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Realityck

macrumors G4
Nov 9, 2015
10,299
15,485
Silicon Valley, CA
what about the APPLE TV ?
It's due for an update to at least a A17 or A17 Pro so it can decode AV1 as well as games would benefit from Metal updates to support Mesh Shading and Ray Tracing. The M3 can also do that but thats more of a iPad or Mac usage.

Its why if Apple starts to sell a iPad mini 7 that is A17 based with OLED screen its an automatic sell for me. The current 8.3" display needs an update to appease people with the motion sensitivity.
 
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springsup

macrumors 65816
Feb 14, 2013
1,229
1,225
I’ve been thinking about getting a new iPad to replace my Air 2, but actually I don’t think I will.

The hardware improvements are very impressive, but the software is still too limiting. I have a phone for web browsing and a Mac for productivity. The iPad can be a better browser than a phone but it has essentially zero utility as a productivity device.

Also, the iPad really needs MagSafe. It should be able to sit in a dock so you can pick it up and it’s fully-charged.
 

histeachn81

macrumors newbie
Sep 30, 2015
23
26
Nice to know a confirmed release and that it’s soon. Is it pretty safe to assume that the refurbished third generation Pro models (M1) will adopt the pricing of the refurbished second generation Pro models (12Z) once the new Pros have released? It’s been my assumption but I’ve been waiting on this new release to get a refurbished Pro. Looking to upgrade from an iPad Air 3.
 
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histeachn81

macrumors newbie
Sep 30, 2015
23
26
I’ll say this on every iPad post but the best iPad is the cheapest one, full stop. Until apple changes iPad OS to utilize the power of M chips (spoiler: they won’t), there’s no point in spending considerably more when you get 90ish percent of the iPad experience.
I mostly agree on buying new devices. Buying refurbished can kind of game the system a bit more.
 

bradman83

macrumors 6502a
Oct 29, 2020
945
2,330
Buffalo, NY
Moving one of the two USB-C ports on the MacBook Air to the other side would be a welcome design tweak. Why oh why does Apple stick both USB-C ports on the same side?
The logic board on the MBA doesn't take up the full width of the case so there's nowhere to attach a port on that side (it does on the MBPs due to space needed for the fans). The audio jack sits on its own little mini-card but that doesn't require the high-bandwidth connection back to the logic board that a Thunderbolt port would require.
 

bradman83

macrumors 6502a
Oct 29, 2020
945
2,330
Buffalo, NY
It's due for an update to at least a A17 or A17 Pro so it can decode AV1 as well as games would benefit from Metal updates to support Mesh Shading and Ray Tracing. The M3 can also do that but thats more of a iPad or Mac usage.

Its why if Apple starts to sell a iPad mini 7 that is A17 based with OLED screen its an automatic sell for me. The current 8.3" display needs an update to appease people with the motion sensitivity.
TSMC's process node for the A17 and M3 is supposedly quite expensive with these chips costing up to 33% more than the A15 or A16. Since the Apple TV is relatively low priced (and probably lower margin) Apple may wait for the supposedly cheaper N3E process to ramp up before making such an upgrade.
 

Realityck

macrumors G4
Nov 9, 2015
10,299
15,485
Silicon Valley, CA
Does a non-Pro A17 exist?
We have no knowledge that a plain A17 exists it was just a guess, the only substitute is to use a M3, which was a direct substitute for the older M1 in some Macs. Now it makes sense to update most devices to the cheaper smaller M3 if they can for iPads.
 

dampfnudel

macrumors 601
Aug 14, 2010
4,584
2,621
Brooklyn, NY
TSMC's process node for the A17 and M3 is supposedly quite expensive with these chips costing up to 33% more than the A15 or A16. Since the Apple TV is relatively low priced (and probably lower margin) Apple may wait for the supposedly cheaper N3E process to ramp up before making such an upgrade.
I don’t see Apple releasing the 7th generation iPad mini and 4th generation Apple TV 4K until the A18 (N3E) is available which will be the second half of the year.
 
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