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

Apple May Leave iPad Pro Without Major Upgrades for Years

And? The 2018 form factor stayed for 6 years before there was a meaningful update to include OLED and a thinner , lighter design. This isn't news.
 
  • Like
Reactions: zedsdead
MacUserFella said:
This is definitely just me, but with the upcoming iPhone Fold and Touchscreen MacBook, I wouldn’t mind Apple ditching the iPad entirely
Click to expand...
My iPad Pro is one of my most used devices. Just because you want an all in one device doesn’t mean everyone dies. I own a 13” iPad you aren’t folding that down to phone size
 
iPad Mini could really getting a bit slimmer and lighter with an OLED screen - I think much more noticeable for that product given that it's not typically used with a keyboard that largely negate the size and weight benefits of the latest Pros.
 
xpxp2002 said:
Agreed. Now that you can’t find the Apple Pencil 2nd gen anywhere, the only option for my basically brand new M2 iPad Pro is the cheap USB-C Pencil.
Click to expand...
Logitech crayon or other 3rd party options may work for you.

most will not have pressure sensativity and some of the other advanced features, but do let you draw, do signatures and such with basic functions.

I had / liked the crayon but lost mine on a job site last summer 🙁 .
 
tomtad said:
Time to rethink this device.

There’s two routes Apple could persue imo:

A: Merging the Air and Pro lines into one.

B: Reimagine the iPad as a companion device to your MacBook, something which is an ultrathin piece of paper that you can use to draw on, read, watch when you wish, and then maybe magnetically attach to your laptop to charge and store.

The reality is the tablet market is getting squeezed hard by larger phones at the bottom and increasingly capable laptops at the top end.
Click to expand...
iPad’s revenue was higher than the Mac’s last quarter. There’s no squeezing, and I think there’s nothing to rethink. If anything, doing that would make many of us (happy iPad Pro users) angry.
 
  • Like
Reactions: snipr125
Probably a good move. There are simply too many different, overlapping iPad variants right now, which makes purchasing an iPad unnecessarily complex and confusing. If they can simplify the iPad lineup by removing the Pro then that isn’t a bad thing.
 
840quadra said:
Logitech crayon or other 3rd party options may work for you.

most will not have pressure sensativity and some of the other advanced features, but do let you draw, do signatures and such with basic functions.

I had / liked the crayon but lost mine on a job site last summer 🙁 .
Click to expand...
I've looked at them, but they are also kind of gimped compared to the 2nd gen Apple Pencil as you alluded to. I just don't understand why Apple so quickly stopped making it with so many iPad Air and Pro models still out in the world that aren't compatible with the Apple Pencil Pro.

It's just surprising and disappointing that the only pencil options available today are downgrades compared to the pencil that was available a year or two ago.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 840quadra
Reason077 said:
Probably a good move. There are simply too many different, overlapping iPad variants right now, which makes purchasing an iPad unnecessarily complex and confusing. If they can simplify the iPad lineup by removing the Pro then that isn’t a bad thing.
Click to expand...
How the heck do people manage to buy cars or televisions?
 
justiny said:
If Apple continues to restrict iPadOS, there's no reason to upgrade these things (especially the Pros) every year.

My M1 iPad Pro remains fantastic. Battery is starting to rot a bit, but I'll replace that soon and keep moving along.
Click to expand...
Yeah, the iPad Pro feels like a fully mature product at this point. I'm still rocking an M1 iPad Pro as well and it handles 100% of what I throw at it, like new, no exceptions. Never feels slow or laggy. Zero reason to seek out an upgrade. My original battery is still surprisingly strong, but that's a relatively inexpensive fix when it's time to replace it.

None of this is a knock - it's a compliment on how good of a product / processor Apple built. If they ever do open up full Mac OS functionality the chip will matter more, but as it stands the M1 is probably overkill for anything iPadOS is or will likely ever be capable of (barring any changes to force obsolescence).
 
In short, there will be no significant physical changes. It may get M6, M7. etc. generation SoC's and possibly switching to an improved silicon-carbon battery to increase battery life to circa 18 hours per charge.
 
xpxp2002 said:
I've looked at them, but they are also kind of gimped compared to the 2nd gen Apple Pencil as you alluded to. I just don't understand why Apple so quickly stopped making it with so many iPad Air and Pro models still out in the world that aren't compatible with the Apple Pencil Pro.

It's just surprising and disappointing that the only pencil options available today are downgrades compared to the pencil that was available a year or two ago.
Click to expand...
I am with you. Was just providing some options outside of the Apple tax.

As I stated in my original post, the accessory side from Apple is completely nonsensical.
 
  • Like
Reactions: xpxp2002
jole said:
The last iteration did not really add much — My iPad Pro M4 does pretty much everything that M5 version could.

What might change this:
  • Shipping a useful AI with local inference that would benefit from faster pre-fill in M5
  • iPad OS limitations being relaxed to allow using the device for more use-cases
Both are software limitations — I am not holding my breath for Apple having the conviction to solve either. If they do, I am happy to purchase a new device. Relax the limitations and I'll be first in line for iPad Pro M6 with 32GB RAM.
Click to expand...
this is the way. Actually, I would add 16:10 aspect. Allow it to be a computer and a tablet.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jole
My iPad Pro 13” with M4 is my favorite Apple device of all time. Guess I’ll just keep it forever, then. I got the 1TB model (for the 16GB RAM) and nano texture display (for drawing).
 
MacUserFella said:
This is definitely just me, but with the upcoming iPhone Fold and Touchscreen MacBook, I wouldn’t mind Apple ditching the iPad entirely
Click to expand...
And then Apple will lockdown MacOS to the Mac App store, and then remove access to system files, basically turning it into iPad OS.
 
The truth is, the iPad has reached peak hardware maturity. Unfortunately, it's achilles heel is software. It's continues to hold it back.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Tagbert
Realistically, what could they change that would make much difference? I don't want any thinner bezels as my fingers haven't gotten any thinner. I like a little more battery life but that is just a nice to have not really a game changer.
 
Royksöpp said:
The truth is, the iPad has reached peak hardware maturity. Unfortunately, it's achilles heel is software. It's continues to hold it back.
Click to expand...
While I agree with this assessment, I do disagree that the solution is for the iPad to run macOS or run desktop apps (and it's a hill I am prepared to die on). You already have the Mac for that. Let the iPad be free to do its own unique thing, which is that of a giant touchscreen tablet, and that is what's perfect for users like myself really.

If anything, recent announcements like the Creator Studio bundle suggest that the iPad is not going anywhere anytime soon. Bringing apps like Final Cut Pro to the iPad shows that Apple does view it as a serious productivity platform, but there's also only so much they can do if developers don't want to play ball.

I don't mind paying more for the iPad to get dual or triple camera setup like what the iPhone serious enjoys. I mean, I already paid so much for my M4 iPad (replete with stylus and keyboard), it sports a camera bulge anyways, I may as well just go all the way.

Please also bring back the smart keyboard folio. The Magic Keyboard just isn't the same, especially when you can't fold it on its back, and it would save me the hassle of needing to swap cases.

But at the end of the day, I am still happily using my M4 iPad Pro, it's been an amazing 14 years, and here's to another decade of the iPad being this unique blend of portability, ease of use and battery life (compared to windows laptops at any rate). 😛
 
  • Like
Reactions: rettro and Analog Kid
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