Apple's New iPad Lineup Causes Potential Confusion With Inconsistent Features

[Bodhitree]

European prices are crazy, compared to a Samsung tablet (they start at 200 euros).

But I think the lineup is confusing and not feature-coherent. They don’t seem to have a single vision anymore about how the tablet is meant to be used.

Also, I think a tablet is less of a status device, and more basic consumer goods. You don’t show it off outside the house much, it isn’t a laptop replacement. In the attempt to expand the tablet market they’re trying to make it serve multiple masters from a design perspective, and it shows.

 

[CJM]

It's starting to look worse than a Dell product lineup. What a total mess. I really hope people wise up and stop buying.

 

[ozaz]

Just sell
$599 Air 128GB M1
$399 Air 64GB SE (minus M1 and some goodies, targeted for education)

and you just need 1 or 2 Pro models above that. End of deal.

I think there should be 128 GB option for the entry level device running A-series chip.
I think they should scrap the Air.

I'd go:

* iPad: A-series chip. 64/128/256 GB storage options (price for 64GB option within the $300-$400 bracket).
* iPad Mini: A-series chip. 64/128/256 GB storage options
* iPad Pro: M-series chip. Current storage options and screen sizes are fine.

 

[matt_and_187_like_this]

This is how you ruin a company in the long term. People are overwhelmed and will "just buy whatever fits their price range", which could even mean higher earnings for Apple. But what this does is, it makes people stop caring about the distinctive features and in the long term this dilutes your brand.

 

[matt_and_187_like_this]

I feel like I’m in the toothpaste aisle… when my wife says “just get Crest.”

…which one?

Reminds me of electric toothbrushes. Philips Sonicare line-up ranges from 30-300 for basically the same product. Just pay whatever.

 

[Jan-munich]

In a nutshell:

Releasing an iPad in 2022 not supporting a pencil (2gen) from 2018, while offering a A14 chip whereas the the iPad Pro 11 (2gen) from 2020 runs an A12x and supports it.

But claiming it’s a good thing to control Hardware and software, to align it better.

Apple was more clever in the past in product diversification which customers could go and agree with..

 

[aberdeenmeadows]

It's not all that hard to figure out but if you are a professional, then you do have to take a little bit of time and in the most case, as a professional - it boils down to which PRO model you want and how much memory and storage size. When I bought my Pro last year, I got the 1TB storage because that one came with twice as much memory. Salespeople don't necessarily tell you this but you do have to go to the website and see.

The article is wrong about the processor difference saying most people won't notice a difference between the M1 and the Axx - wrong! Everyone will notice a huge difference.

But if they do happen to get an iPad with A14 or A15, it's not the end of the world. They literally saved money and it will perform just fine for them.

I do think they can do away with the standard "iPad" and stick with the iPad Air and Pro, in my opinion. But overall, it isn't confusing at all. How much money are you willing to spend, do you currently have an Apple Pencil and what version and does the new iPad support it, and are you a content creator or content consumer. Do you want the largest screen possible or the smallest or something in-between. For me, the hardest decision was choosing the 11" or 12.9" Pro. I chose the 11"

 

[boak]

It's not just the number of devices that's confusing. It's the naming.

 

[Rogifan]

My guess is that the landscape camera is incompatible with Pencil 2 charging. It’s stupid, but it would explain things.

You’re probably right. But Apple has a lot of smart engineers and designers working there. They need to figure it out.

 

[Rogifan]

I posted this in the other thread in the iPad forum, but are people really losing their collective minds over a trillion dollar company having 6 different iPad lines?

Here's how I view things.

9th gen iPad - for schools who are price conscious (hence it's kept around for the $300 mark).
iPad mini - for enterprises who value smaller screens and portability (maybe hospitals?)

10th gen iPad - the new entry level iPad for users with fairly basic tablet needs. Maybe give it a year or two for the price to drop to $399. It's closer to the iPad Air in terms of design, has usb-c charging, and still lets people use the cheaper 1st gen Apple Pencil, which some users of earlier iPads may already have. Suitable for students (especially the landscape webcam for zoom lectures).

iPad Air - for people who want a full-powered iPad (namely that M1 chip), without the extra frills.
11" iPad Pro - for people willing to pay extra for "nice features" or just want the best iPad possible.

13" iPad Pro - for people who use their iPads a a laptop replacement (these people will know who they are).

For any one potential customer, you can easily eliminate 3-4 out of the 6 choices right there and then. Many adults will gravitate towards either the iPad Air or the 11" iPad Pro, both of which sport the M1 chip and support the 2nd gen Apple Pencil and smart / magic keyboard.

The 10th gen iPad for children or elderly.

The remaining categories are basically self-selecting.

Hardly rocket science.

If people have to read through all that to determine which iPad to buy Apple is doing it wrong.

 

[jonnysods]

I fear Apple have lost some of their simplicity mantra - good luck to a non techy person trying to pick an iPad to use.

 

[gpat]

European prices are crazy, compared to a Samsung tablet (they start at 200 euros).

But I think the lineup is confusing and not feature-coherent. They don’t seem to have a single vision anymore about how the tablet is meant to be used.

Also, I think a tablet is less of a status device, and more basic consumer goods. You don’t show it off outside the house much, it isn’t a laptop replacement. In the attempt to expand the tablet market they’re trying to make it serve multiple masters from a design perspective, and it shows.

Apple could probably get away with selling 2-3 models for each line of iPad, Macbook and iPhone.

The target buyer is always the same anyway. The buyer just knows he want an iPad. When he gets to the point of choosing between 10G/Air/Pro11 it's already a done deal for him.

The iPad lineup could consist of only an Air starting at $599 and a Pro 12.9" starting at 1099. That's all. Plus a depowered Air at $399 for schools and kids, but with same chassis and accessories.

 

[MacNutty]

Tim needs one of these

I was just thinking of this moment. Without Steve they are branching into a company that had single-digit market share.

 

[Ankaa]

It’s quite simple. Apple is full of stupid people, who don’t do any market research and make product line decisions on a whim. That’s because smart people don’t go work for Apple, they start whinge threads on Macrumors.

History tells us your attempt at witty sarcasm fails miserably. Here's a hint: 90s Apple pre '97.

 

[Ankaa]

The article is wrong about the processor difference saying most people won't notice a difference between the M1 and the Axx - wrong! Everyone will notice a huge difference.

No. Everyone will "notice" it when reading benchmark tests and spec sheets. The average, real-life iPad user will neither notice nor care. Because those will not have both iPads next to each other and measuring speeds with a stopwatch. They have one iPad and - you know - just use it. They literally don't care if something takes half a second longer as long as it does what they want it to do. (which for the average iPad user is first and foremost web browsing, light office work, watching movies etc.)

 

[raindogg]

Apple is starting to revert back to the 90s with confusing products.

 

[loungefly2022]

You know, people aren't really as stupid as this article suggests. There's plenty of information on Apple's website for people to make a decision on what they want.

I worked retail in college. Trust me, people really are that stupid, especially when it comes to electronics.

Well, stupid may not be the best description. Let's just say lazy and uninformed.

 

[Abazigal]

There's a coming recession therefore the Apple Management Team is in the SAVING COST MODE: No new models, just minor updates.

Let's have a recap of the products that Apple has launched this year.

March - Mac Studio, iPhone SE, iPad Air, Studio Display
June - M2 MBA and MBP
Sep - 4 iPhone models, 3 apple watches, AirPods pro
Oct - ATV, iPad, iPad pro

That's Apple updating almost their entire product line in just under 8 months. Pretty impressive, if you ask me. This doesn't look like a company who is sitting on their laurels at all.

 

[AxiomaticRubric]

You seem to forget (or perhaps never knew) that in 2010, Steve’s Apple had:
- two iMacs
- a Mac mini
- a Mac mini Server
- a Mac Pro
- a Mac Pro Server
- a MacBook
- two MacBooks Air
- three MacBooks Pro

But don’t let facts get in the way of a juicy narrative…

That product lineup still aligns better with the original product matrix than anything we have currently.

In programming there is a term “code smell” describing a situation where code is convoluted or needlessly complicated. With Apple today I’m sensing a “product smell”.

It really should be—

MacBook (taking design of MacBook Air M2)
MacBook Air (IMHO they need a new and much thinner/lighter design for a truly modern and incredibly light/thin Air)
MacBook Pro 14”
MacBook Pro 16”

That would make a lot more sense.

Either that, or keep the M2 Air as the one and only Air, and reintroduce the MacBook using Apple Silicon with an improved iteration of the 2015 chassis.

Let's have a recap of the products that Apple has launched this year.

March - Mac Studio, iPhone SE, iPad Air, Studio Display
June - M2 MBA and MBP
Sep - 4 iPhone models, 3 apple watches, AirPods pro
Oct - ATV, iPad, iPad pro

That's Apple updating almost their entire product line in just under 8 months. Pretty impressive, if you ask me. This doesn't look like a company who is sitting on their laurels at all.

Yeah I think maybe we are still getting used to a post-Intel Apple. The release cadence is no longer tied to endless CPU delays.

That said, I think Apple really needs to simplify their lineup. A good bit of their Mac business is coming from new users. If I were new to the iPad and/or Mac currently I would feel a bit overwhelmed.

 

[boak]

Let's have a recap of the products that Apple has launched this year.

March - Mac Studio, iPhone SE, iPad Air, Studio Display
June - M2 MBA and MBP
Sep - 4 iPhone models, 3 apple watches, AirPods pro
Oct - ATV, iPad, iPad pro

That's Apple updating almost their entire product line in just under 8 months. Pretty impressive, if you ask me. This doesn't look like a company who is sitting on their laurels at all.

Half of those are basically just chip updates though, no?

 

[transpo1]

There's a coming recession therefore the Apple Management Team is in the SAVING COST MODE: No new models, just minor updates.

Apple is in “shrinkflation” mode— they’re trying to keep new products rolling out while keeping profit margins up during 8-9% inflation. New chips, not much else.

Let's have a recap of the products that Apple has launched this year.

March - Mac Studio, iPhone SE, iPad Air, Studio Display
June - M2 MBA and MBP
Sep - 4 iPhone models, 3 apple watches, AirPods pro
Oct - ATV, iPad, iPad pro

That's Apple updating almost their entire product line in just under 8 months. Pretty impressive, if you ask me. This doesn't look like a company who is sitting on their laurels at all.

Yes, a few of these are just spec bumps as someone else noted. I do think they’re doing a good job keeping the products rolling, though— they have to save money somewhere when we have such intense inflation.

It’s just that the product lineup (iPad and laptops) are getting nonsensical.

 

[Denzo]

It's been a disappointing year for Apple. The iPhone 14 wasn't anything special which is fine. But the ipads? Honestly would you even notice an upgrade in the real world? M1 vs M2 on a Web surfer?

 

[sammfaria]

All about ports? Are all iPads USB-C now? The Apple Pencil support is the worst imo.

 

[Abazigal]

Half of those are basically just chip updates though, no?

It does serve to modernise Apple's product lineup and demonstrate their continued commitment to their hardware lineup. Which is more than can be said for a company like Google who basically went MIA for 5 years with their smartwatch offering.

I personally do feel that with over a billion active iPhone users, Apple cannot still be using the same Steve Jobs playbook and hope to continue serving this huge user base just as well. As your users grow in number, so do their needs and budget and that's why I feel that Apple is justified in having a larger selection of options for its users.

All about ports? Are all iPads USB-C now? The Apple Pencil support is the worst imo.

On the plus side, you can now write with the Apple Pencil while it is still charging. 😉

 

[Bodhitree]

Without Steve they are branching into a company that had single-digit market share.

What Steve Jobs brought was a relentless focus on product, which made each thing Apple made unique and iconic. What Apple is doing at the moment is diversifying the product lines to offer a slightly better product at each price point, in order to grab as much money as possible from the less price-sensitive consumers.

I think in the long term it will weaken the appeal of the company’s products, because you encourage people to shop based on features (where companies like Samsung will eventually beat you on price) rather than on brand. Where’s the magic gone?

It will take time. Apple may become a huge colossus with many diversified product lines and a sky-high valuation on the stock market, but it won’t be the Apple I loved anymore, which was nimble and advanced and focussed and could produce market-defining products like the iPod and iPhone.