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iPad Air Jason Snell says iPad Air exists to bring iPad Pro features to a cheaper iPad
- Thread starter Rogifan
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I think it's more a supply-chain thing. They can use existing iPad Pro parts whose R&D cost has been amortized and where the supply chain is well established. That’s cheaper than having to develop new components for the cheaper model.
It's the same as features trickling down from the iPhone Pro Max to the Pro, and from the Pro to the regular iPhone. It's not that they want the cheaper models to get Pro features specifically, it’s that the cheaper models have to gain some new features, and its cheapest for that to simply be former Pro features that already exist.
It's the same as features trickling down from the iPhone Pro Max to the Pro, and from the Pro to the regular iPhone. It's not that they want the cheaper models to get Pro features specifically, it’s that the cheaper models have to gain some new features, and its cheapest for that to simply be former Pro features that already exist.
Having just watched the event, isn’t that verbatim what the guy introducing the iPad Air said?
Edit: Yup, it’s the first thing he says at the beginning of the iPad Air segment
So I guess it wasn’t really on background. Or it was reiterated in the press briefing Jason was at.
Makes sense. I wonder at what point the Face ID components become cheap enough for the Air. Are there many customers buy the Pro over the Air specifically because it has Face ID?
There certainly are. Some even buy a Pro just for the quad speakers.
Exactly
People need to stop claiming everything Apple says or doesn’t say is a conspiracy
They can’t be more transparent than this
They even ditched leather for the rubbish that’s FineWoven that everyone hates
Yet Apple is the villain??? 🥺
That was probably it. If they stated it in the videos it’s definitely part of the media package that reps are supposed to highlight.
The air exists to hit a price point and to drive upsells to the pro.
The rest of it is a bunch of marketing BS, including anything they shovel through Snell
The rest of it is a bunch of marketing BS, including anything they shovel through Snell
What they said essentially means the same thing
Otherwise the price gap between 10th gen and Pros would be too big
He's not wrong. Every new feature the Air gets are "hand-me-downs" from the previous gen Pros.
I'm happy that the Air is finally getting the larger 13 inch screen, but I'm disappointed that ProMotion still hasn't trickled down to the Air. Maybe the next refresh.
I'm happy that the Air is finally getting the larger 13 inch screen, but I'm disappointed that ProMotion still hasn't trickled down to the Air. Maybe the next refresh.
Is ProMotion really expensive? I assume that’s why Face ID hasn’t come to the Air yet.
It should be obvious, no?
iPad Air uses a completely different logic board layout and internal chassis design. Apple developed Touch ID power button just for iPad Air. So it's clear Apple isn't reusing iPad Pro parts. Apple sold iPhone 11 for $499 including Face ID.
What used to be iPad Pro price in 2018 is now iPad Air pricing in 2024. As tablets become more mature, upgrade cycles will lengthen. This means Apple must find ways to increase ASP.
iPad Air uses a completely different logic board layout and internal chassis design. Apple developed Touch ID power button just for iPad Air. So it's clear Apple isn't reusing iPad Pro parts. Apple sold iPhone 11 for $499 including Face ID.
What used to be iPad Pro price in 2018 is now iPad Air pricing in 2024. As tablets become more mature, upgrade cycles will lengthen. This means Apple must find ways to increase ASP.
That's unfortunate. Unfortunately for Timmy, I'll hold out from buying new iPads until my current one stops getting updates.
Nah I doubt. ProMotion is not some special proprietary technology, its literally just 120hz screens thats already on most Android phones and cheap gaming laptops.
Apple is just being the weird one for gatekeeping it as pro exclusive feature.
Yes. And it's that pressure—when it becomes ridiculous that Apple won't support over 60hz screens—that will cause them to eventually allow it in the Air and other places.
If I hang on to my 2021 iPad Pro until the newest Air model is actually an upgrade, how long do you think I'll be waiting? I mean in terms of screen, weight, everything? I'm guessing quite a long time, maybe 5 years. Processor will be an upgrade much sooner though. In fact I guess it already is.
I guess the issue is if they can’t add more things to the Pro eventually the Air becomes the Pro so the only way to keep that from happening is to intentionally keep things exclusive to the Pro.
It’s been obvious and Apple should drop the name “air” already.
I agree to some extent, but I doubt adding ProMotion to the Air is going to cannibalize Pro sales.
The Pro has OLED and a very bright display of 1600 nits. Air is stuck with LCD and only up to 600 nits. That's already good enough to seperate from the Air.
I assume there are Apple employees who listen to these podcasts. Both Jason Snell and Myke Hurley were at the press event and had hands on time with these products. Jason was pretty harsh about the iPad Pro essentially questioning why it exists. Pretty much the entire pro-Apple tech space has the same complaints about the iPad Pro and iPadOS. I don’t understand why Apple is so hesitant/slow at making the software more capable. Especially considering how many pro users are asking for it. What’s the point of this amazing hardware if the software can’t really take advantage of it?
Edit: Jason Snell also wrote this:
sixcolors.com
Edit: Jason Snell also wrote this:
The iPad Pro is no longer the future, so what’s next?
iPad Pro and keyboard, circa its October 2018 announcement. It’s hard to believe that it was more than five and a half years ago that I flew home from a New York Apple event, my mind spinning…
sixcolors.com
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