2020 iPad Pro Unboxing Videos and First Impressions

[jmgregory1]

I’m ok with the 2020 (early) iPad Pro update, as it is for me at least, something that I don’t want or need to update my 2018 12.9”. Although it feels like this could be similar to the iPad 3 fiasco (assuming Apple does launch another updated iPad this fall), which I did live through, there are no real deficiencies with the 2018 models, like there were with the previous generation original iPads that made a lot of people spring for the upgrade.

Anyone considering getting an iPad Pro right now should be very happy regardless of whether they’re buying a 2018 or 2020 model.

 

[fbr$]

After ~10 failed attempts, I decided to completely turn off my 2018 iPad 9.7" 6th and then turn it on again, now I'm finally able to open this webpage again.

So an iPad can replace a Mac... make me laugh, Tim!

 

[ggibson913]

My old iPad Air 2 that I passed on to my partner is getting quite long in the tooth. I resisted upgrading to the iPad Pro back in 2018 because my 2017 iPad Pro serves my needs. This year, I am passing on the old and upgrading mine to the new 11" iPad Pro. Yes the rumors are flying about a super screen which will likely be super expensive but for my use this is fine. Both my new iPad Pro and the old one will serve us well for a few years. The only difficult choice I had to make was 11" or 12.9" for $200 more.

 

[citysnaps]

$20 billion a year in R&D now and they can’t even ship the keyboard on time

How does R&D spending relate to supply chain and manufacturing constraints during a global pandemic?

 

[Red Oak]

Tim over the years:

”AR will be huge”

”Transportation is very interesting to us”

“Apple will be best remembered for Health”

But the only new things Apple has launched in the last 6 years are AirPods and Services. It is moving too slowly
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How does R&D spending relate to supply chain and manufacturing constraints during a global pandemic?

Last I heard, the factories were back up and running 3 weeks ago. And the keyboard does not ship for another 10 weeks. And, there are no current mfg delays in any existing Apple products

So go ahead and believe that excuse

 

[citysnaps]

Tim over the years:

”AR will be huge”

”Transportation is very interesting to us”

“Apple will be best remembered for Health”

But the only new things Apple has launched in the last 6 years are AirPods and Services. It is moving too slowly
[automerge]1585059607[/automerge]


Last I heard, the factories were back up and running 3 weeks ago. And the keyboard does not ship for another 10 weeks. And, there are no current mfg delays in any existing Apple products

So go ahead and believe that excuse

And the Apple Watch, which over the years has included health features. With cases where the Watch has saved lives. And HomePod.

Regarding AR, for that to take hold there needs to be a depth-sensing 3D camera to assess one's environment and self. Now that there is a camera on the latest iPad many here are complaining that nobody wants it. No camera, no apps. Apple's AR future is enormous, though some seem to be lacking imagination in being able to understand that.

 

[radus]

I will keep using my 12.9 2018 1TB because I do not use the camera very often.
The new keyboard with touch pad is not bad, but I will keep using the old keyboard and an external Trackpad / the bluetooth mouse ... magic or so.
But I am thankful for the implemenation of mouse / trackpad support into iOS

 

[Reason077]

What a let down those videos are. None of the reviewers actually seem to have the trackpad keyboard yet.

 

[Deliro]

Jon Prosser on Twitter says to expect a 5G 12.9 Pro in the fall with A14X chip, assuming there's no delays due to coronavirus. That's when I will upgrade my 2018 12.9 Pro.

there’s no reason at all to upgrade a 2018 yet unless you have money burning holes in your pocket. Even for a later 2020 model. Unless you are

The standard 6GB of RAM + 128GB of storage is a very substantial difference for me, but not enough to make me want to buy it.

A14X with 8GB of RAM would make me want to buy it.

Not if they pushed the price higher. Which no doubt they'll do. Dumb move. Pro should be the top model in terms of performance. Do they want to segment the iPad "pro" line like they do with Mac Pros? Ugh.

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

Tim over the years:

”AR will be huge”

”Transportation is very interesting to us”

“Apple will be best remembered for Health”

But the only new things Apple has launched in the last 6 years are AirPods and Services. It is moving too slowly

Eh, expand it to 9 years and throw Apple Watch in there...

Compared to the 9 years before that though, and we have: iPod, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, app store, iLife, iWork...

I don't think iLife and iWork from the Jobs-era can be overstated. Those were the killer apps. That's what justified the "Apple Tax", and I feel Apple has completely and utterly dropped the ball on them. On the Mac, instead of continuing to give upgrades to those applications, Apple forked upgrades for them into kinda-expensive kinda-pro apps and killed off their actual pro apps. On iOS, we get a watered down experience at an ever increasing price. Apple Watch and Apple TV have never received their great, killer apps.

 

[mrdude42]

My biggest question is if the new iPad Pro is as easy to bend as the last model. My current iPad Pro 11 is so easy to bend I need a strong case just to keep it from getting worse. It has a permanent bend. Having cellular probably makes it worse because it’s bending near the SIM card area that pops out. Hope Apple fixed this.

 

[Fat.tofu]

TBH kinda relief the 2020 isnt really much of an upgrade (for me).
Means i can keep my 2018 pro much longer and save money 🙂
Like everyone else im more interested on the magic keyboard. Was hoping apple sent a preview for those reviewers in advance.

 

[AppleFan1179]

What a let down those videos are. None of the reviewers actually seem to have the trackpad keyboard yet.

These are all a ****ing waste of time. Most of them are just long commercials, and not really a good "review". None mention drawbacks, or if it's worth purchasing if you already have a 2018 iPad Pro. No one talks about why you'd want an 11 vs 12.9. No one sits there and says "you should probably buy a MacBook Air, and then a cheapo iPad unless you desperately want to draw." Seriously, glorified commercials.

None of these trackpad/software reviews matter, because if you start carrying around an external Magic Trackpad or mouse with an iPad, you're completely missing the point. In addition, I think the new keyboard won't be as great as people are hoping. Notice how you can't find the weight of that keyboard on Apple's site? The use case for a heavy keyboard case and an iPad just isn't compatible. It's why it is so easy to pull the iPad off and leave the keyboard on your desk. Now what? Carry the iPad around without a case? Or buy an additional Smart Cover? (Thanks for capitalizing that auto-correct #marketing)

Most of the videos used Apple's own AR demo reel, because there aren't enough good apps to take advantage of the LiDAR sensor, and probably won't be for another 6 months. Really, it's a gimmick for now. Maybe iOS 14 makes it worth it. Maybe it goes the way of 3D Touch. Either way, being able to put a piece of furniture in my house virtually to see how it looks on a screen isn't groundbreaking. At least not yet.

None of these reviews have any integrity, so they can continue getting Apple stuff early. Gross.

 

[sananda]

I’m getting old. I don’t know who most of the reviewers are (apart from Marques and iJustine). I miss eagerly waiting for the reviews from Walt Mossberg and David Pogue.

 

[ScottNWDW]

Well, mine says 'preparing to ship' on AT&T's website. Supposedly coming between the 25-27.

Coming from an iPad Pro 10.5, it's a decent upgrade.

I would not rely on the AT&T website. Last month I ordered the 2018 iPad Pro with 512GB, Yes, I know I could have waited, but the rumors then did not compel me enough to wait. Anyway, I ordered mine on February 14th and the AT&T said the Delivery would be between the 25th and 29th of the month. On Monday the 17th, there was a knock on the door and FedEx had dropped it off. The AT&T website still said "preparing to ship" and here I have it already 1 week earlier than they said. BTW, I am totally happy with my 2018. The camera is not a big thing to me. I've owned multiple iPads since they came out and can probably count on 1 hand the number of times I have used the camera.

 

[jmgregory1]

These are all a ****ing waste of time. Most of them are just long commercials, and not really a good "review". None mention drawbacks, or if it's worth purchasing if you already have a 2018 iPad Pro. No one talks about why you'd want an 11 vs 12.9. No one sits there and says "you should probably buy a MacBook Air, and then a cheapo iPad unless you desperately want to draw." Seriously, glorified commercials.

None of these trackpad/software reviews matter, because if you start carrying around an external Magic Trackpad or mouse with an iPad, you're completely missing the point. In addition, I think the new keyboard won't be as great as people are hoping. Notice how you can't find the weight of that keyboard on Apple's site? The use case for a heavy keyboard case and an iPad just isn't compatible. It's why it is so easy to pull the iPad off and leave the keyboard on your desk. Now what? Carry the iPad around without a case? Or buy an additional Smart Cover? (Thanks for capitalizing that auto-correct #marketing)

Most of the videos used Apple's own AR demo reel, because there aren't enough good apps to take advantage of the LiDAR sensor, and probably won't be for another 6 months. Really, it's a gimmick for now. Maybe iOS 14 makes it worth it. Maybe it goes the way of 3D Touch. Either way, being able to put a piece of furniture in my house virtually to see how it looks on a screen isn't groundbreaking. At least not yet.

None of these reviews have any integrity, so they can continue getting Apple stuff early. Gross.

You do realize that the new keyboard is not yet available? I am pretty sure this isn’t a case of Apple maintaining a review embargo on the New keyboard folio. It would be more likely, if we weren’t 5-9 weeks away from the actual launch, so complaining that none of the reviewers are sharing thoughts or info on the new keyboard shouldn’t be surprising.

Same goes for the reviews of the iPad Pro’s themselves. I think it was MKBHD that said he’s only had his review unit for a couple of days, so again, it’s not surprising that there is limited testing done - especially when you factor in the upheaval we’re all experiencing due to the Coronavirus. YouTuber’s are no different, in dealing with the change and uncertainty, so you might want to cut them some slack right now as they figure out how to deal with the situation.

As far as anyone carrying around a trackpad with their iPad Pro, first of all, right now most people are not traveling with their iPads...or traveling at all, so it’s a moot point. I don’t think Apple is suggesting that anyone HAS to carry around a Magic Trackpad 2, but I can say that for me, the new cursor driven input is fantastic, especially when I’m at my desk working. I’ve actually pulled my iPad Pro 12.9” out of the old keyboard folio and have it on a stand on my desk, using an old BT Apple keyboard and new Magic Trackpad 2, plus Pencil, and it works great. When I want or need to get up, I simply pick up the iPad and use it in full touch mode.

 

[AppleFan1179]

You do realize that the new keyboard is not yet available? I am pretty sure this isn’t a case of Apple maintaining a review embargo on the New keyboard folio. It would be more likely, if we weren’t 5-9 weeks away from the actual launch, so complaining that none of the reviewers are sharing thoughts or info on the new keyboard shouldn’t be surprising.

Same goes for the reviews of the iPad Pro’s themselves. I think it was MKBHD that said he’s only had his review unit for a couple of days, so again, it’s not surprising that there is limited testing done - especially when you factor in the upheaval we’re all experiencing due to the Coronavirus. YouTuber’s are no different, in dealing with the change and uncertainty, so you might want to cut them some slack right now as they figure out how to deal with the situation.

As far as anyone carrying around a trackpad with their iPad Pro, first of all, right now most people are not traveling with their iPads...or traveling at all, so it’s a moot point. I don’t think Apple is suggesting that anyone HAS to carry around a Magic Trackpad 2, but I can say that for me, the new cursor driven input is fantastic, especially when I’m at my desk working. I’ve actually pulled my iPad Pro 12.9” out of the old keyboard folio and have it on a stand on my desk, using an old BT Apple keyboard and new Magic Trackpad 2, plus Pencil, and it works great. When I want or need to get up, I simply pick up the iPad and use it in full touch mode.

"As far as anyone carrying around a trackpad with their iPad Pro, first of all, right now most people are not traveling with their iPads...or traveling at all, so it’s a moot point."

No. Just, no.

"I am pretty sure this isn’t a case of Apple maintaining a review embargo on the New keyboard folio."

Didn't actually care that they didn't review it, but you missed my point entirely.


"I’m at my desk working. I’ve actually pulled my iPad Pro 12.9” out of the old keyboard folio and have it on a stand on my desk, using an old BT Apple keyboard and new Magic Trackpad 2, plus Pencil, and it works great. When I want or need to get up, I simply pick up the iPad and use it in full touch mode."

Yeah. I mean, that's exactly what I said? You aren't going to want to carry around the new magic keyboard, it's just gonna sit on the desk. And then what? You buy additional ****? You carry around your iPad without a stand?


I think you really just kinda failed reading what I was saying?

 

[I7guy]

After ~10 failed attempts, I decided to completely turn off my 2018 iPad 9.7" 6th and then turn it on again, now I'm finally able to open this webpage again.

View attachment 900928

So an iPad can replace a Mac... make me laugh, Tim!

I dont know. I was able to watch the first few seconds of every unboxing video in first post.

 

[otternonsense]

It appears that you know little about the camera, a depth-sensing 3D camera that can assess one's local environment, and/or one's self, and how that will open up a ton of applications in an area Apple has been investing heavily over the last few years, AR.

You also might not be aware that before these applications can bear fruit, that type of special camera needs to be part of a device people can use and hold in their hands. No camera, no apps.

WHO

CARES.

Almost nobody uses the rear camera on their iPad to begin with and LIDAR not going to change that. You want to bear fruit? Put it on an iPhone. They've had 2 years to deliver this total non-update, with a marginally better A12Z and some more RAM.

 

[farewelwilliams]

My guess is that due to the current Coronapocalypse they couldn't do the A13X but already were too far along in the release so they just essentially overclocked the A12X and called it the A12Z.

so...they grabbed all the A12X chips and somehow stuck a new GPU core in there? bad guess.

 

[fbr$]

I dont know. I was able to watch the first few seconds of every unboxing video in first post.

It's been years since I started having this issue on iOS's Safari, if I remember well this started on iOS 9 (or 8?)

Maybe it's because my old iPad mini 2th gen had only 1GB of RAM and my current 2018 iPad 6th gen has only 2GB?

But if iOS's Safari can't handle webpages full of photos and videos on a device with only 2GB of RAM, why did Apple sell a device like this?

 

[I7guy]

It's been years since I started having this issue on iOS's Safari, if I remember well this started on iOS 9 (or 8?)

Maybe it's because my old iPad mini 2th gen had only 1GB of RAM and my current 2018 iPad 6th gen has only 2GB?

But if iOS's Safari can't handle webpages full of photos and videos on a device with only 2GB of RAM, why did Apple sell a device like this?

I have a 7th gen, maybe that is the difference.

 

[iStorm]

Jon Prosser on Twitter says to expect a 5G 12.9 Pro in the fall with A14X chip, assuming there's no delays due to coronavirus. That's when I will upgrade my 2018 12.9 Pro.

I've read this too, along with another rumor stating that the 12.9-inch iPad Pro would be get a mini-LED display later this year as well. Why are these rumors only mentioning the 12.9-inch iPad Pro and not 11-inch iPad Pro? Could this mean there will be a new "premium" 12.9-inch iPad Pro in addition to the ones that were just released?

 

[Just sayin...]

A12Z? No thanks. I’ll wait for the A14X to upgrade my A10X. But, the upgrade to 6GB RAM is nice...

 

[jmgregory1]

"As far as anyone carrying around a trackpad with their iPad Pro, first of all, right now most people are not traveling with their iPads...or traveling at all, so it’s a moot point."

No. Just, no.

"I am pretty sure this isn’t a case of Apple maintaining a review embargo on the New keyboard folio."

Didn't actually care that they didn't review it, but you missed my point entirely.


"I’m at my desk working. I’ve actually pulled my iPad Pro 12.9” out of the old keyboard folio and have it on a stand on my desk, using an old BT Apple keyboard and new Magic Trackpad 2, plus Pencil, and it works great. When I want or need to get up, I simply pick up the iPad and use it in full touch mode."

Yeah. I mean, that's exactly what I said? You aren't going to want to carry around the new magic keyboard, it's just gonna sit on the desk. And then what? You buy additional ****? You carry around your iPad without a stand?


I think you really just kinda failed reading what I was saying?

Maybe what you were trying to say wasn’t as clear as you think it is. The new keyboard case is absolutely going to be my, and I suspect a significant number of other people’s, go to for when we do go back to ”normal” life, traveling and using it as one way of interacting with the iPad.

But it’s also going to change how I interact with the iPad Pro, as it has already - which was my point in how I’m currently using the iPad. When I do grab the iPad and use it away from my desk, I don’t need to put it in another case. I’ll use it as is, naked (I am going to add a skin on the back), as I have been the past few days. Again, I’m not talking about leaving the keyboard case at the desk and heading out traveling with the iPad naked. When I do start traveling for work, the keyboard case will go with me.

I’m not sure why you appear to be so angry about something as simple as it is? Apple is just changing the dynamic of how you can use the iPad Pro. You don’t have to do anything different if you don’t want to - they’re not forcing you to do anything. But for those who want to have both more of a laptop-like keyboard and trackpad input device AND the ability to use the iPad in its original touch input way, the new Magic Keyboard folio will answer those wants.