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iPad Pro Should I wait for the next iPad Pro or buy the current model?

jumpcutking

jumpcutking

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Nov 6, 2020
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So... I’m looking to get an iPad Pro! Awesome... used one many times for work and it just elevated note taking, image editing... pretty much everything.

I heard that the Apple gods may grace us with a release of an updated iPad Pro in March. The question is simple: should I wait? Is Apple actually gonna launch an iPad Pro? Are those features worth the wait? Is the design changes substantial?

The questions may help prevent me from FOMO... when the new iPad gets released.
 
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If you go by average, looking at 200 days. Lots of folks are saying March. 🤷
4DD31316-76AC-49F4-ADFC-8E0FB8A00760.jpeg
 
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jumpcutking said:
So... I’m looking to get an iPad Pro! Awesome... used one many times for work and it just elevated note taking, image editing... pretty much everything.

I heard that the Apple gods may grace us with a release of an updated iPad Pro in March. The question is simple: should I wait? Is Apple actually gonna launch an iPad Pro? Are those features worth the wait? Is the design changes substantial?

The questions may help prevent me from FOMO... when the new iPad gets released.
Click to expand...
Buy one now. What amazing specs do you think a 2021 will have the 2020 doesn’t? Won’t have a new design or a new processor. Won’t have a new camera etc....
 
DexBell said:
Buy one now. What amazing specs do you think a 2021 will have the 2020 doesn’t? Won’t have a new design or a new processor. Won’t have a new camera etc....
Click to expand...

It’s supposed to have mini LED which means it will have a significantly better display and videos and HDR etc will be much better.

Don’t get me wrong i wont be updating my 2018 pro for that but if I didn’t have an iPad and knew a new one was a month away like the OP I would wait.
 
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Definitely wait and see. This update is looking to be a big one, especially if you consider the last one was just a miner spec bump really. If it’s not great then as others have mentioned you’ll find a 2020 or 2018 for cheap and my 2018 is still an absolute beast.
 
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Standard advice, which I think is generally a good strategy, is that if you NEED it now, but it now, otherwise I'd wait. Everything is basically speculation. March is the rumored time when it will appear. But we don't know that for fact. I haven't been searching very hard but I've not been seeing any especially good deals on the current Pros. I have a 9.7" Pro and am planning to upgrade to an 11" Pro (haven't completely ruled out an Air) but I'm waiting to see what the next release brings. I want the larger screen size and spatial audio. I'd also like to add a pencil and my current iPad is not compatible with the newest pencil. But my 9.7" is still very useable for the vast majority of what I do, so I can afford to wait.
 
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SkiHound2 said:
Standard advice, which I think is generally a good strategy, is that if you NEED it now, but it now, otherwise I'd wait. Everything is basically speculation. March is the rumored time when it will appear. But we don't know that for fact. I haven't been searching very hard but I've not been seeing any especially good deals on the current Pros. I have a 9.7" Pro and am planning to upgrade to an 11" Pro (haven't completely ruled out an Air) but I'm waiting to see what the next release brings. I want the larger screen size and spatial audio. I'd also like to add a pencil and my current iPad is not compatible with the newest pencil. But my 9.7" is still very useable for the vast majority of what I do, so I can afford to wait.
Click to expand...
spatial audio? Is this a feature of the 11 pro? I have both the 9.7 pro and the 11 and I don't see any improvement in audio compared to the 9.7 honestly...
 
SkiHound2 said:
Standard advice, which I think is generally a good strategy, is that if you NEED it now, but it now, otherwise I'd wait. Everything is basically speculation. March is the rumored time when it will appear. But we don't know that for fact. I haven't been searching very hard but I've not been seeing any especially good deals on the current Pros. I have a 9.7" Pro and am planning to upgrade to an 11" Pro (haven't completely ruled out an Air) but I'm waiting to see what the next release brings. I want the larger screen size and spatial audio. I'd also like to add a pencil and my current iPad is not compatible with the newest pencil. But my 9.7" is still very useable for the vast majority of what I do, so I can afford to wait.
Click to expand...
I’m in a similar situation to you. 9.7 iPad Pro here with MKB and original pencil. This iPad has been awesome but most recently has been rebooting every couple of days. Have my fingers crossed that it holds on until the new ones get released.
 
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SkiHound2 said:
Standard advice, which I think is generally a good strategy, is that if you NEED it now, but it now, otherwise I'd wait. Everything is basically speculation. March is the rumored time when it will appear. But we don't know that for fact. I haven't been searching very hard but I've not been seeing any especially good deals on the current Pros. I have a 9.7" Pro and am planning to upgrade to an 11" Pro (haven't completely ruled out an Air) but I'm waiting to see what the next release brings. I want the larger screen size and spatial audio. I'd also like to add a pencil and my current iPad is not compatible with the newest pencil. But my 9.7" is still very useable for the vast majority of what I do, so I can afford to wait.
Click to expand...

Yep. My iPad usage has changed a bit so I want to upgrade for certain conveniences. It's not a pressing need at the moment though (2017 Pro 12.9, Pro 10.5 and Air 3 all performing well) so I'm waiting to see what the next gen brings to the table. At the very least, I expect to finally see some discounts on the 1TB LTE 2020 iPad Pros.
 
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Zazoh said:
With an average of 500+ days what makes y’all think they are now upgrading after a year?
Click to expand...

Meh, the upcoming iPad Pro should've been released last year. The 2020 iPad Pros were practically a non-upgrade over the 2018 models. Really just a very minor refresh.

In any case, whether the release is in March, June or October, I'm fine with it. I'm not in a hurry to upgrade at the moment.
 
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Zazoh said:
If you go by average, looking at 200 days. Lots of folks are saying March. 🤷
View attachment 1729571
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Yep, that’s the speculation. If one comes in March, I do think it’s a good idea to wait 30 days or so. 😂 Of course if one doesn’t come out in March, I may be too upset to buy one at all. 😂😂😂

dazlicous said:
of course it will have a new processor defo A14 of some sort X/Z. camera will also be improved no doubt
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The new processor definitely intrigued me. Better support for M1 developed apps or at least the lifecycle, so when I move to M1 by the end of the year my product life cycle (phones, macs, iPads) will be good together for a few years.

Seanm87 said:
It’s supposed to have mini LED which means it will have a significantly better display and videos and HDR etc will be much better.

Don’t get me wrong i wont be updating my 2018 pro for that but if I didn’t have an iPad and knew a new one was a month away like the OP I would wait.
Click to expand...
HDR and Spatial Audio are important features to me. As a film guru, and a producer, seeing accurate colors (or as close as Apple will let me get) is impressive. It’s changes the lifecycle of editing and reviewing content.


Digitalguy said:
spatial audio? Is this a feature of the 11 pro? I have both the 9.7 pro and the 11 and I don't see any improvement in audio compared to the 9.7 honestly...
Click to expand...
Yep that’s important to me! But I feel like it’s better with the AirPods Pro or Max... than with the device. But the phone aware audio thing... that’s just creepy. When I lower my phone the whole 3D space changes... it messes with my ears. Which I suspect is the point.

With an average of 500+ days what makes y’all think they are now upgrading after a year?

If it is March or even May... I feel like they will change enough just to push another product out and make it past the quarter with profit earnings. All the iPhone 12 HDR and Dolby Vission (and atoms) support has my ears peaked for sure! Plus if the iPad has comparable camera than quick recording has another device.

The shared second screen, the pencil, and Adobe’s quick support of handoff... all intrigue me. It will enhance my daily life for sure. Just a matter of ensuring it’s a good investments for a few years to come. Which is why I don’t opt for earlier versions.
 
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rui no onna said:
Meh, the upcoming iPad Pro should've been released last year. The 2020 iPad Pros were practically a non-upgrade over the 2018 models. Really just a very minor refresh.

In any case, whether the release is in March, June or October, I'm fine with it. I'm not in a hurry to upgrade at the moment.
Click to expand...
I don’t know if I can wait to June. I will literally shed tears if that’s the case. You will see them in droves.

I thought the processor and 120 refresh rate was the large changes. Those are big steps for sure.
 
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jumpcutking said:
I don’t know if I can wait to June. I will literally shed tears if that’s the case. You will see them in droves.

I thought the processor and 120 refresh rate was the large changes. Those are big steps for sure.
Click to expand...

The 120Hz refresh rate came with the 2017 iPad Pro. Honestly not a big deal for me. I can easily swap between the Pro 10.5 and non-ProMotion Air 3.

The CPU, the big jump was in 2018 with the A12X. The A12Z in the 2020 Pro has perhaps better sustained performance and slightly faster GPU performance compared to 2018 but otherwise, the processor's not that different.
 
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Digitalguy said:
spatial audio? Is this a feature of the 11 pro? I have both the 9.7 pro and the 11 and I don't see any improvement in audio compared to the 9.7 honestly...
Click to expand...
It's basically surround sound. It only works on newer devices (not my 9.7" Pro) and with airpods pro or the new set of Apple headphones. It works on my iPhone XR and is pretty cool. It's pretty cool with media that supports it, and it seems more sources are supporting it. I don't know if Netflix does yet but I recently saw an article that they were working on it. Here's a link to an article describing it: what-is-apple-spatial-audio
 
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