Surely you mean "it's embarrassing how few new features were introduced"? Because that reads like you think there are too many new features, which is somehow embarrassing. Presumably Apple is trying too hard.
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iPad Air iPad Air 5 is a joke
- Thread starter mebehere
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Surely you mean "it's embarrassing how few new features were introduced"? Because that reads like you think there are too many new features, which is somehow embarrassing. Presumably Apple is trying too hard.
I have been thinking the same thing lately. I see no reason to upgrade to faster hardware when the iPadOS won't really take advantage of it.
Of course it wasn’t going to be better than the 11" iPad Pro. If you want to see new things, you’ll have to wait for the new iPad Pros.
I do agree that 128GB should either be standard or should be a $50 upgrade. But that’s a sales strategy: if you want a 128GB iPad Air but you don’t need 256GB, you’re better off getting the base model iPad Pro. And storage upgrades have always been Apple’s cash cow.
Apart from that I think it’s a great upgrade. I think few expected to see the M1 in this one.
Yep, and it's why I didn't think Apple would increase storage to 128gb on the base model. A $599 128gb Air 5 would offer too much value. It would make the base 11" Pro look much less attractive in terms of value. I'm not a power user but 64gb is not sufficient for me. One of my main uses is to download media to the device for use while traveling. I can get by with 128 if I practice a little judicious management. And Apple doesn't offer a 128gb upgrade option on the Air. So Apple is very clearly making the base iPad Air less compelling to direct folks to a higher end product. And I too think the better screen, speakers, etc., make the 128gb Pro more attractive than the 256gb Air. Apple does this will all of their product lines.
Seems like a good iPad, just not necessarily a great upgrade from the previous gen depending on your needs. If your last iPad is good enough, why are you complaining? Save your money or move up to a Pro.
I picked up a 9th gen basic iPad for about $300 chapter than the iPad Air, it's got a fast processor, a better screen than expected, I use it for comics and media and web browsing and does those things every bit as well as the iPad Air. In fact if I wanted to edit video on it it could do that pretty well. I can't see the cost benefit of the new iPad. For its price it needed more
yep 64gb min and a 256gb max is absolutely protect the pro. Because then a 1 gb Air is a better value than the pro
The beauty of the iPad is that no matter which iPad you get, be it the cheapest or the Pro, you will be running the exact same iPadOS with the same features. But Apple is smart, by literally holding back the cheap iPad with very old hardware (it's still bluetooth 4.2).
That’s exactly it -Air 2022 might not be amazing compared to iPads Pro or 4th Gen Air.
But by comparison to non-Apple tablets in the $500-$600 price range, it’s a really good deal considering the power of M1 and 8GB RAM.
Most likely the best in its price range.
Only the 64GB on the base model is really holding it back from being really impressive at $599… well, everything but the 64GB is actually very impressive.
iPad Air M1 8gb 256gb - $749
iPad Pro M1 8gb 256gb - $899
$150 for FaceID, Lidar Camera and Promotion.
Now look at this
iPad Mini A15 4gb 256gb - $649
iPad Air M1 8gb 256gb - $749
$100 for Double the Ram and for notebook class chip.
So the iPad Mini 6 consumers are the ones that are getting really screwed right now.
I hope it makes more sense now.
iPad Pro M1 8gb 256gb - $899
$150 for FaceID, Lidar Camera and Promotion.
Now look at this
iPad Mini A15 4gb 256gb - $649
iPad Air M1 8gb 256gb - $749
$100 for Double the Ram and for notebook class chip.
So the iPad Mini 6 consumers are the ones that are getting really screwed right now.
I hope it makes more sense now.
Honestly, folks like my parents don’t need more than 64GB, they don’t even fill up the 64GB on the iPads they use. On the other hand, I probably wouldn’t buy anything less than 256GB of storage in a new model, as 64GB is horribly cramped for me and I’d probably nearly saturate 128GB immediately. 256GB would give me some breathing room, but I’d probably still hit the storage ceiling during the device’s usable lifespan.
Totally disagree. As a Mini 6 owner, I do not feel screwed in the least - I bought it for the size, an important characteristic you left out of your comparison.
Unless you absolutely want the small, portable size of the mini, which most mini buyers seem to. The price for it has always been unfavorable compared to the cheaper iPad, and the performance is usually close to, but rarely matches, the iPad Air. So the reason to buy the iPad mini has generally always been the performance upgrades over an entry level iPad and the smaller screen size.
To me it would have been better served with an A15, and a 128gb base storage for the same price. Like really, who needs the power of the M1 in a mid-range tablet?
I still wish there was a larger non-pro iPad for those who want a larger screen but don't want to pay the 12.9" iPad Pro price.
I still wish there was a larger non-pro iPad for those who want a larger screen but don't want to pay the 12.9" iPad Pro price.
Exactly.
I may be in a small minority, but I actually appreciate Apple's product segmentation. It allows them to offer top-tier options for those who need/want the absolute best (relatively speaking) as well as the low-cost options.
Although I'm well on my way to phasing out all Apple devices I own, their bottom tier devices offer tremendous value and keeps me buying them. ?
I'd love to be a fly on the wall at these product meetings.
There must be one heck of a spreadsheet comparing the nuances of each product's features!
I don't think mini buyers care about performance improvements over the $329 iPad. I expect size/weight is the main priority and they care a lot more about performance and feature upgrades over older mini models.
What was it, like 4 years from mini 4 (A8/2GB) to mini 5 (A12/3GB)? And pretty much the same design/chassis from OG mini (2012) to mini 5 (2019)?
Basically the Air is meant to be a “lite” version of the 11” iPad Pro to reach a lower price point. Same M1 chip and 8GB RAM, same center stage, same accessory compatibility, but “lite” on:
No 512GB/1TB/2TB options
No 128GB entry config
No 16GB RAM configs
No mmWave 5G
No Thunderbolt
No rear camera flash
0.1” less screen size
No ProMotion
No FaceID
No TrueDepth camera
Less bright display
No LiDAR
No Ultrawide camera on rear
And when 11” iPad Pro gets miniLED
No miniLED for iPad Air.
The entry level iPad takes it even further by downgrading further:
A series chip instead of M series
5GB less RAM
0.7” less screen size
Larger bezels
No 5G
No Laminated display
No usb c
No magic keyboard support
No Smart Keyboard folio support
I could see Apple eventually merging these two iPads into a single low cost one called the iPad SE, and maybe adding some nicer features to the Mini to make it as close to the Pros as possible.
This way it could be a clean mainline iPad lineup of 8.3”, 11”, 12.9” with an A series chip in the 8.3” due to thermal constraints, and no smart connector on the 8.3” due to size constraints.
Complementing these would be a low cost iPad SE that leaves out a lot of the features of the 11” to hit a much lower price point.
Nice and clean lineup.
No 512GB/1TB/2TB options
No 128GB entry config
No 16GB RAM configs
No mmWave 5G
No Thunderbolt
No rear camera flash
0.1” less screen size
No ProMotion
No FaceID
No TrueDepth camera
Less bright display
No LiDAR
No Ultrawide camera on rear
And when 11” iPad Pro gets miniLED
No miniLED for iPad Air.
The entry level iPad takes it even further by downgrading further:
A series chip instead of M series
5GB less RAM
0.7” less screen size
Larger bezels
No 5G
No Laminated display
No usb c
No magic keyboard support
No Smart Keyboard folio support
I could see Apple eventually merging these two iPads into a single low cost one called the iPad SE, and maybe adding some nicer features to the Mini to make it as close to the Pros as possible.
This way it could be a clean mainline iPad lineup of 8.3”, 11”, 12.9” with an A series chip in the 8.3” due to thermal constraints, and no smart connector on the 8.3” due to size constraints.
Complementing these would be a low cost iPad SE that leaves out a lot of the features of the 11” to hit a much lower price point.
Nice and clean lineup.
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Actually, the biggest joke about iPad Air 5 (and every iPad), is the omission of a calculator app!!
And no, I don't want to pay for one. It's not a major ask when you've just dropped $600USD for a tablet/computer.
And no, I don't want to pay for one. It's not a major ask when you've just dropped $600USD for a tablet/computer.
Just download PCalc Lite, then. But seriously, how often do you need to perform calculations on your computer that lacking a calculator app is a make-or-break proposition? Never mind the quantity of free web-based calculators or basic math operations supported in search engine search boxes. If having a calculator is so important to you that a device isn’t worth $600 without one, perhaps you’d be better off owning a dedicated calculator or just buying a computer with a calculator?
But it isn’t actually about the calculator app, is it? (Because, if you wanted an iPad, you could almost certainly float the money for PCalc - or use PCalc Lite. And your phone almost certainly has a calculator of its own, and the iPad’s missing calculator app would likely be no more powerful than your phone’s. And dedicated calculators are far cheaper than an iPhone or iPad, especially if you just want a model with scientific operations and a multi-line display.) It’s more that you view the lack of calculator as an easy potshot against iPadOS, I’d guess. It’s kind of a lazy potshot, though, as I’d imagine most iPad users have an even more convenient calculator in their pockets nearly constantly (and those that don’t could easily justify the price of a good 3rd party calculator app over that of a smartphone with a calculator app, an Android tablet with a calculator app, or even a dedicated physical calculator).
The whole calculator app business just strikes me as a very disingenuous argument against iPadOS, since it’s one that’s basically a non-issue, the iOS calculator itself isn’t that great, and third party calculators (or even actual calculators with the same level of functionality as iOS’s) are super cheap and widely available. If you desperately needed a calculator as an iPad owner, you wouldn’t be starving for choice. So it seems like a bad-faith attack on iPadOS using an easily debunked trivial issue. iPadOS certainly has and has had significant flaws (it lacked a proper download manager in Safari for years, for instance), but the lack of a bundled calculator app is hardly a serious one.
you forgot what I consider the most important difference, no quad speakers
It’s not about spending $10 on a third-party app.
It’s not about the quality or complexity of calculator.
It’s simply about Apple not providing a basic function for a computer. It’s about usability and convenience. All the things an iPad is suppose to help you with. And yes, I need the use a calculator daily, but inconveniently have to reach for my iPhone instead.
Is it a pot shot against iOS, or is it a fair ask to simply drop in a basic calculator that has been absent from the iPad since day one?