In the U.K. the M1 iPad Air is now much more attractive if you want that desktop grade performance for less than £700. The Pro models at £899 starting price have now entered Mac territory.
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Apple's New iPad Lineup Causes Potential Confusion With Inconsistent Features
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Is LiDAR really a feature? Never use it on my Pro.
TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️
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It's not just confusing it's also overly expensive. That alone plays a big part.
There have been many studies demonstrating the downsides to too much choice. It has been proven that the more choice there is, the more likely a consumer is to regret their purchase afterwards, thinking they didn’t pick/choose correctly and have somehow missed out on something.
Aside from that there are just too many ideas. Nobody needs a 10 inch, 11 inch, 12 inch, 12.9 inch or whatever the minor differences are in screen size. It’s negligible…
Aside from that there are just too many ideas. Nobody needs a 10 inch, 11 inch, 12 inch, 12.9 inch or whatever the minor differences are in screen size. It’s negligible…
The iPad Air should be eliminated and merged with the iPad. This would eliminate some confusion with the feature set. iPad, iPad Pro and iPad mini. All iPads should work with the 2nd gen Apple Pencil without an adapter. In my opinion, the only features that should be different in the Pro models are better graphics and processor, more storage, best display.
The Ultra is for next year so we can add even another model to confuse the masses
The Pro models do actually, since they started using the M1And none of them shows size of RAM memory on Apple website
This is a clusterfunk of a nightmare of a product line-up.
It is very confusing for even some of us, can you imagine "regular" customers?
It is there, but basically none of us know what to do with it.
The old lineup was more confusing because of the $270 jump between iPad and iPad Air. If you wanted a modern design for media consumption, you had to fork out $599 for iPad Air with Pencil 2 support. Today, the $449 iPad closes that gap.
I think it’s only confusing for the same people who don’t understand inflation. They were expecting a $329 iPad to have the same features as iPad Air but Apple to magically eat inflation.
I think it’s only confusing for the same people who don’t understand inflation. They were expecting a $329 iPad to have the same features as iPad Air but Apple to magically eat inflation.
As somebody who manages 2300 iPads in an education settings, all either 5th/6th/7th/8th or 9th Gen, I'm looking at the 10th gen and thinking what the hell has Apple done?!? We can afford that many because the entry model was priced right, the 10th gen should have replaced the 9th gen at the same price point, now it's a mess. If they were not able to bring that tech down yet to the entry level at that price point they should have left it on the Air and kept the 10th gen looking like a 9th gen with a processor jump.
Just have iPad, iPad Air and iPad Pro. 3 tiers of tech level. Then have 2 sizes in each tier, so offer iPad as normal or mini, same with iPad Air and with the pro have a standard size or a bigger one.
Apple has screwed up this year. iPhone 14 is a flop because they kept the new stuff for the pro, no Apple all the 14's should have got dynamic island. Another screw up , no iPhone 14 mini. Now the iPad lineup is a mess and done wrong.
Does Apple not employ somebody at the top to make sure the whole brand is consistent and point out these screw ups before they do them? They really need somebody high up to be stopping this kind of silliness.
Just have iPad, iPad Air and iPad Pro. 3 tiers of tech level. Then have 2 sizes in each tier, so offer iPad as normal or mini, same with iPad Air and with the pro have a standard size or a bigger one.
Apple has screwed up this year. iPhone 14 is a flop because they kept the new stuff for the pro, no Apple all the 14's should have got dynamic island. Another screw up , no iPhone 14 mini. Now the iPad lineup is a mess and done wrong.
Does Apple not employ somebody at the top to make sure the whole brand is consistent and point out these screw ups before they do them? They really need somebody high up to be stopping this kind of silliness.
TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️
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Agree. After looking at the iPad line up I got confused and didn’t even bother looking at it anymore. It’s definitely overwhelming and Apple store employees only care if you will be getting an Applecare + or not. So, that doesn’t help either.
To be fair, at one point Steve had 4 different models of iPods in the lineup. Actually, at one point I think it might've been 5.
Tim needs one of these
Regular, mini, Pro. An ‘SE’ using the iPad 9th gen design at a push. The Air is the source for confusion here in my opinion. Too much overlap between it and the iPads either side of it (the 10th gen and the 11-inch iPad Pro).
Merge the air with the iPad 10 and ensure parity between devices as far as apple pencil and magic keyboards are concerned, and then you’ve got a much cleaner lineup.
It makes me laugh how they say the iPad Air is ‘a thin and light design’ as if it’s significantly thinner and lighter than the other 10.9 / 11 in iPads in the lineup. Truth is, it’s not. Air naming is redundant.
Merge the air with the iPad 10 and ensure parity between devices as far as apple pencil and magic keyboards are concerned, and then you’ve got a much cleaner lineup.
It makes me laugh how they say the iPad Air is ‘a thin and light design’ as if it’s significantly thinner and lighter than the other 10.9 / 11 in iPads in the lineup. Truth is, it’s not. Air naming is redundant.
This is Cook’s philosophy of Apple devices competing with each other. Inconsistent features are meant to give edge to one or the other depending on customers preferences. In current state of customer electronics and importance of computer and mobile devices more simplified line wouldn’t work anymore. Apple has to cover as much of the space in their price range as possible to be able to compete.
This. I said the same thing in the last thread and was told this lineup is necessary to keep valuation up. Company is too big for just a consumer and pro line.
Without doing the research, I'm assuming you're talking about the shuffle, nano, video/classic, touch. Even still there was an easily distinguishable difference, and besides some obvious features (no screen vs small screen vs big screen), the thing that most set them apart was the amount of songs they were able to hold. As a consumer, it was an easy to compare and make a cost/benefit purchase decision. With this ipad line, not so much.
Apple has had such an odd approach to iPad since fairly early on.
Gen 2 was a great upgrade over the original. Then there was ”The New iPad” that went to retina, but woefully underpowered. No problem, as it was succeeded by the iPad 4 within the same calendar year with lightning and a competent processor only after the iPhone that year was announced.
The early Mini was enjoyable and portable, but the upgrades stagnated till the Gen 4. Now we have a modern design, but IMO QA dropped the ball on jelly scrolling. Seriously, tablets are display first with the rest tucked behind it.
Then we moved onto another shift in naming with the iPad Air and iPad Air 2, which arguably were the peak classic iPads... then nothing for a couple years until resurrected with the Air 3 as a ’light’ 10.5“ iPad Pro.
The iPad Pro are the more interesting product line, as they set the stage for the next four or so years as their design, features, and capabilities trickle down to the Air then Mini then the (budget) iPad. Case in point how the iPad 10 announced yesterday is the spitting image of the Air 4, which was a repurposed 2018 Pro flat-edge design.
Is there room for an SE in this clustermess? Only time and Tim could tell you.
edit: fixed a typo
Gen 2 was a great upgrade over the original. Then there was ”The New iPad” that went to retina, but woefully underpowered. No problem, as it was succeeded by the iPad 4 within the same calendar year with lightning and a competent processor only after the iPhone that year was announced.
The early Mini was enjoyable and portable, but the upgrades stagnated till the Gen 4. Now we have a modern design, but IMO QA dropped the ball on jelly scrolling. Seriously, tablets are display first with the rest tucked behind it.
Then we moved onto another shift in naming with the iPad Air and iPad Air 2, which arguably were the peak classic iPads... then nothing for a couple years until resurrected with the Air 3 as a ’light’ 10.5“ iPad Pro.
The iPad Pro are the more interesting product line, as they set the stage for the next four or so years as their design, features, and capabilities trickle down to the Air then Mini then the (budget) iPad. Case in point how the iPad 10 announced yesterday is the spitting image of the Air 4, which was a repurposed 2018 Pro flat-edge design.
Is there room for an SE in this clustermess? Only time and Tim could tell you.
edit: fixed a typo
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TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️
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Mr. Tim Cook needs to realize… sometimes less is more.
Indeed, 4 different iPods, each with 2 capacities and 6-9 different colors.
Some people like to be selective with their romantic Steve Jobs memory.
I too manage 2,500+ iPads in an education setting. I have a meeting with an Apple sales rep next week and will be asking the same question. I can only assume that Apple has kept the 9th Gen around to appease those of us managing fleets of iPads. A 30% price increase is going to be difficult for many districts to budget for.
I wonder if the 9th Gen will morph into an iPad SE with the same form factor and updated internals, aimed at the education market.
Worse still, the 2 iPad Pro models don't have feature parity
Features missing on lower-priced models - features missing on higher priced models - huge price increase in the UK - a focus on power instead of improvements. All in all this leaves the buyer feeling exploited. The decisions suit Apple - not the customer.