Obscene iPad Pro pricing

[PanAm-L1011]

What's happening here is the usual tier marketing strategy of any product. Pull people incrementally into the highest and most expensive category by making them feel they must have it. It's not only Apple to blame here, but the nature of people's egos and often inaccurate idea of what they need.

I don't understand this ego argument. Do people really get egos out of having the latest and greatest? That is sad. No one I know cares about what products people have.

I agree with you on people having an inaccurate idea of what they need. I have an accurate idea of what I need and what I don't need. I don't need the new iPad Pro, but I got one because I wanted one. I wanted one because I had the 9.7 iPad Pro and wanted that 12.9 screen from the beginning but the form factor was too big. Now it is not.

I absolutely think Apple's products are worthy of the premium prices. I've been mainly Apple for about 15 years now and every time during that period where I've ventured into different territory, I feel like I've been burned. That's why I'm sticking with Apple. For me, it's the best user experience.
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You do realize that even though the retailer did not collect sales tax, you are responsible for paying it to your state?

That is not true.

 

[Richard8655]

I don't understand this ego argument. Do people really get egos out of having the latest and greatest? That is sad. No one I know cares about what products people have.

Very much so, in my opinion. Many buy high end mobile phones as public fashion statements, and want to be seen with the latest, most expensive technology. Many believe they deserve the most expensive of anything. There's as much psychology involved as there is practicality and usefulness.

 

[iOSpecialist]

I got my 10.5 inch iPad Pro in fall 2017, and I’m skipping this one mostly because of how expensive it is. I think the price would be justified if all the models included 6 gigs of RAM, and honestly I don’t think I have a preference between touch or Face ID (I’d have to live with the 11 inch to find out for sure). The bigger display is nice but not a necessity.

I might go for the next gen, I’m hoping for Face ID to get faster, 6 or more gigs of ram and of course the faster CPU and GPU on 7nm.

You could wait a few months and then look for open box deals? I got mine for a good 20% off or more just because there was a tiny scratch on the glass that I don’t even notice until I turn the display off. Way better value than buying new at release. Honestly though if I were you I’d wait for the next one unless you need a new one now/soon. And the regular ipad is still a good option depending on your use case. You could get one of those lightly used too.

 

[tgara]

That is not true.

Except that it is. If an out-of-state retailer does not have nexus in your state and thus does not collect the sales tax, it does not mean the purchase is not subject to tax. If the retailer does not collect the sales tax, the purchaser has the obligation to pay the use tax directly to the state where the property is used as long as the item is taxable.

I got my 10.5 inch iPad Pro in fall 2017, and I’m skipping this one mostly because of how expensive it is. I think the price would be justified if all the models included 6 gigs of RAM, and honestly I don’t think I have a preference between touch or Face ID (I’d have to live with the 11 inch to find out for sure). The bigger display is nice but not a necessity.

The 4 vs 6 GB of RAM doesn't make any real practical difference. The FaceID is a game-changer, though. Just look at the screen, swipe up and bingo, you're in. So fast and it's been reliable so far.

 

[digitalcuriosity]

I think most people know how cheap ram and memory is today,its just Apple has been using these items to in rich their already giant profits by forcing people to pay for higher costs because they can.
Apple has been shafting buyers for many years and getting rich doing it.

 

[Freakonomics101]

The 4 vs 6 GB of RAM doesn't make any real practical difference. The FaceID is a game-changer, though. Just look at the screen, swipe up and bingo, you're in. So fast and it's been reliable so far.

Speed wise, Touch ID on the 10.5 is just as fast as Face ID on the new Pro. I push the button and it’s almost instant, no joke. It may even be a faster unlock than Face ID.

 

[Booji]

Okay honestly man. I agree with those complaining about the new pricing, but let’s be real here. Every time they do a price increase,there’s a big uproar online and then people buy them anyway. We see with the quarterly earnings reports that apple breaks records every single time and their ASP year over year always goes up.

So like while i for example complained about the price increase of the new ipads, what else am i gonna turn to if i want a great tablet? A crappy android tablet? Kindle fire? A blasphemous surface pro? I don’t like any of them. The problem is apple makes one of the best products on the market and if you’re already tied into paying for their services or ecosystem, there’s really no other choice. When you make a great product and then raise prices, it doesn’t make it any less worth it. Obviously there’s a threshold for people about what they’re willing to pay, but raising the price a hundred bucks isn’t going to turn many people away.

We had these same threads of outrage over pricing when the newer MacBook pro’s came out in 2016. People vowing to never buy apple again and wow. Look at that. Apple’s MacBooks division is still in business! Crazy right? Same with outrages over lack of headphone jacks or dongles or whatever. We complain, then chill out for awhile, then try out the product and decide it’s STILL worth it to us.

So in the end we complain and it doesn’t matter because the pro’s still outweigh the cons

Well, its only anecdotal, but in my case I've decided its too much to upgrade this year after having upgraded nearly every year. The price point has now edged up what a full-functioning, ultrabook laptop costs.

As far as market cap is concerned, Apple is losing it and Microsoft is poised to become more valuable than Apple. This may be a sign of a tipping point, and I'm looking to unload my AAPL shares as well.

 

[Kal-037]

The 4 vs 6 GB of RAM doesn't make any real practical difference.

^^^This^^^ even 8GB of RAM won't be a ginormous game changer as it would be limited by iOS quite a bit still. We need iPad-OS with some good Mac OS features, not a full hybrid (I want the iPad to still be it's own thing) but enough so that the iPad really does give laptop a run for their money too.


Kallum.

 

[Macintoshrumors]

If you are poor, you shouldn’t be buying apple products. There are other affordable ipad options. For me, i use it a lot, everyday and it makes my life easier and works flawlessly within the Apple ecosystem. I dont mind the price. I will retain its resale value like all apple products.

 

[willentrekin]

Well, its only anecdotal, but in my case I've decided its too much to upgrade this year after having upgraded nearly every year. The price point has now edged up what a full-functioning, ultrabook laptop costs.

As far as market cap is concerned, Apple is losing it and Microsoft is poised to become more valuable than Apple. This may be a sign of a tipping point, and I'm looking to unload my AAPL shares as well.

Yep. Only anecdotal. Like the handful of bent iPads reported. Some pics from tech geeks who threw them in backpacks because apparently tech geeks don't know any better about how to handle $1000+ devices, but there you have it.

Get yourself a Surface Go and be happy!

And yeah, I heard M$oft stocks were suddenly popular on the strength of, I guess, LinkedIn spam and Clippy nostalgia -- but no, seriously, I've actually seen more Surfaces in the wild lately, after I took a job in academia, where they seem to be popular.

Heck, I even saw a PS Vita in the wild over the weekend. It's like the 90s called and wanted me to play a CD I can't unless you let me stream it.

 

[Macintoshrumors]

Speed wise, Touch ID on the 10.5 is just as fast as Face ID on the new Pro. I push the button and it’s almost instant, no joke. It may even be a faster unlock than Face ID.

Having used Face ID for some time. Touch ID seems combersome and just one extra step i need to take to access my device. Just like the headphone jack, i do not miss Touch ID at all

 

[willentrekin]

Speed wise, Touch ID on the 10.5 is just as fast as Face ID on the new Pro. I push the button and it’s almost instant, no joke. It may even be a faster unlock than Face ID.

Speed-wise, Touch ID on iOS has just added an extra couple of vibrations before puking up the keyboard asking for my passcode. Oddly, I find Touch ID more consistent in apps than in iOS overall. That's on a 7+ and iPad Air 2.

 

[Fthree]

Reliability, sure. Those of us who purchased a 10.5 last year can tell you that resale value ain't what it used to be. The market is saturated with tablets. The "obscene" pricing is because Apple can't sell as many tablets as they once did, so they've got to go up by, what was it 30%(?) in order to maintain the bottom line. If the Surface Pro is cheaper and meets more of your needs than an iPad, why wouldn't you buy it?

this is true. the market is def saturated. I love the new iPad pro (do not have one yet) but i also am not comfortable with the new pricing. Main thing I like is the smart cover.

 

[Freakonomics101]

Having used Face ID for some time. Touch ID seems combersome and just one extra step i need to take to access my device. Just like the headphone jack, i do not miss Touch ID at all

10.5: Touch home button once, unlock.

11”: Touch screen once, unlock.

I’m not trying to argue but stating both devices only require one touch to unlock. Pushing a botton vs the screen. I do like both unlock methods though. Face ID on my 10 and Touch ID on my 10.5. Both work flawlessly 99% of the time.

 

[Booji]

Yep. Only anecdotal. Like the handful of bent iPads reported. Some pics from tech geeks who threw them in backpacks because apparently tech geeks don't know any better about how to handle $1000+ devices, but there you have it.

Get yourself a Surface Go and be happy!

And yeah, I heard M$oft stocks were suddenly popular on the strength of, I guess, LinkedIn spam and Clippy nostalgia -- but no, seriously, I've actually seen more Surfaces in the wild lately, after I took a job in academia, where they seem to be popular.

Heck, I even saw a PS Vita in the wild over the weekend. It's like the 90s called and wanted me to play a CD I can't unless you let me stream it.

As far as other Apple products - I was really deep into the Apple ecosystem until recently.

I had three MacBook Airs - was really looking forward to upgrading my 2013 model to the new one. I was disappointed to find dual core specs, iffy screen and keyboard, and yet priced in the top range. For years, the Air was value priced, best form factor by far, and truly a no-brainer choice for a laptop. This year around, there are so many other compelling options with better screens, keyboard, performance and lighter too.

iPhone. Again I was an iPhone fan from the 3G onwards. I upgraded every year. They were far superior to any Android device for a long time. I was waiting to upgrade my 7+ to the X, and decided $1,000 was just too much when I could have a flagship level android for less than half the price. The iPhone used to be in a class of its own, but now Android devices have really caught up.

I'm still holding on to my 10.5 pro as it is a sunk cost and still will work pretty well for a long time. It is really the best for tablet for consumption although a bit of an overkill at that.

As for MS Surface, I did end of getting a Surface Pro 6 to replace my Air. True, with the exception of Netflix and video, not a great tablet for consumption but it is great with creative software that works well with the Pen - like the entire Adobe CC Suite (oh wait can't do that on an iPad). It is working so well at that, I no longer have to carry both my iPad and my laptop when I travel so it has lightened my load considerably.

 

[Jedimindtrick]

I love my new 11’ iPad Pro. The redesign is awesome. That being said, I agree with the OP. With the current operating system, it is overpriced IMO. But here’s to hoping Apple can iron out the shortcomings within iOS and truly harness the computing power of the iPad Pro.

 

[Booji]

I love my new 11’ iPad Pro. The redesign is awesome. That being said, I agree with the OP. With the current operating system, it is overpriced IMO. But here’s to hoping Apple can iron out the shortcomings within iOS and truly harness the computing power of the iPad Pro.

This is the real enigma of the new IPP. The hardware is truly awesome - the benchmark performance blows away many laptops. Apple SOC engineering is really unmatched. If they could only put it to use with software that can exploit it!

 

[Ghost31]

Well, its only anecdotal, but in my case I've decided its too much to upgrade this year after having upgraded nearly every year. The price point has now edged up what a full-functioning, ultrabook laptop costs.

As far as market cap is concerned, Apple is losing it and Microsoft is poised to become more valuable than Apple. This may be a sign of a tipping point, and I'm looking to unload my AAPL shares as well.

I’m upgrading less too man but that’s mostly because people things are so good now you don’t NEED to upgrade like back in the old days when we were clamoring for whatever apple released next. We’ve reached a kind of peak as far as cell phones and tablets and laptops go. It’s hard to get excited when it feels like we got everything we want. What’s there to look forward to anymore? The only reason people have really upgraded their phones and laptops in the last couple years have been design changes. I know people with iPhone 6’s and MacBooks from 2012 that are still working great. That’s bad for apple

And I wouldn’t even consider looking at the stock market for any indication of how well they’re doing. It’s so volatile and fluctuates so frequently. I’m old enough to see the trends every single year. The new articles come with the doom and gloom saying apple’s bad decisions are catching up with them and then they announce record quarterly earnings and then the “apple is doomed” turns into a meme because it fouldnt be more wrong. I’m not going to put myself in a position to bet against a trillion dollar company just because another company is ALSO a trillion dollars in market cap. It’s like...they’re all doing so well and I’m gonna say “well because of this one day on the stock market”. No way.

I think we need to transition into new ideas. Like stuff being more expensive and us upgrading far less. Keeping computers for 6 years might be the new norm unless something changes

 

[Booji]

I’m upgrading less too man but that’s mostly because people things are so good now you don’t NEED to upgrade like back in the old days when we were clamoring for whatever apple released next. We’ve reached a kind of peak as far as cell phones and tablets and laptops go. It’s hard to get excited when it feels like we got everything we want. What’s there to look forward to anymore? The only reason people have really upgraded their phones and laptops in the last couple years have been design changes. I know people with iPhone 6’s and MacBooks from 2012 that are still working great. That’s bad for apple

And I wouldn’t even consider looking at the stock market for any indication of how well they’re doing. It’s so volatile and fluctuates so frequently. I’m old enough to see the trends every single year. The new articles come with the doom and gloom saying apple’s bad decisions are catching up with them and then they announce record quarterly earnings and then the “apple is doomed” turns into a meme because it fouldnt be more wrong. I’m not going to put myself in a position to bet against a trillion dollar company just because another company is ALSO a trillion dollars in market cap. It’s like...they’re all doing so well and I’m gonna say “well because of this one day on the stock market”. No way.

I think we need to transition into new ideas. Like stuff being more expensive and us upgrading far less. Keeping computers for 6 years might be the new norm unless something changes

My point was that the pricing is really pushing people away. While many will complain yet still buy anyway, I don't think I'm the only one that is leaving Apple behind for this reason. I know a lot of people doing the same thing. It seems to be lot more than in the past as most Apple customers have tended to stay loyal regardless.

Its not a case that I can't afford it - I can, but I do look for the best bang for the buck and Apple seems to be losing it.

This video address a some technical issues, but also pricing in the end of the video. In the past, the new models were priced the same as the older ones, but now its a case of the older models keeping the same price and the new ones get a price hike.

 

[Ghost31]

My point was that the pricing is really pushing people away. While many will complain yet still buy anyway, I don't think I'm the only one that is leaving Apple behind for this reason. I know a lot of people doing the same thing. It seems to be lot more than in the past as most Apple customers have tended to stay loyal regardless.

Its not a case that I can't afford it - I can, but I do look for the best bang for the buck and Apple seems to be losing it.

This video address a some technical issues, but also pricing in the end of the video. In the past, the new models were priced the same as the older ones, but now its a case of the older models keeping the same price and the new ones get a price hike.

And over the last couple years there were issues with the keyboards. 2016 had the price increase for all MacBooks across the board and everybody yelled about that. And here we are.

This is part of history. This happens all the time. This is no different than the 2016 increase. Some will buy from apple at full price and others will get a huge discount at other retailers or buy used. For those of us that are older and see this happen over and over, it’s exhausting watching people freak out and act like this is new behavior. Remember when they charged more for the black MacBook just because of the color?

 

[sonicrobby]

Except that it is. If an out-of-state retailer does not have nexus in your state and thus does not collect the sales tax, it does not mean the purchase is not subject to tax. If the retailer does not collect the sales tax, the purchaser has the obligation to pay the use tax directly to the state where the property is used as long as the item is taxable.

I think it depends on the state, and the company. Only within the last year or two did my state start charging taxes on amazon purchases, so now Amazon is forced to collect them for the state. But if I purchase from B&H (as of now) there will be no sales taxes collected, and my state would be none the wiser of the transaction, nor a means to collect them. So if you're saying it is something we should be claiming on our tax forms during tax season, then I believe a whole lot of purchases are bypassing the system, and the government doesnt seem to be chasing all of these down. I think your statement is more true for state registered items, such as vehicles and property purchased from within other states.

 

[JohnnyGo]

It seems pretty obvious to me that Apple is now positioning the iPad Pro more in-line with Microsoft Surface Pro and traditional laptop pricing. Arguably it’s a pretty good deal in comparison to the Surface.

With the current 9.7” iPad starting at $329, in some ways, the iPad is more capable and more affordable than ever. Apple is simply drawing a hard line between the consumer line and Pro lines. Your ‘Prosumer’ line is now the 10.5” Pro.

Have you seen the pricing of the new Pixel Slate?

I think you're spot on. Google and Microsoft are charging premium prices for their premium products, why shouldn't Apple follow their lead ?

The iPad was always shockingly cheap for what it did IMO. And yes, I am personally a bit frustrated from the price increase this time around (including increasing the cellular premium to $150 instead of lowering it to $100).

But I am now using my iPP 11” with a Logitech keyboard in lieu of my MBP 2016. More clicky keys, for less money. And boy it's fast. Right now using split screen to use tapatalk and check my corporate email at the same time. It really works well so the value proposition is well balanced.

 

[jinnyman]

It keeps coming to this for me: Other than cosmetic changes and face-id, what does 3rd gen iPad offer that 2nd gen doesn’t?

Ok. The integration with an Apple pencil is better. But then what else? Is there anyone who’s really taxing, or in other words, really benefit from A12x SoC from A10x?
I hell don’t tax my 2nd gen iPad due to gimped iOS. Who really needs it? Do you see a huge difference in terms of performance when moving from 2nd to 3rd? Well unless you are gaming, I don’t see really.

That’s why their price point at this moment seems outrageous for me, and I really cannot justify moving myself from 2nd to 3rd. I keep my 2nd because I really like 12.9” iPad for what it does, but whatever I’m doing feels instant anyway.

 

[rmoliv]

I would NEVER pay more than 700 to 800 euros max for an iPad. Just don't buy it unless you really need it for your work and productivity. Apple must understand that they can't keep the price hike madness without retaliation from the public...

 

[JohnnyGo]

I buy products when I need them not when they are released. I also buy used and refurbished. Currently using a 2013 refurbished iMac that I think I can get another 4 years of use before it dies, iPhone 8+ that I will have paid $300 less than Apple's price when it is paid off (and I plan to use for 4 years), a used 10.5" iPad Pro that I paid 50 cents on the dollar and a gen 3 Apple TV. Most people don't need the latest and greatest stuff and they certainly don't need to buy it the day it comes out.

That is another way to go about it. Apple prices on refurbs and promotions one year out are great. So the value proposition is even better for those who wait !