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JaniceA84

macrumors newbie
Oct 10, 2020
10
6
The Air is going to sell out to the point that you'll need to wait a month+ if you don't order within the first day or two.
Even though Tim Cook has been trying to boost tablet sales that are being taken over by surface and chromebooks in corporations and schools, the iPad is really only punching into the market hard again with the Pro tablets and getting more laptop like. Forecast sales that I see at work are not expecting backorders, let alone month+ sellouts for the Air, even during the 4Q season. In fact currently the Pro 11 is what is being sold out most...currently apple.com is showing that one won't even ship until early to mid November if you order one today. And this is for a 1Q device. Air is going to be a great, successful product either way, but probably not as a $800 tablet.
 

FrumpyGus

macrumors member
Oct 10, 2020
31
23
Even though Tim Cook has been trying to boost tablet sales that are being taken over by surface and chromebooks in corporations and schools, the iPad is really only punching into the market hard again with the Pro tablets and getting more laptop like. Forecast sales that I see at work are not expecting backorders, let alone month+ sellouts for the Air, even during the 4Q season. In fact currently the Pro 11 is what is being sold out most...currently apple.com is showing that one won't even ship until early to mid November if you order one today. And this is for a 1Q device. Air is going to be a great, successful product either way, but probably not as a $800 tablet.
That was all I was really pointing to. I purchased the 2020 iPad Pro 11 through Apple's Armed Forces & Veterans portal and it was $719 and I had really just been waiting around for the release of the Air the whole time. I would have been satisfied with either, but just figured the iPad Pros were still around $1000 and out of my price range. Oh well, I just was really wondering if anyone else had thoughts about it. It's just going to be my wife's anyway, lol.
 
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awmerkley

macrumors newbie
Oct 6, 2020
15
19
In fact currently the Pro 11 is what is being sold out most...currently apple.com is showing that one won't even ship until early to mid November if you order one today.

Yes, there is plenty of demand for iPads of all kinds. iPad 8th gen is backordered through mid-November. Only model that ships immediately as far as I know is the Mini.

I think you underestimate the hype behind the Air 4 and the demand for a premium yet inexpensive iPad. This is being marketed as a cheap Pro, and plenty of people are looking for devices that will improve their workflow at home. Add the holiday rush on top of that and you should see 4-week backordering through the end of the year.
 
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FrumpyGus

macrumors member
Oct 10, 2020
31
23
I think you underestimate the hype behind the Air 4 and the demand for a premium yet inexpensive iPad. This is being marketed as a cheap Pro, and plenty of people are looking for devices that will improve their workflow at home. Add the holiday rush on top of that and you should see 4-week backordering through the end of the year.
We are all in agreement that it will be a sensational hit with the public. I'm sure that I'll even buy an Air for my daughter for Christmas...but it will be the 64GB base model, of course
 
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What are the colors everybody is getting and why?????
 

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KittyKatta

macrumors 65816
Feb 24, 2011
1,058
1,212
SoCal
Honestly, this waiting around for the product to even be able to be preordered is really a huge misstep IMO. It doesn't create hype and many people's impulse to place an order is diminishing...

BUT... what if the point of the Air announcement had nothing to do with creating Air hype? Its actually about creating artificial A14 hype.

Would anyone even talk about the A14 if it wasn’t announced on the Air? The announcement of the Air gave the A14 a whole lot of attention that it probably wouldn’t have gotten if it were just another feature on the phone. So by creating this buzz didn‘t need to sell Airs, it just needed to make people “think” that they needed a faster chip (that will continue to be limited by its OS).
 

FrumpyGus

macrumors member
Oct 10, 2020
31
23
Has anyone noticed that when the new iPad Air moved to the USB-C Apple only used the USB 3.2 Gen 1, which uses transfer speeds up to 5 Gbps, and yet the 2020 iPad Pro that was released is USB 3.2 Gen 2 with transfer speeds up to 10 Gbps? I mean that's double...Why do you think they are they releasing the new Air with an older tech? Does the A14 not support the higher transfer speeds?
 
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doboy

macrumors 68040
Jul 6, 2007
3,777
2,958
Has anyone noticed that when the new iPad Air moved to the USB-C Apple only used the USB 3.2 Gen 1, which uses transfer speeds up to 5 Gbps, and yet the 2020 iPad Pro that was released is USB 3.2 Gen 2 with transfer speeds up to 10 Gbps? I mean that's double...Why do you think they are they releasing the new Air with an older tech? Does the A14 not support the higher transfer speeds?
Where did you see this?
 

Dino F

Suspended
Sep 16, 2010
4,515
3,404
Croydon, South London, UK
Normally I'm a huge fan of Space Gray but I'm getting Sky Blue. Apple's marketing video of it during the keynote got me lol. Still would like to see how the blue looks like in person, but I've waited long enough for this iPad I'm going to just go for Sky Blue and not look back lol.

I too would have chosen the blue if it was a little darker (like the blue of the new iPhone 12 if rumours are true!) but as it is, I think it’s far too light in colour so I’m going for space grey.
 

The Game 161

macrumors Nehalem
Dec 15, 2010
30,991
20,174
UK
This sounds like a cracking buy for the price given it has a better chip than even my 12.9 2020 pro. Only thing it seems to be missing is pro motion.
 
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FrumpyGus

macrumors member
Oct 10, 2020
31
23
This sounds like a cracking buy for the price given it has a better chip than even my 12.9 2020 pro. Only thing it seems to be missing is pro motion.
Yeah, I seemed to have forgotten that the iPad Pro features ProMotion, which makes the display smoother with action using the 120Hz versus the new Air going with the old 60Hz. This is huge if you've ever experienced ProMotion before with scrolling and action games and movies. Plus I hear that it makes a pretty good difference with the Pencil2 because of the much lower latency, so you don't get micro-delayed response to you drawing and shading. As far as "better chip" people are seeing that single command stuff like opening apps and simple things, it may be faster due to 5nm packing of transistors, but for complex or multitask performance the a12Z is still much better. The simple everyday user wouldn't notice and would be overjoyed with either, though.
 
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JaniceA84

macrumors newbie
Oct 10, 2020
10
6
Yeah, I seemed to have forgotten that the iPad Pro features ProMotion, which makes the display smoother with action using the 120Hz versus the new Air going with the old 60Hz. This is huge if you've ever experienced ProMotion before with scrolling and action games and movies. Plus I hear that it makes a pretty good difference with the Pencil2 because of the much lower latency, so you don't get micro-delayed response to you drawing and shading. As far as "better chip" people are seeing that single command stuff like opening apps and simple things, it may be faster due to 5nm packing of transistors, but for complex or multitask performance the a12Z is still much better. The simple everyday user wouldn't notice and would be overjoyed with either, though.
Yes, the ProMotion is something that a person wouldn't wish to go back on if they had it before. The Pencil latency thing is interesting. I'll have to research any side-by-side comparisons in response and consumer enjoyment. Any type of lag would be kinda annoying if I had both tablets and one felt better than the other. Most people won't care because they never had anything better ?‍♀️
 

JaniceA84

macrumors newbie
Oct 10, 2020
10
6
Where did you see this?
She mentioned it in the keynote. I thought it was odd since Apple never mentions actual numbers, but instead just says stuff like "twice as fast as before" and other non-specific spec numbers. Current latest generation (2x2) is running two 10 gbps lanes in parallel to give the 20 gbps max. Once USB4 is out it will be upped to 40 gbps, but chips and operating systems will obviously seriously limit the speeds.
 
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doboy

macrumors 68040
Jul 6, 2007
3,777
2,958
She mentioned it in the keynote. I thought it was odd since Apple never mentions actual numbers, but instead just says stuff like "twice as fast as before" and other non-specific spec numbers. Current latest generation (2x2) is running two 10 gbps lanes in parallel to give the 20 gbps max. Once USB4 is out it will be upped to 40 gbps, but chips and operating systems will obviously seriously limit the speeds.
I see, but 2020 Pro is 10 Gbps?
 

FrumpyGus

macrumors member
Oct 10, 2020
31
23
I see, but 2020 Pro is 10 Gbps?
Yes, even the round-up here on MacRumors states this:
"USB-C allows the iPad Pro to be connected to 4K or 5K displays, cameras, and other USB-C devices. The USB-C port supports USB 3.1 Gen 2 transfer speeds and it can be used to charge an iPhone or Apple Watch with the appropriate cable."
Gen 2 speed is 10 Gbps. The Pro also supports reverse charging.
 

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thadoggfather

macrumors P6
Oct 1, 2007
16,134
17,049
It does look pretty cool but I dont wanna shell out for one and also rock a third iPad haha since I cant get rid of either of the ones I currently use.

my 12.9 2017 (even with spotlighting, no touch issues) and Mini 5th gen are still working out great
 
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PhightinPhils26

macrumors 6502a
Sep 12, 2007
796
43
Philly
Has anyone noticed that when the new iPad Air moved to the USB-C Apple only used the USB 3.2 Gen 1, which uses transfer speeds up to 5 Gbps, and yet the 2020 iPad Pro that was released is USB 3.2 Gen 2 with transfer speeds up to 10 Gbps? I mean that's double...Why do you think they are they releasing the new Air with an older tech? Does the A14 not support the higher transfer speeds?
I would say Apple is considering USB 3.2 Gen 2 a "Pro" feature, and using the cost savings of Gen 1 to help bring the cost down. I highly doubt it has anything to do with the A14 support.
 
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