All iPads Which iPad product line would you eliminate from the iPad family as a whole, if given the choice?

[Yebubbleman]

If he put None, he would open to the possiblity that the iPad line might actually not be "messy" (and need to be streamlined) as he thinks, but how can someone not agree with that, so please "play along"

No one is mandating your participation here. It’s a fun hypothetical. No one is saying that you or the fellow you replied to have to do anything. I just don’t understand the point in partaking in the discussion only to say that partaking in the discussion is dumb or a waste of time or energy. Seems like THAT is the true waste of time or energy. Then again, at the end of the day, it’s your time and energy to waste. Not mine.

Also, how often are you told to do something as part of your job that you don’t agree with? Agreement with the notion that the line is messy is not a requirement here. The idea that it is misses the point entirely.

I would eliminate the iPad Air, for the simple reason it serves no value other than as a ‘filler’ product for that price bracket. Even the name today is stupid.

Certain iPads do make sense. The entry-level model is important for markets such as education, parents who want a basic device that can be bashed around by children, POS devices, prototyping etc. And the iPad Mini, although targeting a smaller market, is a great size for ultimate portability and creative input (though the price is beyond stupid).

I’m not sure that the iPad Pro 9 inch makes sense, given that the differentiators between it and the Air are so insignificant now. The iPad Pro 12 inch should really have that title of being the most up-to-date tech.

And though not yet released, the purported ‘larger’ iPad Air is a great idea, I just have a hard time imagining how it would be marketed in an ideal situation given that, on paper, its ’Air’ brand is at odds with the more advanced iPad Pro 9.7 inch.

The rumored 12.9-inch iPad Air seems to mainly serve to re-introduce something very much akin to the very first generation of 12.9-inch iPad Pro (no ProMotion, Flash, Ultra-Wide rear camera, LiDAR, XDR [let alone OLED], Touch ID instead of Face ID, etc.), albeit with keyboard options that thankfully don’t require Apple Quality Repair Extension programs that replace it with replacements that will inevitably fail in the same way and with the current iPad design.

Which is more to say that the 12.9-inch iPad Pro added way more features and ballooned in price to the point where anyone who found the previous model barely affordable now finds the current one out of reach.

I’m not saying that I don’t welcome a 12.9-inch iPad Air. But I am saying that such an iPad’s primary purpose is to solve a financial accessibility problem that Apple created over the course of the five generations of 12.9-inch iPad Pro that came after the original one.

As it stands now, while I have a 12.9-inch iPad Pro in my arsenal and have a use for it, I cannot justify buying any of them brand new and can only barely afford to buy them Apple Certified Refurbished. Since I don’t live and die by Procreate, The Samsung Galaxy Sx+ tablets are probably what I’ll be financially forced to move to, eventually.

 

[heretiq]

Scenario: You are hired as the new Vice President of iPad Marketing at Apple. Once the welcoming committees and intro meetings die down, you are told by Greg Joswiak that Apple has too many iPad product lines and that one will have to be discontinued without replacement at the next major product refresh/launch (of at least one of the other iPad lines).

Which model do you pick to get rid of?

For the sake of argument (and stemming it), let's assume that this decision is to be made purely strategically for the benefit of the iPad product family as a whole and that your decision isn't necessarily supposed to reflect your own preference whatsoever.

I’m curious. Which would you replace? And why?

 

[Yebubbleman]

I’m curious. Which would you replace? And why?

At one point in time, I’d have said the 11-inch iPad Pro. My thinking back then was that most use cases wherein the features that it has over the iPad Air are better suited to the 12.9-inch iPad Pro.

Now, having thought more about it (especially considering Apple’s marketing of the iPad Pros to content creation and heavy/serious iPad use [something the 11-inch iPad Pro seems markedly superior to the iPad Air for]), I now believe the iPad Air Is the one that makes the least marketing sense overall.

I‘m not exactly sure what things the kind of customer shopping for an iPad Air would need with an M1 (let alone any of the features or apps that it enables). Laminated display is nice. Considering how subpar the 1st Generation Apple Pencil is and that the USB-C pencil doesn’t have pressure sensitivity, 2nd Generation Apole Pencil support is nice. Though, I’m not sure how many people find themselves saying “I need to be able to use the 2nd Generation Apple Pencil, but an 11-inch iPad Pro is not for me”. Past that and I’m not really sure which features the iPad Air has over the 10th Generation iPad that make recommending it over the latter an absolute must for the kinds of folks that are shopping for either. Lower the cost of the Air by tossing in an A15 Bionic or A16 Bionic and have that be the 10th (or 11th Generation iPad)

The “Air” brand, made more sense for the original 2013 model and the 2014 iPad Air 2 When it was literally the thinnest full-sized iPad you could buy. It hasn’t been that since the brand returned from its 2017-2019 hiatus. It only existed from 2019 onwards to fill in the void left by the discontinuation of the 10.5-inch iPad Pro (which, itself, only served to maintain the price point void left by the 11-inch iPad Pro being more costly) was still sold alongside the 3rd Generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro and the 1st Generation 11” iPad Pro).

I will throw a disclaimer to that: I don’t think the iPad Air is a bad product. I also don’t think that anyone is making a bad decision in choosing to buy one.

I’ll throw another disclaimer to that: The 9th Generation iPad still being sold and the 10th Generation not being sold at the 9th Generation‘s price point, makes this all the more murky. I’m assuming that will change. Though, Apple could always repeat the marketing moves that they did with the iPhone SE and 10.5-inch iPad Pro and make the 9th Generation iPad into its own separate line. That would seem to be a costly way to raise costs while maintaining price points.

 

[Digitalguy]

No one is mandating your participation here. It’s a fun hypothetical. No one is saying that you or the fellow you replied to have to do anything. I just don’t understand the point in partaking in the discussion only to say that partaking in the discussion is dumb or a waste of time or energy. Seems like THAT is the true waste of time or energy. Then again, at the end of the day, it’s your time and energy to waste. Not mine.

Also, how often are you told to do something as part of your job that you don’t agree with? Agreement with the notion that the line is messy is not a requirement here. The idea that it is misses the point entirely.

It's not a waste of time, it's sharing an opinion for people reading. I didn't use those words anyway.

 

[sleeptodream]

Combine the Pro and Air line into a new Pro line that’s $100 cheaper, and combine the regular iPad and Air into a new Air line that’s $100 cheaper than the current Air, and focuses on lightness to make long term use comfortable. Keep a previous gen iPad Air available for the education/budget market.

Basically, exactly their strategy for the iPhone, a consumer and a Pro line, and previous gen device for the low end rather than something bespoke.

 

[JPack]

I‘m not exactly what things the kind of customer shopping for an iPad Air would need with an M1 (let alone any of the features or apps that it enables). Laminated display is nice. Considering how subpar the 1st Generation Apple Pencil is and that the USB-C pencil doesn’t have pressure sensitivity, 2nd Generation Apole Pencil support is nice. Though, I’m not sure how many people find themselves saying “I need to be able to use the 2nd Generation Apple Pencil, but an 11-inch iPad Pro is not for me”. Past that and I’m not really sure which features the iPad Air has over the 10th Generation iPad that make recommending it over the latter an absolute must for the kinds of folks that are shopping for either. Lower the cost of the Air by tossing in an A15 Bionic or A16 Bionic and have that be the 10th (or 11th Generation iPad)

In short, M1 Air offers much better multitasking and more than doubles the GPU performance of A14 iPad. (Keep in mind A14 is underclocked in iPad 10.)

Compare 4GB RAM iPad with 8GB RAM iPad Air and you'll notice a huge difference in Safari tab retention. The GPU is obviously much better for games and video editing. Some of the latest games require either A17 Pro or M1.

Pencil 2 support is cherry on top. For $599 iPad Air, the user can experience the best in Apple Pencil technology. It's not, "I need Pencil 2, but I won't buy iPad Pro." Rather it's "I have iPad Air and want to try some drawing. I don't want to be stuck using decade old Pencil 1 technology."

 

[kwikdeth]

I wouldn't get rid of any product lines but I'd simplify storage options. Want an entry level iPad? Get entry level storage options. Want a iPad Pro 12.9? It starts with 1tb storage at the existing price point for the starter.

 

[Isengardtom]

I think the price of the base should go down somewhat once the 10.2 is removed form the line

And the Air should go to 128 GB storage

I wouldn’t put it past Apple though once the pro 11 goes up in price to do this storage increase but at a price hike for the air
and keep the base 10.9 at what it is

 

[ofarlig]

From Apples standpoint? None of the above. From my standpoint? The normal iPad since it offers me nothing over say an iPad air.

 

[unchecked]

If there was an option for "none", I would have checked that. The more choices for us consumers and for Apple as a business the better, in my opinion.

Right now the Air and base iPad are winning the poll and results like this is why I disagree with the more choices is better for us idea.

The fact that these two choices are topping the poll can tell us the base iPad at the base price needs to be better and the iPad Air needs to be cheaper for what it's giving us. These two should have been just one option. The Air being there means Apple can continue to sell last gen stuff at the "base" price and then sell current gen stuff at a markup, effectively raising the floor of the base price while still keeping the option and legality of calling things "staring at $xxx".

 

[ric22]

And the Air should go to 128 GB storage

I wouldn’t put it past Apple though once the pro 11 goes up in price to do this storage increase but at a price hike for the air
and keep the base 10.9 at what it is

Haven't sales dropped badly in the last quarter? Will increased prices bring consumers back?

Grown up software will be the only enticement for new buyers, I suspect...

 

[Populus]

I initially marked the iPad Air on the poll, if the Apple Executive board forced me to choose one device to axe, but I think that the current lineup offers a good option for everyone, especially once the new, more expensive OLED iPad Pros get released, because that will give the iPad Air more sense to exist.

However, after giving it a second thought, I would kill the 10.2” iPad and lower a bit the price of the iPad Air to take its pace.

Then, starting from the bottom, we have the basic, 9th gen iPad, which I know many people would eliminate from the lineup, and Apple will likely do so during this year. But -unpopular opinion, I know- I would keep it around for the same reason I would keep the current SE3 form factor: there’s still people who need a device with a physical home button. My mom uses the 9th gen iPad you see on my signature, and I’ve tried to teach her to use the “swipe from the bottom bezel” gesture a lot of times, in order to not wear down the home button, or prevent that sweat and dirt get inside. But after a couple of hours, she’s back to the click and double click of the button to perform the actions. For some people is just easier. Also, there’s no need to upgrade this model because the A13 is still plenty enough for basic user needs (although it would be cool to replace the A13+3GB with an A14+4GB). Being so dirt cheap, this device is ideal for older people with simpler needs, or students who can’t afford an Air, or even the youngest member first device (with parents’ supervision) to paint and draw with their fingers or consult Wikipedia. So, no, I wouldn’t kill it.

Now, the following iPad is the 10.2” iPad. Okay, I’m gonna be honest, I don’t like this iPad but I think I understand it’s philosophy: it’s the natural evolution of the Home-Button-based 9th gen iPad, adopting the modern design. However, if I had to reduce the clutter in the lineup, this model would be affected… I would fuse this cheaper iPad with the Air lineup, and make an intermediate iPad Air, with of course the laminated display of the Air, why not? I cannot understand how in 2022 Apple launched a whole new iPad with a non-laminated display. So, yeah, I think the iPad Air should take the place of this model. Especially now that we’re going to have two sizes of the Air, the smaller one can go a bit down in price to be placed between the 10.2” iPad and the 10.9” iPad Air, price wise. They can add a third storage tier such as 512GB to increase revenue.

Regarding the iPad mini, I would leave it as is, because it has its good share of fans. Sure, I’d buy it if it was a bit bigger (9”) but I understand that many users really need a compact tablet. If they could achieve the 9” by shrinking the bezels, then great, but I wouldn’t kill it by any means. Maybe I’d have it a better quality LCD display with, hopefully, pro-motion, and an A16 or A17 SoC. Adding the ability to support external monitor just like the Air or the Pro would be awesome, but we all know Apple right? However, if I were an Apple executive, I’d fight the board to allow this feature on a newer iPad mini with an A17 Pro and 8GB of RAM inside.

Regarding the iPad Pro, I know the new design sizes have been leaked, but I would have designed a slightly smaller 11” or 10.9” iPad Pro, taking advantage of the slimmer bezels to make it slightly more lightweight and compact, leaving the big 13” size for the bigger, less portable one. But we already know that’s not gonna be the case and, as a long time 11” iPad Pro user, I can deal with it. It’s fine.

_________________

So, this would be my final alignment, if I was responsible of the iPad product category:

- Base 10.2” iPad with Home Button and headphone jack, at just $299, great for students and older ones, or just someone that wants a device on their coach to read the newspaper or message someone. I would update it with an A14 and 4GB of RAM if costs allow it.

- 8.3” iPad mini, very similar to the current one, with better quality LCD laminated display, the newer A17 (or even A18) SoC paired with 8GB of RAM, and the ability to support external displays. At $529, a bit more expensive but you know, inflation (and slightly increased component costs).

- 11” and 12.9” iPad Air, with the same laminated display, and an M2+8GB of RAM, at $549 (11”) and $659 (12.9”).

- 11” and 13” iPad Pro, with a first-in-class OLED display, an M3 or M4 SoC, 12GB of RAM (with 24GB for the 1TB and 2TB models), and the new revolutionary feature to switch on macOS-mode when you connect it to an external monitor (I know, that’s not gonna happen), starting at $999.

 

[Populus]

I'd drop iPad to two lines: iPad and iPad Pro. Both lineups would have a mini size, a 10-11 inch size, and a 13 inch. The iPad line would use the A#X chips and have TouchID in the power button, lower max brightness non-HDR LCD displays at 60hz, support for the lower end Apple Pencil only. The pros would have M series chips, OLED promotion HDR displays, FaceID, support for higher end Pencils, etc. Keyboard accessories would work across both lines. Lower end would have less RAM and lower max storage options. Then it becomes more about what do you need to do and what size helps you best do it. Streamlined and easy.

I think Steve Jobs would have liked this approach. As I do.

 

[Isengardtom]

Haven't sales dropped badly in the last quarter? Will increased prices bring consumers back?

Grown up software will be the only enticement for new buyers, I suspect...

Yeah, I imagine a lot of people inform themselves more these days and know that updates are imminent.
And to most, iPad is a supplement device not their main one.

The software argument is valid for the pro's but less so for the more base iPads I think. And many others have stated this before but developers won't release their more powerful software on iPad unless they know it'll be worth it for them. Which brings us to the App Store and the 30% fees or the MacOS argument, which won't happen either because that's basically allowing sideloading

 

[Richard8655]

Right now the Air and base iPad are winning the poll and results like this is why I disagree with the more choices is better for us idea.

The fact that these two choices are topping the poll can tell us the base iPad at the base price needs to be better and the iPad Air needs to be cheaper for what it's giving us. These two should have been just one option. The Air being there means Apple can continue to sell last gen stuff at the "base" price and then sell current gen stuff at a markup, effectively raising the floor of the base price while still keeping the option and legality of calling things "staring at $xxx".

Just to point out there are technical differences between the models and each at their price levels appeals to a different audience and enthusiast. The fact that the poll shows votes leaning in any direction to me doesn't mean much if "none" is not an option. Many will vote just to vote.

 

[snipr125]

Right now the Air and base iPad are winning the poll and results like this is why I disagree with the more choices is better for us idea.

The fact that these two choices are topping the poll can tell us the base iPad at the base price needs to be better and the iPad Air needs to be cheaper for what it's giving us. These two should have been just one option. The Air being there means Apple can continue to sell last gen stuff at the "base" price and then sell current gen stuff at a markup, effectively raising the floor of the base price while still keeping the option and legality of calling things "staring at $xxx".

Its actually quite interesting that the 2 iPad models winning the Poll by MR members to be ‘deleted’ are Apples best selling iPads. Apple are actually going to expand the iPad Air range with a 12.9” model as we all know, and the MacBook Airs are their top selling Macs. I suppose most peoples issue with the Ipad Air is that it’s not thin like it used to be which is a completely fair point.

 

[philipma1957]

Okay the must have models

1) the mini
2) the pro

the air and the standard are the two that seem to be redundant.


I would make two airs a 10 and a 12.

so

1 mini
2 airs 10 and 12
2 pros 10 and 12

good chips in all of them

m2 in the mini and air m3 in the pros

 

[muzzy996]

Personally I think Apple should slightly reduce their SKU count on the iPad line by adjusting their storage options which would also help further leverage storage capacity as a differentiator between models in the lineup. Keep the base ipad storage as-is for their entry level option but up the base storage on the Air to 128gb. Up the base storage on the Pro line to 256gb in order to reduce the SKU count in that lineup.

It would also be nice if the pro line was further differentiated with an additional thunderbolt port. The Mini I wouldn't eliminate, it can remain and just receive hardware upgrades like a step up in base storage, additional RAM and better screen.

 

[bradman83]

I'd do it the other way around, I'd change the name of the iPad Air to just iPad. The Air name doesn't make much sense, especially after the next release where the Pro is expected to be lighter than the Air.

I'd go a step further and rename the base iPad the iPad SE to align with the phone and watch naming schemes.

SE = Low cost give-up-some-features base model
Non-Suffix = Standard "best option for most" model
Pro = High end model

I also think they should do the same with the MacBook line and by dropping the Air suffix from the consumer line and just calling it MacBook (and maybe resurrecting a new version of the 12" MacBook as the MacBook Air).

 

[unchecked]

So you prefer to live in a world where you have to choose between: $449 iPad A14/4GB or $799 iPad Pro M2/8GB? Don't you think the gap is too wide?

$449 iPad is cheap, slow, and lacks RAM. It has a non-laminated display and doesn't work with pressure sensitive Pencil 2. The goal was to make the display cheap to repair.

For people who want a premium media consumption device with light multi-tasking, the iPad Air is perfect.

That’s because the base iPad is too weak. The Air should have been the new base iPad at the base iPad’s price.

When tech advanced, the base’s tech should also advance along while keeping at the base’s price. Maybe you can adjust for inflation. But instead, what we have is current tech is being sold at a premium while they are selling us old tech at base price.

I will buy your argument if the base iPad is actually cheaper than $499 when it uses older parts.

 

[nj-morris]

I'd go a step further and rename the base iPad the iPad SE to align with the phone and watch naming schemes.

SE = Low cost give-up-some-features base model
Non-Suffix = Standard "best option for most" model
Pro = High end model

I also think they should do the same with the MacBook line and by dropping the Air suffix from the consumer line and just calling it MacBook (and maybe resurrecting a new version of the 12" MacBook as the MacBook Air).

Not a fan of the "SE" suffix. Just doesn't sound that good to me.

 

[Yebubbleman]

In short, M1 Air offers much better multitasking and more than doubles the GPU performance of A14 iPad.

That stands to reason, since M1 is basically double the exact same cores that are in a standard A14.

(Keep in mind A14 is underclocked in iPad 10.)

Are you sure? MacTracker seems to indicate that the 4th Gen Air, 10th Gen iPad, and all iPhone 12 models all have the exact same 3.0GHz clock speed.

Compare 4GB RAM iPad with 8GB RAM iPad Air and you'll notice a huge difference in Safari tab retention. The GPU is obviously much better for games and video editing. Some of the latest games require either A17 Pro or M1.

Right, but again, who is buying an iPad Air to do gaming and video editing and isn't up for spending the additional $150 for an 11-inch iPad Pro? The Air seems geared more for casual users than any game that requires A17 Pro or M1.

Pencil 2 support is cherry on top. For $599 iPad Air, the user can experience the best in Apple Pencil technology. It's not, "I need Pencil 2, but I won't buy iPad Pro." Rather it's "I have iPad Air and want to try some drawing. I don't want to be stuck using decade old Pencil 1 technology."

Certainly, if you buy anything that isn't a standard iPad, the 2nd Generation Pencil is the way to go. However, I'd imagine that "I want to try some drawing" would have someone using the USB-C pencil over the 2nd Generation Pencil and again, would be the kind of thing that one could do on the 10th Generation iPad (as well for how serious said user cares to). My point is that if one isn't serious about drawing, the secnd generation Pencil is not going to be chief consideration when deciding between Air or standard.

I initially marked the iPad Air on the poll, if the Apple Executive board forced me to choose one device to axe, but I think that the current lineup offers a good option for everyone, especially once the new, more expensive OLED iPad Pros get released, because that will give the iPad Air more sense to exist.

However, after giving it a second thought, I would kill the 10.2” iPad and lower a bit the price of the iPad Air to take its pace.

Then, starting from the bottom, we have the basic, 9th gen iPad, which I know many people would eliminate from the lineup, and Apple will likely do so during this year. But -unpopular opinion, I know- I would keep it around for the same reason I would keep the current SE3 form factor: there’s still people who need a device with a physical home button. My mom uses the 9th gen iPad you see on my signature, and I’ve tried to teach her to use the “swipe from the bottom bezel” gesture a lot of times, in order to not wear down the home button, or prevent that sweat and dirt get inside. But after a couple of hours, she’s back to the click and double click of the button to perform the actions. For some people is just easier. Also, there’s no need to upgrade this model because the A13 is still plenty enough for basic user needs (although it would be cool to replace the A13+3GB with an A14+4GB). Being so dirt cheap, this device is ideal for older people with simpler needs, or students who can’t afford an Air, or even the youngest member first device (with parents’ supervision) to paint and draw with their fingers or consult Wikipedia. So, no, I wouldn’t kill it.

It wouldn't surprise me if the 9th Generation iPad is replaced with an iPad SE. The last time Apple kept an older iPad in the lineup alongside its obvious replacement was when the 10.5-inch iPad Pro was sold alongside the first generation 11-inch iPad Pro and the third generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro. It eventually was replaced with the return of "iPad Air". Apple doesn't mind raising prices; but my guess is that, as happened in 2018/19, Apple won't abandon the idea of the standard iPad having the pricepoints that the 10th Generation iPad currently has. Nor will it abandon the $329 price point that the 9th Generation iPad currently has. They'll probably add an iPad SE to replace it. It's messy marketing, but such is the range of 10-11-inch iPads!

Now, the following iPad is the 10.2” iPad. Okay, I’m gonna be honest, I don’t like this iPad but I think I understand it’s philosophy: it’s the natural evolution of the Home-Button-based 9th gen iPad, adopting the modern design. However, if I had to reduce the clutter in the lineup, this model would be affected… I would fuse this cheaper iPad with the Air lineup, and make an intermediate iPad Air, with of course the laminated display of the Air, why not? I cannot understand how in 2022 Apple launched a whole new iPad with a non-laminated display. So, yeah, I think the iPad Air should take the place of this model. Especially now that we’re going to have two sizes of the Air, the smaller one can go a bit down in price to be placed between the 10.2” iPad and the 10.9” iPad Air, price wise. They can add a third storage tier such as 512GB to increase revenue.

I think the 10th Generation iPad would've made more sense if it replaced the 9th Generation iPad. The fact that it didn't just seems like needless price gouging in the name of a new body style and now it awkwardly encroaches on the Air, which has all the right hardware features (give or take camera placement) but an SoC that is way faster than the average person shopping for it realistically needs. All of the iPads that have moved to the current body style have been given a price bump for it. Not sure that dropping a headphone jack and replacing lightning with USB-C is worth the added price hike.

Regarding the iPad mini, I would leave it as is, because it has its good share of fans. Sure, I’d buy it if it was a bit bigger (9”) but I understand that many users really need a compact tablet. If they could achieve the 9” by shrinking the bezels, then great, but I wouldn’t kill it by any means. Maybe I’d have it a better quality LCD display with, hopefully, pro-motion, and an A16 or A17 SoC. Adding the ability to support external monitor just like the Air or the Pro would be awesome, but we all know Apple right? However, if I were an Apple executive, I’d fight the board to allow this feature on a newer iPad mini with an A17 Pro and 8GB of RAM inside.

No complaints here!

Yeah, I imagine a lot of people inform themselves more these days and know that updates are imminent.

Uh...we must be dealing with very different people then. Most people I know don't pay attention to Apple release dates and what's coming imminently versus what's coming way later.

Its actually quite interesting that the 2 iPad models winning the Poll by MR members to be ‘deleted’ are Apples best selling iPads.

I don't doubt that you're right about that. But do you have any sources to back that up?

Not a fan of the "SE" suffix. Just doesn't sound that good to me.

I agree. However, it does seem somewhat likely that they'll do it. I think it's not a great idea, but they love their price points and the 10th Generation iPad didn't exactly adopt the 9th Generation's...

 

[JPack]

Are you sure? MacTracker seems to indicate that the 4th Gen Air, 10th Gen iPad, and all iPhone 12 models all have the exact same 3.0GHz clock speed.

Yes, the iPad 10 is about 10% slower in most benchmarks due to thermal throttling.

Right, but again, who is buying an iPad Air to do gaming and video editing and isn't up for spending the additional $150 for an 11-inch iPad Pro? The Air seems geared more for casual users than any game that requires A17 Pro or M1.

Many people would prefer to save $150. For the average person, what do they see with +$150? More cameras/speakers, ProMotion, and M2. Gaming and video editing are everyday tasks. Anybody who is playing Roblox, Call of Duty, or editing a video for TikTok will benefit from M1. You don't need to be a competitive gamer or Hollywood video editor to understand this.

iPad Air also benefits simply by sitting in the middle of the pack. People don't want a low-end iPad or a high-end iPad Pro. The middle tier is good for people who don't know. This is the same as the burger patty principle. They don't need M2 but also realize A14 is slow.

Certainly, if you buy anything that isn't a standard iPad, the 2nd Generation Pencil is the way to go. However, I'd imagine that "I want to try some drawing" would have someone using the USB-C pencil over the 2nd Generation Pencil and again, would be the kind of thing that one could do on the 10th Generation iPad (as well for how serious said user cares to). My point is that if one isn't serious about drawing, the secnd generation Pencil is not going to be chief consideration when deciding between Air or standard.

"Try some drawing" by default means Pencil 2. If you ask any casual artist if they want to draw without pressure sensitivity, the answer will probably be no.

Imagine using a graphite pencil or watercolor brush without sensitivity. It just doesn't work. Apple advertises USB-C Pencil as a sketching and markup tool. Apple sells Pencil 2 as a drawing tool. Even the cheapest $50 Wacom tablets have pressure sensitivity. This is a non-negotiable feature for anyone trying to draw or serious about drawing.

 

[AppliedMicro]

Generally speaking: the 11-inch pro, as it‘s awkwardly wedged between the (larger) Pro and the (almost as goodat the same screen size) Air in Apple‘s lineup - and I can’t imagine it selling many units.

Particularly from the most current generation: the 10th gen iPad. It may be cheap - but the pencil situation is just ridiculous.

While Jobs is said to have believed in not being afraid of cannibalising yourself…
the 10th gen iPad reeks of being intentionally designed not to cannibalise.

 

[Rafterman]

Generally speaking: the 11-inch pro, as it‘s awkwardly wedged between the (larger) Pro and the (almost as goodat the same screen size) Air in Apple‘s lineup - and I can’t imagine it selling many units.

Particularly from the most current generation: the 10th gen iPad. It may be cheap - but the pencil situation is just ridiculous.

While Jobs is said to have believed in not being afraid of cannibalising yourself…
the 10th gen iPad reeks of being intentionally designed not to cannibalise.

The 11 Pro offers up to 2TB storage and 16GB RAM - Not even close to 256GB/8GB of the Air. The 11 is only "awkward" if you buy a lower end version.

And in this little completely unscientific poll in this forum that polls "11 or 12.9," the 11 has just as many votes as the 12.9. Sometimes it even pulls ahead (they keep switching back and forth).