Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Apple Debuts New 9.7-Inch iPad With A9 Chip to Replace iPad Air 2, Starting at $329

hajime said:
Where is the new 12.9" version?
Click to expand...
Probably being released together with an equally A10-equiped 10.5" iPad Pro. Note this update brings the non-Pro iPad to the level of the iPad Pros processor-wise (A9), not to the iPhone 7 version (A10).
 
manu chao said:
Or else? Why are you wedded to 12 months? What is wrong with 18 months?

I'll tell you why you are wedded to 12 months. It is because the most competitive and most important product, the iPhone (and other smartphones) get an update every 12 months, which for Apple also means a new A-series processor. For computers, Intel's not quite anymore 12 months cycle is the other driver. But note that Macs have always lasted for three to four years without a case redesign, only bumping the processor every year, changing the storage options somewhat and maybe upgrade a port now and then.

This shows you that while 12 months might be necessary on phones, computers and tablets can get by with longer cycles just fine.


So, selling the 12.9" iPad Pro for 18 months is keeping ancient products in production and clutters up the lines? I'd say yearly updates that only change a few things is what clutters up the model line-up.


Macs, laptops as well as desktops never had yearly updates past the 1990s besides upgraded internals. And if you look at the history Mac laptops, the changes between 'case' generations were similar to what the 2016 MBP got. It got thinner and lighter (as did almost every laptop generation) and it lost ports:
  • 2016: 15.5 mm, 2013: 18 mm, 2012: 19 mm, 2009: 24.1 mm, 2006: 25.9 mm, 2001: 28 mm, 2000: 26 mm, 1999: 41 mm, 1998: 51mm, 1997: 61 mm
  • 2016: USB-A, TB2/mDP, HDMI, SD card, MagSafe; 2012: Ethernet, FW800, Kensington lock; 2009 ExpressCard, DVI, FW400; 2006: modem, CardBus, S-video, round power plug; 2002: VGI, infrared; 2000: SCSI; 1998: Serial, ADB, HDI-15
Progress was faster in the 1990s but making the laptop noticeably thinner is getting harder.
Click to expand...

I'm happy for you you're happy with everything Apple sells or does. I want a solid investment for my well earned money and
A. Apple doesn't offer that for me anymore.
B. Their offerings are way overpriced when you compare with what's on the market (and the obscene amount of profit they make proof that)
C. Macs are dead end (till they'll give it some much needed attention and as of today they're not)
D. Software and services are underwhelming compared to the competition
E. No solid path for future investment makes it a stupid move to invest as a business point of view in their hardware except the consumer toys
[doublepost=1490130555][/doublepost]
manu chao said:
They wouldn't update the storage on the SE now and release an SE with updated processor one month later.
Click to expand...
Another missed opportunity driven by greed. I really hope/think Apple selling will take a nose dive. Because as profits are Apple's main focus and motivation they deserve it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jb-net and scribz
Applebot1 said:
Thats an interesting point. I have the iPad Air and agree using it for browsing the Web I can be frustrating. So much so I much prefer to use my iPhone SE! I've always put this down to lack of ram rather than the processor.
The reviews are going to be interesting.
Click to expand...

There are two issues at play with the air 1 - one is that it didn't have enough ram and the second was more the gpu used in the normal A7 rather than the A7 itself, which is the cause of a lot of stuttering.
 
elcrian said:
So if I replace my 16GB Air 1 and get a new iPad, the screen is gonna be worse? And without LTE, I don't get GPS? Now, what's the difference to the "Pro"? $270 (128GB, WiFi) extra for the Stylus thing? Is the processor faster in the Pro? I am so confused. And I'd say I'm keeping myself more up to date than the average consumer when it comes to Apple.
Click to expand...
No, the screen is worse when compared to the iPad Air 2. This is primarily due to lamination, which the Air 1 doesn't have anyway.
The Pro has a faster processor, is thinner, a 12mp camera with flash, quad speakers, has a higher color gamut, and support for the Smart Keyboard and Apple Pencil.
This is a budget model that is a replacement for the Air series not the 9.7" Pro.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Demo Kit and profets
Charliebird said:
And why would someone buy the 9.7 iPad Pro at $599?
Click to expand...
Well right now, it would be a poor idea to buy either of the Pros. And if Apple doesn't have new updates to them soon, then Tim Cook is being silly every time he calls iPads the future of computing. It will only happen if the iPads are improved as aggressively as the iPhones. (Personally, if they'd put the phone.app in the iPads, I'd never buy another iPhone).
 
  • Like
Reactions: Demo Kit
sk1wbw said:
Comments like this get so god damned ****ing old it should be a bannable offense.
Click to expand...

Why?

Do you seriously think every comment here should be "Praise Holy Apple, Praise Saint Ive, Praise Saint Cook, and Praise Our Most Beloved Saint Jobs"?

Apple is screwing up. Yeah, it might mean more short term profits, but their failure to address Mac users' needs is going to cost them a lot long term.

We need new iMacs, we need real Pro laptops, and we need new minis and Mac Pros. The Mac Pro hasn't been updated since 2013, Intel has released several Xeons since then, we don't get them. The video cards in it were good but not great when it was new, today they're a joke.

I don't give a flying f**k about a new iPad. My clients have serious needs, the current lineup is crap, and they're getting really antsy waiting for the next generation.
 
  • Like
Reactions: tech4all, Demo Kit, segundo and 2 others
The Cappy said:
Well right now, it would be a poor idea to buy either of the Pros. And if Apple doesn't have new updates to them soon, then Tim Cook is being silly every time he calls iPads the future of computing. It will only happen if the iPads are improved as aggressively as the iPhones. (Personally, if they'd put the phone.app in the iPads, I'd never buy another iPhone).
Click to expand...

I agree with you although I can't see they've put that much effort in the iPhone 7/7 plus. Tim is only looking at numbers... as long as the product sells he won't get the motivation to put resources into it. There isn't another explanation possible. There is a name for it, it's called: driven by greed.
 
#NothingBurger My wallet will stay closed for a while longer. I sold my iPad last summer and am still waiting for a compelling reason to buy another (which I would like to do).
 
MstrHrm said:
#NothingBurger My wallet will stay closed for a while longer. I sold my iPad last summer and am still waiting for a compelling reason to buy another (which I would like to do).
Click to expand...

Most of us are waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting..... waiting
 
  • Like
Reactions: MstrHrm
MstrHrm said:
#NothingBurger My wallet will stay closed for a while longer. I sold my iPad last summer and am still waiting for a compelling reason to buy another (which I would like to do).
Click to expand...

Genuinely curious - why did you sell your iPad last summer? And if you've been without one for 3/4 of a year and don't have a compelling reason to buy one, then do you really need one?
 
  • Like
Reactions: milo, 9081094 and MstrHrm
I'm sorry, I haven't been keeping up with the news for some time now.

Can someone list the reasons why this iPad is better than the last iPad?
 
Oh, first I thought I should not drink my last glass of champagne...but the news seems right.

Yeah, champagne :)
 
Apple really are about milk the product category way beyond when any other company would have a hardware update. (Mac pro anyone?) I get the feeling the execs at apple are all still arguing about which office in the new campus they'll get and who gets the Jacuzzi to push actual new products.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Demo Kit and 9081094
What's with this utterly pointless and pretentious term "price point". Why not just say "price"? The word "price" does what it says on the tin, tells you the cost of something. What is different about putting a "point" after it? I'll tell you what, eff all, that is what. And don't get me started on the term "form factor" either. "Shape", it's ruddy "shape". "Oh no but 'form factor' is soooo much more accurate and descriptive". Bollocks.
 
I replaced my iPad 3 with a galaxy tab. Didn't want to buy the Air 2 as it was so old and couldn't justify the ridiculously high price for the Pro 9.7"

The new 9.7" interests me. I don't like the Galaxy. Because I don't really like android and because Samsung customer support doesn't exist. £340 is about what I'm happy to pay so I will be looking to get one of the new iPads.
 
Delorean2006 said:
It was in the moment I thought it was a disappointment, but then after thinking about it, I did remember seeing this before, plus it gives them more time to unveil the new products, instead of having a 2-3 hour keynote, they will keep it to a 1.5 hour keynote and keep the spotlight on the new products they are unveiling.
Click to expand...

Exactly, and it looks like it that the stock market is totally in the dark about it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back