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Apple Said to Debut New iPad Pro Lineup, 128GB iPhone SE, and Red iPhone 7 and 7 Plus at March Event
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It's always a question of how many. Jack of all trades, master of none. Apple already has a quality problem due to its crammed product portfolio (that is, crammed for the quality Apple that once ignited Apple's rise to becoming the most valuable company around).
Getting yet another iPad size (with various storage and colour options) would clutter the product portfolio even more. This would not only be a logistics nightmare, but also confusing Joe average consumer, who is not a Macrumors regular (but accounting for the biggest share of Apple's sales by far). Apple is more and more walking on thin ice
You may want to read up on the main reasons of Apple nearly folding before Steve came back in (and what he did to save the company). Throw in a little economics 101 and you understand why it is NOT a good idea of having too many options! At best we could argue on whether Apple has already crossed the line between "sufficient" and "too many".
I'm a customer, options are a good thing. Even the investors seem to be happy since Apple's stock price just hit an all time high. Compared to many other tech companies, Apple is not at a saturation point that would support limiting product options.
That is way too many different iPad devices. Apple needs to remember something that served them well for many years: The Paradox of Choice. The other problem is that too many device variations takes up valuable engineering time that could be put into making a smaller pool of devices better. Competition for talent is intense—now more than ever—and I can't imagine it's very exciting to engineer 4 microphones into an iPad Mini running a two year old processor.
<sarcasm>
Besides, everyone knows that the iPad Pro 3 will have octo-mics, and octo-mics are the future. I mean, there's still room on each corner of the device! I'm holding out for that model. Hopefully it has octo-speakers too. Like Steve Jobs used to say, "You can't have enough speakers and microphones!" It's what people want the most when looking for a tablet.
I'm really looking forward to getting my red iPhone Pro later this year so that I can hide it in a case so it won't chip like crazy. But when people see that small red area around my camera opening and lightning port, they'll know that I have the newest device! How exciting!
</sarcasm>
If you couldn't already tell, I've slowly become disenchanted with Apple over the past couple years. It's as though their primary decision making has switched from making great products to making products that will make them the most money this year, or this quarter, while throwing away their future by slowly pissing away customers. Why do they refuse to make things like the iPad more productive, while simultaneously putting the Mac into a corner to gather dust? We've got crap to get done, Apple! I really, really, REALLY don't want to switch to Windows to do my work. As a professional creative I'm pissed that you've left us to rot when we did so much for you, sustaining your business from the beginning. I wasn't there personally because I was a kid, but I was there at the tail end during college and into my professional career and work with a lot of people who were there during the good and the bad and they feel hung out to dry right now while Microsoft, of all companies, seems to be at least trying to provide new innovative tools for professionals. Sorry for the rant but I've felt really frustrated lately, and for those who might say "Well then don't comment on this site if you don't like Apple" it's not that I don't like Apple—I love Apple—but I don't like the direction they've been heading.
<sarcasm>
Besides, everyone knows that the iPad Pro 3 will have octo-mics, and octo-mics are the future. I mean, there's still room on each corner of the device! I'm holding out for that model. Hopefully it has octo-speakers too. Like Steve Jobs used to say, "You can't have enough speakers and microphones!" It's what people want the most when looking for a tablet.
I'm really looking forward to getting my red iPhone Pro later this year so that I can hide it in a case so it won't chip like crazy. But when people see that small red area around my camera opening and lightning port, they'll know that I have the newest device! How exciting!
</sarcasm>
If you couldn't already tell, I've slowly become disenchanted with Apple over the past couple years. It's as though their primary decision making has switched from making great products to making products that will make them the most money this year, or this quarter, while throwing away their future by slowly pissing away customers. Why do they refuse to make things like the iPad more productive, while simultaneously putting the Mac into a corner to gather dust? We've got crap to get done, Apple! I really, really, REALLY don't want to switch to Windows to do my work. As a professional creative I'm pissed that you've left us to rot when we did so much for you, sustaining your business from the beginning. I wasn't there personally because I was a kid, but I was there at the tail end during college and into my professional career and work with a lot of people who were there during the good and the bad and they feel hung out to dry right now while Microsoft, of all companies, seems to be at least trying to provide new innovative tools for professionals. Sorry for the rant but I've felt really frustrated lately, and for those who might say "Well then don't comment on this site if you don't like Apple" it's not that I don't like Apple—I love Apple—but I don't like the direction they've been heading.
Then you need to speak with your wallet and go ahead and go over to the Dark Side.
I admire your faith in average customers ability to not get confused, but there's also the other side of the medal - logistics on Apple's side (and the side of any reseller having to deal with all the options: "Oh, I'm sorry, but the iPad mini in Gold with LTE and 64GB option is out of stock currently. Instead I can offer you an iPad mini in jet black with WLan and facial recognition. Alternatively an iPad Pro with 128GB, LTE and bundled with the Apple Pencil. Special deal: Costs only 300 more ..." - customers will love that frustrating feeling, won't they?).
But if they are all half baked implementations then nobody gets what they want.
I guess they need some sort of excuse for not updating desktop macs in 3 years.
New Emojis?
If you think Apple is going to let the entry level buyers have their cake and eat it too you are mistaken.
I do think that there will be other features we haven't heard of yet. 3D Touch maybe? Also what's happened to the rumour about the Apple Pencil 2? I think from reading this report, if there is a March event it will mostly be taken up with iPad talk. Makes sense if Apple doesn't want anything to overshadow the 10th anniversary iPhone 8 in September.
As I said, the March event will still go ahead. I don't believe that any new 7.9" and 9.7" iPads will be called the Pro but then again the increased focus on replacing PCs may prove me wrong.
It's still possible we'll see them announce new Macs, but they may not have time and push it to WWDC or Q4. We may even see a silent refresh again for the 12" MB.
It's still possible we'll see them announce new Macs, but they may not have time and push it to WWDC or Q4. We may even see a silent refresh again for the 12" MB.
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How are they half baked? Adding a red colour option isn't half baked, neither is adding the bigger screen phone or a 10.5" iPad Pro.
Everyone knows what product red is - they also at 6 color SKUs at this point. Also, it is better to just donate directly to a non-profit over buying a RED product (or using something like Amazon Smile). The marketing dollar benefit more the companies over any NGO at this point.
Be nice to see what they do to the Mini, but it seems daft to add a 10.5" model to the existing range? Kinda seems pointless.
Jo, just tech upgrades for the 12.9 inch, no design upgrades. They' ll do the design update for the 12.9 next year. But because of the size and weight of the 12.9 they could choose not to update to a design with tiny bezels, because it would be too hard to handle.
No way! I'm just using old Macs for now. It would be too jarring to change my current setup to Windows. That's why I'm so upset. I'm worried I'll be forced into it someday.
I'd upgrade my iPad if they offered a serious software upgrade to be able to work on projects. The only thing I consistently buy is the iPhone on the iPhone upgrade program. And the iPhone is good for what it is! Don't really have an issue with it aside from wanting the dual-camera on the 4.7" model.
I'm sorry To say the SE is the best iPhone ever made is absolute balls
I can also assure that only a tiny minuscule percecentage of senior apple staff would use it as their daily
If fact- I wouldn't be surprised if none did.
But what spec updates and features? If it's just the true tone and a faster processor I can't see many people upgrading from their current 12.9" iPad Pro. I'm hoping there is something else. Or maybe it will all be software feature based in iOS 11.
It's somewhat disappointing that the iPad Pro major discussion seems to be about its physical width, while its only real limitation is the "OS width".