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Curry119

macrumors member
Original poster
Jan 11, 2023
50
45
I saw the latest rumors are that there will be no announcement in October for new iPads. I really need to upgrade soon but now I don’t know if I should put up with my old iPad until the next refresh or buy one of the currently available models. The battery on my Pro 9.7 in is getting super weak and they aren’t supporting it with software updates any longer. I’m going to wait till October regardless to see what happens but I’ll be disappointed if they do not announce new models.
 

Pakaku

macrumors 68040
Aug 29, 2009
3,273
4,844
Depends what you use it for. I'd be surprised if there was any new 9.7" iPad worth waiting for, though, and iPad hardware is pretty good for pretty much anything these days unless you need something more out of it. I'm using a 2018 Pro for art and general internet stuff, and it still handles everything I do with it. I don't care about missing out on upgrades, either, and staying on an older OS won't stop the iPad from functioning.
 
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George Dawes

Suspended
Jul 17, 2014
2,980
4,332
=VH=
My mother needs one asap , she can't handle the 12.9 I gave her

Just about to buy an Air - MR buyers guide - updates soon DON'T BUY !

WHAT A DILEMMA
 

sracer

macrumors G4
Apr 9, 2010
10,405
13,290
where hip is spoken
Depends what you use it for. I'd be surprised if there was any new 9.7" iPad worth waiting for, though, and iPad hardware is pretty good for pretty much anything these days unless you need something more out of it. I'm using a 2018 Pro for art and general internet stuff, and it still handles everything I do with it. I don't care about missing out on upgrades, either, and staying on an older OS won't stop the iPad from functioning.
There’s not going to be a new 9.7” iPad this year, or next. That size ended a few years ago.

If the OP is willing to wait until October for a potential announcement, they’ll probably need to wait until March (if there is no Oct announcement).
 
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rui no onna

Contributor
Oct 25, 2013
14,916
13,260
My mother needs one asap , she can't handle the 12.9 I gave her

Just about to buy an Air - MR buyers guide - updates soon DON'T BUY !

WHAT A DILEMMA

If she needs one ASAP, I would just buy her one right now. M2 isn't that big of an upgrade over M1 anyway. Besides, you can often find the Air 5 on sale for $499 ($100 off).

My parents and aunts have fading fingerprints so I'm more inclined to get them a refurb iPad Pro 11 (or if you're lucky to catch them, one of those Woot deals) rather than the Air 5. 128GB base storage is pretty useful too. iPadOS has gotten quite bloated these days.

 
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MarkNewton2023

macrumors 6502a
Sep 17, 2023
604
604
I am still holding out hope for an iPad mini 7 announcement in October. Heh heh heh 😉
Me too. If not, it is okay too. I am wondering if iPad mini is still within profitability threshold tolerance to keep it produced. If its profitability below expectation and really unfavorable, it might get discontinued like iPhone mini. The update period is less frequent and unpredictable. Hopefully, discontinuing plan will not be the case. But, if it is, I just move on and find an alternative. For me, iPhone pro max size is enough to replace iPad mini.
 

Greenmeenie

macrumors 68020
Jan 14, 2013
2,121
3,304
Me too. If not, it is okay too. I am wondering if iPad mini is still within profitability threshold tolerance to keep it produced. If its profitability below expectation and really unfavorable, it might get discontinued like iPhone mini. The update period is less frequent and unpredictable. Hopefully, discontinuing plan will not be the case. But, if it is, I just move on and find an alternative. For me, iPhone pro max size is enough to replace iPad mini.
I don’t think the iPad mini will be discontinued. It just doesn’t get updated as frequently because it’s more niche. But it is a viable tool & the perfect size for many industries, like pilots & retail stores. It’s been 2 years since the last update, so I think it’s a good bet it will be updated within the next 6 months. If not this Fall, then in early 2024.

I do think that when/if Apple comes out with a foldable iphone, then perhaps the ipad mini will be in danger. Cause if an iphone can fold out to the size of an ipad mini then it makes sense to discontinue it. But only if you will be able to use an Apple pencil on the folded out iphone. I don’t think that is going to happen for awhile tho. There have been no strong rumors or leaks about a foldable iphone anytime soon.
 

erikkfi

macrumors 68000
May 19, 2017
1,726
8,097
I have the 9.7 Pro as well. Battery replacement in January 2022 but it’s already starting to drain a little fast, and the performance overall is quite threadbare.

The problem with Apple’s tablet lineup right now is that it almost all starts at 64GB of storage, with a hefty $150 extra charge to get to the next storage level up. As a result the whole thing feels like a bad bargain, especially in light of how long it’s been since many of them were released.

I was tempted to just upgrade over the summer but I got over it and am holding out no matter how long it takes, even if there aren’t any new iPads until next summer. I think you’ll feel better if you join me.
 
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Greenmeenie

macrumors 68020
Jan 14, 2013
2,121
3,304
Yeah, 64 gigs is ridiculous for an iPad. Especially a Pro iPad considering that the new iPhone Pros start at 256 gigs now.
 

BeatCrazy

macrumors 603
Jul 20, 2011
5,123
4,480
Yeah, 64 gigs is ridiculous for an iPad. Especially a Pro iPad considering that the new iPhone Pros start at 256 gigs now.
Only the ones that cost $1100-$1200 USD. So yeah if you don't mind your iPad starting at $1100 then it can be 256GB too.
 

Greenmeenie

macrumors 68020
Jan 14, 2013
2,121
3,304
Only the ones that cost $1100-$1200 USD. So yeah if you don't mind your iPad starting at $1100 then it can be 256GB too.
Actually the lowest ram in current iPad Pros is 128 not 64. Personally I think the lowest ram for Pros should be 256 and the lowest for regular ipads should be 128. Even for budget ipads, 64 gigs is getting too low For today’s software demands.
 

jerrah

macrumors member
Aug 29, 2007
91
46
Australia
I would hope the iPad Mini doesn't get discontinued. It really is the perfect size for me for reading, and I prefer the smaller iPhone for when I'm out and about and I don't want an ALWAYS larger device in my pocket. The bigger iPad's are too close in size to my Macbook Pro - and I'd just probably skip the ipad completely if it was that size.
 
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AJB1971

macrumors 6502
Jun 23, 2011
452
431
I’m still skeptical about the rumours that we won’t see any new iPads or MacBooks this October or November. It just seems strange that Apple would go into the holiday season with just the iPhone and Watch as new products.

It’s possible that the M3 chips have been delayed and that would explain why we won’t see any MacBooks. The 7th generation mini is also understandable as that seems like the perfect candidate for an A17 Pro and they might have all been reserved for the iPhones. The ones that I think would be most likely to make an appearance are the base iPad (11th generation) and the Air given that both are likely to be incremental upgrades, using older components.
 

Digitalguy

macrumors 601
Apr 15, 2019
4,643
4,469
I’m still skeptical about the rumours that we won’t see any new iPads or MacBooks this October or November. It just seems strange that Apple would go into the holiday season with just the iPhone and Watch as new products.

It’s possible that the M3 chips have been delayed and that would explain why we won’t see any MacBooks. The 7th generation mini is also understandable as that seems like the perfect candidate for an A17 Pro and they might have all been reserved for the iPhones. The ones that I think would be most likely to make an appearance are the base iPad (11th generation) and the Air given that both are likely to be incremental upgrades, using older components.
The rumors is NOT that we won't see any new iPads, but that the M2 air 6 will be released with a press release instead that with an event, which makes total sense given that there is very little to say about it...
 

AJB1971

macrumors 6502
Jun 23, 2011
452
431

AJB1971

macrumors 6502
Jun 23, 2011
452
431
For what it’s worth, my reliable source has been telling me that new iPads will be announced in March 2024.
I am sticking my neck out in going against what Ming-Chi Kuo says, but the 2023 release schedule seems a bit light compared to previous years. Is there a chance that the much anticipated Polishing Cloth Pro could make an appearance this year?

In the final quarter of last year (the first quarter of Apple’s financial year) they released the following-
iPhone 14 Plus (the 15 Plus has already been announced)
iPad (10th generation)
iPad Pro 11-inch (4th generation)
iPad Pro 12.9-inch (6th generation)
Apple TV 4K (3rd generation)

I will be surprised if they don’t have some products lined up for the final quarter of this year.

It will be interesting to see what guidance they give for the quarter when they report on the 25th of October.
 
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bluespark

macrumors 68040
Jul 11, 2009
3,168
4,121
Chicago
I would hope the iPad Mini doesn't get discontinued. It really is the perfect size for me for reading, and I prefer the smaller iPhone for when I'm out and about and I don't want an ALWAYS larger device in my pocket. The bigger iPad's are too close in size to my Macbook Pro - and I'd just probably skip the ipad completely if it was that size.
I'd say you have nothing to worry about. Unlike iPhone mini customers who typically migrate to a larger iPhone if there is no mini option, the iPad mini serves several market segments who have a particular need for a tablet of that size. Those buyers would switch out of the Apple ecosystem if the iPad mini disappeared.

That said, those same users typically do not require the latest-and-greatest tech, so mini updates will probably continue to happen only when really needed.
 

Howard2k

macrumors 603
Mar 10, 2016
5,699
5,645
Yeah, 64 gigs is ridiculous for an iPad. Especially a Pro iPad considering that the new iPhone Pros start at 256 gigs now.


64 is perfect for me. I’m glad they’re not jacking the base storage to 128 and jacking the price accordingly.
 

sailingHobbit

macrumors member
Aug 31, 2022
70
96
Germany
I wish there would be an October release with at least spec bumps (M2 for the Air, A17 Pro for the mini and A15/A16 for the 11th gen iPad) but I guess it will be Q1 2024. Currently I do not own any iPad and seriously miss it sometimes. But at least in Germany (and other parts of Europe using €) the iPads are ridiculously overpriced which makes getting any current iPad a seriously bad deal.

And concerning the mini: I'm sure it will be refreshed at some point and not be discontinued. They just did a complete overhaul with the last gen. That would have been a total waste of resources if they were to discontinue the mini.
 

darngooddesign

macrumors P6
Jul 4, 2007
18,362
10,114
Atlanta, GA
Yeah, 64 gigs is ridiculous for an iPad. Especially a Pro iPad…
The Pro iPads start at 128GB, not 256GB, but I agree that the non-Pro iPads should start at 128GB without raising their prices. Apple did this with the iPhone 12 without raising their prices.
considering that the new iPhone Pros start at 256 gigs now.
The ProMax is the only one starting at 256, but it isn’t a good example because Apple is forcing everyone to buy that upgrade. Do you want Apple to raise the non-pro iPad prices by $150 just so they can start at $256GB?
 
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Falhófnir

macrumors 603
Aug 19, 2017
6,146
7,001
This will be the first year in a long time the base iPad hasn't been updated, which is a shame because they've left the lineup in a weird position with the ageing 9th gen and the more expensive and weirdly specced 10th gen. It's also the iPad mini's turn to be updated, though I'm not sure what they could really do with it other than a pretty much imperceptible chip bump to the A16, and maybe more significantly increasing RAM to 6 or 8GB. I guess waiting for the N3E based A17 (bionic?) next year will set it up better for a 2-3 year cycle.
 
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