iPad Accessories: A Quick Compatibility Guide for the Confused

[ipedro]

This really is starting to look like John Scully's Apple of the 1990s, with a bloated product line where customers weren't sure which Mac to get in a sea of devices with incomprehensible differentiators:

Steve came back with this basic product matrix:

... this saved the company. But Steve Jobs isn't here today to hit the reset button. I want Apple to be around for many years to come and I think it's time for Tim Cook to go off into the sunset before it's too late. There's gotta be someone at Apple who understood Steve Jobs' way of thinking and has the same ability to say "No" and organize the product line to simple, easy to understand choices:

iPhone - iPhone Pro
iPad - iPad Pro
MacBook - MacBook Pro
Mac Mini - Mac Studio
Studio Display - Pro Display XDR
iMac - iMac Pro
Watch - Watch Ultra
AirPods - AirPods Pro

That's it. Kill this new iPad, the iPad Air (in colours) becomes the iPad. The MacBook Air becomes the MacBook. The Mac Mini becomes the headless Mac to the Studio's pro counterpart, which can scale up to match the requirements of most pro users, capable of replacing the Mac Pro but keep the tower in the line for special orders.

They can make specialized devices for niche markets like Jobs' had the eMac for education outside of the consumer matrix. Maybe the Mac Pro tower is by order only with the Mac Studio's components, the same way Apple used to make servers with Mac components in a server tray case.

But this bloating product line with a confusing list of incompatible and even outdated accessories is going to blow up in Tim Cook's face. I hope someone tells him that and he steps aside in the interest of throttling back this unsustainable growth and keeping the company grounded.

 

[ipedro]

If they were going to have a charging dongle…why not an induction dongle so it could use the new pencil. Strange.

Charging isn't the issue. Pencil 2 uses different technology built into the screen of compatible iPads. The new iPad left that tech out.

Still, a poor choice by Apple to keep incompatible Pencils in the lineup for the foreseeable future. The iPad Air (in new vibrant colours) should've become the default iPad complemented by the iPad mini. Both already work with the Pencil 2. Incomprehensible that they'd decide to introduce a new iPad that works with the old Pencil when every other iPad works with the new Pencil.

 

[BlackJacques]

This is what happens when the marketing division has the loudest voice in a company. Then it becomes a game of segmenting products and deliberately withholding features to create an illusion of buyer value to eke out optimal profit. German, luxury car makers have been at this game for around a decade now.

There was a time when the design department ruled Apple. Steve passed away and Ives left.

Then logistics ruled for a while when Cook started out at the top and buyers were still somewhat happy.

Now it's just a complete mess. In any case, buyers aren't voting with their feet because Apple is still at all-time stock highs and sales figures.

 

[darngooddesign]

Its the other way around I believe they are asking. Can I use an older MK with the new Ipad 11inch v4.....I think you can....

The 11" iPad's size, thickness, and smart connector location didn't change so yeah. You can just chat with an apple rep to get confirmation, but people are acting like there is no other source of information beyond the webpage.

 

[GuruZac]

This really is starting to look like John Scully's Apple of the 1990s, with a bloated product line where customers weren't sure which Mac to get in a sea of devices with incomprehensible differentiators:
View attachment 2098579


Steve came back with this basic product matrix:

View attachment 2098580
... this saved the company. But Steve Jobs isn't here today to hit the reset button. I want Apple to be around for many years to come and I think it's time for Tim Cook to go off into the sunset before it's too late. There's gotta be someone at Apple who understood Steve Jobs' way of thinking and has the same ability to say "No" and organize the product line to simple, easy to understand choices:

iPhone - iPhone Pro
iPad - iPad Pro
MacBook - MacBook Pro
Mac Mini - Mac Studio
Studio Display - Pro Display XDR
iMac - iMac Pro
Watch - Watch Ultra
AirPods - AirPods Pro

That's it. Kill this new iPad, the iPad Air (in colours) becomes the iPad. The MacBook Air becomes the MacBook. The Mac Mini becomes the headless Mac to the Studio's pro counterpart, which can scale up to match the requirements of most pro users, capable of replacing the Mac Pro but keep the tower in the line for special orders.

They can make specialized devices for niche markets like Jobs' had the eMac for education outside of the consumer matrix. Maybe the Mac Pro tower is by order only with the Mac Studio's components, the same way Apple used to make servers with Mac components in a server tray case.

But this bloating product line with a confusing list of incompatible and even outdated accessories is going to blow up in Tim Cook's face. I hope someone tells him that and he steps aside in the interest of throttling back this unsustainable growth and keeping the company grounded.

Love your product ranges. That’s the way it should be.

 

[aParkerMusic]

IMO, it's clear on Apple's site that the 11" MK is compatible with every 11" iPad Air and iPad Pro. You could also chat with an Apple rep on their site to double-check.

View attachment 2098399

Thank you, I was going to share this. It took me 15 seconds to confirm the compatibility. Now, someone may not know about that feature on Apple.com, but this is all getting blown out of proportion. Messy, yes. A travesty of epic proportions, no. The Apple of the 90s is back, not quite.

iPad, iPad Air, iPad mini, iPad Pro is a long ways away from Macintosh Quadra 72637, 383737, Macintosh Performa 6263738, 373749, 49484, etc (obviously the numbers are made up, I don’t recall the numbers lol).

 

[darngooddesign]

Thank you, I was going to share this. It took me 15 seconds to confirm the compatibility. Now, someone may not know about that feature on Apple.com, but this is all getting blown out of proportion. Messy, yes. A travesty of epic proportions, no. The Apple of the 90s is back, not quite.

iPad, iPad Air, iPad mini, iPad Pro is a long ways away from Macintosh Quadra 72637, 383737, Macintosh Performa 6263738, 373749, 49484, etc (obviously the numbers are made up, I don’t recall the numbers lol).

It’s base iPad, nicer base iPad, small iPad, middle iPad, pro iPad, and big pro iPad. All apple did was fill the big price gap between the 9 and Air. At one point Steve Jobs was selling two sizes of iBook and three sizes of PowerBook so really nothing has changed.

 

[Karma*Police]

Confusion is the name of the game these days at Apple.

How else do you get people to buy $1600 monitors, $400 monitor stands, $600 wheels, $20 microfiber cloths, and 20% more for an entry level laptop with no discernible speed difference, etc. unless they could confuse the hell out of people? Straight thinking people recognize it’s just overpriced, overhyped, marketing garbage.

 

[deevey]

This is the worst product lineup in recent memory. The iPads are a mess. The iPhones are a mess. The only thing that makes some sense is Mac, how ironic. Although the 13” M2 MBP needs to go away. Who buys that over the M2 MBA?

Completely Agree.

IMHO "Air" should be dropped entirely from the lineup at this point as well. It was originally a lightweight, less capable machine than the Macbook / MacBook Pro which is no longer the case. A feat of engineering in its day, but that day has come and gone with their latest lineups.

MacBook Air
MacBook
MacBook pro

iPad
iPad Mini
iPad Air
iPad Pro (All M series iPads)

 

[icymountain]

Charging isn't the issue. Pencil 2 uses different technology built into the screen of compatible iPads. The new iPad left that tech out.

Still, a poor choice by Apple to keep incompatible Pencils in the lineup for the foreseeable future. The iPad Air (in new vibrant colours) should've become the default iPad complemented by the iPad mini. Both already work with the Pencil 2. Incomprehensible that they'd decide to introduce a new iPad that works with the old Pencil when every other iPad works with the new Pencil.

Fully agreed. And as some have mentioned simplifying the product line what about this:

iPad Mini and iPad Air becomes iPad, available in two sizes, 8"-ish and 11"-ish.
iPad Pro as is with two sizes 11"-ish and 13"-ish.

USB-c for all, and also 3.5mm Jack (why they removed it from iPads is beyond me).

Only three sizing for cases. Only pencil device becomes Pencil 2. Standardised location for the keyboard port. Two sizes of Apple Smart Keyboard, for 11" and 13" size devices, and maybe a small one for the 8" size too (at least third parties could provide if the port is standard).

 

[ipedro]

Fully agreed. And as some have mentioned simplifying the product line what about this:

iPad Mini and iPad Air becomes iPad, available in two sizes, 8"-ish and 11"-ish.
iPad Pro as is with two sizes 11"-ish and 13"-ish.

USB-c for all, and also 3.5mm Jack (why they removed it from iPads is beyond me).

Only three sizing for cases. Only pencil device becomes Pencil 2. Standardised location for the keyboard port. Two sizes of Apple Smart Keyboard, for 11" and 13" size devices, and maybe a small one for the 8" size too (at least third parties could provide if the port is standard).

Yes, this whole business of naming sizes Max/Mini/Plus/Ultra is confusing as hell and totally inconsistent across product lines while also using the same names to designate chip tiers.

iPhone Pro should come in 2 sizes, iPhone should come in 2 sizes. iPads should come in 2 sizes , iPads Pro should come in 2 sizes, iMacs should come in 2 sizes. No need to give them names. MacBook sizes aren't called Plus/Max/Ultra/mini... maybe I should shut up, I don't want to give them ideas.

 

[Born Again]

What's the oversight? The fragmented compatibility?

Definitely

 

[svish]

Apple Pencil can be very useful. Would have liked 10th gen iPad to support 2nd generation Pencil.

 

[Alexfromaz]

Imagine being a retail employee, you explain all iPad products and you get the karen question: so which do you recommend?

 

[Sekizen]

I have the first white Magic Keyboard for the 12.9" iPad Pro (AKA the 2nd gen. Magic Keyboard for this iPad type). Love it, too. The measurements in the specs when I compare the 5th and 6th gen 12.9" iPad Pros are the same, so I am assuming I don't have to shell out another small fortune (LOL) for a new Magic Keyboard, correct? Does anyone know for sure yet? The  website isn't very helpful on this, unfortunately. Whatever generation they currently have listed for the Magic Keyboard says it's compatible with a few generations of the iPad Pro.

 

[T Coma]

Imagine being a retail employee, you explain all iPad products and you get the karen question: so which do you recommend?

What does “Karen” have to do with it? A better overused, tedious word for “someone who is somehow worse than me” in this case is probably “boomer.”

And the answer to the question — barring no additional info — is simple: the most basic option. Someone who doesn’t know enough to know what they want would be best served with the least complex, least optioned, and likely least expensive choice. Clearly their “needs” are pretty minimal if there are no particular requirements.

 

[geenosr]

If they were going to have a charging dongle…why not an induction dongle so it could use the new pencil. Strange.

I think what really happened is that they realized they had a boatload of 1st gen Apple Pencils that were sitting in a warehouse and said, lets sell them with the level 2 iPad and another dongle! Think of the $$$!