iPad Pro M4 iPad Pro pricing looks much worse in retrospect

[Christopher Kim]

I realized I forgot to reply to the AppleCare comment above from @gusping.

Yes, this is unfortunate. It’s unfair. While it stems from the fact that it is so difficult to replace just the batteries, Apple chooses to give you essentially a new (refurb) iPad when you “legitimately” pay to have the battery replaced at the $99 replacement price.

But yes, the catch is you HAVE to be <80% battery health, and according to their own proprietary battery health diagnostic. Often 5-10%+ higher than apps like Coconut Battery.

Anyways, unfair yes. But doesn’t seem to be changing anytime soon. So this time around, with my M4 iPP, I got AppleCare, the monthly subscription that can be cancelled at any time (or extended for as long as you want month-to-month). I don’t always get AppleCare, but this time around, felt like it made sense. It’s often a borderline decision anyways. But with the M4 iPP being a new-gen product, with a new Tandem OLED that we’re not yet sure how it’ll perform / stand up when looking at years of usage… For now, decided to get it. The whole battery replacement issue just adds to the reasoning for me in my specific case.

 

[Greenmeenie]

I can see why people who want & use Mac OS might be upset about the cost of an iPad Pro compared to a MacBook Pro, but you're comparing Apples to Oranges. They are two different products that you can do similar things on but arent the same. Or at least that’s my take. Especially since I am an artist, I much prefer the iPad pro to a MacBook pro. I switched from a macbook pro to an iPad pro back in 2018 and haven’t looked back. Not only is it a superior digital sketchbook, i find it better & more enjoyable at everything from surfing the web, to writing & media consumption. And I don’t even use a smart keyboard! I type just as fast on the digital screen keyboard. So for me, an iPad Pro not only costs less than a Macbook Pro, it does more & is much lighter. I have fully adapted to an iPad iOS only workflow. But I’ve also had 8 years to get used to it. Now i feel the same way about laptops that the OP feels about iPads. I find them overpriced, clunky & when i sit at a laptop now, I always try to touch the screen. 😂 Nobody is right or wrong, it’s just what you’re used to & what fits your needs better. It’s all good. 👍🏼

 

[RogerKmilw]

I have never understood an appeal of any Apple Pro product for most people. I type this on my iPad Air M1 and cannot see what iPad Pro could do to better this experience. ProMotion is only a thing when you compare two screens side-by-side, extra speakers are ok, but they do not exactly turn an iPad into a ghetto-blaster. An extra iPad camera is a joke as it is much more convenient to take pictures/scans with a smartphone. Better still, these Pro features trickle down to a regular gear. Back in 2015 we needed to get a MacBook Pro to get a retina screen, now it is on an entry level MBA. ProMotion will come to all iPhone 17s and OLED will come to the next iPad Air. So, essentially, a Pro product gets you a feature several months or years earlier, yet Apple’s regular devices are still very good as they are, IMO.

Yes the non pro products are great and features from the pro models eventually trickle down.

I have never understood why some ppl can’t accept the fact that ppl like myself find the pro products appealing. I def don’t need them but I work really hard and I want to experience the cutting edge of tech in as many of my devices as possible. I don’t wanna wait 8+ years for ProMotion to trickle down to the IPad Air so yes I will pay the extra couple hundred bucks.