Apple Announces Updated iPad 10 With eSIM Support in China

[nateo200]

It's not just an eSim, it would need a cellular radio as well. My guess is that it's just too small a segment of the market who would want to pay extra for this functionality. I have to concede that same argument applies to iPads, so the real answer has to be Apple just doesn't want to...!

Yeah I’m split on this topic. I think if cellular radios become dirt cheap they will just include this feature in the top end models of the MacBooks. There is plenty of room to fit the radio and antennas though. Honestly just throw in 5G and LTE no need for older tech but maybe just 5G standalone with mmWave. Apple doesn’t want its users to have a bad experience with there tech because of another companies tech not being up to snuff so I don’t see this happening too soon

 

[sack_peak]

You know this begs the question why can't the Macbooks get eSIM support? I know a lot of business customers would love cellular on their Macbooks without needing to use a hotspot.

IIRC Qualcomm charges 5G modems based on MSRP of device used in it.

Macs official MSRP start at $999 & $599.

iPhone starts at $429 and as a phone it has no choice but to have a 5G modem.

Same with iPad with 5G that starts at $599 vs $449 WiFi-only.

This is why 5G pocket hotspots are popular as they're that cheap. This was a cost-effective solution done by many telcos pushing iPad plans.

This is the key reason why Apple bought Intel's modem business in 2019.

Latest rumor is the Apple 5G modem will appear in 2025.

At this rate I would not be surprised if Apple's modem will end up being 6G by 2030.

 

[JitteryJimmy]

It’s a shame that foreigners in China are forbidden from registering ESIMs

Do you really want to bring and use personal tech in China? My employer strongly recommends against it.

 

[JitteryJimmy]

I think if cellular radios become dirt cheap they will just include this feature in the top end models of the MacBooks.

Dirt cheap is not happening, due to patents that the standards depend on, plus limited market competition.

 

[Aston441]

I suppose the real issue is that the software hasn't kept pace with the advances in hardware. My 2018 iPad Pro still runs like it was new - it's 5 years old! Ok, so I can't run Final Cut... I don't want to run Final Cut - I have a Mac for that. (Logic is really good on the iPad, so if that didn't run there might be an incentive.)

Still, what more do we want the iPad to do? It's great for content consumption, games, surfing, note-taking, I edit my Podcast with it, I use with my spin bike, etc. None of these require any more CPU/GPU horsepower than we have now. It's a real problem and will lead to slower sales. The applies to Apple silicon Mac for many people - an 8GB base spec. M1 Air is more computer than 90% of people need for regular computing tasks.

How about multitasking, and swap files, instead of just killing anything and everything in the background? Oh wait, that mysterious technology from the late 1960s was lost, I forgot. Never mind.


(everyone has long forgotten that the reason Apple was about to die, before Jobs returned, with Unix to the Rescue, was because the programmers at Apple trying to get System 9 out the door, STILL couldn’t make preemptive multitasking work, after a decade and a half of trying).

 

[CarAnalogy]

Tim Cook era Apple has essentially destroyed Steve Jobs' original vision for the iPad especially when they tried (and continue to try) to market it as a laptop replacement, yet it fails in every aspect.

It's pretty depressing as the iPad used to be my favorite Apple thing and the Mac the thing I hated with a passion, but nowadays the roles have reversed. I finally got a Mac in 2021 and used macOS more and more over the iPad, that I barely touch my iPad anymore, preferring to just use my phone instead for any mobile computing. My current iPad is most likely going to be my last iPad

It remains a nice portable tv. But if you have to choose between that and a Mac, the video apps run better there anyway.

I agree, they need to lean into it as a consumption device and stop trying to pretend it’s a laptop.

 

[CalMin]

How about multitasking, and swap files, instead of just killing anything and everything in the background? Oh wait, that mysterious technology from the late 1960s was lost, I forgot. Never mind.


(everyone has long forgotten that the reason Apple was about to die, before Jobs returned, with Unix to the Rescue, was because the programmers at Apple trying to get System 9 out the door, STILL couldn’t make preemptive multitasking work, after a decade and a half of trying).

I guess I never really thought about that. I just don't use my iPad that way. The screen is too small for me to want to do that sort of heavyweight computing with it, so I just use one app at a time mostly. When I doing more complex stuff I just use a MacBook.

 

[Nozgog]

You know this begs the question why can't the Macbooks get eSIM support? I know a lot of business customers would love cellular on their Macbooks without needing to use a hotspot.

Yes - because of the lack of 5G on MacBooks we have a hard time convincing people to switch from Lenovo laptops with 5G to MacBooks

I think one the reasons is that Qualcomm takes like a 10% cut of the device price - so 200-400 dollars per MacBook go to Qualcomm - clearly not acceptable

 

[10anta]

Apple has an overly complicated line up, refreshed too often just for the sake of it

 

[Love-hate 🍏 relationship]

You know this begs the question why can't the Macbooks get eSIM support? I know a lot of business customers would love cellular on their Macbooks without needing to use a hotspot.

I'd die for it

 

[Love-hate 🍏 relationship]

Yes - because of the lack of 5G on MacBooks we have a hard time convincing people to switch from Lenovo laptops with 5G to MacBooks

I think one the reasons is that Qualcomm takes like a 10% cut of the device price - so 200-400 dollars per MacBook go to Qualcomm - clearly not acceptable

Same happens with iphones nah?

 

[tonie walker]

the best October update to date!…. waiting for one more thing

 

[erikkfi]

Gurman more like get rekt man.

 

[Nautilus007]

Apple has an overly complicated line up, refreshed too often just for the sake of it

Honestly they should be focusing on instead of stupid refreshes, adding new colors, new accessories and fixing software for the iPad specifically to make it more useful..

 

[Mrkevinfinnerty]

iPad Mainland China E Sim edition has done for Gurman. Wild.

 

[TroutDeep]

Now Apple can ramp-up their tutti-fruitti, phoney baloney, plastic banana, good time, rock-n-roll PR about the ALL NEW iPad with eSIM!

What’s wrong with plastic bananas?

 

[goonie4life9]

What’s wrong with plastic bananas?

Absolutely nothing, but everyone knows they are not the real thing but are just good for a laugh.

 

[xpxp2002]

It's not just an eSim, it would need a cellular radio as well. My guess is that it's just too small a segment of the market who would want to pay extra for this functionality. I have to concede that same argument applies to iPads, so the real answer has to be Apple just doesn't want to...!

More likely because of the retail price of MacBook.

Qualcomm’s licensing structure for their baseband modules means QC gets a cut of the total product sale price. It would likely cost $200-300 extra per unit.

 

[Agent007]

This really shows that we’ve hit a plateau with tech in these products. Apple isn’t even spec bumping these anymore because user experience really is almost the same.

A14 vs A15 in the base iPad isn’t going to change much and just more cost out of switching the internals as such. A15 vs A16 for iPad mini probably isn’t even worth it for Apple either. They’d rather keep the same chips and milk them as long as they can and I don’t really blame them.

I have an iPhone 12 Pro with the A14 and despite it being a 3 year old phone, I have never once even considered that this phone is slow or too slow for anything that I do. I don’t plan on upgrading until software stops getting updated. Seems like chips from A14 and on have been so good there isn’t much difference in overall experience for most people.

Agreed and "Ugh, greed." As with many fellow "old millennials", I view my phone as a sidearm - I reach for it when I can't access a more powerful weapon computer. I'm using a 2020 M1 Air which I love, but it was $1,250 new, 3 years ago and does tons of stuff the stupid iPad pro can't. Apple is out of [sizable] money grabs They'll be strong another decade but, eventually, nothing gold, or Product(RED), can stay.

 

[Wildkraut]

You know this begs the question why can't the Macbooks get eSIM support? I know a lot of business customers would love cellular on their Macbooks without needing to use a hotspot.

Because Apple wants them to buy iPhones. 🤑

 

[pugxiwawa]

Apple seems to have lost its way. There’s been so little ‘innovation’ last few years that it is worrisome. Feel they are putting all resources and eggs into Vision Pro and all other products are getting ignored. iPad lineup is a great example, and watch is another. Kind of sad.

 

[Razorpit]

This really shows that we’ve hit a plateau with tech in these products. Apple isn’t even spec bumping these anymore because user experience really is almost the same.

A14 vs A15 in the base iPad isn’t going to change much and just more cost out of switching the internals as such. A15 vs A16 for iPad mini probably isn’t even worth it for Apple either. They’d rather keep the same chips and milk them as long as they can and I don’t really blame them.

I have an iPhone 12 Pro with the A14 and despite it being a 3 year old phone, I have never once even considered that this phone is slow or too slow for anything that I do. I don’t plan on upgrading until software stops getting updated. Seems like chips from A14 and on have been so good there isn’t much difference in overall experience for most people.

But with a new iPhone you can finally play that awesome GameCube game Resident Evil 4, that all the cool kids are talking about. 😂

PS Still won’t beat the Wii version with the motion controls. 😉

 

[Corefile]

When the weatherman says you'll get 2 feet of snow but it was only flurries. Technically he's right but it's not snowing new iPads for sure.

 

[sinoka56]

Existing iPad (10th generation) so still lighting port.

Edit: my bad. using usb-c already

 

[sack_peak]

This refresh does not make sense.

Why not just bring out a 2023 iPad with USB-C & eSIM?