New 9.7" iPad Pro to Start at $599, 32GB and 128GB Models Available

[Chupa Chupa]

For some perspective I believe people were saying thing about Jobs, with the iPod (pre-iPhone days).

I don't recall criticism of Jobs on those points specifically, but regardless TC is no SJ. True there were the -- "and now iMacs in 5 colors and polka dots" moments, but more often than not SJ was always giving people a reason to buy Apple products, esp. Mac when s/w and peripheral makers had given up on the OS -- iTunes, iMovie, iDVD, iPhoto. He constantly reinvigorated design too keeping things interesting and when there were price increases they were for legit reasons, not "because we are Apple."

In the '00s I was constantly upgrading because the latest and greatest offered something worth upgrading. TC's record OTOH has been w/o rather "wow"-less so far. Personally, I'm using a 2012 MBP. In the SJ era I never owned a MBP that was more than 2 years old. Until MBPs adopt USB 3/TB3 I see zero reason to upgrade. That's TC's Apple - milk the old tech until the cow drops dead.

 

[ValO]

SSD prices have gone down exponentially, you can't justify or compare same pricing after 2 or 3 years. Adding 32GB instead of 16GB nowadays costs about $5.

EDIT: for example Macbook air 2012 had 64GB at $999, Apple increased it to 128GB in 2013 while keeping the same price.

Ok, I' ll bite:
128gb iPad Air 1 was 799 us at 2013. 128 gb iPad Pro 9.7 inch will be 749?
You can all whine what you want. But more expensive, than the 2013 iPad Air 1, no... It is 50 bucks more expensive than the air 2 128gb at introduction price though.

 

[Oblivious.Robot]

Jeez, I joined Macrumours just for the comments and for the lulz..
But now I have started to feel a little sad, going through almost 7 pages and there are still so many just blind and oblivious .. so many that I feel my own Macrumors handle needs to be given to them instead.

With a heavy heart might I say that someday, maybe couple of years from now, it just might be the time to switch from Apple for me, and may need to stop dependence on one company and it's ecosystem.
Edit- Also, my Air 2 feels like a bargain buy everyday now that it's current price still isn't down lol.

 

[ValO]

Been on the fence as to if I am going to upgrade from my iPad Air 2. The extra $100 might have swayed me to wait. I have no interest in the pencil or smart connector accessories and don't really want to pay for that. So maybe after the initial hype dies down and vendors start discounting.

Perhaps it will feature a higher res display. Same res as the pro.

 

[jonnyb098]

I think its worth noting to everyone that next week, Apple will release the smaller iPhone SE with nearly identical specs to the 6 month old iPhone 6S (except 3D touch) and shave $100-200 off the price. Yet here we are with Apple taking the 6 month old iPad pro, making it smaller and charging $100 more. Yeahhhhhhhh................

 

[KylePowers]

Wish they would just keep 64GB as an option. 32 seems too little and 128 seems too much (for my intended uses).

May just go 32GB. Really only want it for consumption and drawing.

But yeah, price increase seems unnecessary.

 

[Sparky2012]

To be fair, Apple was already in that place once before. Jobs returned in the 11th hour, we got the iPhone and the game changed. And now we're back in a lull, the only difference being that today's Apple is much bigger and has much deeper pockets to ride it out. Technology ebbs and flows. Could Apple go the way of the companies you mention? Sure. Like I said, they've already been there (anyone remember those atrocious Quadra infomercials?).

I think people have unrealistic expectations of Apple based largely on the iPhone. Those of us who watched and supported the company for multiple decades know that it has always had its ups and downs. I don't think Apple is in decline today, more like plateaued. But I see this across the industry in general. Nothing is really exciting these days. The real question is, when that next leap comes (whatever it is), will Apple be the leader? I'm worried that, given Apple's leadership today (and I don't mean just Cook), they won't be.

I don't feel they'd have to be a leader but instead do what Apple has been known for - Refining existing technology. There were touchscreen phones before the iPhone, but Apple made it good, made it exciting, etc, etc. Same goes for the Apple Watch in terms of no one really cared or knew about smart watches before the Apple Watch but now they do.

Simply whenever that "next big thing" comes from another company, Apple has to (like they have done before) make it better, refine everything about it, and excite/market it well to people. They do that, and they'll succeed.

 

[AppleMad98004]

Typical Tim Cook Apple:
1. run out of ideas (Just take a look at iOS and OSX)
2. go after new product category prematurely (Watch)
3. resizing and renaming existing ones
4. having done all above, have the audacity to increase price.

Totally agree. Just take a look at the MacBook Pros. Except losing the CDROM and becoming thinner they've looked the same for a half decade.

OS X... No real leaps in UI functionality.

iOS... Mature but no real leap foward.

Problem is Apple is so big and powerful that they are complacent... Like Microsoft 1999

 

[byke]

Personally I thought it was time for a redesign in terms of shape.
I like the iPad, but the bezel size seems to be out of date.
This is especially true with the Pro Xl - It would have been so much better if they had reduced the bezel and increased the thickness instead.

If Apple were to release a new design, I might just buy one. But as it stands, the design is stale.
And a bigger screen in a smaller form factor is needed.

 

[RickInHouston]

Im starting to get annoyed with Apple. I mean, I get these decisions, but its starting to really rub me as arrogant.

Wow, took you long enough!

 

[DTphonehome]

Considering you can get the 32GB Pro for $649 shipped on eBay right now, it's looking like the better value if you can handle the larger size.

I got the 128 GB LTE Pro this week for $889 brand new on eBay. No tax or shipping. If I would get the same specs in the Pro mini it would probably cost $979 plus tax.

 

[kwikdeth]

"Man, ipad sales have been dragging downward for the past few quarters? What should we do?"
"we should definitely raise the price. that always works."

 

[sracer]

Many ways to deduce:

1) A 128GB Air 2 w/ LTE is $829. A 128GB iPad Pro LTE is $1079. Price difference of $250 between the two. Split it - $125. That makes the 128GB 10" Air w/ LTE $954. Add in avg U.S. 7% sales tax = $1020.

2). Just add $100 to base price of a 128GB Air 2 w/ LTE = $929. Add in avg 7% sales tax = $994.

Subtract $129 if you don't want WiFi.

Were your previous "shut up and take my money" decisions for a 128 GB w/LTE iPad? If not then it seems like the "over $1000" complaint is just something to complain about. If yes, then you are concerned about the $125 increase over the Air 2... I can understand that.

 

[kwikdeth]

I don't recall criticism of Jobs on those points specifically, but regardless TC is no SJ. True there were the -- "and now iMacs in 5 colors and polka dots" moments, but more often than not SJ was always giving people a reason to buy Apple products, esp. Mac when s/w and peripheral makers had given up on the OS -- iTunes, iMovie, iDVD, iPhoto. He constantly reinvigorated design too keeping things interesting and when there were price increases they were for legit reasons, not "because we are Apple."

In the '00s I was constantly upgrading because the latest and greatest offered something worth upgrading. TC's record OTOH has been w/o rather "wow"-less so far. Personally, I'm using a 2012 MBP. In the SJ era I never owned a MBP that was more than 2 years old. Until MBPs adopt USB 3/TB3 I see zero reason to upgrade. That's TC's Apple - milk the old tech until the cow drops dead.

at the very least, if there was nothing new to give, there'd be a price cut on existing things.

 

[DavidAndy]

Replace $with £

£599 for base model? Hmm I dunno

 

[OllyW]

£599 for base model? Hmm I dunno

My guess is between £529 and £549 based on the current exchange rate.

 

[DavidAndy]

My guess is between £529 and £549 based on the current exchange rate.

£529 I reckon. Guess we will have to wait and see. Either way think I'll be going for the base model tho I'm used to a 64GB iPad.

 

[stulaw11]

iPad Air 1 32gb was also 599 when it was introduced. So more expensive ? No since 2013 it has been the same.
I guess everyone here is pissed, Apple didn' t release a 16gb for 499. And if Apple did that they would have been pissed about offering a 16gb base for a " pro" device.
I guess people are really pissed about Apple not lowering the price of the air 2.
And I can understand that.
The other things I just can' t understand.

Perhaps Apple should lower prizes the 16gb and 64 gb air 2 for 50 bucks less.


AND NOW THEY ARE KEEPING THE SAME FREAKING PRICE AS THE AIR 1 32GB!

Oh how quick people are to forget. Yes, the first iPad was $499 for 16gb and $599 for 32gb. They sold a CRAP TON as well at those prices.

Yes tech goes down in price as time goes, but new tech still isn't cheap. If you dont want to pony up buy an Air 2, they will still be sold.

This debunks the no one has ever paid $599 for a 32gb iPad before argument though. This new one only comes with about 10 times the stuff for $599.

Bleeding edge then 32gb model, bleeding edge 32gb now model

 

[theluggage]

The same reason why there's a gap between the 16GB and 64GB iPhone, I assume. To encourage an up-sell.

...or, 16GB (now 32) for people who stream their entertainment & keep documents in the cloud, 64GB (128 now) for people who keep everything on the device. Seems sensible to me.

As for people complaining about price - ever-falling prices came from ever rising sales volumes back in the days when people got a new computer and phone every 18 months. Those days are gone. Also, read any report on the PC industry and its the people who make the cheap computers who are bearing the brunt of the fall: If you have to count the pennies when buying technology then the bottom line is "your old model is still getting the job done". Hence why Microsoft has started selling laptops that make Apple look cheap.

 

[Gudi]

Throw a couple games on there and it quickly become unusable.

No, it doesn't. 32 GB goes a long long way.

 

[nelsonammo]

So disappointing. I was waiting to get the new iPad last fall, but they didn't come out with one. Now they're coming out with a new one, but it's $100 more and has features that I don't want or need (pencil and smart connector support). I should've gotten one of those $150 off Black Friday deals last year. Just seems like greed from Apple to raise the price like this. And you only get 32GB for $600? SMH

 

[wdfly]

Not surprising, but disappointing nonetheless that they couldn't hold the price point.

perhaps i'm missing something but the current ipad air 2 starts at that exact same price point.

 

[stulaw11]

perhaps i'm missing something but the current ipad air 2 starts at that exact same price point.

$499 for a 16gb, but yes that is too small for a lot of people so they end spending $599+ anyways

It's just the whiners coming out who want to "voice their displeasure with Apple"as if it will sway anyone else's decision here to purchase or not to. No one has any gun in their hand to purchase this over nothing or an Air 2.

 

[OllyW]

perhaps i'm missing something but the current ipad air 2 starts at that exact same price point.

Yes you are missing something because the iPad Air 2 starts at $499.

 

[TommyA6]

iPad Air 1 32gb was also 599 when it was introduced. So more expensive ? No since 2013 it has been the same.
I guess everyone here is pissed, Apple didn' t release a 16gb for 499. And if Apple did that they would have been pissed about offering a 16gb base for a " pro" device.
I guess people are really pissed about Apple not lowering the price of the air 2.
And I can understand that.
The other things I just can' t understand.

Perhaps Apple should lower prizes the 16gb and 64 gb air 2 for 50 bucks less.


AND NOW THEY ARE KEEPING THE SAME FREAKING PRICE AS THE AIR 1 32GB!

That was 2.5 years ago. The prices of flash storage have dropped significantly since. (They were cheap back then as well.)

EDIT

Also, iPad Pro will come out a full year and a half after the Air 2, so slightly bigger updates are a must. Apple is acting super greedy here.