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iPad Pro Apple will never release an iPad Air 3

Yes they will. Apple decided, most likely, not to release the iPad Air 3, or other name for the next 10" iPad, probably due to wanting to direct new sales, this year, for a bigger iPad, on the newer iPad Pro. There is no basis for stating that they won't release a normal 10" iPad. As it is not only the normal model size that's been around since the start of the first iPad, but also the size most people buy. This also allowed Apple to use a lot of the same specs to update the iPad Mini line, with the iPad Mini 4 now matching the specs of the iPad air 2, making all iPads a bit more streamlined in terms of specs. Saying that they won't release a normal sized iPad has no basis in fact, they will. Not everyone will buy a iPad Pro and some of those same people won't buy an iPad Mini, to many people 10 inches, and thus the normal size iPad is the right size. Much how they also have many sized laptops, not everyone buys the bigger macbook pro. many people usually go towards the middle sized 13" pro or air, or now macbook. Same thing applies here. :apple:
 
I think what is important here to remember is they are trying to position the pro as the "better option" iPad for people who either A) Find the 9.7 inch Air 2 technologically incapable of meeting their needs for content creation or B) Care about specs more than the average consumer. When I see them comparing it to the iPad Air 2, I don't get a "look how bad the Air 2 is in comparison!" vibe like you did. I get more of a "We have this great device for normal use, but for individuals looking to create or for more power here's how this one is even better!" It's really no different that saying the MacBook Pro is more powerful than the MacBook Air, targeting different consumers who may find the other products in their lineup lacking.

I have an OG iPad Mini, so I can't speak on the capabilities of the Air 2 personally but it seems like it's more than enough for the average consumers in the tablet market. Not a whole lot of motivation to put money into updating something they can still sell very well. Now they've just added a more expensive option for the "Gotta have it!" in all of us out there in some way. I do think we'll see an update to the 9.7 inch iPad, whether it stays an "Air" or changes slightly in screen size... who knows? But I think the general size is here to stay for the foreseeable future.
 
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What I think that they will do is release 2 iPads every year, but let none of them die out. Here's what I predict:

Next year they will release an Air 3 and Mini 5 to bring them up to par with the Pro. A9(X), Smart connector, :apple:Pencil, etc.
In 2017 they will release a Pro 2 and Air 4 with a whole bunch of new stuff, like 3D Touch, new chip, AMOLED?, etc.
In 2018 they will release a Pro 3 with even more new stuff, and a Mini 6, to catch up with the Air 4.
In 2019 they will release an Air 5 and Mini 7 to catch up with the Pro 3
And so on.
 
Why should Apple be so stupid to get the non pro ipads feature parity with the pro line? Of course it won't get pencil support or the fastest cpu.
 
That is essentially my point. The OP is conflating enthusiasts' opinion that the iPad Air has been denigrated in terms of hardware specifications as an indication of "bad marketing".

The typical consumer will only look at the words "Air" and "Pro", and the basic meaning is obvious - one is light, portable and fun, the other is a serious power heavyweight for use mainly in business / productivity. This applies whether it is the iPad or the MacBook.

joeblow7777 said:
Not even close. Think of the tens of millions of products that Apple sells. Even if there's 1000 active members of macrumors it wouldn't be close to 0.1%.
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lockerc18 said:
I wasn't referring to the refresh cycle. What I was saying is that Apple is beating the heck out of the Air 2 in its advertising.
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Would you feel better if they were comparing the performance against the original iPad?

People would be making fun of Apple in that case :)
 
Yet Apple doesn't HAVE to come out with an iPad Air 3. They could rename it again and start some new naming convention.
 
lockerc18 said:
The only difference between the Air 2 and the Pro which will make a difference to customers in general is screen size. All this talk about incremental performance increases in processor speeds and the like don't really mean a thing, except to geeks.
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Not just size, but also image quality. With the same pixel density but more pixels, you get a bigger image if you hold it at the same distance, or a sharper image if you hold it at a distance that gives it the same apparent size.

And split screen will appeal to ordinary users. Effectively, two windows running simultaneous programs. Personally, I have no interest in the pencil, but a lot of folks have commented that the pencil appeals to them. Of course, the faster chip enables the larger screen size without a deterioration in performance.


nj-morris said:
What I think that they will do is release 2 iPads every year, but let none of them die out. Here's what I predict:

Next year they will release an Air 3 and Mini 5 to bring them up to par with the Pro. A9(X), Smart connector, :apple:Pencil, etc.
In 2017 they will release a Pro 2 and Air 4 with a whole bunch of new stuff, like 3D Touch, new chip, AMOLED?, etc.
In 2018 they will release a Pro 3 with even more new stuff, and a Mini 6, to catch up with the Air 4.
In 2019 they will release an Air 5 and Mini 7 to catch up with the Pro 3
And so on.
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The Air and the Mini will never have the same chip as the latest Pro. The Pro needs more power to drive its screen and is priced where they can afford to put a more costly chip in it.

I doubt we'll see a pencil for the Air or the Mini for a few years.

And I think that four years out is too far to have any idea what technology will produce. They won't change the name of a line after just two models (i.e. there will be an Air 3) but they will introduce a new name for a given size every few years, to coincide with major upgrades, such as the very light weight of the Air.

Of course a geometrically increasing population puts exponential strain on dwindling resources, so at some point there will be no more Apple.

And to those who complain that Apple is greedy and over-charges for its gadgets: ALL companies are greedy. They're in business to make a profit and they'll do whatever they think likely to generate profits. And the market will put them out of business if they try to sell gadgets people don't like or set their prices above what people are willing to pay. If you think an iPhone or an iPad costs too much, don't blame Apple; blame all the people who think those devices are worth the price. I just wish I'd invested in Apple when it first went public.
 
ron7624 said:
Yup. About 11 months away, maybe 7. This is Apple we are talking about. They do a lot of thinking about marketing and from looking at their cash reserves, they call the shots pretty good. Not what we want, but what they want us to have. I'm typing this on an iPad Mini 4 that was about a year late in my opinion, but not in theirs.
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Good point
 
lockerc18 said:
I wasn't referring to the refresh cycle. What I was saying is that Apple is beating the heck out of the Air 2 in its advertising. They are really going out of their way to say how inferior a device it is. Does anyone really think they would suddenly come out with an Air 3 and say "Oh, never mind all those cheap shots we took at the Air 2, just kidding"? I'm sorry to say that the 9.7" form factor is dead. I was hoping for an Air 3 because Apple obsoleted my iPad3 with IOS9, and I need to move to a new platform. But it won't be the Pro. That's just me, and others will differ.

People believe that Apple is targeting the Pro at creative people. Yes, they are, but that's too small a demographic to support a major new project like this. Apple is aiming the Pro directly at the Surface, and wants to create a desktop replacement with it. That's a much bigger market. But they will fail with this if they don't make the Pro at least equivalent to a laptop or desktop for apps and user interfaces. Microsoft is way ahead of them in this. How can Apple ship a product they intend to replace the desktop with and not include a pointing device or mechanism other than the brute force of your finger? The Apple Pen surely isn't that. And how can the Pro succeed if the apps are crippled versions of desktop apps? That makes no sense.

I'm very happy with my rMBP and my iPhone 6+. I am very upset with Apple about my iPad3 and what they did to it with IOS9. The Watch is interesting, but honestly, it's not going to be a big winner. The iPad Pro is too expensive, suffers from IOS constraints, and is too big for normal mobile use. It, too, will not be a major winner.

What the heck is Apple doing?
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You seem to know everything that is going on inside the heads at Apple. Are you clairvoyant?
 
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AppleMan2015 said:
Very true. They wouldn't give up their flagship iPad lol
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I think the new Pro is to get more business buys. A lot of medical offices and Hospitals have been using the full size ipad for a few years now. With the Pro comes a bigger screen paired that with split screen and new apps, the business world just might migrate even more to Apple.
 
AddisonIII said:
I think the new Pro is to get more business buys. A lot of medical offices and Hospitals have been using the full size ipad for a few years now. With the Pro comes a bigger screen paired that with split screen and new apps, the business world just might migrate even more to Apple.
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Maybe when iOS becomes a bit more integrated with OS X. But I'm not holding hope
 
yes iOS will have next year or in iOS11 file management between OSX iOS and iCLOUD
 
The iPod Touch is at the biggest risk of getting discontinued from all the iOS range. Not the iPad.

It's not a question of 'if' but 'when'. It'll be next year, but which quarter is still to be determined.
 
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