iPad Pro M4 iPad Pro pricing looks much worse in retrospect

[joshwithachance]

The iPad Pro, especially the larger model, has NEVER been a great value comparatively imo.

 

[sparksd]

The iPad Pro, especially the larger model, has NEVER been a great value comparatively imo.

Subjective, different for everyone. Great value for me, I use the 13" M4 a lot.

 

[GusBougadis]

Subjective, different for everyone. Great value for me, I use the 13" M4 a lot.

I agree

 

[Zest28]

As an M4 iPad Pro owner, I can't get past the idea I have been had...

The 14" M4 MacBook Pro (great screen, speakers, monitor support, etc), with 16GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage, cots $1,599.

The 13" M4 iPad Pro with 8 GB of Ram and 512GB of storage costs $1,399 - before factoring in the cost of the keyboard case. The keyboard case is $329, so total cost is above the MacBook Pro in most realistic scenarios. It is difficult to argue that the iPad Pro is a better, more technically advanced product than the MacBook Pro.

Then you have options like the iPad Air, which can do 95% (or realistically 100%) of what an iPad Pro can do at much lower prices. As someone who does need to have an access to an iPad for work, the Pro doesn't offer that much over the Air.

I like the iPad Pro but not sure if I will buy another one at full MSRP ever again. More and more, these days, I am finding more value with some of Apple's base model configurations, often in the non "Pro" lines. The exception nowadays is that base M4 MacBook Pro, which is now excellent

iPad Pro = 444 grams
MacBook Pro = 1630 grams

Meanwhile, the MacBook Pro is based on outdated tech (no Touch screen, no pencil support, no 5G and no Face ID). Also the display is inferior to the iPad Pro.

And yes, the iPad Pro is a better and technically advanced product than the MacBook Pro as it has much more Tech while being insanely thin and light. Holding all that power and tech in your hands is incredible.

And why would you buy a M4 MacBook Pro, when you can buy the $599 Mac Mini? You're not going to be "productive" on a tiny little 14" screen in the first place.

 

[NewOldStock]

Stream lots of videos and audio should make you feel better just make sure its all free so you get your money back out of the iPad in about 10 years... sad but true....
🤷‍♂️🤷‍♀️🤣😆😂

 

[throAU]

And why would you buy a M4 MacBook Pro, when you can buy the $599 Mac Mini? You're not going to be "productive" on a tiny little 14" screen in the first place.

I work daily from that 14” screen and have done for 3 years. By choice. I prefer to have room on my desk for network equipment pre deployment programming.

Full screen apps and stage manager/Mission Control. It works. From anywhere.

If you can’t be productive on a MacBook Pro Display using macOS the problem isn’t the MacBook.

At home for relaxation it gets plugged into a 32” display in my home office.

 

[Yebubbleman]

The issue, for me, is that the iPad Pros used to actually run better than intel MacBook Airs and even the base Intel MacBook Pro - along with having touch screens, cameras, etc. So a premium was actually warranted.

Now, they basically all run the same in terms of raw computing power, and the MacBook Pro in particular has improved meaningfully interns of screen, webcam, speakers, etc.

I have a few issues with this:

1. You're basing the entire value proposition of the iPad Pro on a completely different (and mostly unrelated) product. When said product was sub-par all around, the iPad Pro had tremendous value. Now that the iPad Pro uses the same exact processor as that low-end product, the iPad Pro's value is diminished.

2. You're essentially treating the iPad Pro and the MacBook Pro as comparable devices when the overlap only extends to really basic computing tasks (for which both products are overkill). Either you want a premium iPad or you want a premium MacBook Pro, but the value of the MacBook Pro isn't what devalues the iPad. It's the limitations on what an iPad inherently can be even with M-series SoCs that devalues the iPad.

3. What did you realistically expect would happen? You knew that an M4 MacBook Pro would be coming. It was spelled out in rumors dating back to the launch of the M3 MacBook Pros.

4. The M4 iPad, as an iPad, is overkill unless the features it has that sets it apart from the iPad Air are necessary to get a given task done. There are droves of folks on this site who don't fall into that camp that will swear that the extra money was well spent, but those are first world requirements that I can't say I relate to. But it's not like the cost of the iPad Pro ballooned once the M4 came to the Mac; it was always expensive compared to Macs with similar processors.

The iPad Pro, especially the larger model, has NEVER been a great value comparatively imo.

While I completely agree with you; I'd imagine that there is no more effective ProCreate device out there.

 

[FlyingDutch]

It's amazing how many M4 iPad Pros, in both sizes, are for sale around me all the time

People are taking an absolute BATH on the values when you see them cutting the price, cutting the price, waiting, waiting... still no buyers...

Just brutal

Do you have any evidence they are not selling ?

Subjective, different for everyone. Great value for me, I use the 13" M4 a lot.

The fact it is an amazing device doesn’t automatically imply it is great value. It would be great value for $200 less.

 

[Isengardtom]

For me my M4 iPad pro is my main home computer. I like iPadOS, touch, pen input. Using it with my iMac via Universal control is really great

I have a 24" iMac that I love - great computer for my small home space.

I have 0 interest in Apple's laptops. There's absolutely nothing about them that draws me in. That also means that for me, they are poor value.

 

[Melbourne Park]

People now say the iPad is much more powerful. But its OS isn't - compare apps on it to MacOS.

Many have indicated that they use their iPads a lot around the home and such. Games would certainly have improved.

But ...
2015 iPad Pro 12.9-inch, 38.5 Wh max 10 hours web browsing or video playback
2015 MacBook Air13-inch, 54 Wh max 12 hours web browsing or video playback

2024 iPad Pro (13-inch, M4 chip) 39 Wh max 10 hours web browsing or video (Cell 9 hours)
2023 MacBook Air 13-inch (M3 chip) 52.6 Wh Up to 18 hours web, 20 hours video playback

Battery improvement from 2015 to 2024:
iPad Pro: 0%
Macbook Air 60% (and that is for less efficient M3)

The crime is that iPad users typically don't plug them in while they use them.

How come Apple hasn't improved battery life, when the prime usage of an iPad is carrying it around?

The answer is simple - Apple wants the battery to wear out because then you have to buy another. And that is why Apple can over charge for an iPad Pro. 'Cause our old one is failing.

For those iPad Pro M4 owners - there is some good news: the new iPad Pro is an easy fix - unlike all other iPads - to change the battery. It's basically just a screen removal job. But its battery life seems more like an Intel i7 of some years ago.

And a beef of mine - why doesn't it have some dust and water resistance, like the iPhones have?

 

[throAU]

People now say the iPad is much more powerful. But its OS isn't - compare apps on it to MacOS

Screwdrivers aren’t good at driving nails etc.

The iPad may be “more powerful” for some users due to the touch input, cameras, pencil, etc.

The MacBook may be more powerful for others due to the higher grade cpu/gpu/ram/storage/os.

But it really depends what you’re doing. The iPad can do things the MacBook simply can’t. And vice versa. They are complimentary devices and some people’s use case sits heavily on the tablet side and increasingly so.

I use both for different tasks and if I had to give up one or the other it would be a tough call.

But it would probably be the MacBook - so long as I could have a desktop.

As far as battery life goes - I think apples criteria these days is “1-2 days is plenty”.

Which if you use the device every day is pretty much the case. Charge it at night. If you forget you get a second day. They will reduce size and increase processing power to keep that as tech advances unless there is some real revolution in battery tech is my bet.

 

[FlyingDutch]

People now say the iPad is much more powerful. But its OS isn't - compare apps on it to MacOS.

Many have indicated that they use their iPads a lot around the home and such. Games would certainly have improved.

But ...
2015 iPad Pro 12.9-inch, 38.5 Wh max 10 hours web browsing or video playback
2015 MacBook Air13-inch, 54 Wh max 12 hours web browsing or video playback

2024 iPad Pro (13-inch, M4 chip) 39 Wh max 10 hours web browsing or video (Cell 9 hours)
2023 MacBook Air 13-inch (M3 chip) 52.6 Wh Up to 18 hours web, 20 hours video playback

Battery improvement from 2015 to 2024:
iPad Pro: 0%
Macbook Air 60% (and that is for less efficient M3)

The crime is that iPad users typically don't plug them in while they use them.

How come Apple hasn't improved battery life, when the prime usage of an iPad is carrying it around?

The answer is simple - Apple wants the battery to wear out because then you have to buy another. And that is why Apple can over charge for an iPad Pro. 'Cause our old one is failing.

For those iPad Pro M4 owners - there is some good news: the new iPad Pro is an easy fix - unlike all other iPads - to change the battery. It's basically just a screen removal job. But its battery life seems more like an Intel i7 of some years ago.

And a beef of mine - why doesn't it have some dust and water resistance, like the iPhones have?

Hints: MBA is 1.24 kg, iPad Pro is 584 grams… guess where the battery life is coming…
Comparing Apples to pears…