers who do decide to buy the Pro just for 120Hz. They do whatever generates the most optimal amount of profits versus costs.

It's the job to have as many customers happy as they can, not to cater to the whim of every individual person.

 

[erikkfi]

Very interesting... why is it that YouTube on Safari on updated devices falls apart???!!!

I reckon that for basic streaming it will be fine, provided you can somehow get the battery life to be enough for you.

I just assumed it's a heavyweight site and not getting any lighter, and the paltry 2GB of RAM on this tablet is really biting it. But if YouTube works fine on the same iPad with iOS 12, well.. that sounds like some form of batterygate all over again.

I got the "battery replaced" in January 2022 (i.e. a refurb iPad replacement) so it still works respectably on its battery. About 3 hours of continual use in Lightroom, which isn't bad considering it gets super hot where the processor is the entire time I use that app. I wouldn't be surprised if it's throttling.

 

[FeliApple]

I just assumed it's a heavyweight site and not getting any lighter, and the paltry 2GB of RAM on this tablet is really biting it. But if YouTube works fine on the same iPad with iOS 12, well.. that sounds like some form of batterygate all over again.

I got the "battery replaced" in January 2022 (i.e. a refurb iPad replacement) so it still works respectably on its battery. About 3 hours of continual use in Lightroom, which isn't bad considering it gets super hot where the processor is the entire time I use that app. I wouldn't be surprised if it's throttling.

Yeah, YouTube is fine on iOS 12. The 2GB of RAM are probably an issue, but only when combined with iPadOS 16. As you might remember, 2GB was considered more than enough back on iOS 9. It’s just how it always goes, you know the drill. But yeah, I guess you can’t expect perfection on a device with seven major iOS updates.

The processor is probably throttling: again, the combo of a heavy app with iPadOS 16 is probably too much for the device.

That said, I’m guessing it will be an okay device for content consumption. You will probably need to carry a charger, but such is the reality of fully updated devices. As long as you temper your expectations to “it will do the task acceptably well with a less-than-mediocre battery life”, you’ll do well. If you expect perfection, it’s just guaranteed disappointment, and it won’t do you any good.