I have owned several iPads over the years. But how many shipping sizes does Apple need??/
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Apple Planning Both 10.2-Inch 'iPad 7' and All-New 10.5-Inch iPad According to Proven Leaker
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I have owned several iPads over the years. But how many shipping sizes does Apple need??/
I hope this isn't true. This is confusing for those that aren't tech nerds like us. Keep it simple. Budget iPad, 11, 12.9".
Let’s hope they don’t put another low quality air-gap display instead of a nice laminated screen in this one.
Where do people get these numbers? The typical margin for Apple products is ~34%, so $899 and $799 would basically wipe out the entire profit margin for the MBA and the rMB. We expect Apple to sell their products at cost?
What's strange to me is how many advocates there seem to be for LESS choice. Why would I want less choice when I'm in the market for an iPad or any other Apple product? It takes just a few minutes to sort through the pros and cons of each model - maybe 15 minutes max. Is that so hard? If you're confused about which one you want, you should ask someone who is tech savvy to help you sort through your confusion.
What it means is that you have lost focus, direction and brand identity. Who are you? ..as a company? What are you offering users? What's the experience? The Apple of old said: "We know who you are and we know what you want and we're going to bring it to you in an insanely great and delightful manner."
The Apple Store should not look like an Office Depot or Best Buy with a blizzard of options.
This is what companies that don't know who they are do.
In a word, today's Apple has this method of fishing to net "customers" - "Trawling"!
If they go with junky iPad budget models, I am going to pass on upgrading my iPads this year! Apple is just not making what the iPad owners want! They delay the Mini for 4 years because the Mini 3 has the same SoC as the Mini 4!
I would like to think that, but I really don’t think so. Apple is far from perfect, and I’m all for constructive criticism. I have my own list of complaints, though one less now that the 2018 Mac mini has been released. (Still waiting for iPad mini 5 and Mac Pro.)
But there’s a big difference between “tough love” and Apple-hate, and it’s really not that hard to tell the difference around here.
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So many models and such a confusing line that it is not even funny.
Apple will release same thing with only internal upgrades.
So much for innovation...
Apple will release same thing with only internal upgrades.
So much for innovation...
Couldn’t disagree more. Let’s take a look at this rumor that seems to have MR posters so up-in-arms with the usual complaints: “Apple has lost its way! It’s the 90s Performa all over again! Bring back the four product matrix! So confusing! Too many choices, my brain is exploding... must...simplify!”
People losing their **** because Apple sees enough demand to make an iPad that’s between the $299/329 entry level device and the $799/999 Pro models. That isn’t a “loss of focus, direction and brand identity”. That’s smart product management.
Whether you personally want an iPad that’s quite a bit better than the entry level model (i.e. laminated screen)—but not nearly as expensive at $499-599 as the iPad Pro models—is not relevant. There’s a market for those who aren’t satisfied with the $299/329 model, but feel the iPad Pros are overkill/too expensive.
It might be confusing for some non-techies here on MR forums, but it’s really not that complicated for actual buyers:
- Good: $299/329 entry level, 10.2”
- Better: $499-599, 10.5”, laminated screen, four speakers with surprisingly good sound for a tablet, maybe better cameras (who knows?) plus some other upgrades from the base model
- Best: $799 11” and $999 12.9” iPad Pros. Expensive but worth it (for some).
Where do you get your numbers? I can’t fathom it costs Apple anything close to $800 and $900 to build a MacBook/MacBook Air with the low end specs they have.
Go on line and look up Apple's gross profit margin (35-40%). You might be confusing bill of material cost with cost of goods sold. Bill of material does not include overhead, supply chain or other production costs......just the cost of material and components. You can not sell a product for just the cost of material.
Apple can't just cut the price of their MBA and rMB to essential zero margin. They are a for profit company. Occasionally, third party retailers will drastically cut prices on Apple products for other reasons; e.g. promotion, lost leaders and inventory reduction. But, this has nothing to do with Apple's retail selling prices.
I agree there might be a market for a 10.5 inch iPad between $329 and $799. This could be the reason Apple kept the older 10.5 inch Pro around to experiment with the middle ground. The base iPad seems to be popular, and it checks the boxes for many people. But, it was initially marketed for education as an alternative to the low priced Chromebooks that are taking over in K-12. As an option to the base iPad, a 10.5 inch "consumer" iPad at $499, with say 64GB storage and a few more bells and whistles, might be attractive to a lot of people.
Sounds strange to me, two “non-Pro” iPads with a screen size difference of just 0.3”? Unless the leak covers two iPad generations ahead, the first one being 10,2” and the following year’s model growing to 10,5”. Let’s see...
I'd rather have them clean up their iPad line-up a bit. Every year another screen size seems to be added and I have no idea what generation anything is on anymore.
- 12.9" iPad Pro
- 11" iPad Pro
- 10.5" iPad Pro
- 10.5" iPad
- 10.2" iPad 7
- 9.7" iPad
- 7.9" iPad mini 4
If Apple were to do this then perhaps it is not so much that the 9.7-inch iPad is getting a "bigger" screen as much as the 10.5" iPad is getting a smaller screen. Apple could make a move so that the 10.5 and 10.2 use the exact same set of accessories ( cover , attachable keyboards , pencil ). The exact same height and weight. Possibly the same thickness. They could either move both up to the new Pencil or both would stay at the the old ( probably the latter but the former would simply the Pencil accessories market some more). If the smart keyboard ran at higher volumes perhaps they could drop the price down to a more reasonable $100.
First, they wouldn't need any "new" stuff for the 'new' 10.2 since it would be the 10.5 form factor. They could 'retire' the 9.7 stuff over a short timeline.
Apple would probably use the screen going from 9.7 to 10.2 to incrementally increase the price. The new mini tasking up the task of being the lowest end iPad.
Touch $159
iPad mini $259 ( if pencil capable and some features besides just bump up the processor, then floor $299)
iPad 10.2 $399
iPad 10.5 $599
If they wait until there is a A13X and move the Pros to that ,then the 10.5 could have an A12X (or A12) and the 10.2 move to an A11 . They could use faster processors and "more color' on the screen (if P3 isn't axed to shave costs. Promotion probably does get axed. ). The $200 gap would be a significant for most folks to discern 'what is the difference". 10.2 + pencil + keyboard roughly in the same price range as a 10.5. Folks who want the bundle and not a performance difference will pick the former. Folks who want the performance will "dig deeper" for a bigger spend.
if the 10.2 screen is not fully laminated display then the bigger bezels could help accommodate the thicker screen if have to match thickness with the 10.5. Lamination, color gamut , or something else could be different too. ( At one point Apple sold glossy and matte MBP models. The matte screen cost more and it wasn't all that confusing at all customers. If the screen is different then the price is is different. That won't completely 'throw' most buyers into mass confusion. )
The mini could fill the sales price point range retailers used last holiday season to get unit movement. If there is an iPad there all the time Apple won't have to let discounts on the 9-10" model sink that low on a regular basis.
If the touch has the same screen then the price should drop. It is somewhat of an iPad nano rather than a iPod at this point. ( unless put 2nd gen TouchID and bring it way up on some other features/capacity ).
Android OS is a fragmented market - Apple
Apple iPads are now a fragmented market.
It’s getting way too confusing. Just keep the mini, the regular, and the pro.
For iPhones, keep the regular, the plus, and a low cost entry.
The amount of skus is insane. Apple would not win a deal on Shark Tank.
iOS reportedly will have a number of upgrades this fall.
And the Air was introduced in 2008 at 3.0 lbs. If you thought Apple was never going to introduce a smaller/lighter computer, you don’t know Apple. MacBook Air is an iconic and valuable brand name, Apple’s not going to just drop it for no reason.
this is unlike the phones which take up to 3 years to drop off the bottom end of the line up.
Similarly, the 9.7" would simply just get dropped completely out of the "new items" line up for the replacement.
Those two are being done at different times because right now the Pro is updating in the later Fall and the iPad needs to move in the Spring ( to catch large edu and corporate purchasing decisions). So temporarily there could be a 10.2 and 10.5 Pro but that would unwind in 6-7 months. During that interim, there should be a huge price gap so it's highly doubtful most buyers will get confused.
The Mini 4 would get completely dropped too for its replacement.
From the "Used iPad" clarity perspective, I don't think Apple is too pressed about that. Going from iPad Air back to just plain iPad didn't cause the sky to fall in.
As far as generation goes ... More affordable means generally means older SoC processor. Everything sub $400-600 is probably 1-2 generations back on core SoC processor. That part is like the phone line up. ( More affordable ... farther back. More expensive .. newest stuff. ). It isn't moved back in the same form factor though.
iPad (2017) ve iPad (2018) isn't a new generation distinction problem .
Perhaps they will stick a "iPad Plus" on the 10.5 versus the 10.2's regular "iPad" .
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All Apple has to do is swap the names back iinto their original roles.
At used the intro of th 11" MBA to kill off the Macbook. MBA took the role of the entry (affordable) Mac but kept the "Air" probably in part to justify why "affordable wasn't as affordable was in the Windows PC space". After leaving the Macbook completely out of the (non edu) line up for a couple of year, Apple brought the MacBook back to play the role that the MBA did at its initial premier ( before it changed roles). The new Macbook minimized the number of ports ( bigger push to wireless) and was lighter than anything before (including MBA 11" ).
All Apple has to do is switch the roles back to the original names and would be saner to those who rigidly want to keep the old names in the old roles.
IMHO, it looks like Apple longer term plan was to make the MacBook closer to the iPad Pro. It seems to be oriented to be converted onto Apple iOS device ARM Soc processors first. At this point it largely matches the iPad Pro 12". One Type-C USB socket (both). About 12" display ( both). Thinned out point backing the design into a corner ( both).
If Apple wanted to create an iBook ( to bring another trademark name back) and toss iOS onto the next iteration of that MacBook design they could. Or they could do a port with a "hand me down" iPad Pro A12X/A13x of macOS and keep the Mac. ( And perhaps do what they did with the MBA leaping down into the Macbook price space. Push the MacBook down below the MBA price point and get back to initial roles assignments that way. $799-899 Macbook and $999 MBA would put things back into place in terms of old roles. Or with apple price creep, $999 MacBook and $1099 MBA. )
It is such an easy fix to just swap name, that is seems that they are waiting for "something" to make the change. Stuffing an ARM based chip into a Apple clamshell laptop body could probably be it. [ stuffing a iPad Pro board into a slightly modified MacBook would make a decent 'test mule' for a "plan b" macOS port testing. Or AppleTV. ]
I can appreciate your point of view - you are expressing a strategy to maximize Apple's success. I am thinking as a consumer that appreciates choices. It's fun to me to compare prices vs features and weigh what's best for me and my budget. I don't like being told what's best for me and having my options limited. However I'm just one person, I truly don't know what would be best for Apple.
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If people think having a 2 lb. MacBook and a 3 lb MacBook Air is confusing, I can only imagine the heads that would explode if the MacBook Air were suddenly an entirely different computer—while at the same time the iconic wedge-shaped laptop that yesterday was an Air, today is not. Was never going to happen, won’t happen in the future if/when the MB switches from Intel to Apple ARM.
You’re overthinking it. There are things lighter than Air lol. The “MacBook Air” is small and light; what could be smaller and lighter? Simple: “MacBook”. One word. Says it all. Short, clean, simple.