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I am thinking about all of the people that have an employer provided computer and just need something simple for their everyday lives:
  • Base iPad 8: $250 on sale during the holidays
  • Bluetooth Keyboard: $30
  • Bluetooth Mouse: $20.
Total: $300, add $100 for an Apple Pencil if you like to draw and take notes

If you're going Generic keyboard/mouse, a logitech crayon costs like half the amount of the pencil
 
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I think the best lineup would be iPad mini, iPad, and iPad Pro. Starting at 399$, 499$, and 799$ respectively.
And for the entry level just offer the iPad Air 2019 with 32 GB for 329$.
I could see something like this happening but I think the non-laminated screen of the current iPad would actually be advantageous to schools and large institutions. The screen is certainly “good enough” for most uses and not being laminated it is easier and cheaper to replace the glass if it breaks (probably the most common damage).
 
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Four (4) models is not “so many models”. Good grief!

iPad mini - smallest, most portable
iPad - cheapest
iPad Air - best for most
iPad Pro - highest end, fastest, pick a size

A very simple lineup, actually.

But really, do we really need an iPad Air and iPad?
I think the many models also could refer to how many iterations of the low-end iPad we've had in the past few years. 5th and 6th gen were 9.7", 7th gen 10.2" and now rumoured to go to 10.8"


Sure, I get Apple wants three price points plus the iPad mini. But if the low end gets an A12 chip, it's right up there with the Air. Is lack of laminated screen enough differentiation?
 
But what are the great differences between iPad and iPad Air that justify both of their existence in the lineup? I mean their prices are similar and pretty much affordable for the most consumers. Why not just keep one?
The Air has a two-year younger SoC (A12 vs A10), plus a nicer display (slightly larger, laminated, antiglare, wider colour gamut), and a better Facetime camera (7 vs 1.2 MP). The first part can mean two year longer life with up-to-date software. The others are just like a deluxe option, you pay a bit more and you get something a bit nicer.
 
This seems to get brought up a lot, and I always ask in return “Is that a problem?” Usually I never see a member reply back with a logical answer, but choices are a good thing

I find choice can be unhelpful. Because I don't shop like a normal person who chooses what they feel like buying. I try to make some kind of rational decision and then, since all the choices have merit, I can't make any decision at all. So choices aren't always a good things for me.
 
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But really, do we really need an iPad Air and iPad?
I think the many models also could refer to how many iterations of the low-end iPad we've had in the past few years. 5th and 6th gen were 9.7", 7th gen 10.2" and now rumoured to go to 10.8"


Sure, I get Apple wants three price points plus the iPad mini. But if the low end gets an A12 chip, it's right up there with the Air. Is lack of laminated screen enough differentiation?
Currently the entry-level has an A10 and the Air an A12. Isn't it likely that the Air will get an A14 earlier than the entry-level?

And well, what features would you ration out to the Air (from the Pro) that both justify the Air being $170 more than the entry-level but still ensure that the Pro can justify another $300 price jump?
 
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But what are the great differences between iPad and iPad Air that justify both of their existence in the lineup? I mean their prices are similar and pretty much affordable for the most consumers. Why not just keep one?
$329 is similar to $499?
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I get it. Many Apple fans prefer less options, not more. (see: previous post reminiscing about 1 iPhone and 1 iPad model at a time)

Both models serve a purpose. The $329 iPad IMO is the best bang-for-the-buck. Except for a few fringe use cases, a bulk of what can be done on the Air and Pro models can be done on this entry model. For those who want a little more without going "Pro" the Air bridges that gap between the entry level and Pro models.

Apple is covering the whole spectrum and is ensuring that they'll be the leader in tablets for the foreseeable future. And for them, it is a good thing they're doing this because the new crop of Chrome OS tablets coming up have the potential to disrupt the tablet space. Lucky for Apple, Google is more inept than Microsoft when it comes to tablets.
 
The Air makes a lot of sense to me. I would not buy an entry level iPad for myself, but would have considered the Air (although I bought the prev. gen refurb 10.5” Pro instead for less money).

This. I feel the ProMotion and four speakers are features I value more over a faster processor. That 120 Hz refresh rate shouldn't make the device feel slow anytime soon.
 
Few months ago my 2018 iPad 6th started to become extremely hot even when performing basic tasks like playing a video, sometimes I had the patience to completely turn it off and wait for 5 minutes to cool it down, sometimes I didn't, then I don't know if it's coincidence its display started to have an uneven (and blinking) backlight like the 2016 MacBook Pro flexgate.

This, plus the lack of RAM which was really annoying, made me buy a 2020 iPad Pro 11", using it for 7 days now, no hot isssues, 100% happy with it!

My guess is that the lack of CPU power combined wirh the lack of RAM was stressing the 2018 model to its limit even on basic tasks, but I don't know if this is the explanation.
 
But really, do we really need an iPad Air and iPad?
I think the many models also could refer to how many iterations of the low-end iPad we've had in the past few years. 5th and 6th gen were 9.7", 7th gen 10.2" and now rumoured to go to 10.8"


Sure, I get Apple wants three price points plus the iPad mini. But if the low end gets an A12 chip, it's right up there with the Air. Is lack of laminated screen enough differentiation?

The Air would end up moving to the A13 and possibly higher starting storage tier (128GB) to justify $499 price. Yes, the lower cost and Air are needed to get and keep people in the ecosystem. The mini is the niche iPad out of all of them. Glad Apple kept it and updated it, but it’s the odd duck now.

Look to the Air to evolve into an 11” model, possibly “replacing” the 11” Pro in some regards, while the Pro moves to 12” and 15”.
 
$329 is similar to $499? View attachment 915339

I get it. Many Apple fans prefer less options, not more. (see: previous post reminiscing about 1 iPhone and 1 iPad model at a time)

Both models serve a purpose. The $329 iPad IMO is the best bang-for-the-buck. Except for a few fringe use cases, a bulk of what can be done on the Air and Pro models can be done on this entry model. For those who want a little more without going "Pro" the Air bridges that gap between the entry level and Pro models.

Apple is covering the whole spectrum and is ensuring that they'll be the leader in tablets for the foreseeable future. And for them, it is a good thing they're doing this because the new crop of Chrome OS tablets coming up have the potential to disrupt the tablet space. Lucky for Apple, Google is more inept than Microsoft when it comes to tablets.

haha sorry, I admit I wasn't aware of the price difference. Still though, apple could make a model that is a cross of iPad and Air and put a price of $400 let's say. So, you get something in between with good features and still affordable price.
 
It would be best to think of the iPad Air as the standard iPad, and the $329 iPad as a 'cost reduced' version for bulk purchases and children.

The base iPad is, in essence, little more than an iPad Air (2013) SE. The 5th and 6th gen base iPads pretty much used the form factor of the original iPad Air, but with an A9 and later an A10 chip. Meanwhile, the iPad Air itself evolved into the Air 2, the Pro 9.7", and eventually the Pro 10.5".

Problem is, all of the new features in the evolving Air/Pro line became too expensive for schools to want to purchase - not only from the perspective of purchase price, but in repair costs, too. The fancy laminated display is much more expensive to replace than just a sheet of glass with a digitizer, as is needed on a un-laminated display.

Re-introducing an iPad with a non-laminated display allows both repair costs to decrease, as well as purchase price. In bulk, base iPads can probably be purchased in the low-mid $200 range, vs nearly $500 for the iPad Air. If you were a school district, public library, or retail location, getting 2x as many iPads sounds pretty sweet. Evolving that base iPad to 10.2" allows cross compatibility with existing iPad Pro/Air 10.5 cases and keyboards, further reducing costs. Unless I'm mistaken, the 10.2" iPad has the same L x W dimensions as the Pro/Air 10.5".

As for the current Air, Apple must have viewed the gap between $329 and $799 (to the new Pro) to be too much. At $499, the new Air splits that gap nicely, while allowing a lower entry point for a laminated screen and 2x the performance of the entry-level model - A10 to A12 is a pretty big gap.

Personally, I just purchased a NOS iPad Pro 10.5", and definitely appreciate the laminated display. If the new Air had quad speakers, I may have gone for that, instead. As is, the quad speakers are a pretty nice upgrade from my old iPad Air.
 
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Dear Apple, please give the base model iPad USB C, Apple Pencil 2, and thank you very much. You can take my money then.

I dont know about pencil 2 (unless they make it flat on the edges), but I'm with you on USB-C. That should become the "iPad Port". And then just give the Pro line two USB-C ports.
 
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But what are the great differences between iPad and iPad Air that justify both of their existence in the lineup? I mean their prices are similar and pretty much affordable for the most consumers. Why not just keep one?
The prices are pretty similar? $329 and $499?

the iPad lineup is probably the cleanest and clearest product lineup Apple has (Maybe desktop macs). Really hard for me to understand how people could want to cut more models out.
 
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Apple's eighth-generation iPad will arrive this year and feature an A12 chip, according to an anonymous Twitter account with a thus-far proven track record for forthcoming Apple product leaks.

ipad7keyboard.jpg

Apple's seventh-generation iPad, introduced in September 2019, was an iterative update to the sixth-generation low-cost iPad, with a larger 10.2-inch display and support for new accessories. However, it used the same A10 Fusion chip as the sixth-generation iPad.

On Thursday, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that Apple is working on two new iPad models, which include a 10.8-inch ?iPad? and an 8.5 to 9-inch ?iPad? mini. These new iPads are expected to launch in the second half of 2020 and the first half of 2021, respectively.

Kuo said that he believes the two new ?iPad? models will follow the ?iPhone SE?'s product strategy, which means affordable price points. The existing low-cost ?iPad? is 10.2 inches, so it's not clear if Apple plans to introduce larger-sized tablets or increase the available display size through bezel reduction.


Rumors aside, it would be reasonable to expect a new entry-level iPad this year, as the device has been updated annually for the past three generations. Also, the A10 chip was first used in the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, so there's a good case for arguing that it's about time Apple took the processing power up a notch in its most affordable iPad. The A12 chip first appeared in the iPhone XS, XS Max, XR and the 2019 versions of the iPad Air and iPad Mini.

In recent weeks, the anonymously-run Twitter account "L0vetodream" has noted that some products and components have been delayed, including the new iMac models and the A14 chip. It has also hinted at a 2021 release for a rumored 14-inch MacBook Pro.

The Twitter account accurately revealed several details about the new iPhone SE before any other leakers that we know of, including that the device would launch in the second week of April and come in three storage capacities. Likewise, the account accurately claimed that new iPad Pro models would launch in the third week of March.

Article Link: Leaker: Apple to Launch New Low-Cost iPad This Year With A12 Chip
There is supposed to be another mini as.well, hopefully with new pro specs.
 
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It makes sense, although in my mind most of the other iPads need to be updated at the same time for the lineup to make sense. If this iPad is updated before the iPad Air, then the iPad and iPad Air are a little too similar to justify the price difference of the Air (i.e. same A12, just a better screen), so if they update the iPad Air at the same time sure, this makes sense, but can they start selling an iPad Air with an A13 or A14 when the iPad Pro has an A12Z - ultimately they would have to release another updated Pro with say an A14X before they can update the Air. Sticking with an A12 series chip for the latest iPad Pro really ties their hands in my opinion.
 
I don't know about pencil 2 (unless they make it flat on the edges), but I'm with you on USB-C. That should become the "iPad Port". And then just give the Pro line two USB-C ports.
Even though with the small adaptor, the 1st gen pencil can be charged with a Lightning cable, switching the non-pro iPads to USB-C would mean you couldn't top off a 1st gen pencil anymore with the iPad itself (which is convenient if you go somewhere with a charging cable).
 
I dont know about pencil 2 (unless they make it flat on the edges), but I'm with you on USB-C. That should become the "iPad Port". And then just give the Pro line two USB-C ports.
Given the limitations and restrictions of USB-C on iPads, I'm in no rush for that. The greatest value is being able to standardize on chargers. If iPads could utilize USB-C like what I can do on my Galaxy Tab A 10.1, Galaxy A20 phone, and Google Pixelbook, then I would definitely upgrade all of my iPads to models with USB-C.
 
Currently the entry-level has an A10 and the Air an A12. Isn't it likely that the Air will get an A14 earlier than the entry-level?

And well, what features would you ration out to the Air (from the Pro) that both justify the Air being $170 more than the entry-level but still ensure that the Pro can justify another $300 price jump?

The 8th Gen iPad goes A12, the 4th Gen iPad Air goes A13, the iPhone 12 goes A14 and the iPad Pro goes A14X in 2021.
 
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Four (4) models is not “so many models”. Good grief!

iPad mini - smallest, most portable
iPad - cheapest
iPad Air - best for most
iPad Pro - highest end, fastest, pick a size

A very simple lineup, actually.
That does make sense. I’m still using the iPad Pro 9.7 and it’s great except for the battery. I’ll probably get whatever replaces the current iPad Air when it comes out. I can deal with the battery issue because I use it when I’m at home.
 
Few months ago my 2018 iPad 6th started to become extremely hot even when performing basic tasks like playing a video, sometimes I had the patience to completely turn it off and wait for 5 minutes to cool it down, sometimes I didn't, then I don't know if it's coincidence its display started to have an uneven (and blinking) backlight like the 2016 MacBook Pro flexgate.

This, plus the lack of RAM which was really annoying, made me buy a 2020 iPad Pro 11", using it for 7 days now, no hot isssues, 100% happy with it!

My guess is that the lack of CPU power combined wirh the lack of RAM was stressing the 2018 model to its limit even on basic tasks, but I don't know if this is the explanation.
What kind of video, and what playback software?

Our iPad Air 2s, which is much older with A8X and the same 2 GB as yours still has no problem with h.264 video. And our 3 GB iPad 7 with the same A10 as yours has no problem with either h.264 or h.265.
 
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What kind of video, and what playback software?

Our iPad Air 2s, which is much older with A8X and the same 2 GB as yours still has no problem with h.264 video. And our 3 GB iPad 7 with the same A10 as yours has no problem with either h.264 or h.265.
Using nPlayer to play 1080p H264 AAC videos with hardware decoding enabled.

But sometimes just surfing the web on Safari made my 2018 iPad 6th get very hot.

I was using it for hours while plugged on power, maybe this damaged its battery?
 
Do we need 500 different iPad models? Fkn hell man this character Cook is so desperate for sales but so stingy to drop the price of the over priced iPads. Guy wants to drop the price of items by giving u jack **** in return. Just the ability to say hey I have an iPad.
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This seems to get brought up a lot, and I always ask in return “Is that a problem?” Usually I never see a member reply back with a logical answer, but choices are a good thing. You have price point segments for every consumer and different spending limits in terms of what they ‘need versus what they want’. The iPad line up Diversifies so much in terms of offering something an entry-level with some older tech and obviously the iPad Pro including Apple Pencil support/Face ID, etc.

if Apple didn’t have enough models, then you would have others saying ‘why do they have so few‘, it seems like there is no perfect median why Apple has too many models, but again, that opens up an array of choices to a wider demographic, and it just adds to more net sales long-term.

literally NO ONE complained about “so few models” when we had only ONE model for YEARS under jobs.

yes the problem is he is creating a platform to make more by giving you less product in return. It’s quite easy to see actually. Under Jobs we got the best product at all times. This idiot increased the price of the best products by hundreds, sales went down, so he created a lesser product for the price we used to pay for the best. And now no ones buying the average iPad either so he’s giving you less...again. That’s how you ruin your brand.
 
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