IPad Pro vs iPad Air 3

[sracer]

I just don't think Apple is going to come out 4 months later with an Air3 that has the exact same specs as IPP for a lower price, that doesn't even make good business sense to me and I'm not an Apple shareholder, lol.

If they did in fact release the Air3 with specs same as IPad Pro then I would expect a price increase, and I don't know if many will be as eager to purchase then, seems most want the same specs and keep Air2 pricing.

It's going to be interesting to see what comes out March 15th, I'm wondering who is going to be the most shocked, Air or Pro peeps!

I think the days of Apple doing anything that would "shock" anyone are over.

My suspicion is that Apple will release an Air 3 that still has 2 GB of RAM, a half step-up in processor, and support for the Pencil. THAT will be enough to boost sales.

It will definitely be interesting.

 

[oldmacs]

2GB of ram = no sale for me... Hopefully they won't wait as long between the Air 3 and 4 as they are between the Air 2 and 3... I can see myself getting to the end of the year with my iPad 2, but after that..... mmm

 

[sjleworthy]

2GB of ram = no sale for me... Hopefully they won't wait as long between the Air 3 and 4 as they are between the Air 2 and 3... I can see myself getting to the end of the year with my iPad 2, but after that..... mmm

you're still on ipad2 and worrying over 2GB of ram? why? 2GB of RAM is so good, i doubt you'd notice the difference between 2gb and 3gb, especially coming from ipad2

 

[oldmacs]

you're still on ipad2 and worrying over 2GB of ram? why? 2GB of RAM is so good, i doubt you'd notice the difference between 2gb and 3gb, especially coming from ipad2

The only reason i've been able to hang onto my iPad 2 for so long was because it was a significant improvement to the iPad 1 in terms of processing power and ram. The iPads that have/will last the longest are the ones that have had more ram than the predecessor and an improvement in GPU and CPU - really the iPad 2, the iPad 4 (In part) and the Air 2.

I want longevity and will not compromise on something that won't age as well.

 

[mrklaw]

The only reason i've been able to hang onto my iPad 2 for so long was because it was a significant improvement to the iPad 1 in terms of processing power and ram. The iPads that have/will last the longest are the ones that have had more ram than the predecessor and an improvement in GPU and CPU - really the iPad 2, the iPad 4 (In part) and the Air 2.

I want longevity and will not compromise on something that won't age as well.

That is exactly what the air 2 is. Its another ipad 2 - a classic ipad that'll last for ages. The processor increase, the increase in ram (huge improvement with safari), side by side multitasking, PiP, slideover, and the laminated screen (really nice).

Pencil support would be a nice addition with the air 3 and you might as well wait now. But if the air 3 is just a processor bump, then the new lower priced air 2 would still be the one to get.

 

[oldmacs]

That is exactly what the air 2 is. Its another ipad 2 - a classic ipad that'll last for ages. The processor increase, the increase in ram (huge improvement with safari), side by side multitasking, PiP, slideover, and the laminated screen (really nice).

Pencil support would be a nice addition with the air 3 and you might as well wait now. But if the air 3 is just a processor bump, then the new lower priced air 2 would still be the one to get.

Yeah if I'd been in the market for an iPad in late 2014, I would have jumped on the Air 2 - but now i'm waiting for the next one to have significant increases. The Pro's specs miniaturised would do me very well.

 

[AbSoluTc]

Now that the Air 3 is "confirmed" to have the a9x processor, the question most people will be asking is "which iPad is the better deal?"

I'm going to go ahead and say that iPad Pro will be the better deal if you can get it at its current price point from Staples or from other sales that might be occurring keeping the 128gb model at $799.

Consider that the iPad Air 3 will most likely still start at 16gb and go up to 64gb, and then 128gb with prices being $499, $599, and $699 respectively.

Additionally the Air 3 will most likely have 2gb of ram and a slightly slower a9x processor as to not be considered as "pro" as the IPP.

So for $100 more, you can go from the Air 3 to the Pro with 2gb more ram, a faster processor, and a larger screen.

The best value will absolutely be the iPad Pro if you can get it at the sale price.

Apple hasn't announced an "Air 3" yet. ???

 

[The Game 161]

So rumors of the next air 3 will be same specs as the pro and with pencil support

Thoughts? I'm surprised I thought pencil would be just for the pro

 

[stevemiller]

So rumors of the next air 3 will be same specs as the pro and with pencil support

Thoughts? I'm surprised I thought pencil would be just for the pro

I think it sounds like they are going to just have 2 screen size options for essentially the same device. And that's a good thing. If you want something more modest they have their previous generations.

I personally hate it when they tie features to screen sizes unless there's an inherent limitation to a smaller form factor.

But say limiting pencil support to the 12 inch screen to drive sales of the bigger model is a bad strategy imo. I won't force myself to buy the big screen, I just won't buy anything. I can't imagine I'm the only one.

 

[Eric5273]

I'd bet there is going to be a price increase for the new 9.7". I can't imagine they would sell a 9.7" iPad with the same specs as the 12.9" for 60% of the price. I'd guess something around $649 for the 16 GB Wi-Fi.

 

[Count Blah]

Sure, if the goal is to sell even fewer iPads. And saying $649 in the same sentence as 16Gigs, is just so wrong, from a buyers perspective.

 

[dumastudetto]

I'd bet there is going to be a price increase for the new 9.7". I can't imagine they would sell a 9.7" iPad with the same specs as the 12.9" for 60% of the price. I'd guess something around $649 for the 16 GB Wi-Fi.

I think they'll increase the base price and start at 32gb of storage.

 

[Eric5273]

I think they'll increase the base price and start at 32gb of storage.

Actually, you are probably right. They will probably go to the same capacity sizes as the 12.9" Pro.

 

[max2]

Actually, you are probably right. They will probably go to the same capacity sizes as the 12.9" Pro.

This is good!

 

[Icaras]

Actually, you are probably right. They will probably go to the same capacity sizes as the 12.9" Pro.

This is good!

Wait. Why is this a good thing? The $599 model already has 64GB. If the Air were to start a $100 higher but with halved storage, that would be worse.

 

[Andres Cantu]

So now it's gonna be iPad Pro vs iPad Pro

 

[dumastudetto]

Wait. Why is this a good thing? The $599 model already has 64GB. If the Air were to start a $100 higher but with halved storage, that would be worse.

Would you exchange 32gb of your storage for even more RAM, processing power and support for the Apple Pencil? And the vastly improved speaker system of course.

 

[Icaras]

Would you exchange 32gb of your storage for even more RAM, processing power and support for the Apple Pencil? And the vastly improved speaker system of course.

When you mention all those things, then that makes it easy for me personally to say yes. However for the mass market, I think it has the possibility of being a confusing mess. General consumers will only see the screen size and storage capacity, which might make it a tough sell for those folks trying to rationalize why storage went down while the price remained the same.

But I guess the "Pro" moniker is there to help tell customers the difference. That makes me wonder if Apple will still march forward with a 9.7" iPad Air 3 in parallel with a new 9.7" iPad Pro. The Air of course would be missing the features you just mentioned but would retain similar storage option value.

 

[bunnicula]

iPad Pro is too big so...

Agreed.

 

[sracer]

So rumors of the next air 3 will be same specs as the pro and with pencil support

Thoughts? I'm surprised I thought pencil would be just for the pro

I'm not, it just made so much sense for the Pencil to come to the Air (9.7" iPad)

 

[masotime]

I am definitely for the Pencil for the 9.7" form factor, but if you make it an "iPad Pro mini", it's probably going to be heavier than a proper iPad Air successor. This is going to be a weird dilemma if they launch an iPad Air 3 in October... it's going to be exactly the same screen size, but do customers want a lighter but less "pro" device, or a more capable but less ergonomic "pro" iPad?

It just makes it harder to choose which iPad to buy, which is very unlike Apple... what used to be a simple iPhone or iPad is expanding into 3 different iPhones and 4 different iPads....

 

[dumastudetto]

When you mention all those things, then that makes it easy for me personally to say yes. However for the mass market, I think it has the possibility of being a confusing mess. General consumers will only see the screen size and storage capacity, which might make it a tough sell for those folks trying to rationalize why storage went down while the price remained the same.

But I guess the "Pro" moniker is there to help tell customers the difference. That makes me wonder if Apple will still march forward with a 9.7" iPad Air 3 in parallel with a new 9.7" iPad Pro. The Air of course would be missing the features you just mentioned but would retain similar storage option value.

I definitely wouldn't be shocked if they kept a 9.7" consumer-focused iPad Air around at a lower price point. It's going to be a really interesting event in March to see how everything does play out.

 

[Eric5273]

When you mention all those things, then that makes it easy for me personally to say yes. However for the mass market, I think it has the possibility of being a confusing mess. General consumers will only see the screen size and storage capacity, which might make it a tough sell for those folks trying to rationalize why storage went down while the price remained the same.

But I guess the "Pro" moniker is there to help tell customers the difference. That makes me wonder if Apple will still march forward with a 9.7" iPad Air 3 in parallel with a new 9.7" iPad Pro. The Air of course would be missing the features you just mentioned but would retain similar storage option value.

I'm sure they will keep the Air 2 at the lower price point.

Also, while the 9.7" Pro will most likely have 4 speakers, they are not going to be the same speakers as the 12.9" Pro. Have you seen the size of those speakers? If they were to put those in the smaller 9.7" form factor, there would be little space left for the battery.

 

[Krevnik]

Also, while the 9.7" Pro will most likely have 4 speakers, they are not going to be the same speakers as the 12.9" Pro. Have you seen the size of those speakers? If they were to put those in the smaller 9.7" form factor, there would be little space left for the battery.

Most of that space is actually empty, but I agree. The speaker design has to be different from the larger Pro. But even replicating the behavior has benefits, even if the sound isn't quite as good with the lack of resonance chambers.

 

[masotime]

I'm sure they will keep the Air 2 at the lower price point.

Also, while the 9.7" Pro will most likely have 4 speakers, they are not going to be the same speakers as the 12.9" Pro. Have you seen the size of those speakers? If they were to put those in the smaller 9.7" form factor, there would be little space left for the battery.

Apple will not compromise on battery life. This will probably mean a thicker and heavier iPad. I'm not really looking forward to that.