It was due to price and the fact that they are not major drawbacks for most casual users, this iPads target market. It'll be as reflective as the iPad Air 1, if not less.
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Why doesn't the new iPad 2017 have anti reflective coating?
- Thread starter rufftackle
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Yeah, I finally put a Zagg screen protector on my Air 2 and that fixed the fingerprint problem for me. First time I've used a screen protector on any device I've owned.
Fair point! The savings from the older/cheaper components are probably offset by the lower selling price.
All things considered, that 22% or 1.4mm is pretty negligible on an iPad. I have the Pro 9.7 and Air and the difference in weight and thickness between those two models is not at all noticeable.
Yeah but the difference in screen quality between the two definitely is noticeable. My point was more that having a thickness increase to make room for a screen downgrade rather than a new feature of some kind is not great.
Same reason they slashed the SSD size from 128 to 24gb on the 1tb fusion drive. Nickle and diming from the richest company in the world. Tim Cook's bean counter instincts is really starting to show more and more in everything they do.
And I'd be far more critical of Apple had they kept the $399/32GB and $499/128GB price point of the iPad Air 2.
At $70 less, it's easy to be more forgiving particularly when the screen (and very minor weight and thickness increase because of it) is pretty much the only downside.
Funnily enough, if Apple hadn't bumped the capacity of Air 2 back in September, the new iPad will probably be looked upon a bit more favorably.
Also, per this handy inflation calculator.
http://www.in2013dollars.com/2017-dollars-in-2010?amount=599
$599 in 2017 → $541.18 in 2010
$499 in 2017 → $450.83 in 2010
$329 in 2017 → $297.24 in 2010
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With these changes, Apple cut the price US$70, which is almost a 20% price decrease. They didn't do that with the iMac, so it doesn't sound like the same reason at all.
It's a huge plus to me. The junk they slathered all over the Air 2 screen turned it into an incredibly ugly fingerprint magnet.
Apple charges what the market will bear. If demand decreases significantly, so will price. Also, there is a decrease in manufacturing cost associated with the deletion of the laminated display.
Yeah it's a weird tradeoff. The low reflectivity of my 9.7 pro is great but it's definitely a much larger smudge magnet than all previous iPads before the Air 2. Also it seems to have a larger coefficient of friction. My fingers don't glide as much on new iPads like they did on older ones if that makes sense. Maybe this was for the Apple Pencil
If memory serves, at the same time they did that they also lowered the price. When all was said and done you got a 1TB fusion drive for the same price that you would have paid for a plain 1TB drive. So, from the glass half full perspective you got fusion for 'free'.
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Tbh my ipad 3rd gen and 9.7 pro shows same amount of fingerprints.
U got crippled fussiin for free... and if you wanted really working one, u had to pay more after that change...
If you want to look only for the negative, that is your choice. But 24GB is enough to hold macOS and swap files. As far as OS performance goes, that crippled drive probably works as good as a 64 TB SSD.
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I'm frankly surprised at all of the consternation about this iPad. Apple needed to do a couple of things to the iPad line: get entry-level prices down (largely for the education market, which is huge) and simplify the lineup. This new iPad, along with the lineup paring that accompanied it, accomplished both objectives. Now, there are effectively two iPad lines, differentiated by name: the entry-level "iPads" and the more refined "iPad Pros." Once Apple releases its new iPad Pros, this strategy should be crystal-clear.
I think the angst is with the fact that this entry level new iPad is a mixed bag of features.
Good in some ways, disappointing in others.
It's not a clear home run and it depends how you look at it. Ymmv.
It's only a mixed bag when compared to the Air 2, and really only in terms display (and minor thickness and weight gain as a result of the display change).
For anyone on an older iPad or those who haven't jumped on an iPad yet due to pricing, this is a pretty clear win.
If Apple had priced it at $399/32GB and $499/128GB same as an iPad Air 2, then yep, I'd be criticizing Apple, too. At $329/32GB, this is a good entry point to "full size" iOS tablets.
Let's see how the reviews pan out.
There is a segment of buyers where the new model will be a sure hit.
I always chuckle when I read these kinds of inaccurate posts. Especially when we live in a world where any information you could possibly want is available with a quick search on the Internet. Or even Apple's website, for that matter.
I think he probably just mistook anti-reflective coating for a matte display or something else.
Probably more like $1-$2. Downgrading a lower margin, less expensive item is Apple's bread and butter - See the Mac Mini.