i got $100 off a new 256 11" pro yesterday at best buy. Waiting on it to ship. I'm conflicted on keeping it when it arrives. I also got the magic keyboard for 149.99 brand new.
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iPad Pro Why do people think there will be a 2021 iPad Pro?
- Thread starter DexBell
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I just sold my 2020 12.9 iPad Pro and kept the Air 4. Neither one of those make any difference in real world usage. No one sits there crazily swiping back and forth between home screens looking for lag, which is the only real way to notice 120hz and you need to have them side by side to see it. very few are doing such intensive tasks on their iPads that the difference in RAM matters.
I’m a professional photographer and videographer and the Air 4 handled everything I threw at it just as easily as the Pro. I suppose if you were one of the very few that needed to run like 30 big apps at once, the RAM would matter. The Pro is a waste of money for 99% of buyers.
While I can agree that promotion is overrated, you keep talking about 11in and 12.9in as it were one device. And you have no data to back you 99% percentage. My guess is that the share of people owning an iPad pro is in the double digits and there is much more that promotion in the pro, starting from the size of the 12.9 and then RAM, speakers and additional storage options. And while 4 vs 6GB seems little now, it might make a difference if iPadOS 15 brings more powerful multitasking options and more pro apps arrive. Also, the upcoming pro might bump that difference to 8 vs 4 GB...
No, anyone with eyes would notice the difference between 120 Hz and 60 Hz by just scrolling on a website. This is easy to see even on iPhones and is why everyone has been calling for higher refresh rates on them. The same as a high refresh rate screen for your computer is easily distinguishable.
The RAM differences can be noticed in light usage as well because after a while apps that you haven’t opened for a while will reload because they were purged from the memory. That limit is higher with more RAM.
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Sorry, but this majorly over simplifies the difference between a Pro and an Air. I don't even use an iPad in my workflow anymore, but even I think the Pro (if it had an A14/A14x) is worth the price premium over the Air. I find it ridiculous when people decide that because they look basically the same they must actually be basically the same device. They are absolutely not the same. The iPad Pro has:
ProMotion--it's a noticeable difference in refresh rate and I wish my iPhone and Macs had it
Brighter display
Slightly higher screen resolution
Quad speaker audio--it's a noticeable difference in volume and sound quality, especially bass
A 12.9" option--this is the sole reason a lot of people go with the Pro model
Higher storage options if needed
Nicer cameras
A processor that still beats the Air in multitasking
Whatever else gets added this month, because there WILL be an iPad Pro event.
Granted, the above list got a lot smaller than it used to be once the newest Air came out. And if I were to add an iPad back into my workflow today and needed an iPad RIGHT NOW, I'd be going with an Air 4 with Magic Keyboard. But once the Pro line is upgraded, which again, WILL happen this month or shortly after, I would go for a Pro.
It just still sounds to me like you are regretting your Air purchase because you're afraid the upcoming Pro upgrade is going to be too tempting. The newest iPad Air is a fantastic device. Use it and enjoy it until it doesn't work for you anymore, and then make an upgrade decision at that time.
Traditionally every 2 years?
iPad Pro (12.9 inch) - September 2015
iPad Pro (9.7 inch) - March 2016
iPad Pro (10.5 inch) - June 2017
iPad Pro (12.9 inch) - June 2017
iPad Pro (11 inch) - October 2018
iPad Pro (12.9 inch) - October 2018
iPad Pro (11 inch) - March 2020
iPad Pro (12.9 inch) - March 2020
You don't have to be a data scientist to see that there is no absolutely no traditional 2 year release in the data.
Maybe you mean the big iPad pro, but even then, this data does not tell us anything about 2 years. In fact, the longest period between refreshes is the outlier at less than 2 years. The data suggests that the next refresh would be around June or July 2021, but for the reasons others have already pointed out, it may be sooner this year.
iPad Pro (12.9 inch) - September 2015
iPad Pro (12.9 inch) - June 2017 (approx 22 months later)
iPad Pro (12.9 inch) - October 2018 (approx 15 months later)
iPad Pro (12.9 inch) - March 2020 (approx 16 months later)
No doubt. The post you’re replying to is as out of touch as the “what can a banana cost? $10?”. People don’t have infinite money.
Thoughts on the recent 6% cash back option with Apple Card for month of March? Chances the March event is delayed (specifically these iPads).
People definitely don't have infinite money, but everyone is different and values different things based on different criteria. For example, I'm not going to use Affinity Photo or ProCreate on an iPad any smaller than 12.9" and would buy a bigger sized one than that if it were available. I have used those apps on the 11" Pro and the base model iPad as well. They're just not optimized for that screen size like they are for the 12.9".
As far as the iPhone 12, I use my iPhones like a pocketable, more mobile Mac or iPad. I can keep up with work from my iPhone, enjoy all my media on my iPhone, even do a quick LumaFusion or GarageBand edit on my iPhone if the situation requires it. I have the 12 Pro Max because I value the bigger screen, the nicer cameras, and the superior construction materials. I need it to be my mobile office and my default content consumption/creation device when I don't have something bigger and more powerful available, and it does a fantastic job of being that device.
I don't fault anyone for not feeling like they need these nicer, bigger models or that the upgraded features are frivolous and not worth the extra money. But to tell someone else that the nicer features "aren't worth it" is completely short-sighted and judgmental. You just come off like a know-it-all when you tell someone that something they bought to perform a specific job in THEIR workflow is "not worth the money". You likely don't know the people on this forum or their workflows well enough to decide for them what they should or should not be spending their money on.
All that being said, I think it's worth mentioning again that the OP seems to be justifying his/her iPad Air purchase and doing some pretty impressive mental gymnastics to preemptively convince him/herself that the Air is still superior to the Pro, even after the Pro does get upgraded. Which it will. Most likely sometime in March.
Trying to talk yourself into thinking you have a future-proof Apple device is pointless. Do yourself a favor and just stop. Get the right tool for the job and use it until it's not the right tool for the job anymore. Who cares if the box says Pro or Air. It literally doesn't matter as long as the device, its features, and its price are right for you.
YMMV whether any of those features are worth paying extra, though.
ProMotion - Don't care (and I do have iPads with ProMotion)
Brighter display - Don't care (I typically have mine at under 30%)
Slightly higher screen resolution (11" vs 10.9") - Doesn't really make a significant difference
Quad speaker audio - Don't care. Honestly, I find sound better on even AirPods
A 12.9" option--this is the sole reason a lot of people go with the Pro model - This, I do need
Higher storage options if needed - This, I do need
Nicer cameras - Don't care overmuch but I do appreciate the LED flash
A processor that still beats the Air in multitasking - Don't care. For my use, the A12X/Z performs essentially the same as the A12 found on the $329 iPad
Whatever else gets added this month, because there WILL be an iPad Pro event. - This is really what I'm looking forward to. Hoping for A14X, 8GB RAM and 5G. The 2020 wasn't really much of an upgrade over 2018. Kinda felt like Apple just released the same iPad twice in a row.
I agree with the above.
I am not sure why this thread has become such a heated discussion. It seems pretty apparent that the 2020 iPad pros were a minor stopgap. Well Apple could wait another 1.5 years to release an update, I think most common sense shows that the 2020 update wasn’t a “real“ update. It was a fine device, but not really enough to wait a few additional years.
As for the iPad Air versus the pro, I think for the vast majority of people the iPad Air is an excellent device. Honestly, it’s all I really need, but I am a tech nerd and I appreciate the handful of additional features you get so I will pay the additional money.
I need 512 GB of storage, so that immediately gets me into the pro. Quite honestly, all I want is an updated processor, cellular, and any additional RAM would be appreciated. I would have purchased the 2020 iPad Pro if it had an updated processor, but I was one of the people who bought a third generation iPad that was horrifically under powered and subsequently updated six months later. I was burned then so I am not buying an “old“ processor now.
The 2020 Pros were a minor stopgap IF you are the kind of person who upgrades their iPad often. If you are the kind of person who just upgrades when they need a new iPad, whether that's to replace an older base model, Air, or Pro, which is the vast majority of users, you probably won't know or care in what ways the 2020 iPad Pro is different than the 2018. You just know you need a new one, and this model is the newest one.
Again, it doesn't really matter what specific users do or do not care about when it comes to upgrading their devices. The only thing that really matters is what YOU care about and what device YOU buy. What everyone else wants or needs--it's up to them to decide what's worth it and what isn't. Any comment anyone else has on the device you choose to buy and whether or not that was the right purchase for YOU is immaterial.
If you use the iPad mini, iPad, or iPad Air and are happy with it, obviously you don't care about or need an iPad Pro. If you use an iPad Pro, you obviously care about those extra features and find the other models to be lesser in some way. There's no right or wrong answer, especially not on a web forum where everyone seems to think they have a monopoly on the truth.
This is an interesting point I haven't seen elsewhere. However, the other side of the coin could be Apple using the upcoming iPad as bait to bolster more signups for the Apple Card. We'll see what plays out.
Is there any point in these two paragraphs in a thread on MacRumors.com, literally populated by people the exact opposite of what you’re describing?
Have you owned both an Air 4 and an iPad Pro and used them together? No, you haven't. Im telling you from experience owning the two and using them side by side for a month that those advantages make zero difference in the real world to 99% of buyers. They are neat specs on paper that will only matter to the very few who need to have 30 apps going while they stream Youtube videos while they watch a movie while editing 4k video lol.
Apple really boxed themselves into a corner with the new Air devices. Both the iPad and MacBook Air are so good, there is zero reason to pay more for a Pro model unless you are in that 1%
I'm sorry, but you just can't make general statements like this with any kind of authority. I've owned at least 8 iPad models that I can think of just off the top of my head. The differences in sound and display quality matter TO ME on the iPad Pro. Aside from that, I don't care about anyone else's opinion on what my money should be spent on and what it shouldn't.
Right now, if I were to buy any iPad, it would be the Air 4. It has the fastest processor Apple makes and the all screen design that I have loved since the 2018 models first released. I'd venture to say though that once the March refresh happens, and it IS going to happen, it's going to change the calculus yet again.
COVID has thrown product releases off for a bunch of companies, Apple being one of them. That's the real reason they seem "boxed in" by the current Pro models. Once the new ones are available, people are going to have a decision to make once again. And Apple has a way of making that decision more difficult every time a new product comes out.
Like someone else said, I don't know why this is such a heavily debated thread. Just look back at history and you'll see that Apple doesn't have any qualms about making last year's gear obsolete, even if it's stuff that came out less than 12 months ago. Sorry, but your Air 4 is only going to be the best iPad for a certain amount of time.
Same. The Air 4 has the more efficient processor and best single-core performance both of which are more suited for my use than beefed up GPU and slightly better multi-core. Alas, I do want more RAM and the higher storage options available on the Pros.
Simply put, there's nothing yet on Apple's current line-up that I would happily replace my 2017 iPad Pros with (at least not at current asking price).
Those bezels on the air 4 though compared to the pro...yuck
I mean........yeah! Otherwise the OP wouldn't be claiming that "Apple doesn't care" what processor is in the iPad Pro and that it's not necessary in the product line because the Air is so much better. This smacks of someone who just bought an iPad Air 4 but is worried that upcoming Pro models are going to devalue it somehow.
I'm not going to make any more comments on this thread--the entire premise of it is complete nonsense to me. But I'm never going to agree that Apple doesn't care what components are in the iPad Pro. The only way Apple shows that they no longer care about a product is if they stop selling it. They are only interested in making things people want to buy. The fact that the iPad Pro has been around since 2015 and still going strong tells me that people are buying it. Hence, Apple will continue updating the product, and will continue caring what processor and other internals it contains. To suggest otherwise is complete hogwash.
When Apple gets on stage and officially removes the iPad Pro from the product lineup, THAT is when I'll believe that it's a product that no longer matters to them. Until then, nobody is going to convince me otherwise.
PS: There will be an Apple event this month or maybe in April and it will feature updated iPad Pro models.
Agreed. Indeed, the existence of the iPad Air 4 with A14 suggests to me that a new iPad Pro will be coming sooner rather than later. When Apple announced the iPad 8th gen with A12, they announced the upgraded iPad Air 4 at the same time. They didn't keep the A12-based Air 3.
I don't think Apple wants to maintain the current status quo where the latest iPad Pro isn't unequivocally better in all areas compared to less expensive iPads.
The cheapest iPhone made had the same processor as the flagship iPhone 11 for nearly a year...
Do you actually read my posts? I just sold my 2020 iPad Pro a couple days ago because the Air 4 is perfectly capable for my needs. I couldn't care less what's going to the new Pros, they are overpriced for what they are. If Apple truly cared, they would have put the A14, or at least an A13 into the 2020 Pros. They didn't because they know they have zero competition in the ultra expensive and overpriced tablet market and people would still buy the 2020 models, just as I foolishly did.
More like 6 months and then the iPhone 12 series was released with A14.
Apple does compete with itself. They've upgraded the Air and now they need to widen the gap between iPad Pro and Air again.
Look at what happened to Intel. Practically the same CPU performance year after year. Now AMD and Apple Silicon are kicking their ass.
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