iPad iPad lineup a hot mess...

[Santabean2000]

The new iPad lineup is a confusing, hot mess.

There is so much overlap and so many weird compromises, trying to figure out which iPad is best for whom is now an exercise in real frustration.

I'm a keen iPad user, and have been for a long time. I use them professionally and in my personal life (in accompaniment to Macs) and want to see the line up thrive.

But seriously, Tim, keep it simple.

WTF...

 

[FeliApple]

Yeah, the new iPad is a worse Air 4 (no P3, no laminated display, the totally weird inclusion of the Apple Pencil 1 with its own adapter), it really makes no sense. I haven't used an iPad camera ever, unless you like that, but still… if it were $329 it would be one thing but at that price? I’d take the Air 4.

The home button lives on for a little longer I guess…

 

[gdjsnyder]

I have to completely agree, it seems like Apple has no direction at the moment. The Pro lineup is fine, I’m not upset that there were no big updates to it. People who want or need a pro can get the m2 version now instead of the m1 or m1 at a possibly reduced cost. But adding a new iPad between the entry level and the air is just so confusing. Ai could see if the 10th gen iPad replaced the 9th gen but they left the 9th gen in the lineup without even a price decrease. There was just no point in introducing the 10th gen, they could’ve slapped the A chip in the 9th gen and called it a day, would’ve made far more sense.

 

[Rogifan]

Six Colors and MacStories agree with you.

The iPad’s erratic odyssey continues

The new iPad and the new Magic Keyboard Folio. On Tuesday morning, Apple announced new iPad and iPad Pro models via press release. On their own, they are reasonable and understandable upgrades over…

sixcolors.com

Apple Announces Strange New iPad and iPad Pro Lineup

This morning Apple announced their all-new iPad and iPad Pro lineups via press release and a short announcement video. The new iPad (non-Pro) features new colors and an updated square-edge design that brings it in line with the rest of Apple’s modern iPads and iPhones. The iPad Pro has been...

www.macstories.net

You get lineups like this when product marketing is driving the bus and it’s all about hitting price points or creating the upsell. Every Apple product line should be good —> better —> best. Or maybe just non-pro and pro.

 

[Devyn89]

I miss when Apple had iPad, iPad Mini and iPad Pro. That was enough. If you really want to add in the Air do it but then don’t make it so close to the iPad Pro.

 

[rui no onna]

I miss when Apple had iPad, iPad Mini and iPad Pro. That was enough. If you really want to add in the Air do it but then don’t make it so close to the iPad Pro.

I think the Air 5 is a good option. Great performance and longevity at a lower price point for those who don't need all the bells and whistles of the Pro 11.

It's really just the 10th gen that's out of place.

 

[Username-already-in-use]

I’m guessing that as Apple couldn’t keep the 10th Gen price down they felt the need to continue the 9th Gen at the lower price point. Secondly, some people really love the home button and want that option.

 

[Santabean2000]

Six Colors and MacStories agree with you.

The iPad’s erratic odyssey continues

The new iPad and the new Magic Keyboard Folio. On Tuesday morning, Apple announced new iPad and iPad Pro models via press release. On their own, they are reasonable and understandable upgrades over…

sixcolors.com

Apple Announces Strange New iPad and iPad Pro Lineup

This morning Apple announced their all-new iPad and iPad Pro lineups via press release and a short announcement video. The new iPad (non-Pro) features new colors and an updated square-edge design that brings it in line with the rest of Apple’s modern iPads and iPhones. The iPad Pro has been...

www.macstories.net

You get lineups like this when product marketing is driving the bus and it’s all about hitting price points or creating the upsell. Every Apple product line should be good —> better —> best. Or maybe just non-pro and pro.

Every Apple product line should be good —> better —> best. Or maybe just non-pro and pro.

Couldn't agree more.

 

[Santabean2000]

I’m guessing that as Apple couldn’t keep the 10th Gen price down they felt the need to continue the 9th Gen at the lower price point. Secondly, some people really love the home button and want that option.

Price, cost... yes, exactly.

The spreadsheet doctrine when it comes to creating a lineup.

I get it, but also think at best it's entirely unnecessary, and at worst completely self-defeating in the long run.

 

[Slartibart]

I’m guessing that as Apple couldn’t keep the 10th Gen price down they felt the need to continue the 9th Gen at the lower price point. Secondly, some people really love the home button and want that option.

as well as e.g. schools - keeping iPads as well as Bluetooth headphones always sufficient charged - as well as the logistic nightmare of keeping the pairs of individual headphones and its iPad… well, this does not sound like fun for teachers or support staff at a school, does it? 🤓

The 9th generation will be around for quite some more time, I guess.

 

[Abazigal]

My guess is that the 10th gen iPad will eventually replace the 9th gen iPad. It just needs another year or two for costs to come down so Apple can reduce the price further. I don't know if Apple can ever lower it enough to reach that magical $329/299 threshold, but at present, the iPad costs more because it cost more to design and make, and that's simply the reality of hardware manufacturing.

 

[Dealmans]

All overpriced now

 

[nStyle]

Someone looking for “iPad for dummies” now may mistakenly order a whole new iPad instead of a book on how to use an iPad.

 

[adamlbiscuit]

It's confusing and it gets worse when you start to consider the accessories. Smart keyboard folio, magic keyboard, magic keyboard folio, smart folio, apple pencil 1, apple pencil 2. Each only compatible with certain generations / models of iPad that are slowly starting to look the same at first glance.

It'll only be a matter of time before grandma buys her grandkid an apple pencil 2 for their iPad 10th gen and they wonder why it won't work. Poor grandma ends up in the bad books.

At least with the Mac if you buy a Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse / Trackpad they work with every mac in the lineup from the bottom up with no adapters or additional purchases.

Honestly feels like the iPad team are a completely different company to the rest of Apple sometimes.

Feeling very disillusioned with the iPad right now. Price increases don't help, either.

 

[mectojic]

Apple is reaching Michael Spindler levels of product confusion these days. What happened to the Steve Jobs vision of just consumer and pro device? We only need a iPad (mini / 11-inch, A15) and iPad Pro (11 / 12.9 inch, M2)

 

[mectojic]

I miss when Apple had iPad, iPad Mini and iPad Pro. That was enough. If you really want to add in the Air do it but then don’t make it so close to the iPad Pro.

I think the Air started messing up the lineup. And it was totally unnecessary. All iPads have always been light... it's not like they removed the optical drive from an iPad.

 

[tofagerl]

I have a normal iPad 2018.
At least four times a year I think to myself "This is so slow! I should get a new one!"

Every time I've rejected the idea, because I have no idea which iPad I should get, and if I was to get a new one, I'd want a keyboard case, but I'm not paying what a normal iPad used to cost just for the keyboard for the new one!

 

[maflynn]

I agree, I think Apple needs to streamline some of their product lines. The iPad does seem to be the worst offender

 

[Digitalguy]

I am probably in the minority but I like having more choice so I am for Apple not removing models and also adding a larger iPad pro. I can understand some may be confused by more models, but as a nerd, it's not an issue for me.. Just my 2 cents...

 

[adamlbiscuit]

I think the Air started messing up the lineup. And it was totally unnecessary. All iPads have always been light... it's not like they removed the optical drive from an iPad.

I think you're right.

The iPad has always been advertised as 'thin and light' and therefore the Air branding has always felt redundant to me. It felt redundant in 2013, and it feels even more redundant now. The Air is still the lightest full-size iPad but the difference is so small you're grasping at straws really.

Fair enough the 1st gen iPad Air truly was significantly thinner and lighter than what came before, but that was just a natural development of the 9.7-inch iPad and didn't need to be rebranded 'Air'.

When the MacBook Air was introduced it made perfect sense as it genuinely was strikingly thin and it ushered in a new class of notebook computers. It booted out the optical drive and shocked the world with how it could fit in an envelope. iPad Air? Can't say the same. In fact I recall a slight giggle from the audience when Phil Shiller said it'd be called iPad Air.

I'm not a marketing guy. Apple know the sales numbers better than I ever could, but I just think it'd be so much better if the iPad line went something like:

iPad SE (a rebranded 9th gen iPad)

iPad (includes the 10th gen iPad and also the iPad mini. I'd bring the 10th Gen iPad specs up to match the mini and make it compatible with the 2nd gen pencil)

iPad Pro (11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad we know today).

As for accessories, the 1st gen apple pencil would stick around but only for the iPad SE. Apple could market it as Apple Pencil (for iPad SE) rather than the nondescript '1st generation'. Everything else would work with Apple Pencil 2.

Magic Keyboards, Folios, and Smart Covers would work with all full-size iPads with the modern design. the mini iPad and the iPad SE would still need to have their own cases due to their size/shape.

It's still not as streamlined as it could be but at least it makes more sense. In an ideal world we wouldn't have any 'SE' model but I get that Apple like to use that as a way of saying 'the iPad starts at only £369".

Again I'm not a marketing guy and the big price gap between regular and pro would be an issue I don't have an idea of how to resolve, but it should be a lot more streamlined than it is.

 

[minimo3]

Just wait till they release the 14” iPad Ultra next year with yet another different magic keyboard and pencil 3 😆

 

[playtech1]

My pick of line-up would be:

iPad - in Mini / Regular / Large
iPad Pro - in Mini / Regular / Large

That way you get all three sizes (since I think size is the key differentiator), with the ability to upgrade to a Pro version of a size if you need the higher end configuration.

We could have ended up here quite easily if Apple kept a home button version of the Mini, Regular and 12 inch iPads in the range and then had the Pro line-up be the the FaceID range.

As things stand the minor spec differences are so numerous and arbitrary you have to really dig into the range to work out whether you are getting the best of something or not.

Although the worst thing is that Apple hasn't really delivered anything exciting to the iPad in years - my 2018 11 inch iPad Pro is really no different to the latest model.

 

[T'hain Esh Kelch]

The funny part is that if Apple just didn't increase the price dramatically for the 10th, then this issue wouldn't be a problem. Heck, or even kept the price and didn't add USB-C.

 

[Jackbequickly]

Not going to question Apple’s marketing. I knew what I wanted and it is on the way. Be here on the 26th

 

[ericg301]

The 10th gen means they’ve given up on the education market. All hail king Chromebook’s.