iPad New “cheap” iPad makes no sense

[Kaptajn Haddock]

New “cheap” iPad gets the A14 chip to save costs I guess, and yet the new cheaper Apple TVs gets the A15 Bionic. Doesn’t make sense to me. At least if they had given the cheaper of the new Apple TVs the A14 as well that would kinda make sense, and probably would have made it even cheaper. All in all this is the worst launch of new Apple products ever imho. Half hearted, non-sensical, frustrating.

 

[sorgo †]

Totally agree, except I think they could’ve gone the inverse route and put an A15 in the iPad.

 

[JPack]

Apple TV has A15 with no LCD and not even a cable for charging the remote. It's a gateway device for collecting subscription revenue. Consider the entire system before commenting.

 

[Shirasaki]

I agree that new “cheap” iPad makes no sense, but realistically, A14 and A15 how much difference do They have?
As someone else points out, a (however) stronger chip with no screen, few button, unable to run iOS apps, no battery etc etc etc, is that really comparable?

 

[cupcakes2000]

I think someone started a thread similar to this the other day. Oh no, my bad.. it’s every thread. Cant people just respond to one of the others to aire their grievances? Think of something new to say if you want a new topic? It’s making MacRumours completely boring. Mind, it’s the same for a month after every iPad launch I suppose.

 

[chikorita157]

There are staunch defenders of the iPad 10 despite being a terrible value iPad, In 2022, it still has a non-laminated display, still using Apple Pencil, gimped USB and wifi speeds, slower than the iPad Air 4 A14, keyboard case only work on the iPad 10 and not any other model, and so on. Add that with the over $120 price increase, making it closer to a refurbished iPad Air 4, iPad Pro 2018/2020 11" or a new iPad Air 5 when on a good sale, it's in a very awkward place in the lineup.

In short, it makes little sense to buy an iPad 10, no matter how many defenders who defend a bad value product that still use the Apple Pencil 1, a 7 year old product that should be retired already and laughing at my posts because they think the iPad 10 is a good value. It's not. If you want a budget iPad, get the 9, but otherwise an Air 5 when on sale or a refurbished iPad Air 4, iPad Pro 2018/2020 11". It's obvious that Apple gimped the iPad 10 instead of producing a good value product on the entry level like the iPad 9 since they want to push people to the Air or Pro models. At best, the iPad 10 should be priced at $329 or 349, not 449.

 

[Username-already-in-use]

It’s almost like Apple makes decisions to maximise potential revenue by up-selling on iPad features.

 

[cupcakes2000]

There are staunch defenders of the iPad 10 despite being a terrible value iPad, In 2022, it still has a non-laminated display, still using Apple Pencil, gimped USB and wifi speeds, slower than the iPad Air 4 A14, keyboard case only work on the iPad 10 and not any other model, and so on. Add that with the over $120 price increase, making it closer to a refurbished iPad Air 4, iPad Pro 2018/2020 11" or a new iPad Air 5 when on a good sale, it's in a very awkward place in the lineup.

In short, it makes little sense to buy an iPad 10, no matter how many defenders who defend a bad value product that still use the Apple Pencil 1, a 7 year old product that should be retired already and laughing at my posts because they think the iPad 10 is a good value. It's not. If you want a budget iPad, get the 9, but otherwise an Air 5 when on sale or a refurbished iPad Air 4, iPad Pro 2018/2020 11". It's obvious that Apple gimped the iPad 10 instead of producing a good value product on the entry level like the iPad 9 since they want to push people to the Air or Pro models. At best, the iPad 10 should be priced at $329 or 349, not 449.

‘Defenders’. Blimey. Such hyperbole. Just don’t worry about it. Don’t buy it. Don’t post the same thing on every single thread multiple times. Move on with your life and look past what other people wish to do with their cash and look past the fact that a company has released a product that doesn’t meet your needs. You’ll make yourself ill!

 

[JPack]

What’s funny is that you’ve got critics who were unsuccessful in attacking the $449 iPad. Now, they’re trying to compare it against Apple TV. 😂

Next thing you know, they’ll pretend asking why PS5 has 16GB of RAM for $399 while iPad only has 4GB.

 

[JPack]

‘Defenders’. Blimey. Such hyperbole. Just don’t worry about it. Don’t buy it. Don’t post the same thing on every single thread multiple times. Move on with your life and look past what other people wish to do with their cash and look past the fact that a company has released a product that doesn’t meet your needs. You’ll make yourself ill!

They simply want to insist they’re “smarter” than people who work for a $3T company. Obviously, they’ll fail, but let ‘em try. 😂

 

[GMShadow]

I think someone started a thread similar to this the other day. Oh no, my bad.. it’s every thread. Cant people just respond to one of the others to aire their grievances? Think of something new to say if you want a new topic? It’s making MacRumours completely boring. Mind, it’s the same for a month after every iPad launch I suppose.

The iPad 10 really irritated a lot of them, and they're mad that not everyone hates it.

We need a version of this for the iPad 10.

 

[Sammy in SoCal]

I think all in all the iPad 10th generation is not bad. I was at the Apple store yesterday and I looked at the iPad Air and the iPad 10th generation side-by-side and I could barely tell that the non-laminated screen on the 10th gen was non-laminated. Sounds crazy, but the air gap is exaggerated. I compared the flat sides of the 10th to the 9th gen’s curved sides and the 10th gen is way more modern feeling and satisfying to look at, and the flat sides seemed to affect my perception of the iPad not having a laminated screen. Also the touch ID button on the top and the landscape camera are nice additions.

I don’t use Apple Pencil since I’m not a graphical artist so the whole dongle fiasco is a non issue for me.

I say go through apples website and get the educational discount for $419 and you’re good.

P.S. The new pink color in person is hot 🥵

 

[kp98077]

How in the world does it make no sense? LOL! its inexpensive! that's the goals!

 

[Unami]

Also, 64gb additional ssd space (plus ethernet port plus matter support) is only €20 for the appleTV, while 196Gb more SSD is €200 for the iPad. it might be a slower SSD, but i‘m not sure if that makes sense paired with the faster cpu or if that really explains away three times the price (it‘s not like that when comparing ssds prices on the market). As if apple prices don‘t depend on intrinsic value but on what the market is willing to pay. hm….

 

[cupcakes2000]

Also, 64gb additional ssd space (plus ethernet port plus matter support) is only €20 for the appleTV, while 196Gb more SSD is €200 for the iPad. it might be a slower SSD, but i‘m not sure if that makes sense paired with the faster cpu or if that really explains away three times the price (it‘s not like that when comparing ssds prices on the market). As if apple prices don‘t depend on intrinsic value but on what the market is willing to pay. hm….

What a strange comparison, Apple TV verses ipad. Do you think they’re comparable? Do you think it’s a one or the other device? Cos I got say - it seems obvious they’re not something you would umm and arr about choosing between. And on the same side of the coin, the price points, type of storage and basically every other metric also can’t realistically be compared.

I mean, I also wish all this stuff was cheaper too- but it is what it is and if you want to compare then you should at least make it a valid comparison.

 

[chikorita157]

‘Defenders’. Blimey. Such hyperbole. Just don’t worry about it. Don’t buy it. Don’t post the same thing on every single thread multiple times. Move on with your life and look past what other people wish to do with their cash and look past the fact that a company has released a product that doesn’t meet your needs. You’ll make yourself ill!

They simply want to insist they’re “smarter” than people who work for a $3T company. Obviously, they’ll fail, but let ‘em try. 😂

You are just proving my point as you are defending Apple's choices, which they should be criticized for. The iPad 10 like with the iPhone 14 are terrible value products, more so with the iPad 10. The iPhone 14, they basically released the same phone with the same SOC as last years phone just to upsell customers to the iPhone 14 Pro, which is a better value if you can afford it. The same can be said about the M2 13" MacBook Pro since it has zero improvement compared to the M2 MacBook Air with the 13" Pro having an inferior screen, webcam, and no MagSafe.

I am not going to go over the same points about the iPad 10 being a terrible value as Apple intentionally made it unappealing so they can upsell customers to pay more for a better value product instead of making a good value product at the base level to begin with. After all, the mainstream iPhone had the same SOC as the higher end models, until Apple decided to become greedy. I like using Apple products and while I don't buy base or mainstream models, I do care for people who buy them receive the most value. The iPad 10 and the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus are not it and they deserve to be called out for that so they can do better. Also, defending a 3T dollar corporation makes little sense of course.

 

[GuruZac]

Totally agree, except I think they could’ve gone the inverse route and put an A15 in the iPad.

Fix two things with the new iPad:

1. Apple Pencil 2 and move apple pencil charging to the top (Portrait orientation) since there is no camera there.
2. Leave price same as the iPad 9.

There would be no complaints.

 

[JPack]

Also, 64gb additional ssd space (plus ethernet port plus matter support) is only €20 for the appleTV, while 196Gb more SSD is €200 for the iPad. it might be a slower SSD, but i‘m not sure if that makes sense paired with the faster cpu or if that really explains away three times the price (it‘s not like that when comparing ssds prices on the market). As if apple prices don‘t depend on intrinsic value but on what the market is willing to pay. hm….

Tell me you don't understand R&D costs without telling me you don't understand it.

It's almost as if, iPad is more complex and the hardware used to make it costs more. iPadOS development doesn't come for free either. Try doing any productivity (or even browsing the Internet) on Apple TV.

 

[cupcakes2000]

You are just proving my point as you are defending Apple's choices, which they should be criticized for. The iPad 10 like with the iPhone 14 are terrible value products, more so with the iPad 10. The iPhone 14, they basically released the same phone with the same SOC as last years phone just to upsell customers to the iPhone 14 Pro, which is a better value if you can afford it. The same can be said about the M2 13" MacBook Pro since it has zero improvement compared to the M2 MacBook Air with the 13" Pro having an inferior screen, webcam, and no MagSafe.

I am not going to go over the same points about the iPad 10 being a terrible value as Apple intentionally made it unappealing so they can upsell customers to pay more for a better value product instead of making a good value product at the base level to begin with. After all, the mainstream iPhone had the same SOC as the higher end models, until Apple decided to become greedy. I like using Apple products and while I don't buy base or mainstream models, I do care for people who buy them receive the most value. The iPad 10 and the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus are not it and they deserve to be called out for that so they can do better. Also, defending a 3T dollar corporation makes little sense of course.

It’s better than the model it replaces, and the price has increased. 🤷‍♂️ I dunno what to tell ya friend.

It’s still the cheapest iPad, once the old version has being discounted, which incidentally, being still available instantly nullifies your point.

The argument that it’s ‘only’ 150 cheaper (which is more than a quarter of the entire cost, so ‘only’ is really not a good way of describing it), and if you just spend a bit more you can get a better model is absurd. I mean, obviously - no? I don’t know what version of the world happens to be in your neighbourhood, but that’s how it’s worked for some time.

It’s like everyone has suddenly forgotten about tick tock upgrades, or at least don’t feel like the iPad deserves such allowances. It’s not a new concept.

Aside all of that, if you’re not happy about it, as I said - don’t buy it, ignore it, move on. No need to rage on and on and on and on and on and on…

 

[Shanghaichica]

Aesthetically it’s nice and I think it’s good that it finally got some of the updates from the more premium models. I don’t know how much longer they could have continued to put out those hideous bezels and the Touch ID home button. However the price increase makes it a difficult buy. I’d rather just spend a bit more money and get the iPad Air. However I think the whole iPad line up pricing has gone a bit ridiculous in the UK at the moment. I mean £700 for a 64GB iPad Air when a few months ago you could get an M1 128GB iPad Pro 11 for a similar price.

 

[Abazigal]

Also, defending a 3T dollar corporation makes little sense of course.

Even if they are right?

I can think of a number of reasons for the 10th gen iPad to exist.

1) It addresses the awkward price gap between the 9th gen iPad ($329) and the iPad Air ($599). For a product category with more than 350M devices in the wild and bringing in 30M new users each year, large pricing gaps between models are not ideal as it may not address users’ needs (and budgets). By being priced at $449, this effectively cuts that pricing gap by half.

2) In time, this 10th gen iPad will either drop in price to fill that $329 price range, or its form factor will become the chassis for the next entry level iPad to be sold at $329. We are likely seeing just one part of a year-old initiative to revamp the entire iPad lineup. It's also possible that the next major iPad Pro refresh will use the same Smart Keyboard Folio as the 10th gen iPad (which personally, I am not a fan of). Apple just wasn't able to do it all at one shot, perhaps in part because of supply chain constraints in China.

3) The people getting the 10th gen iPad are likely coming from older iPads which still use the 1st gen Apple Pencil. This means that they get to save money by being able to continue using the same pencil, and not need to buy a new one. I doubt we will see many 2018 iPad Pro / 2020 iPad Air users downgrading to this iPad.

There is also the matter of not being able to integrate both the front camera module and the magnetic charging attachment for the 2nd gen Apple Pencil, as well as the latter costing more (hence its omission helped cut costs).

I have a feeling that for the target audience this product is aimed at, all the supposed drawbacks that it possesses on paper, will not really turn out to be issues for this group of users.

 

[Kaptajn Haddock]

Totally agree, except I think they could’ve gone the inverse route and put an A15 in the iPad.

Yes, that was my thought as well.

Apple TV has A15 with no LCD and not even a cable for charging the remote. It's a gateway device for collecting subscription revenue. Consider the entire system before commenting.

Yes, but based on every review I have read the A15 is overkill for the device.

 

[slplss]

Apple TV has A15 with no LCD and not even a cable for charging the remote. It's a gateway device for collecting subscription revenue. Consider the entire system before commenting.

I’m subbed to Netflix, Amazon Prime, HBO Max, NHL Live and Youtube Premium outside of App store, Apple isn’t taking cut from any of that 🤣.
Another lovely "new" iPad trashing thread, an Apple apologists join the discussion. Perfectly balanced, as all things should be.

 

[Kaptajn Haddock]

Fix two things with the new iPad:

1. Apple Pencil 2 and move apple pencil charging to the top (Portrait orientation) since there is no camera there.
2. Leave price same as the iPad 9.

There would be no complaints.

I’m not sure if Apple pencil 2 makes sense for the new iPad. It was my initial thought as well, but when I saw the lag from an Apple pencil on a non-laminated vs laminated display it kinda made sense what Apple did. You would not get any of the AP2 advantages with the new iPads non-laminated display.

 

[ApplesAreSweet&Sour]

It’s almost like Apple makes decisions to maximise potential revenue by up-selling on iPad features.

No way?! Since when!? 😱

You’re suggesting that most of the lower end and mid-tier models are mostly decoys created to inflate the value of the most expensive models, and that they’re meticulously priced and spec’d to make them appear incomplete or cheap unless you go all out with a high end option? 😳

The CEO that put cheaper SSDs in the 256GB M2 Airs and block 128GB iPhone Pro from recording in ProRes would never! 😰

Stage Manager is super taxing and only works on M1 or better!!?! They said so in a press release so it can’t be otherwise!! 🥵

And 64GB and 256GB options for <Pro iPads is not a scheme to make you buy more. It’s just that nobody wants or needs 128GB. It sure is. 🫡

All Tim Cook is concerned about is giving us the best user experience, always. Anyone who complains is just a hater.☝️😤

The Lightning to USB-C adapter for 1st Gen Apple Pencil is a modern marvel of engineering and aesthetic design! No better, no simpler solution will ever be bestowed upon us from Apple. So pleasing to look at when it’s all dongled up and charging! 🥹🤣😆😆😆