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All iPads Why not iPad Air 4 instead of iPad Pro 11?
- Thread starter satchmo
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Possibly for me too.
Maybe they'll split the difference and put in a 2.5mm jack...
"See? We put the jack back in, and nobody wants it!"
If it does I’m buying day 1 no matter the price. I’m still rocking a air 2 and if it weren’t for no jack I’d have a pro.
That sounds like a well thought out plan and one that could work.
I love that idea of a company saying “This is the best product we could make” but I'm curious, has Apple ever worked that way? "We ONLY Sell Great Products" feels like a philosophy that fits Apple's "Luxury Product" reputation, but have they ever actually acted on that? Or has this "lets cripple that old model in order to maximize profits" mentality always existed.
At least as far as iPhones and (mid-size) iPads, they never really had different tiers until like 2013 (iPhone 5c). They pretty much just had the latest model (best), and then last year's model (better), and then the two year old model (good). Because of that structure, features just naturally trickled down.
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The initial iPhone and iPad models were alone, they didn’t launch with a cheap version or a “pro” upsell.
After a while they started keeping the old version s around as cheaper models and then at some stage introduced other variants.
I loved when Steve Jobs introduced the 2x2 matrix in the early 2000s - but of course he was the first one to break that pattern by releasing the MacBook Air at the time.
For a while I can see the Air 4th gen being a bit of a steal against the 11” Pro - the A14X, new ProMotion XDR display early next year will probably make it a more difficult decision again though - at least for those who care about top of the line specs 
Let's look at the 2019 Air vs the 2017 Pro. Both have the same 10.5" body.
The Air had the A12 Bionic while the Pro had the A10X Fusion. The Air was only 2 years older than the Pro and yet had the newer and better chip.
I wholeheartedly believe that the new 2020 Air can, and possibly will, have the A14 chip while the 2018 Pro "only" has the A12X (even though the iPad Pro is "superior").
Why does this seem so absurd? If Apple is pumping out the A14 chip to be put in various applications, it would make sense to spread this out over the iPhone and iPad Air line. Just my thoughts.
^The 2019 Air vs 2017 Pro lends some credence to this possible 11" Air with iPad Pro design.
The other notable item (who knows for sure yet though) is possibility of Touch ID in the sleep/wake button as opposed to Face ID.
Maybe its simply the new design language making its way down the iPad lineup, and the 11" Pro will still be around.
Or maybe its to allow the iPad Pro to expand a bit. 12.9" becomes the smaller Pro and a 15" is introduced?
All I know is that I'd love to see a ~9" iPad mini with the Pro design.
The other notable item (who knows for sure yet though) is possibility of Touch ID in the sleep/wake button as opposed to Face ID.
Maybe its simply the new design language making its way down the iPad lineup, and the 11" Pro will still be around.
Or maybe its to allow the iPad Pro to expand a bit. 12.9" becomes the smaller Pro and a 15" is introduced?
All I know is that I'd love to see a ~9" iPad mini with the Pro design.
The 2019 air was released after the pro had been refreshed in 2018 With that A12X. There was never a time when the air had a better chip than the most recent pro. I’d be surprised if that changed.
I just don’t see it. Especially not if the iPad Air launches first in September and the iPhone 12 launches later. The iPhone is always the flagship for each new A-series chip. An X or Z variant might debut in an iPad, but has brand new A-chip ever debuted in an iPad rather than iPhone?
If the Air 4 launches this year, I predict an A13 chip at the very best, more likely an A12X. I would bet money against an A14.
The new Air will likely have the A13 processor if they do not announce iPhones at the show. It will have what the current iPhones have. If they announce the iPhones at the event then maybe A14 but smart money is still on A13 processor or possibly a A13 based processor that still isn't as good as the A12Z. Like a A13B or something dumb like that...
The A5 first was launched in the iPad 2 and then later in the iPhone 4s.
But I apologize. I thought we were currently in the A14 chipset series. Brain fart.
Yes, I can totally see the new Air with the A13!
The 2019 iPad Air replaced the 2017 iPad Pro 10.5, though. At the time of its release, there was already a better 2018 iPad Pro with A12X chipset.
Unless Apple kills off the 2020 iPad Pro 11 with A12Z, I just don't see an Air with better chipset than A13 happening.
I see. We're on the same page then. Even so, I could see them cheaping out and going with an A12X. I mean, they used the same A10 processor in 2 generations of the entry level iPad.
A12X with the extra cores and beefed up GPU probably costs more than A13 and A14 do while likely having higher power consumption and heat output. I think Apple's probably going to reserve X/Z chipsets to the iPad Pro models.
Even if it only has an A13 chip, 4g of RAM, 2 speakers, and no Promotion, it will be ideal for many wanting something more modern, pro-ish power, Pencil2 and MagicKeyboard support, but not have to spend $1000+
Assuming Apple sticks to the current $499 base price, sure. It gets more iffy if the rumors of $649 pricing is true.
Mind, I actually prefer the non-X chipsets. Much better battery life versus the more powerful X versions. Of course, I don't need video editing or gaming so the extra powerful chipsets are wasted on me.