iPad Pro The real issue with the iPad lineup this year… Air/Pro are the same functionally

[Digitalguy]

I started this by saying my wife's 6 year old HP Elitebook x360 has face recognition. I posted because people here were excited by the addition of facial recognition. I did not mention that her Elitebook also has finger print recognition. The facts are that Apple has had face recognition in phones for some time. But only now have iPads. And the notebooks still lack facial recognition. I just wonder what goes on with Apple keeping up with basic user friendly tools across all their hardware?

And the reason I have been looking at the new iPad Pro, is because my wife uses her 10.5 iPad Pro at least 90 minutes a day, browsing the web. But its battery is shot. And Apple have said its battery is OK, they blame the software. And they admitted, that Apple wants a user like my wife, to buy a new iPad Pro, so they refuse to charge a replacement fee for the battery.

While people here say the OS will be supported for many years, I doubt the battery will be supported by Apple for as long. Because they are not supporting my wife's 10.5' iPad (bought new from Apple in 2018 I think). I also think the lack of battery capacity upgrades is not due to packaging benefits. I think it's because Apple wants iPads batteries to wear out. Ultimately the best thing about the iPad is its portability. And its worst feature is its battery.

My Thinkpad has both Face recognition and finger print, both with Windows Hello, and having both is a nice plus.
As for the 10.5 I have the same exact problem. Try to have the battery replaced since the performance it's still decent and it's a 256 4G model, but Apple says battery is 87% (lasts 3 hours at best). And it will go vintage this years hardware wise, while software wise it will probably not get iPadOS 18. End of software support is not a big deal to me, I can use the device may years after that, especially as I have other iPads too. But the fact that Apple goes out of their way to avoid doing a battery service is what makes iPads not so future proof as they could be.

 

[Digitalguy]

I am very tired of people not understanding the difference between an operating systems, GUI overlaying said OS and apps. So be more precise next time.

I completely disagree, there are iPad apps out there that use Mx chips even if you do not use them. I think a touch first device is more troublesome to use if lagging so a large performance overhead is preferable.

What do you propose to have instead in iPads? An A14X which would essentially be the same as the M1? Perhaps the A17 pro would cut it for larger screen iPads.

Many people don't realize that M1 is not just a matter of CPU, it's also RAM. A guy on Reddit made a post saying A14 is enough for 99% of people. Well, CPU might be enough, but not 4GB RAM. M series have stopped iPads being (historically) inferior to laptops when it comes to RAM and that's a good thing.

 

[wib]

And the reason I have been looking at the new iPad Pro, is because my wife uses her 10.5 iPad Pro at least 90 minutes a day, browsing the web. But its battery is shot. And Apple have said its battery is OK, they blame the software. And they admitted, that Apple wants a user like my wife, to buy a new iPad Pro, so they refuse to charge a replacement fee for the battery.

While people here say the OS will be supported for many years, I doubt the battery will be supported by Apple for as long. Because they are not supporting my wife's 10.5' iPad (bought new from Apple in 2018 I think). I also think the lack of battery capacity upgrades is not due to packaging benefits. I think it's because Apple wants iPads batteries to wear out. Ultimately the best thing about the iPad is its portability. And its worst feature is its battery.

Oooh, I'm jumping on your post, if you don't mind.

I also have a 10.5 Pro that I'm looking to replace. Which iPad are you thinking of getting? I thought the 11 inch Air would be good, but having looked at them all in person, I'm undecided. The Air seemed too similar, apart from the pencil. The 13 looked good, but the screens of Pros...

I'd love to know other people's opinions.

 

[Kal Madda]

There's another issue too. It costs developers more to port their software to IOS, and still keep it the same as it is on a Mac (or Windows). A simple example are the Office apps - Word, Excel etc. Those are mostly quite different on IOS, and inferior as well. But it costs more for porting ...

And if Mac Apps could look the same and be as effective on IOS, how many Windows users would buy an iPad? I reckon a lot of them ...

How does it supposedly cost them more to keep their software looking the same as on the Mac? Many apps have a similar UI and feature set to their Mac equivalents. The Microsoft Office software is lacking in features, not due to lack of functionality of the OS, but due to the lack of imagination and forward thinking of Microsoft software developers who develop it.

 

[Kal Madda]

The facts are that Apple has had face recognition in phones for some time. But only now have iPads.

iPad’s have had FaceID since 2018.

 

[Digitalguy]

How does it supposedly cost them more to keep their software looking the same as on the Mac? Many apps have a similar UI and feature set to their Mac equivalents. The Microsoft Office software is lacking in features, not due to lack of functionality of the OS, but due to the lack of imagination and forward thinking of Microsoft software developers who develop it.

I think it's more than lack of imagination, I think it's Microsoft not wanting to invest resources in making Office on iPad as good as on Windows (some of those resources are instead invested in porting to Windows on ARM).

 

[Kal Madda]

While people here say the OS will be supported for many years, I doubt the battery will be supported by Apple for as long. Because they are not supporting my wife's 10.5' iPad (bought new from Apple in 2018 I think). I also think the lack of battery capacity upgrades is not due to packaging benefits. I think it's because Apple wants iPads batteries to wear out. Ultimately the best thing about the iPad is its portability. And its worst feature is its battery.

A. You’re experience is an outlier. I’m not saying that your experience is invalid or anything of the sort, but I’m thinking maybe you misunderstood something, or maybe there are other issues at work that you don’t realize. Most people get great battery longevity on their iPads when looking through forums. I myself use my iPad for heavy, battery-eating tasks like 3D modeling/sculpting, and the battery life is still excellent even though I’ve been using it heavily for 3 years. I think there may be more nuance to the situation if you’re having battery issues that early, because most people I’ve seen don’t. Maybe there’s something wrong with it beyond just the battery, and that’s why Apple recommended replacing the whole iPad.
B. The new 11” iPad Pro actually has a bit higher of battery capacity than the prior gen. I think your “theories” about Apple’s design decisions and needing to cut some battery capacity on the 13” iPad Pro to make it thinner are unfounded and unsupported by the evidence.

 

[Kal Madda]

I think it's more than lack of imagination, I think it's Microsoft not wanting to invest resources in making Office on iPad as good as on Windows (some of those resources are instead invested in porting to Windows on ARM).

Yeah, the cynical side of me thinks they don’t want to make better office for the iPad because they don’t want the iPad to compete with their Surface Pro. Personally, I’ve moved to using office software that does offer desktop-level functionality on the iPad, because I think it’s kind of silly that Office doesn’t even support something as simple and basic as custom document templates.

 

[Melbourne Park]

Oooh, I'm jumping on your post, if you don't mind.

I also have a 10.5 Pro that I'm looking to replace. Which iPad are you thinking of getting? I thought the 11 inch Air would be good, but having looked at them all in person, I'm undecided. The Air seemed too similar, apart from the pencil. The 13 looked good, but the screens of Pros...

I'd love to know other people's opinions.

I'm not sure! If M$ Word can be handled by my wife, it would mean she would not have to replace her X360 HP Elitebook. In fact I have another battery for that - it cost in $US under $50. But one of its screen ports no longer works. It feels pretty slow to me too. She uses Outlook a lot, and files emails into different categories. She does the same things with lots of Word documents. If she could handle filing things in a similar folder fashion, then I'd get her to lift the 13" Pro, and get the keyboard for that. But if not ... I'm just not sure yet. But probably a 11" Pro. I have also considered an M2 Pro - they are around. But my wife wants cellular (for the GPS when we go bush for mapping), and cellular costs a lot more in the M2 Pro market (which cannot be bought from Apple directly in Australia, one has to hunt around). There are still some good deals, but the cellular results in a price too close to the new iPad.

I'm also tempted to get a 13" with 2 TB and see how it runs FCP. I'd have to get something to connect my calibrated Eizo screen though as it doesn't have a type C connection. If they were water resistant I could use it on my yacht ... but sadly they are not like the phones as far as IP goes ... on the boat, I've use iPhone and GoPro. The GoPro even works under water.

 

[Melbourne Park]

A. You’re experience is an outlier. I’m not saying that your experience is invalid or anything of the sort, but I’m thinking maybe you misunderstood something, or maybe there are other issues at work that you don’t realize. Most people get great battery longevity on their iPads when looking through forums. ...

By the way, Apple have allowed 80% only charging of the iPads. This preserves the battery better. Running them below 20% also knocks around the battery. I don't know if Apple have allowed users to have the iPad preserve its battery by turning off at 20% charge.

If Apple did that, it would mean the battery life extended, but the endurance of the iPad was reduced by 40%. So the 9 to 10 hours would become 5 and half to 6 hours. People therefor have a choice - use it less, or screw the battery quicker. And the fact that Apple have introduced the 80% cap, demonstrates that Apple recognises batteries do die.

My experience is real. But it's my wife's. She likely butchers the battery. and it's not a magnet charge, which might mean better treatment of the battery.

But the key issue here is - Apple refuses to replace it, and they would normally charge about $US135 to do so. Or $Au195 (I am in Australia). To give a value relationship - a new iPad here costs $Au599. So the battery would be one third of the price of a base model iPad. Or about one quarter of a new iPad equipped with a GPS (ie Cell) which costs in Australia $849.

But she is willing to pay for a new battery. So am I. Ethically, Apple who claim environmental responsibility, should replace the battery. But Apple refuses to replace the battery. And there are threads on the same issue, right here at MacRumours. With people having Apple refuse to replace the battery, despite people offering Apple their price to do so. And as the genius bar guys at Apple in Melbourne (Southland) said - Apple do not want to replace the battery, because they want you to buy a new iPad.

Why should you doubt the Genius bar statements made by Apple employees to me and my wife?

 

[T-Bob]

And the point of this is....? People don’t even know their iPad history:

The origins of the iPad Pro: the 9.7-inch iPad Pro replaced the iPad Air 2.

Differences:

-Processor (not noticeable on iOS 9)

-Quad Speakers (like today)

-Better screen tech (the Air 2’s display is just fine)

-Quad LED on the camera (really? Nitpicking at this point).

-4K video (perhaps the only one with some significance... but who uses the camera anyway?)

-Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard support (I will ignore this since the current Air does support this).

Apart from Quad Speakers, where’s the major difference?

Like I said... Pro is just a marketing term. What does it actually mean? Quad Speakers, sometimes it has a better processor, and it has a bit better screen tech. That’s all. Interested? Buy the Pro. Not interested? Buy the Air.

I’m glad Apple respects their principle and core idea of the iPad Pro.

Origins of the small iPad Pro? 9.7 after all came out in 2016 after the first pro which was 12.9” in 2015. Then there was 10.5” in 2017 before they settled on 11” in 2018 for smaller size.

 

[Melbourne Park]

iPad’s have had FaceID since 2018.

I couldn't get it to work on my M3 Max 16" MacBook Pro though.

 

[Stella]

“Some AI stuff” would still count as potential M4 exclusive features… Don’t get me wrong, I think most major features will likely be backwards compatible for at least the M1, but I still think there is the possibility that there will be a few M4 exclusive features. Probably several AI based features. And some that probably leverage the tandem OLED display.

If Apple's AI plans were so significant, I'm sure the Air would have also got an M4, at reduced performance.

Any exclusive M4 Ai will be for convenience, i.e., for quicker / offline responses and to offer ML / AI in applications, like we've already seen with improved document scanning on the Pro that was demoed last week.

I'd doubt Apple would release an Air, only to offer a whole batch of ground breaking AI functionality exclusive only to the highest price iPad.

 

[Ctrlos]

Do the iPad Pros (M4) have any functional advantage over the iPad Airs (M2) or even the last two iPad Pro Models (M2/M1) - meaning are there tasks you can do on an iPad Pro that you cannot do on an iPad Air? We know that the iPad Pros don’t add any new camera tech, no new screen functionality (always on), no new ports, no new specific OS functionality. The new Pencil Pro works on both the iPad Pros and iPad Airs. As someone who really likes iPadOs and the iPad as a platform in the current state (and I am not a proponent of adding MacOs to the IPad), I am struggling to see what an iPad Pro can do over a new iPad Air (the ”regular” iPad can’t do the same in terms of multitasking and camera and such, so this is really focused on Air vs Pro). I know the iPad Pro is just a nicer piece of kit, but I am struck at how there are not even battery or camera advantages for the iPad Pro this time around

Having used a Pro as my main work computer for the last few years I can tell you right now that the Pro is *only* worth it if the following features are of any use to you and/or dealbreakers:

- ProMotion
- Thunderbolt 4 vs USB-C 3.1
- LiDAR Scanner
- FaceID

Thats it. The negligable difference between M1 to M4 coupled with iPadOS means you won't notice any performance gains even if benchmarks say otherwise. In fact you can run apps like Shapr3D pretty well on an A-series if its just simple models or technical drawings you're producing.

I have an M1 Pro because I use the LiDAR Scanner to capture areas and models (although my experiments with Scaniverse using just Photogrammetry do make me question the need for it for small items)

 

[FeliApple]

Origins of the small iPad Pro? 9.7 after all came out in 2016 after the first pro which was 12.9” in 2015. Then there was 10.5” in 2017 before they settled on 11” in 2018 for smaller size.

I’m aware, I’m directly contrasting models. The successor of the Air 2 is the 9.7-inch iPad Pro in a way (the Air 3 changes screen size, which is why I have always stated that the 9.7-inch iPad Pro stands alone, kind of like the Air 3, which has no successor).

 

[Kal Madda]

By the way, Apple have allowed 80% only charging of the iPads. This preserves the battery better. Running them below 20% also knocks around the battery. I don't know if Apple have allowed users to have the iPad preserve its battery by turning off at 20% charge.

If Apple did that, it would mean the battery life extended, but the endurance of the iPad was reduced by 40%. So the 9 to 10 hours would become 5 and half to 6 hours. People therefor have a choice - use it less, or screw the battery quicker. And the fact that Apple have introduced the 80% cap, demonstrates that Apple recognises batteries do die.

My experience is real. But it's my wife's. She likely butchers the battery. and it's not a magnet charge, which might mean better treatment of the battery.

But the key issue here is - Apple refuses to replace it, and they would normally charge about $US135 to do so. Or $Au195 (I am in Australia). To give a value relationship - a new iPad here costs $Au599. So the battery would be one third of the price of a base model iPad. Or about one quarter of a new iPad equipped with a GPS (ie Cell) which costs in Australia $849.

But she is willing to pay for a new battery. So am I. Ethically, Apple who claim environmental responsibility, should replace the battery. But Apple refuses to replace the battery. And there are threads on the same issue, right here at MacRumours. With people having Apple refuse to replace the battery, despite people offering Apple their price to do so. And as the genius bar guys at Apple in Melbourne (Southland) said - Apple do not want to replace the battery, because they want you to buy a new iPad.

Why should you doubt the Genius bar statements made by Apple employees to me and my wife?

What I was pointing out, is there may be damage to other internal hardware, which could possibly result in replacing the battery just for it to continue to have issues. If the battery is not the only cause of the issues, then it’s potentially reasonable for Apple to suggest replacing the iPad rather than replacing the battery. I’m not saying that’s necessarily the case in your situation, I’m just saying it’s a possibility. Maybe the Apple Store you’re going to isn’t managed as well, I don’t know, and I won’t comment on your local Apple Store.

Also, while Apple only advertises a 10 hour battery runtime, in every review I’ve read so far about the new iPad Pros, the reviewers have been getting 15 hours on the 13” iPad Pro. The 11” models typically get longer battery life than the 13” models since they have a smaller display to power. And this go round, the 11” model has a more efficient OLED display, and a slightly larger battery capacity than the last 11” model, so it should have at least that battery runtime, if not greater.

 

[Kal Madda]

I couldn't get it to work on my M3 Max 16" MacBook Pro though.

They don’t have room in the thinner lid for the FaceID hardware. The MacBook Pro’s lid is much thinner than an iPad or iPhone. FaceID doesn’t just use a webcam, it’s using LIDAR to scan your face. TouchID is plenty fast for Macs, so I don’t think it’s a big deal.

 

[Melbourne Park]

What I was pointing out, is there may be damage to other internal hardware, which could possibly result in replacing the battery just for it to continue to have issues. If the battery is not the only cause of the issues, then it’s potentially reasonable for Apple to suggest replacing the iPad rather than replacing the battery. I’m not saying that’s necessarily the case in your situation, I’m just saying it’s a possibility. Maybe the Apple Store you’re going to isn’t managed as well, I don’t know, and I won’t comment on your local Apple Store.

Its hardware was checked out by Apple. They concluded it was the few software apps that my wife has installed which were causing the poor battery performance. They said to re-format the iPad, and re-install all the apps individually. That way the latest apps would download and no power killing or buggy apps would damage the iPad's battery life. On requesting to pay for a new battery, they said no, they would not, unless we continue with further complaints to Apple. This was the second time we had brought the iPad to Apple inside two months.

The Genius bar personnel said that Apple wants us to buy a new iPad instead of replacing the battery (ie a replacement iPad Pro 10.5"). Which also means of course, it's only good for the recycling. Yet - with a new battery, it would work fine, and someone would benefit. Rather than tearing it apart and then re-melting its metal parts down. And also using landfill. Or perhaps, we trade it in for $Au135 (about $US 90) which Apple have offered for it.

Also, while Apple only advertises a 10 hour battery runtime, in every review I’ve read so far about the new iPad Pros, the reviewers have been getting 15 hours on the 13” iPad Pro. The 11” models typically get longer battery life than the 13” models since they have a smaller display to power. And this go round, the 11” model has a more efficient OLED display, and a slightly larger battery capacity than the last 11” model, so it should have at least that battery runtime, if not greater.

Both models have different sized batteries, so the increased screen size should not affect endurance if the battery balance to usage matches.

You and I don't know the power differentials of the two screens, and there are many variables there's including brightness settings, CPU loadings, speaker usage and perhaps cellular usage, etc etc.

But the 11" appears to have a decent bump in battery capacity, while the 13" 's battery appears to be slightly smaller than the M2 Pro iPads.

My point though is that Apple plans for battery failures to terminate iPads, rather than providing new batteries. I think that policy is abhorrent. I do think though that eventually manufacturers will have to be ethical. Perhaps the EU will institute some laws about battery replacement rights. They certainly stepped in about Apple's Lightning connection which made Apple switch to type-C.

This review claims worse battery life in the M4 iPads than the M1 iPads - in summary it says the M4's have better life in games hence CPU intensive tasks, while lower endurance than previous when streaming. IMO it's a bit disappointing that despite carrying extra weight and cost, the 13" has less endurance than the 11". With Mac notebooks usually the bigger screen unit gets the better battery life, same with the phones and the watches too with the Ultra v the rest.

Apple’s Latest M4 iPad Pro Models Have Worse Battery Life Than The M1 mini-LED Version In Early Runtime Tests, Despite Switching To OLED Technology

An early battery life test of the M4 iPad Pro models reveals that the latest tablets have reduced runtime compared to earlier iterations

wccftech.com

 

[Kal Madda]

Its hardware was checked out by Apple. They concluded it was the few software apps that my wife has installed which were causing the poor battery performance. They said to re-format the iPad, and re-install all the apps individually. That way the latest apps would download and no power killing or buggy apps would damage the iPad's battery life. On requesting to pay for a new battery, they said no, they would not, unless we continue with further complaints to Apple. This was the second time we had brought the iPad to Apple inside two months.

The Genius bar personnel said that Apple wants us to buy a new iPad instead of replacing the battery (ie a replacement iPad Pro 10.5"). Which also means of course, it's only good for the recycling. Yet - with a new battery, it would work fine, and someone would benefit. Rather than tearing it apart and then re-melting its metal parts down. And also using landfill. Or perhaps, we trade it in for $Au135 (about $US 90) which Apple have offered for it.




Both models have different sized batteries, so the increased screen size should not affect endurance if the battery balance to usage matches.

You and I don't know the power differentials of the two screens, and there are many variables there's including brightness settings, CPU loadings, speaker usage and perhaps cellular usage, etc etc.

But the 11" appears to have a decent bump in battery capacity, while the 13" 's battery appears to be slightly smaller than the M2 Pro iPads.

My point though is that Apple plans for battery failures to terminate iPads, rather than providing new batteries. I think that policy is abhorrent. I do think though that eventually manufacturers will have to be ethical. Perhaps the EU will institute some laws about battery replacement rights. They certainly stepped in about Apple's Lightning connection which made Apple switch to type-C.

This review claims worse battery life in the M4 iPads than the M1 iPads - in summary it says the M4's have better life in games hence CPU intensive tasks, while lower endurance than previous when streaming. IMO it's a bit disappointing that despite carrying extra weight and cost, the 13" has less endurance than the 11". With Mac notebooks usually the bigger screen unit gets the better battery life, same with the phones and the watches too with the Ultra v the rest.

Apple’s Latest M4 iPad Pro Models Have Worse Battery Life Than The M1 mini-LED Version In Early Runtime Tests, Despite Switching To OLED Technology

An early battery life test of the M4 iPad Pro models reveals that the latest tablets have reduced runtime compared to earlier iterations

wccftech.com

A. Many people have gotten batteries replaced on their old iPads, so you can’t claim that “Apple plans for battery failures to terminate iPads, rather than providing new batteries”. Even if we assume there’s no other context involved with your situation, one case at one local store can hardly be chalked up to the entire companies “plan”. That’s just not how that works.

B. The EU shouldn’t have forced Apple to adopt a port they didn’t want to on their product, that’s outside the proper scope of government authority in my opinion. I certainly don’t want them creating any more top down regulation they have no business making.

C. The size of the screen does have an impact on power usage, and that should be the case even with OLED. More screen to illuminate equals more battery needed. And the 13” iPad Pros have less internal space than a MacBook. It has to house its motherboard, display components, battery, etc. in a much smaller package than the MacBooks do. So of course it won’t get the same level of battery runtime. This clearly doesn’t seem to be a matter of trying to somehow undercut their battery runtime, but rather, a matter of space constraints.

D. Many reviews say the opposite, so I don’t think one review makes it so.

 

[Tyler O'Bannon]

The Pro Motion screen makes a lot of difference between the Air and the Pro, which was done very intentionally, so people will choose the more expensive iPad purely due to the screen quality. The iPad OS will significantly hamper the ability of the iPad to use the full capaibilities of the M4, in all but a few user flows, such as video / photo editing.

I agree, quality of tandem OLED screen and/or ProMotion alone will be what most people look at between the devices. The power of M4 alone is just not crucial except for a very, very small group of users.

 

[Tyler O'Bannon]

There’s VERY VERY little Apple will announce at WWDC that will be M4 exclusive if at all.

I don't know about that, sounds like AI is gonna hit hard, and M4 is poised for that with 38 TOPS in Neural Engine. I don't think that big improvement is for nothing...

 

[T-Bob]

Aside from stage manager originally only being for newer gen of ipads, what other features or software has been exclusive to new ipads? Not recalling anything at the moment.

 

[Melbourne Park]

A. Many people have gotten batteries replaced on their old iPads, so you can’t claim that “Apple plans for battery failures to terminate iPads, rather than providing new batteries”. Even if we assume there’s no other context involved with your situation, one case at one local store can hardly be chalked up to the entire companies “plan”. That’s just not how that works.

...

Well, it happened to me and also I complained to Apple via support. They are playing consumers.

Anyway I can change the battery with several hours of prying it all open, but I'd need to heat the glue in it and don't have one of those devices. A battery for one is about $US35.

 

[Melbourne Park]

...

C. The size of the screen does have an impact on power usage, and that should be the case even with OLED. More screen to illuminate equals more battery needed. And the 13” iPad Pros have less internal space than a MacBook. It has to house its motherboard, display components, battery, etc. in a much smaller package than the MacBooks do. So of course it won’t get the same level of battery runtime. This clearly doesn’t seem to be a matter of trying to somehow undercut their battery runtime, but rather, a matter of space constraints.

About strategy - I was a strategist at a 100 billion dollar corporation. I'm trained in strategy. So give me a break - I know a lot about it.

Short term strategy is best described by tactical behaviours. I'll give you a couple of examples.
1 - Apple could put a bigger battery in their iPads, especially the 13" models. They choose not to because a 13" iPad with a 100 gram bigger battery would eat into MacBook sales.
2 - Note also that the 13" iPad Air dropped 10% of its weight from the M2 12.9" Pro's weight. Apple could have given it a bigger battery, but that would eat into Mac Pro 13" sales.
3 - The 13" iPad Air is marginally thicker than the Pro version. Yet to get the much better iPad keyboard, users have buy a Pro iPad. Apple could have had the new and better keyboard work on the iPad Air as well, and hence provide lower costs due to less inventory and greater production runs. But allowing the iPad Airs to use the new keyboards. would eat into Ipad Pro sales.

These tactical decisions are how big corporations gain profits. Apple's Eco system means users benefit from Apple gear talking to other Apple gear. But it also results in Apple gear costing a lot more. Examples are provided just before. And also, why the iPad won't operate Mac OS. Don't kid yourself that Apple couldn't increase battery life in an iPad, and extent its useable life. Because if they did so, it would cost Apple profits.

Despite all that, I'll buy one for my wife, maybe for my yacht, and maybe for myself. Which one I'm and which size, I am still not sure.

 

[Kal Madda]

About strategy - I was a strategist at a 100 billion dollar corporation. I'm trained in strategy. So give me a break - I know a lot about it.

Short term strategy is best described by tactical behaviours. I'll give you a couple of examples.
1 - Apple could put a bigger battery in their iPads, especially the 13" models. They choose not to because a 13" iPad with a 100 gram bigger battery would eat into MacBook sales.
2 - Note also that the 13" iPad Air dropped 10% of its weight from the M2 12.9" Pro's weight. Apple could have given it a bigger battery, but that would eat into Mac Pro 13" sales.
3 - The 13" iPad Air is marginally thicker than the Pro version. Yet to get the much better iPad keyboard, users have buy a Pro iPad. Apple could have had the new and better keyboard work on the iPad Air as well, and hence provide lower costs due to less inventory and greater production runs. But allowing the iPad Airs to use the new keyboards. would eat into Ipad Pro sales.

These tactical decisions are how big corporations gain profits. Apple's Eco system means users benefit from Apple gear talking to other Apple gear. But it also results in Apple gear costing a lot more. Examples are provided just before. And also, why the iPad won't operate Mac OS. Don't kid yourself that Apple couldn't increase battery life in an iPad, and extent its useable life. Because if they did so, it would cost Apple profits.

Despite all that, I'll buy one for my wife, maybe for my yacht, and maybe for myself. Which one I'm and which size, I am still not sure.

1. They’d have to make the iPad heavier to accommodate a bigger battery, and, as evidenced by the excitement about the new lighter and thinner iPad Pro, many people prefer it to become lighter, not heavier.
2. It would also make the iPad Air heavier to put a larger, heavier battery in it. There’s no evidence Apple decided to cut down on the iPad Air’s weight and include the battery they did because if they did a bigger one “they’d cut into Mac Pro sales”. That’s just your speculation with no actual evidence to support it. Why should I assume your speculative explanation is true over the more plausible interpretation that customers like lighter iPads, so Apple is trying to make them lighter.
3. The new Magic Keyboard Case wouldn’t fit the new iPad Air for multiple reasons. The only way the iPad Air could be as thin as the new iPad Pros would be if they also used an OLED display, which is much more expensive, and would bump up the price point of the iPad Air quite a bit. With the current setup, it would be too thick to fit inside the keyboard case. Also, because the new iPad Pro has a new internal structure, the magnets are in different positions, so the iPad Air wouldn’t even magnetize properly to it. There are plenty of good plausible explanations for why the new Magic Keyboard Case doesn’t work with the iPad Air. Again, just more speculation with no actual hard evidence on your part.

Obviously you’re free to your opinion, but what I am objecting to is your positioning of your opinion as fact when there’s no possible way to prove your speculation as anything other than that. There are plenty of simpler and observable explanations for these things, such as the aforementioned differences in design.