iPad Pro Is the 2021 iPad Pro even worth waiting for?

[wetrollerskate]

With the next generation Pro's likely to get a price bump, is the 2020 Pro actually the smarter buy rather than waiting till March?

Other than the chip and mini-LED, it seems that the Pro will remain the same.

It was brought up multiple times in other threads - people are saying that the iPad has peaked (for now), not because of the hardware but because the OS and software is so limited. There is a consensus that further upgrades in processing power are pretty much useless, as the A12Z/A12X still isn't being utilized to its fullest. So what would the benefit of an A14X be if what you do can't fully make use of that power?

Do you think next year will finally be the year that software catches up with the hardware? Or are we more likely to see the same story?

 

[cupcakes2000]

I don’t think that’s an accurate consensus or even a widely thought one to be honest. The iPad pro is an amazing piece of kit, and the software for it is only getting better. There are some apps available that absolutely are able to keep up with their desktop counterparts and absolutely put the machine to the test.
iPados is still only within its first iterations, it’s still finding its feet and needs time to mature. It’s not that it’s limiting, per se. It’s more that it’s a different way of computing requiring a different outlook than some people (especially on this site) are used to and often not even willing to try to see.
As for the hardware, I think the next release (i don’t know when that will be) will be a big release. The 2020 version seemed to be a minor update to all intents and purposes. I’m also not sure they’re ‘likely’ put the price up. What makes you say that?
My 2018 iPP is still absolutely flying along. More power is always good though.

 

[wetrollerskate]

I don’t think that’s an accurate consensus or even a widely thought one to be honest. The iPad pro is an amazing piece of kit, and the software for it is only getting better. There are some apps available that absolutely are able to keep up with their desktop counterparts and absolutely put the machine to the test.
iPados is still only within its first iterations, it’s still finding its feet and needs time to mature. It’s not that it’s limiting, per se. It’s more that it’s a different way of computing requiring a different outlook than some people (especially on this site) are used to and often not even willing to try to see.
As for the hardware, I think the next release (i don’t know when that will be) will be a big release. The 2020 version seemed to be a minor update to all intents and purposes. I’m also not sure they’re ‘likely’ put the price up. What makes you say that?
My 2018 iPP is still absolutely flying along. More power is always good though.

It's wonderful that your device was so ahead of its time, but what you just said makes me reiterate my thoughts. It's amazing hardware but the software seems like it's not there yet.

I very much agree that it's a different way of computing and I am more than happy to know that my iPad today is blazing fast. But at this point it feels like the rate of Apple's chip improvements are outpacing the OS improvements. iPadOS15 could be just as major of an update as the next Pros though.

I assumed the next Pro would get a similar price bump like the new Air, as the gap seems too small (specifically for the 11") for Apple to not take advantage of next year.

 

[Abazigal]

With the next generation Pro's likely to get a price bump, is the 2020 Pro actually the smarter buy rather than waiting till March?

Other than the chip and mini-LED, it seems that the Pro will remain the same.

It was brought up multiple times in other threads - people are saying that the iPad has peaked (for now), not because of the hardware but because the OS and software is so limited. There is a consensus that further upgrades in processing power are pretty much useless, as the A12Z/A12X still isn't being utilized to its fullest. So what would the benefit of an A14X be if what you do can't fully make use of that power?

Do you think next year will finally be the year that software catches up with the hardware? Or are we more likely to see the same story?

Now that iOS and macOS share the same underlying code, I wonder if we will see a reverse-pull effect of sorts, where ARM Macs get developers to create true productivity apps for the Mac, which would in turn be compatible with the iPad.

Of course, the problem is that an app designed for a keyboard and mouse interface may not be optimised for an 11" touchscreen tablet, but we at least still have the 12.9" iPad Pro which isn't that far off from the 13" Macbook. And iPads now have cursor support as well, so it's not all bad.

Random musing - what if the next iPad doesn't use the A14x chip, but instead sports an under clocked M1 processor instead and 8gb of ram instead?

 

[kristalsoldier]

Your question was/ is whether it’s worth waiting for the next iteration of the IPP. The answer to that is: it depends.

I just bought the IPP 11” 2020 a week or so back. I was, till then, using the 2017 10.5” IPP, which had no discernible defect aside from a slightly diminished battery, which was to be expected because I have had it from pretty much release day and have used it hard since then. Could I have waited for the next year’s IPP (or, for that matter, the new iPad Air)? Yes, of course. But I did not. While I have explained my reasoning elsewhere on this forum, simply put, my decision was based on the reducing trade in value for the 10.5 IPP, the storage option assessment, and the RAM. That, plus the discounts I was getting, made it worth my while.

Next year, it is likely that the primary changes will be the screen and the chip. For my purposes, neither really matters. For me what counts is longevity and I am confident that the 2020 IPP will remain relevant for at least 3-5 years. So, for a person like me, no there is no need to wait and/ or to upgrade.

That said, there folks for who the screen upgrade will matter as will the chip upgrade. This may be because their work demands it. It could also be simply the case that they may want to have the latest and greatest. And that’s fine.

And then there are those who argue in terms of “future proofing”, which - particularly in the context of the iPad, which is already a powerful platform underserved by its OS - is not an argument that holds much water.

That’s why I say, “it depends”.

Edit: And, as for the potential for a price increase of a 2021 model, if I was a betting person, I’d bet that there would be a rise in the price. After all, at the very least the “new” screen technology has to be paid for.

 

[wetrollerskate]

Now that iOS and macOS share the same underlying code, I wonder if we will see a reverse-pull effect of sorts, where ARM Macs get developers to create true productivity apps for the Mac, which would in turn be compatible with the iPad.

Of course, the problem is that an app designed for a keyboard and mouse interface may not be optimised for an 11" touchscreen tablet, but we at least still have the 12.9" iPad Pro which isn't that far off from the 13" Macbook. And iPads now have cursor support as well, so it's not all bad.

Random musing - what if the next iPad doesn't use the A14x chip, but instead sports an under clocked M1 processor instead and 8gb of ram instead?

Yes that would really be incredible. It seems like thats the direction they're going due to the cross-platform abilities with macOS. The M1 hype is so real I feel like even from just a marketing perspective it doesn't make sense not to put it in the next iPP.

Also a case for M1 in the Pros - they've been advertising it as a "laptop replacement" this year, and made a $400 keyboard to further that claim. If they can do that, whats to stop them from putting a Mac chip in there as well?

All that remains is if iPadOS15 will be as amazing of an upgrade...

 

[kristalsoldier]

Yes that is also what I'm betting on. It seems like thats the direction they're going due to the cross-platform abilities with macOS. The M1 hype is so real I feel like even from just a marketing perspective it doesn't make sense not to put it in the next iPP.

I disagree. How is that advantageous to Apple?

 

[wetrollerskate]

I disagree. How is that advantageous to Apple?

Whether they will or not doesn't really matter, right? Since A14X is pretty much the equivalent of an M1. In regards to the naming scheme of the chip, it does fall in line with how they're currently marketing the Pro and having it called M1 instead of A14X might even drive their sales. I don't think it'll cannabilize Macbook sales.

 

[ejin222]

Yes that would really be incredible. It seems like thats the direction they're going due to the cross-platform abilities with macOS. The M1 hype is so real I feel like even from just a marketing perspective it doesn't make sense not to put it in the next iPP.

Also a case for M1 in the Pros - they've been advertising it as a "laptop replacement" this year, and made a $400 keyboard to further that claim. If they can do that, whats to stop them from putting a Mac chip in there as well?

All that remains is if iPadOS15 will be as amazing of an upgrade...

What's to stop them from putting the M1 in the next iPad Pro? Lack of competition, cost to value (for Apple, not for us), marketing. I mean, if the world heard that the M1, the same one inside a MBP was inside an iPP, then the MBP loses its shine.

Apple isn't trying to sell you the best iPP it can make. Rather, it's trying to sell the most iPP's for the least investment.

I love my iPP, but hardware was NEVER the issue with it. It was always software.

 

[kristalsoldier]

Whether they will or not doesn't really matter since A14X is pretty much the equivalent of an M1. In terms of the naming scheme of the chip, it does fall in line with how they're currently marketing the Pro and having it called M1 instead of A14X might even drive their sales. I don't think it'll cannabilize Macbook sales.

The question of cannibalisation will only come up if Mac apps are made available on the iPad. At that point either one of them will face an increasing amount of redundancy.

 

[ejin222]

Whether they will or not doesn't really matter, right? Since A14X is pretty much the equivalent of an M1. In terms of the naming scheme of the chip, it does fall in line with how they're currently marketing the Pro and having it called M1 instead of A14X might even drive their sales. I don't think it'll cannabilize Macbook sales.

I highly doubt the A14X will have as many cores, or as many cores activated, for the next iPP.

They will probably take M1 chips that didn't pass MBP levels of quality and put it inside the iPP at best. If not, then they'll make fewer cores for the A14X.

My guess/thoughts.

 

[wetrollerskate]

What's to stop them from putting the M1 in the next iPad Pro? Lack of competition, cost to value (for Apple, not for us), marketing. I mean, if the world heard that the M1, the same one inside a MBP was inside an iPP, then the MBP loses its shine.

Apple isn't trying to sell you the best iPP it can make. Rather, it's trying to sell the most iPP's for the least investment.

I love my iPP, but hardware was NEVER the issue with it. It was always software.

Yeah - which goes back to my original point. Whether the next chip is an M1 or A14X in the next iPP, would the software be able to make use of it? Thus, is it worth upgrading for current iPP users or will we be faced with a limitation for the next few years while the hardware just keeps improving?

 

[ejin222]

Yeah - which goes back to my original point. Whether the next chip is an M1 or A14X in the next iPP, would the software be able to make use of it? Thus, is it worth upgrading for current iPP users or will we be faced with a limitation for next few years?

My issue isn't with Apple's software. My issue is with the developers not giving us desktop quality software/apps.

With that perspective, it really depends on the apps you use. For me, the Apps I use on my MBP/MM aren't optimized on the iPP. Therefore, I will always need MacOS. For others, they are perfectly happy with their iPads and apps.

I would say that for the vast majority, the 2021 iPP will not be a worthwhile upgrade. But, how many of us on this forum ever buy a new iPad because we NEED it? haha

 

[KittyKatta]

It all depends on Apple.

If Apple chooses to allow the iPad to be an equal to the Mac in terms of software and development then it Would be well worth it for a Pro user to take advantage of the rumored features.

But if Apple continues to ignore the software side and doesn’t make compatibility for the iPad then the next Pro will be the same old overpowered device but a bit more expensive.

It makes sense to wait if you can, but I went ahead and bought a Pro11 and I’m fine with it. These are just really good machines.

 

[AutomaticApple]

Now that iOS and macOS share the same underlying code, I wonder if we will see a reverse-pull effect of sorts, where ARM Macs get developers to create true productivity apps for the Mac, which would in turn be compatible with the iPad.

Yes, I really hope that developers do that. It would make the Mac App Store much better.

 

[007p]

Knowing Apple I expect they think by forcing iPad/iphone apps onto Mac that developers will magically just support keyboard/mouse. They are then hoping that if devs find it so easy to do that they’ll start creating apps that have both methods supported and that will be how more ‘advanced’ apps make it to the iPad.

There’s obviously loads wrong with this method and I expect for the most part developers will either immediately opt out of allowing their iphone/iPad app on the Mac App Store or consider the app unsupported/abandon.

I hope this isn’t Apples plan, but I wouldn’t be shocked if it is. Wouldn’t be the first time.

 

[Tsepz]

With the next generation Pro's likely to get a price bump, is the 2020 Pro actually the smarter buy rather than waiting till March?

Other than the chip and mini-LED, it seems that the Pro will remain the same.

It was brought up multiple times in other threads - people are saying that the iPad has peaked (for now), not because of the hardware but because the OS and software is so limited. There is a consensus that further upgrades in processing power are pretty much useless, as the A12Z/A12X still isn't being utilized to its fullest. So what would the benefit of an A14X be if what you do can't fully make use of that power?

Do you think next year will finally be the year that software catches up with the hardware? Or are we more likely to see the same story?

Yeah I hope the software does catch up next year as I doubt iPad OS even uses more than 3GB RAM on the iPad Pros with 6GB RAM, lol.

With Apple having focused on iOS this year, I hope 2021 is them focusing on iPad OS.

 

[kazmac]

Depends on the user, so I say yes.

For me, no. The Air 4 gives me what I wanted from the iPP (and if iPad Mini gets the Air 4 design & features, I’ll shift to the iPad Mini.)

I do most of my creating on a Mac, iPads are for my art and web browsing. With the M chip Macs, I look forward to doing more creating on the Mac again.

That said, I respect folks who use the iPad Pros as their primary machine.

Get what works best or is most enjoyable for you.

 

[muzzy996]

For me yes. I’ve had my 2017 iPP 12.9 for almost 3 years now and the changes in the platform while nice to have, have not compelled me to part with the $1200 that I’d need to part with to upgrade it to a similarly equipped current model. I truly hope that will change in 2021. I can’t help but think that if I have felt this way about the jump from 2017 to newer models surely many of those who are on 2018’s or 2020’s will likely see less benefit from the next release so I can understand the questions being posted.

I feel like now’s a good time for current iPad Pro users to wait and see. If a new model of iPP comes out without any shift in iPadOS to support differentiating hardware features of the new iPP then we’re likely in for another year or two of more of the same. If Apple surprises us though then there’s going to be a flood of used iPPs on the market LOL. I for one would love to see the next iPP release with thunderbolt support accompanied by an iPadOS update that allows desktop spanning onto external monitor.

 

[Kjs100]

The new model might be out in 3/4 months so if you can wait surely it's better to see what the new model brings. The chip in the Pro is essentially 2 years old and however capable the A12z is, the A14x is going to be much better and the mini led might be nice. Never know, Apple might surprise us with some other new feature / design that makes the new model an attractive purchase. Its a lot of money for a model that's predicted to soon be replaced.

 

[Natzoo]

If you decide on the pro, other resellers have it new for $50-100 cheaper. I wouldn’t pay the MSRP.

 

[MevetS]

Now that iOS and macOS share the same underlying code, I wonder if we will see a reverse-pull effect of sorts, where ARM Macs get developers to create true productivity apps for the Mac, which would in turn be compatible with the iPad.

... snip ...

You do know that iOS, and thus iPadOS, are based on macOS, right? And thus they have always shared the same underlying code.

 

[blurryvision]

Interesting...

 

[pdoherty]

Now that iOS and macOS share the same underlying code, I wonder if we will see a reverse-pull effect of sorts, where ARM Macs get developers to create true productivity apps for the Mac, which would in turn be compatible with the iPad.

Of course, the problem is that an app designed for a keyboard and mouse interface may not be optimised for an 11" touchscreen tablet, but we at least still have the 12.9" iPad Pro which isn't that far off from the 13" Macbook. And iPads now have cursor support as well, so it's not all bad.

Random musing - what if the next iPad doesn't use the A14x chip, but instead sports an under clocked M1 processor instead and 8gb of ram instead?

Why underclocked? Just for heat management’s sake?

Underclocked or not, I think it would be cool if they made the new IPP both a tablet and a more full-featured computer if you docked it. Full size monitor, keyboard and mouse when you want, and tablet the rest of the time.

 

[AutomaticApple]

View attachment 1665659
Interesting...

Are we wild with theories now? 😂

Apple executives talk new M1 chip, downplay touchscreen Mac rumors in new interview - 9to5Mac

Following the announcement of the first M1-powered Macs earlier this week, a trio of Apple executives spoke with The Independent...

9to5mac.com