Apple's 'iPad Air 3' to Be Branded as an iPad Pro With Smart Keyboard and Apple Pencil Support

[AppleScruff1]

If the price goes up and there is no 9.7" iPad at current pricing, iPad sales will take even more of a dive.

 

[ThaRuler]

They need to introduce 256gb of storage already. Not buying until that happens.

 

[aces99]

I say right F***ing on. I am ready to upgrade my original Air so I am all ready for the new iPad whatever they are going to call it 3. The only thing is I hope they have a 32GB Version.

 

[Robnsn2015]

So what?

The iPhone has several times the surface area of the Apple Watch, but it doesn't cost that much more. Often much less.

I feel the iPad Pro is much too expensive in the UK. iPad Air 2 128GB is £560, iPad Pro 128GB is £800! It's not worth £240 more, particularly when it brings nothing more other than a larger screen. Most people won't need a physical keyboard or stylus.

But the worst thing is iOS. The iPad is crying out for a better OS. Apps are dying because of this restriction, and hence the iPad.

1. We don't know what the price of this device is, or if it even really exists.

2. The Apple Watch and iPhone are substantially different devices, so that's a bad analogy.

3. The price difference between the iPad Air 2 and the iPad Pro have to do with more than the screen size. The A9x in the Pro has substantially more performance than the A8 in the Air 2. The Pro has twice the RAM as the Air.

4. I use an iPad Pro at work everyday. Sure, I think there should be a separate flavor of iOS for the iPad, but apps are not "dying." If anything, iPad Pro apps are just starting to be released. Why do people expect fully-formed software the first day the hardware is released? That's not how software development works.

 

[shiseiryu1]

Don't call it "Pro" unless you plan to put at least 32gb in it...you hear me Apple?

 

[APlotdevice]

Bringing keyboard to tablets makes me feel like we're going backwards rather than forward. Why not have a laptop then?!
[doublepost=1456442560][/doublepost]What's next? RMBP to feature touchscreen.

Official dock keyboard for the iPad 1:

It's been quite a few years since I've had to say this... The keyboard on a laptop is permanent. You can't rip the screen off of a laptop and use it as a tablet. Having the option to use a keyboard on a tablet makes it a more flexible device.

Personally I don't have an iPad at the moment. Though I do have a folding keyboard for my 6 Plus. I don't use this keyboard very much, but it does come in handy when I need to type a long email or edit a document on the go.

 

[apolloa]

I understand all of that, I just do not believe it is all about marketing as you do. I don't support Apple in all things, I also don't bash them about all things.

Perhaps the constant mistrust of Business is a UK thing.

I don't mistrust businesses. But it's image is everything to them and the marketing that involves. Look at the fanbase that supports them?
I understand why you do not believe they are all about marketing, especially on the privacy issue, that's because you're American and your culture and laws around the issue are different, Ok, I would say it is Apple using the opportunity for marketing as well as raising the issue about privacy in America. They need to do that so they have protection if it all backfires.

Anyway back on topic.....

I want to buy the new iPad for my mum, so it would be nice for an iPad Air 3 with say four speakers and a nice CPU upgrade, perhaps not on the level of the Pro one, maybe a nice A9X dual core?

 

[Yebubbleman]

Not to toot my own horn, but I so called this:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/the-future-of-the-ipad-mini.1811607/page-5#post-22550852

 

[lakerchick4life]

Was hoping that they would add the Rose color for an option but will just get it in Gold. I have the iPad Air 2 64GB Wifi but will definitely be upgrading..will just sell it on Craigslist like I do every time an upgrade becomes available and will get the 128gb model this time hope its a reasonable price

 

[iZac]

Remember when Apple phased out DGPUs claiming them to be "pro" features leaving them for (some of) the Macbook Pros?

The Almighty Jobs lives on in our Tim.

 

[Michael Goff]

So will they eventually call all iPads Pro and all iPhones just iPhones?

 

[Andres Cantu]

If the production on the iPad mini 2 is winding down, what does that mean for the iPad mini 4's price?

Will the iPad mini 3 make a temporary comeback like the iPad 4 did to replace the dying iPad 2?

 

[MacDarcy]

Yeah, but will the Apple Pencil work on the iPad mini 4? That's what I'd like to know.

 

[Vanilla35]

Yeah, but will the Apple Pencil work on the iPad mini 4? That's what I'd like to know.

No?

 

[RobinInOR]

At least with the smaller screen Office will be free again for editing instead of having to buy a subscription. For those that want Office that'll save a few $

 

[Mr. Buzzcut]

They will increase the price without increasing the price by selling the pure profit pencil and keyboard add-ons.

 

[Ludatyk]

it was clear that the air would get the upgrade to pro features, however I strongly disagree with your comment. I have an iPad pro because of the larger screen [and considered it against a future 9.7 inch iPad with pencil], which makes the world of difference to me in its use. Well worth a $300 premium to me.

Obviously, the air would get pro features... no disagreement there. But to have it so soon and to have no differentiating factor between the air and pro instead of the screen size is what I didn't understand. The Mini 4 doesn't have the same processor that of the Air 2... same goes with the iPad Pro.

When Apple announced the iPad Air along side the retina iPad Mini w/ the same specs.. w/ a $100 difference between them. I was somewhat shocked... the public was expecting a retina iPad Mini but sharing the same specs of the iPad Air was surprising. And when choosing between the two came down to screen size with a $100 difference.. which deciding to go w/ the Air wasn't so bad.

Now, you being a designer deciding between the 9.7" & 12.9" iPads.. would be useful for the extra screen real estate. But not all cases are clear cut. I'm simply speaking on that there is a greater chance of a customer choosing the 9.7" over the 12.9" if the price difference is 300.

 

[Ghost31]

This is making me fear a Pro price-tag, though...

Why? The pro is more expensive because it's bigger. Just like how the 9.7 inch iPad is more expensive than the mini. It makes sense. Apple isn't going to increase price on existing iPads when the tablet market's sales have been kinda crappy

 

[NickD73]

Apple shares will hit $85 before they see $105 again. BOOK IT.

 

[lagwagon]

Hmmmmmm all of a sudden I see this as nothing more than an excuse for Apple to slap on an extra $300 to the new iPad's price. So will that mean no new iPad Air then?
Adding the Pencil support is just providing some bluetooth support right? And no doubt they will start the storage from 16B.

I was interested in this product, but if they increase the price by more than £50 just to add 'Pro' on it's back then no thanks.

Adding pencil support is not "just providing some Bluetooth support".

It requires a different screen like in the 12.9" Pro. It's variable refresh rate 30-60 plus the ability to go as high as 240 when the pencil is actively being used on the screen.

 

[Ghost31]

Too bad all the RAM and A9X wont make but a smidge of real world difference. Theres an app problem at Apple with the iPad that no hardware or name changing or A17X processor or 16GB of RAM can fix. Apple needs to partner with developers. Why is facebook a partner and NOT have split screen? Or Apple Music for that matter?? Why No PIP for Netflix. These are the top apps that millions of people use every day on iPad. They should have been partnering with developers months before split screen was announced to get these apps rolling. Of course developers have some responsibility as well but Apple needs to push their platform. It's clear developers aren't in any rush due to declining iPad sales. Its a catch 22 problem that Apple created. The same reason there are millions of iPad 2 users out there.

Totally agree. It's actually strange how Netflix has been updated for iPad pro resolution (as well as YouTube) yet they don't support multitasking or pip. Why wouldn't they want to? This is a huge downer

 

[maxsix]

Here's a better option: Don't call the iPad Pro "pro".

I have an iPad Pro, you're correct, I don't notice any significant difference between it and my iPad Air 2. Other than the obvious size and a few specs calling the largest model a "Pro" is an exaggeration.

Clearly it's Apple's marketing tactic to con people that don't know any better, into believing that it's for Professionals therefore the astronomical prices.

"Professional" is greatly overused by Apple. Yet they do get all the money via the influence they have over buyers.

Steve Jobs built the Worlds Greatest Hype Machine.

 

[driftless]

How do they give the 9.7" iPad a full size keyboard. Going to be pretty cramped, no?

I really like my older Logitech keyboard. Spacing is fine.

 

[apolloa]

Adding pencil support is not "just providing some Bluetooth support".

It requires a different screen like in the 12.9" Pro. It's variable refresh rate 30-60 plus the ability to go as high as 240 when the pencil is actively being used on the screen.

Thanks, wasn't sure hence my '?' well that means it will certainly be more expensive than the Air then.

 

[borgqueenx]

I hope this is not all they have in store for the new ipad...better speakers and support for a expensive pencil wont cut it for me. The air 2 also has enough ram and i dont need more cpu/gpu. And who needs a camera flash on an ipad...