All iPads Why Apple can't name the iPADs something else besides "Pro"?

[Tsepz]

I don’t see any issue with how they name them, in fact I would argue that Apple probably have one of the best naming schemes in tech, you name what you want and just put the year of it and you should be fine otherwise use the model number Axxxx.

I would actually like Apple to drop the numbers after each iPhone name, just call it iPhone, iPhone Mini, iPhone SE, iPhone Pro and iPhone Pro Max and just add the year at the end.
Numbering after the name can get quite awkward, can you imagine when the iPhone 16 or iPhone 19 comes out? Just doesn’t roll off the tongue well and many brands realize that and then they start going up by 10s as Samsung began doing after S10/Note10 and then they have A5x/A7x which gets confusing as people often associate a higher number with newer, and then when the 10s run out where do they go? 100s? Or back to 1 as Sony had to do?

They should apply the iPad Pro naming scheme to iPhone IMO, get rid of the number and just go by year, seems they have already begun that with iPhone SE.

 

[barry.pearson]

I can see them getting rid of the number.

IPhone 13 beckons bad luck. And really, is there going to be an iPhone 17? An iPhone 22?

Sounds ridiculous.

I do think it would be simpler to just have the lineup named:

• iPhone mini 2021
• iPhone 2021
• iPhone Pro 2021
• iPhone Pro Max2021

 

[Tsepz]

At the risk of sounding snarky, I’m surprised for someone so hung up on the name you refer to it as iPAD rather than iPad! ?

Exactly ?

 

[Tsepz]

I do think it would be simpler to just have the lineup named:

• iPhone mini 2021
• iPhone 2021
• iPhone Pro 2021
• iPhone Pro Max2021

Yep, have a look at the iPhone SE, seems they are actually going towards this, the latest iPhone SE is iPhone SE 2020 not iPhone SE2, in fact if I remember correctly it was simply refers to as the “new” iPhone SE when announced?

Maybe the iPhone 13 will indeed move to this mew naming scheme.

 

[MevetS]

I can see them getting rid of the number.

IPhone 13 beckons bad luck. And really, is there going to be an iPhone 17? An iPhone 22?

Sounds ridiculous.

I want the iPhone 42.

 

[MBAir2010]

the "iPad Cache" is a more proper name than anything else.

whereas mine is stuck on 5.04GB of crap or
"systems data so you go back to that 50GB plan"
since the 14.4 upgrade last week.

 

[usagora]

Don’t think Apple think superstitiously like that, we had iOS 13 after all.

I thought someone was joking the other month when they claimed some airlines skip row 13 in the seating. I googled it and apparently some airlines actually do that and apparently some hotel elevators skip floor 13. The silliness of some people never ceases to amaze!

 

[jsmith78]

Yeah iPad Pro naming convention is pretty consistent with other Apple product lines. It’s the iPhone that is unique in still using the counting number system alone. Other products use it sometimes or otherwise go by “Nth generation” or “year released”. That’s more where there seems to be inconsistency. Some products go by one, some the other, and for some Apple isn’t totally clear how they number them (eg. they’ll just say “new iPad Air”), so people choose whatever naming convention. I think after 4 generations, all products across the board should go by year released, like Macs.

How does one know the "year released"? A user might remember the year purchased? but the actual year that specific model was released?

I have an iPhone SE, that I bought in 2018, or maybe early 2019? If I search for iPhone SE, I will not find accessories for mine. If I search for iPhone SE 2018, that's not mine either, well maybe its iPhone SE 2019? Nope still wrong.....

I have to search for iPhone SE 2016, yet nowhere on my phone does it SAY iPhone SE 2016. It would be sooooo much easier if I had an iPhone SE1 and there was an iPhone SE2, or maybe an iPhone SE3...etc...

While the analogy to cars is fitting, somewhat, there are a few differences:

1) Cars have a tag that tells you their model year, most apple products do not.

2) There is generally only ONE version of that car per year, and there is a version for every year. there is no early 2016 Mustang which is different from a late 2016 Mustang, nor is there new Mustang for sale in 2019 that is listed as an "2016 Mustang, manufactured in mid 2019" because that's when that model was originally released.

3) Consumer electronics are generally identified by model name/number. One does not search for a game for their "PlayStation released in Late 2006" that they may have purchased in 2010... They look for "PlayStation 3". So searching for information by year doesn't always lead to good results.

the best way is the iPhone way, iPhone 6 is different than an iPhone 7

 

[robbietop]

Huh, if only Apple used Pro in any of its other products....like iMac Pro, Mac Pro, MacBook Pro, Pro Tools....

If only....

Maybe you should stick with TikTok where the other cave people are.

 

[muzzy996]

1) Cars have a tag that tells you their model year, most apple products do not.

2) There is generally only ONE version of that car per year, and there is a version for every year. there is no early 2016 Mustang which is different from a late 2016 Mustang, nor is there new Mustang for sale in 2019 that is listed as an "2016 Mustang, manufactured in mid 2019" because that's when that model was originally released.

3) Consumer electronics are generally identified by model name/number. One does not search for a game for their "PlayStation released in Late 2006" that they may have purchased in 2010... They look for "PlayStation 3". So searching for information by year doesn't always lead to good results.

the best way is the iPhone way, iPhone 6 is different than an iPhone 7

1) Model information is printed in fine print on the back, or one can find such info in settings. One can then sear based on that model number just like a VIN is used in the auto industry.

2) Not sure how much of a gearhead you are but that’s not really a good reason to avoid the use of model years in referencing things IMO. There are multiple trim levels of cars often with different drivetrain options too, yet years are still used successfully to refer to vehicles for maintenance purposes in the auto industry. In general the system works well by year and trim, but sometimes even more info is required at which point the VIN is needed. For example sometimes arriving at what set of brake pads to get for a vehicle means getting down to the vehicle’s VIN if an owner purchased it used and didn’t realize that a special brake package was installed as an option. And sure, it is rare for mid year variation in the auto industry but it is not impossible, I have owned a car in the past where a mid year change was made to certain components and it mattered when purchasing certain parts in that area when in the model year my car was manufactured.

3) Searching isn’t hard. One looks for a playstation 3 because it was called the playstation 3. If Sony had named it the playstation 2006 and manufactured it for several years before releasing the 4 one still would search for the 2006. Fun fact - there are many models of the PS3 some slight variations in them besides storage options and form factor so there too in the realm of repair it might still come down to the exact printed model number on the console to get the right replacement parts. But sure, all PS3 games run on all of them.

All of that said though I agree that adding something to the names that would indicate quickly to us the compatibility with accessories like keyboards, cases and pencils would be beneficial. Whether it is generational model numbers like iPhones use or model years I don’t care. I am enough of an enthusiast to know whats what so the way things currently are with iPads doesn’t really bother me but I know its an issue for others including workers in Apple stores. Just last month I went into an Apple store to get a replacement Smart Keyboard for my gen 2 12.9 via a service request appointment because I KNOW that stores do not stock the older keyboards on shelves. The gal that was helping me had to have been inexperienced because she insisted that they had keyboards in stock that fit my 12.9. She proceeded to walk to the shelves where they carry keyboards and searched for a few minutes, coming back to me with a gen 3 keyboard at which point I politely pointed out that it wouldn’t fit a gen 2. OP’s suggestion of creative words would be a nightmare to keep track of but adding some kind of incremental numbering system to names such as generation number or model year would be a little more helpful in situations like this. Again though its not impossible to figure things out as they are now, reading a model number off the back of a device and doing a little bit of searching and reading is all it takes.

 

[joeblow7777]

Naming tons of different models "Pro" and having to write more stuff just to differentiate is the worst idea EVER. And not just for customers, also for them, I may even add it hurts their sales. Because if you don't know which one is better or how model X is better than Y then you may get any one of them.

It's one thing to sell these iPADs in different sizes and colors, I always get space gray and opt for smaller sizes such as 9.7 or 10". The 12.9" I always avoid, because it's too bulky for me.

Now, it's one thing to search for a specific review from a 12.9 inch iPAD or a white model.

It's another to type "iPAD Pro" and having to do some research on zillions of sites if they happen to talk about that specific you meant.

This is the worst strategy ever. At first they were doing things right, and every year a new iPAD would be called 2, 3, 4 (the 4 meaning 4th generation). Then they introduced the MINI and Air. That's OK. But what about calling them something else? That wouldn't hurt.

If you happen to own iPAD Air 18th generation from 2048 and I own the Air 12th generation from 2042 I can easily type all that in the search. Yet it would make things a lot easier if I only had to write stuff like that:

iPAd Air Phoenix
iPAD Air Vega

It's not like they run out of ideas and names. If they always did this and continue to do with the iPhones, why not repeat the same procedure with other devices?

Think about OSs. If all Windows versions were called "Pro" you would have to know the release date. if I tell you "Windows XP", "Windows Me", "Windows Vista", etc. you already know which version I am talking about.

There's no need to know which year they were released.

Actually, what you're describing sounds more confusing to me. In any case, I figure that the multi-trillion dollar company has a fairly good idea of how to market their products.

 

[GuruZac]

I actually wish they would keep naming consistent across the product lines.

MacBook
MacBook Air
MacBook Pro

iPad
iPad Air
iPad Pro

iPhone
iPhone Pro

AirPods
AirPods Pro
AirPods Max

 

[cupcakes2000]

I actually wish they would keep naming consistent across the product lines.

MacBook
MacBook Air
MacBook Pro

iPad
iPad Air
iPad Pro

iPhone
iPhone Pro

AirPods
AirPods Pro
AirPods Max

Excepting the iPhone which also has a number, they do don’t they?