But they do have increasing competition from Samsung, at least on the high end side. The Tab S7 and new S8/S8 Ultra line are really good devices. Equal display quality, more than enough performance and RAM, and Samsung has done a much better job optimizing Android for the Tab series than Apple has done with iPadOS. There are some nice iPad only features, however, it’s still very much iOS and given the hardware and peripheral support the iPad has, it’s a shame how held back it is. Apple will see a dramatic decrease in iPad Pro sales without a significant change to iPadOS. Maybe they are fine ceding that segment to Samsung as the Tab S8 Ultra is a much better productivity device only because of the software. I’m a major user and fan of the iPad Pro, especially the new 12.9 model, but it’s so apparent Apple is deliberately holding the iPad back and it will likely be my last Pro model I buy unless iPadOS is significantly revamped, and I know I am not alone in thinking that way.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
iPad Pro iPad has become quite useless and I regret purchasing it
- Thread starter igauravarora
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Developed and supported several Windows ecosystems over the years at work and at home (mostly because they were "less expensive"). Been around the block since the Macintosh Plus days / MS DOS on PCs. Today I have iPad Pro 12.9 M1, iPhone 12 M1, MACmini M1 and an Apple Watch: the best tech environment ever (including from any employer ever). I expect 10 years of life out of this kit. Why? To get it I gave my 8 core iPad 12.9 to my wife with a new Magic Keyboard. Gave up my three (3) iPhone5SEs that worked just fine. Also gave up an old Intel MACmini that would not support HDMI with HDCP. I have literally worn off much of the coating on the iPad keyboard/cover from heavy daily use.
I agree with some of the Catch-22 commentary above. Some of the responsibility falls on app developers. For example, Microsoft Excel for iPad is total garbage, missing a lot of features. I'm sure there are many other similar examples.
That said, I'm still glad Apple put the M1 into the iPad Pro. At least if you buy an iPP with M1, you are likely future proofed for several years.
That said, I'm still glad Apple put the M1 into the iPad Pro. At least if you buy an iPP with M1, you are likely future proofed for several years.
iPad sales have already been on the decline the past 3-5 years and it's only going to get worse. Just like with phones, Samsung has taken over. They've upped their marketing game and they've gotten their **** together the past few years.
I'll be picking up the new S8+ tablet next Friday when it launches and quite excited about it. Always loved android on phone but hate it on tab because it's always sucked. So curious to see how much better it is now and after seeing some videos I am confident it's going to be a keeper.
I'd be interested in getting your thoughts after you play around with your new toy. I agree that tablets are too much of an in-between product.
The phone side, Samsung has always had more impressive hardware, but the iPhone has caught up in most areas And I like the experience in iOS. With the iPad Pro, it is such an incredible piece of hardware, technically in my opinion one of the most impressive hardware they make. Which makes it all the more disappointing how lackluster iPadOS software is and Apple’s incessant stance on keeping it locked up. There’s just not any compelling reason for the overwhelming vast majority of current iPad Pro users to spend money on another incredibly powerful and capable iPad Pro with an M2 and yada yada yada features still running a handicapped software. I have an M1 MacBook Air and M1 iPad Pro and when I graduate medical school in 2 years, I’ll probably go down to an iPad Air for movies and consumption, and an iMac for home. There’s no point in spending money for the iPad Pros anymore so long as the software continues to keep the iPad locked up. If Apple were smart, they would increase RAM on the base iPad and Air to at least 6GB, Pros have 8-16GB of RAM, and make a more robust, more truly productive software that all the models can run. Then maybe developers will be on board to bring professional level apps. I just don’t see Apple continuing to receive sales for iPad Pros without a substantial change to the OS, which I sadly don’t see. Would love to be surprised with iPadOS 16.
Last edited:
Sales for iPad’s as well as tablets are down from their peak from several years ago. Tablets basically do the same thing they did back when the first iPad was released. Smartphones are in the same boat so to speak. There’s only so much you can do with a tablet and smartphone.
My first tablet was a Galaxy Tab 10.1, the tablet Apple accused Samsung of copying the iPad. I then purchased the HP tablet during their fire sale. After that it’s been mostly iPad’s. I recently purchased a Galaxy Tab S7+ during Samsung’s BF Event. A deal so good I couldn’t pass up.
The S7+ and the S8+ are basically the same with minor updates. They are nice tablets that rival the look, feel and polish of the iPad Pro. They are solid performers with fantastic screens. The UI has been toned down over the years where it’s now closer to stock Android. The Galaxy Plus tablets use a 120Hz screen which makes scrolling real smooth like on the iPad. Apple still has it beat with battery life.
If you can get a Galaxy Tab on sale or when Samsung wants to offer great deals, then they are definitely worth a look. My next tablet might be the 2022 iPad Pro 12.9”
Imagine an app like Final Cut Pro where it’s well optimised where you can use touch input+mouse/Pencil. It has the potential to become so much more than it’s MacBook equivalent.Yeah I'd just like to see more pro-grade apps, and see it have a better OS. That functionality seems to be held back intentionally by Apple, as others have said. The M1 is such a hugely powerful processor, but by and large the options to run apps that mimmick the power of their Pc/Mac equivalents are few and far between.
Couple of pages back I used the analogy that Apple have stuck a sportscar's engine into a car that they've intentionally limited to 20mph. I still feel that way.
I know that at the end of the day this is all just my opinion, and any other opinions are just as valid. I've certainly at no point intended to come across as 'superior'. But seeing that only one person with a low feedback feels I came across as holier than thou, I'll make the assumption that hopefully most people haven't interpreted my posts that way, but if they have, it was definitely not intended.
How about quicktime player? Where I don’t have to download third party apps to watch my local content DV content.
Or Xcode which I would personally like for the iPad. It would certainly made me invest into the keyboard case they make and make it a go to device if I was travelling somewhere and I didn’t want to lug around a chunky laptop but do like to have some functionality on my iPad. The playgrounds app that exist is nowhere near the level of xcode, I think they just threw a bone seeing the last time the expectations for the Pro apps to come to the iPadOS were quite high.
If apple itself is setting the standard of not putting Pro apps in it’s Pro lineup of iPads with same hardware as the MacBook then why would a third party developer think the otherwise. You gotta set an example first that how well it could work before a third party developer could hop onto it. Maybe apple think of it as an afterthought seeing how that playgrounds app turned out to be.
To give devil his due, I think the pandemic could also be the reason for the ****** software support. iOS 15 is also buggy for me, music player drains out my battery while streaming music on iPhone so things aren’t as good as they were in the past.
and those who say it’s good the way it is, maybe for you and if it works for you, great, enjoy it. The way I see it, it has the potential to become so much more than it is in its current state and the sportscar analogy fits here perfectly IMO.
I've used tablets ever since they came out going back to ipad 2. I don't see tablets as an in-between device but a multi-purpose device that fills specific use cases. I think the more use cases one has for it, the better. Would I buy a tablet just for surfing the web? No because my computers now and my phone cover all that I need and they do a far better job. And I don't like to have too many gadgets that aren't fully utilized. Plus the more you have, the more you have to charge, update, etc. I just don't have the time for too many toys in life. But when you factor in stuff like using a tablet as a digital notepad or a drone screen or a car GPS screen, then all of a sudden your uses for one is much more appealing and versatile.
I will let you know how I like the Tab S8+ when I get it next week. The ultra looks amazing but too big and too expensive for me.
I do think ipad Pros are smart buys for someone who will fully utilize it, as in using it on their desk, bedside, both with and without a keyboard, make use of icloud storage or the file system and use it daily and a lot. Perhaps someone who doesn't have other computers and lives in an apartment with not a lot of space. A heavy task user that runs tons of apps at once - the 8GB of ram makes the pros very future proof. But most importantly the ipad Pro has to bring value to your life. It has to make certain tasks easier for you in life, otherwise it's a waste of money.
Even though Pros are overkill for most people who just use their ipads to watch Netflix or watch YouTube, it's still the most future proof ipad today and if someone plans on keeping their ipad for 5+ years, I think the pro is the way to go. Not necessarily the 2021 12.9" one but even the 2020 Pro is still very future proof, especially if you buy used or refurb. But too many people feel that they need the latest and greatest just to watch YouTube on, it's a waste of money. Why do you need a $1000+ tablet to watch Netflix on?
But if the ipad is for someone who has multiple computers, and uses their ipad for small parts of the day for a couple very specific things, then lower end models like the air and mini or even ipad 9 are far more appealing and make much more sense. I've been using Surface Pros as my on the go 2-in-1 device since 2014 and even though I didn't use it as a tablet because they fail so bad, I used them as a digital notepad with OneNote. When my Surface Pro 7 touch input stopped working this past Xmas, I all of a sudden needed a digital notepad, so I looked to getting another ipad again because I would have multiple use cases for it and a couple that the Surface Pro (even fixed) could not do. The repair on the Surface would cost more than what the device was worth today. Made no sense to pay money to fix it.
So I sold my Surface pen and now I use my Surface Pro strictly as an ultra portable 2LB laptop - again a very specific use case. My first choice was the new ipad 9 because of the low cost and it would suit me perfectly seeing how it would sit at my desk and wouldn't be used for much more than a notepad at the desk. But then I found out that ipad doesn't have pencil 2 support, only pencil 1 so that model was out of the question. Then got the mini 6 even though it was more than I was wanting to spend. Not sure if it's a keeper or not because I still may go with another tablet but I've found multiple uses for the mini specifically that none of my computers can do.
I considered the S7+ because I don't always need the latest and greatest but seeing how it's literally only $30 less than the upcoming S8+ it made no sense to get it. But if the S7+ has a significant price drop when the S8+ is out next week, then I may re-consider.
I much prefer Samsung screens to Apples. Even though their reds are exaggerated, SuperAMOLED is unrivaled IMO. What I do wish is for the Samsung tabs to go 4:3, same aspect ratio as ipads. This is one of the factors that makes ipads so pleasant to view stuff on. For mobile devices, I would choose 4:3 over 16:9 everytime.
Sure, Apple could take iPadOS and make it more like macOS. What about the people who like the simplicity and current interface and would prefer Apple to leave it as it is? Our desires are as legitimate as yours, and you already have other options for what you ask for. I’d sell your iPad or give it away and be done with it.
It’s funny because the usage you describe is exactly my usage. I use my M1 iPad Pro with the Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil all day every day. It literally makes my life easier and has played an important role in my education in both undergrad and especially med school. I cannot imagine carrying around pen and paper and keeping the sheer volume of notes, PowerPoints, and textbooks organized without my iPad. I use Notability, Safari and Chrome for school, YouTube, all the movie streaming apps, calendars, on the Magic Keyboard, off of it, scanning paperwork for school, side by side with my MacBook Air when zooming for class. It’s a workhorse for me even though I’m not taking advantage of the M1’s power. The 8GB of RAM on my model (256GB SSD) is noticeably better at keeping apps open for days vs my 2018 12.9 model with the 4GB of RAM. It’s a fantastic device which is why there’s probably a lot of frustration that it isn’t capable of more, and that iPadOS software is needlessly complicated at times because Apple is unwilling to make some changes to really open it up. Floating windows, full monitor support and not just iPad screen mirroring, revised Files app, ability to fully open 3 apps not just the stacks, much better usage of screen space with widgets, native calculator and weather apps. Apple has a recent track record of listening to customers and reversing course on some design decisions, let’s hope they’re aware of the frustrations with iPadOS and bring some big changes to iPadOS 16. If they don’t make big changes, they can expect lackluster at best sales going forward for iPad Pros. People are no longer going to be wowed by yet another impressive hardware spec bump.
Last edited:
Personally, I feel like the iPad Pro is actually more akin to a 2-seater sports car. Fast and pretty but ultimately not as versatile as a truck/van/SUV particularly when you're often stuck in bumper-to-bumper SoCal traffic.
Works just fine though for getting from point A to point B as long as you don't need to haul a lot of people or stuff.
Idk if you deliberately try to misconstrue arguments or if it’s me who’s not good at writing (could be me as it’s not my first language). First of all, it’s not that simple to be honest, there is much more complexity in simple tasks that is present in the iPadOS. Secondly, I did not say that apple should take iPadOS and make it like macOS although many would actually want that. An app like Xcode for example would not suddenly turn an iPad into a Mac but will add to the functionality and use the capabilities of the M1 chip and so will a better and much reliable files app.
Simple tasks are complex on iPad in multiple places. They only try to fix multitasking on the iPad with each version but it’s still as confusing as it was before to me. This one I found recently- if you have multiple safari windows open and you close one window from the app switcher then all the tabs on the opened safari window reload. 8gb Ram isn’t much for that, is it?
Just like you can give countless cases of how it’s such a good device with such good software, I can give countless cases where it isn’t.
What specific options are you talking about? Surface, Mac or something else? Each has their own disadvantages but they aren’t crippled like the iPad (you will obviously disagree) but many will agree as well. and what are your specific desires in regards to iPad, all I read was that you think it’s good the way it is and if you think if it’s really that good then what more you could actually want from an iPad in regards to the software?
If you don’t want anything more from the software then why are you so oppose to others who like it to be better? and every software if the intention is to get updated adds something to it which makes it more “modern” and the potential of it being more COMPLEX with each update. The iPhone currently with iOS15 is 100x more complex than it was with the first version of iOS. Many people who aren’t that tech savvy use the iPhone daily and their desires aren’t hampered that there exists complexity in their device. I don’t even use half the camera features baked into the default camera app but I am so glad and happy that it exists for the people that take advantage of it.
iPadOS will get updated and if people voice something that they want something to be better in the iPadOS then they most definitely should and be encouraged for it.
and about selling, I’ll sell it if I can get good money for it (I have listed it online) else it stays until I can find some use for it for me or to give someone else I care about, no one in my family has any use of the iPad, I gave them the iPad Air 2 previously and it ate dust for months.
and I am not gonna argue with you anymore, I read your posts and it would certainly ruin my day if I carried it any forward (no disrespects).
Maybe now that the M1 chip has been in the iPad for a year and Apple has most certainly become aware of the general disappointment with the mismatched hardware to software they will bring some notable updates in iPadOS 16…we can dream…
It very well could be the case. Although I don’t think there will be any drastic shift, I am cautiously optimistic for the things to be better.
I am not misconstruing your argument, nor are you bad at writing. The Files app has been extremely robust in my experience; whar’s your basis for saying it’s unreliable? ‘Making it better‘ - from your comments, the way you’ve discussed it previously makes it sound like you do want it to be more like macOS. I have no problem with you wanting Apple to bring more apps to the platform, I just think you have an uphill battle in that regard. As I said elsewhere, the people posting to this forum are a niche - Apple’s tablets and phones appear to be made for a much more general audience.
I believe that you can. No single tool is the best for all possible jobs, nor do they need to be.
The Galaxy Tabs, the Surfaces, many 2-in-1s, Apple’s MacBooks, etc. I do disagree that the iPad is crippled, when what you really mean is that the iPad doesn’t cover as many use cases as some other devices. Is a MacBook Pro crippled because it can’t run the software needed for a big supercomputer? Of course not.
We have differing values for what constitutes ‘better.’ I’m not at all opposed to Apple improving iPadOS. I simply don’t want it to become macOS. Why do you assume if someone doesn’t want the same things you do that they’re opposed to improvement?
I have some trouble parsing this sentence - are you saying people should be allowed and encouraged to express their wishes for the future of the OS? Or that if people want something to be changed that Apple should do it?
Feel free. If an Internet forum debate ruins your day, you may be well served to take a break and go enjoy the outdoors. That is not a snide remark on my part, but a serious suggestion.
Agreed that if you can add complexity without making things complicated for people who don't need that extra function, that would be ideal. But the problem is when you can't, or don't. I can't think of a specific example right now, but there's been many times when a new os or software update dropped, and I used it and winced as I anticipated that I would need to talk my less tech-savvy friends and relatives through understanding the changes.
Well I can say for me, the iPad is pretty useful. I’m in school and I use mine mainly for that and media consumption (YouTube/Netflix etc). I like the iPad because its pretty portable. I do have MBA but my iPad Air has LTE with it makes it a lot easier for me when I’m traveling and I have to go to hotels etc. I feel like when the iPad was first introduced it wasn’t as useful. You couldn’t use word with it or anything like that. But now especially since we‘re still dealing with the Pandemic, it actually has a purpose for me.
Perhaps it has run out of rope but maybe that’s OK. Maybe that is a far as Apple is willing to take it, now.
At one point it seems that Apple thought that the iPad could be a suitable replacement for a Mac and that is how they were marketing it, but they have never taken the software far enough to really make that true. I got a 2018 11” iPad Pro with smart folio keyboard with the idea that I would use it for writing. The 2014 MBP I had at the time was just too clunky.
As it stands, the iPad line is an excellent consumption device for a wide range of media. It is also suitable for some single-task productivity tasks such as writing, drawing, communication. Even advanced tasks like audio editing and video editing can be done after a fashion if you can work entirely within a single application. Where you start to run into speed bumps is in complex tasks. Using multiple apps to compose complex documents is just harder on an iPad than on a Mac. Doing tasks with complicated processes like programming is an excercise in frustration. Those more complex use cases are where a Mac‘s flexibility is better suited.
I’m still enjoying using my iPad Pro as my evening computer where it lets me browse the web, read articles, review photos, listen to music or watch videos. My day computer is either my work MBP or my personal M1 MBA. they feel more comfortable for the more complex use cases that pay the bills. At the end of the evening, I’ll settle in with my Kindle to relax with some reading.
I’ve decided to stop trying to fight the nature of the iPad to force it to be the same kind of productivity device as my Mac. They both have a place in my life but I’m learning what each one is better suited for and I am happier for no longer fighting against their natures. Maybe Apple is coming to the same conclusion?
You do try to misconstrue it. I never said it should become like macOS, you infer it in your imagination. Whether it’s a downhill/uphill battle it doesn’t matter, I don‘t give up something just because it’s difficult in nature so if speaking out on what I find bad in a software that would lead to somewhere or not is a completely different thing. You have no data to back up that people who are in this forum are niche when they are voicing their opinion. As far as files app is concerned, sure, first of all it doesn’t have an eject button on the external hard drives then moving further, why do I have to open a video file with quicklook then hit the share button and then open that select file in the video player of my choice? Simple much eh? How about an “open with” button and what about a setting a default video player. Why do I have to go into quicklook in the first place?
I agree, no single tool is best for all possible jobs…
Of course you disagree that it’s not crippled, that’s your whole argument for it. Taking the MacBook pro scenario that you so proudly included. We are not here running supercomputers and I can safely say that about most people. And the reason IT IS NOT CRIPPLED is that there exist apps and software that do take advantage of the hardware hence the advancement in chips every year, they grow in relation with each other, the demanding apps require demanding cpus hence the new chips. Where are these apps and software for the iPad With the same guts as the MacBook? I will specifically stick with Xcode and FCP to exemplify this so as to be specific.
“Better: of a higher quality or level or more suitable than somebody/something “ definition from google. I would just say that you have not suggested one thing that you would like it to be better in iPadOS hence the assumption and that’s the observation I had in regards to your words. All you have done till now is to try to downplay what others feel about the software like the Files app to be specific. If you’re blinded in the way you can’t see faults doesn’t mean that they don’t exist.
People should be allowed and encouraged to express their wishes for the future of the OS, yes and apple as any other company who values customer feedback should listen to it And incorporate the changes.
Thanks but no thanks for the suggestion. It’s not an “if”, Comments on the internet do ruin people’s day and twitter is the biggest example of that. and I admit it’s my fault that i am still replying to your posts. I was better off when I didn’t used to post anything.
Agreed, I would say windows 8.1 with the missing start menu. There’s always that probability that it could make things worse or complicated but that doesn’t mean that Windows 8.1 didn’t improve further, we got windows 10 down the road or the shift from iOS6 to 7 also comes to mind. My mom didn’t even knew what control centre was at one point of time and I have to explain it to her. It was complicated for her but it added immense value for her using the phone. Home button to gestures was a pain as well for less tech-savvy people but we get beautif designs like iPhone 13 etc.
Yeah I'd just like to see more pro-grade apps, and see it have a better OS. That functionality seems to be held back intentionally by Apple, as others have said. The M1 is such a hugely powerful processor, but by and large the options to run apps that mimmick the power of their Pc/Mac equivalents are few and far between.
Couple of pages back I used the analogy that Apple have stuck a sportscar's engine into a car that they've intentionally limited to 20mph. I still feel that way.
I know that at the end of the day this is all just my opinion, and any other opinions are just as valid. I've certainly at no point intended to come across as 'superior'. But seeing that only one person with a low feedback feels I came across as holier than thou, I'll make the assumption that hopefully most people haven't interpreted my posts that way, but if they have, it was definitely not intended.
You should use the analogy it's like the new AMG EQE electric cars, the starting model has a top speed of only 131mph. Next model is 137mph and it'll cost over a hundred grand!
Internal combustion engine AMG cars I don't think have a lower speed then 155mph.
But yeah the cars have silly amounts of horse power and torque, yet Mercedes' will artificially limit the performance severely. The fastest the top model is allowed to go after you pay more money is 149mph, with over 670HP.
Oodles of power and massive performance on tap, artificially severely limited through software whilst still commanding a high premium price.
Last edited:
Are you sure you mean miles per hour, and not kilometers per hour? Because the maximum speed limit on US highways, I believe is 85mph. So it doesn't really matter if your car can achieve 130mph or 150mph, because you aren't supposed to go anywhere that fast anyway.
And that's been kind of how computer speed feels to me nowadays. I mean, there's very few things I do where I feel like my device is too slow or not powerful enough. Having more powerful chips feels like buying a car that goes 150mph to drive on a highway with 85mph speed limit.