Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Oh the horror!!! Poor Apple!

Timmy only cashed in $282 million of stock, more than the combined net worth of everyone here but in one transaction

I never claimed their margin was going up; or any way in fact. Percent means nothing. They may be spending more (and exec compensation) and making more resulting in a level margin, but their profit number itself is increasing.

It also doesnt mean a proportional increase in component cost is the only reason (or even a small portion) for a price increase. That is merely an assumption.

You can have a profit margin of 20% making $100 million or 20% making $200 billion. Which is the bigger profit? I dont care what it was 10 year ago or a level margin, that isnt the point.

Apple has RECORD profits and valuation for a reason. They have the highest mobile profits while not shipping the most phones for a reason. Which 20% is more than the industry standard. Samsung's is only about 10%. So no, I dont feel bad for a faceless corporation making too much profit here.
Nope, salaries aren’t the issue, and it’s not the spaceship, R&D or any other operating expense. Gross margin (the top graph) is calculated before G&A expenses, including Cook’s salary. Gross margin is simply revenue less cost of goods sold 🤷‍♂️

Sure Cook gets paid a lot of money, but it’s maybe 30-40¢ per device sold. Don’t you think he’s worth it? Maybe not, but in any case that’s not why the iPhone 11 Pro is $1,000 is it? But I get it, you’re angry about Cook’s compensation.

And I’m sorry Samsung only makes 10%, but maybe in the future they will come out with products that can sell some decent quantity at the premiums they like to ask. So far they haven’t.

FCBE397D-BCBF-4B88-9860-B8F81BEFB87A.jpeg
 
Last edited:
Apple targeting lower/affordable iPhone and iPad by reducing bezel, moving Touch ID to power button to increase screen size in smaller frame. There will be iPhone SE2 plus and SE2 moving Touch ID to power button giving more screen in similar frame. Higher end iPhone and iPad will have Face ID. Seems good strategy.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Marlon DLTH :)
Considering the iPad is primarily a consumption and entertainment device, particularly for watching movies and playing games, it’s ridiculous that Apple withholds the 4-speaker array from the non-Pro models. Because apparently you have to be a Pro to watch movies and play games with a decent stereo experience.

An example of greedy marketing decisions that make no sense other than to the bean-counters.
Agreed. Or at the least make the non Pro iPads to have stereo speakers on opposite sides so user can enjoy at least proper stereo separation in landscape view.
 
Looks as though the headphone jack is getting dropped this time round...
Yeah, if they wanted to model it after the pro, that could be gone. Which is stupid since the iPad has no space constraint and no IP68.

I'm guessing due to the current news of lower Airpods shipment, Apple is probably trying their best to cut off the headphone jack in all of their products (and de-bundling earpods on the next iPhones) to boost Airpods sales.
 
  • Disagree
Reactions: 0924487
Reminds me of when Steve Jobs came back to Apple and they have like 50 products.

Apple is having the same bloated product line again. Now we’ve got like 15 iPhones and 7 iPads to pick from. What?
 
Reminds me of when Steve Jobs came back to Apple and they have like 50 products.

Apple is having the same bloated product line again. Now we’ve got like 15 iPhones and 7 iPads to pick from. What?
I don't think there's that many lineup.
The current lineup is quite simple. There are Pro models with two different sizes, mainstream models with two different sizes (Air and mini), and one value model. Simple enough I think.

My issue with current Apple lineup is the gap of prices between the mainstream and Pro models. I also have the feeling with this redesign, this new iPad Air will no longer be $499, but probably be $699 and positioned as an iPad Pro Lite with USB-C and Pencil 2 support. That will create a huge gap between the value model and the next model up.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Marlon DLTH :)
I'm guessing due to the current news of lower Airpods shipment, Apple is probably trying their best to cut off the headphone jack in all of their products (and de-bundling earpods on the next iPhones) to boost Airpods sales.

AirPods sales has been growing. What they have been losing is market share, something Apple has never cared about.
 
My issue with current Apple lineup is the gap of prices between the mainstream and Pro models. I also have the feeling with this redesign, this new iPad Air will no longer be $499, but probably be $699 and positioned as an iPad Pro Lite with USB-C and Pencil 2 support. That will create a huge gap between the value model and the next model up.
I seriously doubt they’d price the air only $100 less than the base Pro. I could see it being $550 or $599, though.

I’d be pleasantly surprised if it remained at $499, but probably only if it offered quad speakers. If it’s only dual speakers, I could see it maintaining the $499 price.

The only real difference besides a new SOC and maybe more RAM would be the new screen design. That might not be enough to warrant a significant jump in price.

As always, we’ll see.
 
  • Like
Reactions: PickUrPoison
As long as the weight is kept under control while the screen size increases, I would wait for this. If there's one thing I hate, it's when devices are too bulky.
 
I seriously doubt they’d price the air only $100 less than the base Pro. I could see it being $550 or $599, though.

I’d be pleasantly surprised if it remained at $499, but probably only if it offered quad speakers. If it’s only dual speakers, I could see it maintaining the $499 price.

The only real difference besides a new SOC and maybe more RAM would be the new screen design. That might not be enough to warrant a significant jump in price.

As always, we’ll see.
If it gets the same body design, USB-C, and pencil 2 support, then it’s really close to the Pro models, minus FaceID and the camera module. It makes more sense to make it into a Pro lite model and justify the increase in price. I’d say $699 so people on the edge are tempted to just spend an extra $100 and get the Pro model. It’s up selling technique that Apple is a master of.

Of course, we’ll wait and see. :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Crow_Servo
Finally the iPad lineup is moving forward ever so slightly.

Except for updating the processor and increasing screen size ever so slightly to 10.5/10.2", the non-pro iPads have basically stayed the same and stagnated for 7 god damn years. 7 YEARS!!! Since the iPad Air 1 (2013), the design, features and tech has basically not changed at all (excluding some minor bumps like TrueTone).

Timmy has been milking that iPad Air 1 design for wayyyyyy too long. I get that these iPads are supposed to be cheap, but seriously, theres been no improvement at all.
 
There are ample people who want an appox 11 inch display device but not for $799; but also not the budget $329 one with Touch ID and thick bezels

This Air/10.8 would replace the Air in that middle ground. Closer to a Pro look/features without the Pro pricepoint. Think iPhone XR/11; no touch ID and thick 2010 bezels budge device, but not Pro specs either. Presumably at the $499-550 price point.

It will sell a ton in that middle ground.

Agreed, but unless there's a 11" Pro update, seems like maybe too well - would this cannibalize Pro sales? I'm struggling to see the difference:
Pro - 2 more speakers, 120 Hz
Air - faster? (new processor instead of A12Z?)

Touch ID vs. Face ID is a personal preference. Lidar still seems to have no killer apps. Maybe Air would still only be only Pencil 1 compatible?

I've been waiting to replace my 9.7" Pro, and assumed it would be with another Pro. But seems like an Air may be the way to go.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Marlon DLTH :)
I’m guessing price increase since it is now an iPad Pro lite.
I really don’t understand why Apple keeps pushing iPads up on the price ladder. In the past, the focus was to keep the pricing low or even make it less so more people can get it (In the past, Apple worked so hard keeping the flagship iPad to start at $499).

Remember this lineup? Look at the starting prices, and compare it to today.
View attachment 948857
Your comment doesn’t make sense. The only prices in your picture that’re below the current base iPad price of $329, are the iPad mini and iPad mini 2, which were previous year’s hardware at that point - the iPad mini 3 was current model then (it’s sitting right next to them in the picture). Apple always sells older generation hardware (last year’s model, or the year before) at reduced prices.

The current models in your pic are the $399 iPad mini, and the $499 iPad Air 2. The current base model iPad, at $329, is well below both of those, and has been at that same $329 price for a number of years (while the iPad itself has received various updates). Everything I see points at the base model iPad staying at a consistent price of $329 through various updates - how on earth are you looking at the same data and getting “Apple keeps pushing iPads up on the price ladder” out of it?
 
Yeah, if they wanted to model it after the pro, that could be gone. Which is stupid since the iPad has no space constraint and no IP68.

I'm guessing due to the current news of lower Airpods shipment, Apple is probably trying their best to cut off the headphone jack in all of their products (and de-bundling earpods on the next iPhones) to boost Airpods sales.
Lower AirPods shipments? You’re out of your mind 🙂 They’re reportedly going to ship 80+ million this year according to a recent report here.
 
So this diagram (which looks like it contains Face ID) is unlikely to be correct if the manual recently leaked is real.

correct. I mean they referenced the budget iPad having this design but also FaceID

is 91mobile seriously that stupid if they are to believe the budget next successor iPad they are basing this design for will have FaceID...

heck even that leaked manual for the next gen iPad Air (which I believe more because it looks official) shows that even that has touchID regardless of where it is, and considering that iPad Air line is more expensive and more premium than the budget iPads yeah... nah 8th gen budget iPad having FaceID is a no-no.

not that I’m against that type of iPad having the all screen factor but it will be a while before FaceID goes from the Pros to the other iPads
 
Same. Let me try and understand this: a $300-ish base iPad will support a $300-ish keyboard accessory? I have a 7th gen iPad and an iPad Air 3, and the smart keyboard cover works with them both. If this rumor is even slightly true, which I am 50/50 on (I would think this is a new Air but that's just me) then most likely....I'll pass. Cannot justify a $300+ keyboard accessory for an iPad. Double the price just for a keyboard?

Believe it or not, my usage of ipads has decreased rather than increased lately. Much prefer my MacBook air/pro, and use the ipads mostly at night for in bed reading. That's just me.
Same, except i use a win 10 pc for everything else.
iPad is good for media consumption, except maybe YouTube with it’s annoying ads you can’t block.
 
Never thought Apple would have such a fragmented lineup for one product category. 7.9", 8.5"-9" (rumored Mini redesign), 9.7", 10.2", 10.5", 10.8", 11", and 12.9". Why not just make it 11"? Makes me think they're reducing the bezels on the Pro models further and it will be 11.5" or something for the new version of the 11" model, and maybe 13.4" or something for the new 12.9" model.
That’s quite a stretch considering the inclusion of sizes that are either already gone (9.7) or rumored to be replaced by other sizes you’re mentioning.
 
Reminds me of when Steve Jobs came back to Apple and they have like 50 products.

Apple is having the same bloated product line again. Now we’ve got like 15 iPhones and 7 iPads to pick from. What?

I don’t know what products they were. But essentially Apple doesn’t have thaaat many products. They have quite a few different models of one particular product: SE, regular, Pro, Max, Mini, Air...and accessories. They deliver a couple major products to a wide range of different income groups.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Marlon DLTH :)
Same. Let me try and understand this: a $300-ish base iPad will support a $300-ish keyboard accessory? I have a 7th gen iPad and an iPad Air 3, and the smart keyboard cover works with them both. If this rumor is even slightly true, which I am 50/50 on (I would think this is a new Air but that's just me) then most likely....I'll pass. Cannot justify a $300+ keyboard accessory for an iPad. Double the price just for a keyboard?

Believe it or not, my usage of ipads has decreased rather than increased lately. Much prefer my MacBook air/pro, and use the ipads mostly at night for in bed reading. That's just me.
Absolutely correct. When my 2011 MBP died last year, I moved to an iPad Pro and this year got a Magic Keyboard. But sadly, the iPad CANNOT replace the true computer. Getting an ARM Mac as soon as they release.
 
Reminds me of when Steve Jobs came back to Apple and they have like 50 products.

Apple is having the same bloated product line again. Now we’ve got like 15 iPhones and 7 iPads to pick from. What?

That’s quite the hyperbole. So you’re essentially insinuating that having plentiful (Or ‘bloated‘ as you put it) options is a bad thing, am I right? Let’s look at Apple five years ago, did they ever have an entry-level iPhone SE ? Or an entry-level iPad? They never did. They usually have two, maybe three products at middle tier—> high prices, being out of reach for average consumers or even the educational market that wanted to bring the iPad into the school system.

But Apple expanding with options, especially with the iPad, it doesn’t detract away from anything, I do agree that it requires some homework in terms of actually understanding which model you’re purchasing and what it offers, but they have an excellent ‘comparison tool on the website that literally answers all your questions.
 
With this new "cheaper" iPad Apple should see a nice bump in magic keyboard sales. I like the idea of the magic keyboard but it only works with the iPad Pro and that is a bit more than I'm willing to spend for an iPad.
 
So you want a 12.9" iPad Pro and an iPhone 12 Pro Max? Because those are what I want...and if you don't, oh well. Because that's what I want and I don't care what you want. See how well that works out...for me.

Next absurdist statement in 3, 2, 1...

Sure why not. I'll take one model over 4 different models each year.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.