Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
New iPads Expected Shortly After This Week's Likely M4 MacBook Air Announcement
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
This drip drip product release strategy is very frustrating.
True.
Even if they don't want to do a video presentation, I genuinely wish they could just do one event every three months and not these many, tiny releases whenever.
Need one for a family member who needs to upgrade her iPad. So I guess this is it. Looking forward to it.
It would seem that the many frequent releases in 2024 and 2025 are about getting all devices up to the AI specs as a standard.
It seems that this means M4 + 256GB storage + 16GB RAM for Macs. And 128GB storage + 8GB RAM + A18 or A17 for iPhones and (maybe) iPads.
However, since the $499 iPad mini only got A17 Pro, and the A14 iPad 10 is the budget option at $349, there's 0% chance that the upcoming iPad 11 will run on anything newer than A17 Pro.
I'm not sure it was clear to everyone, so just to be clear, A17 Pro supports 8 GB RAM and Apple Intelligence so that's fine.
And in fact, other than AI, even A16 with its 6 GB RAM would be totally fine performance wise for a base iPad.
If it's anything like the 11" Pro keyboard, it'll suck.
I curse mine at least five times a day...
What's the problems with it exactly?
s I thought using aluminium would have made it more robust.
I see what you’re saying, but I was talking about the 13” and 11” M2 iPad Air, not MacBooks.
The 11" keyboard isn't aluminum, it's plastic (it might have an aluminum interior). The trackpad isn't haptic like the 13". It's small and overly touchy when surfing, and sometimes, it doesn't click on a link at all when you want it to. The screen locks up occasionally when using the keyboard, and I have to detach the keyboard and reattach to get it to work again. The popup spellcheck at the bottom of the screen sometimes obscures important info. The keyboard is too small and sometimes my knuckles hit the bottom of the screen while typing. And last -- but certainly not least -- I don't like the general idea that you need to detach the keyboard to use the iPad as a tablet, which negates any protection that the tablet has against dropping.
I'm not a fan, but the worse thing is, there's no alternatives that are any better...
Last edited:
Tariffs shouldn't affect the Canadian price, unless the devices are imported into the USA and shipped to Canada - although I would expect Apple to import directly to Canada and definitely import direct if US tarrifs come into play.
The same for Europe and the rest of the world, the devices are imported directly from the manufacturing land, they don't go to the USA and then back out again, so they shouldn't be affected by US-only tarrifs.
If you look at the new iPhone 16e exchange rate, it was costed at 1.5 fx! It's looking bad for us Canadians on all the new Apple products this year!
We'll see after Cook's gone, but I doubt it from Ive and team - after what I remembered and only scroll-read they were not treated well of Cook.
So one thing is sure, Ive won't come back and work for Apple, ever again.
If Apple are very nice, they could consult his firm LoveFrom - if he have any spare time for them.
I love their website, with no contact info - meaning we don't need you, if you need us enough you know how to contact us.
He worked for the English Royalties I heard recently.
This last part has been the thing that has prevented me from getting a Magic Keyboard. There needs to be a way for the keyboard to open all the way flat on the back of the iPad for tablet use. Seems like there should be a way for the software to disable keyboard input and open all the way up like that. If that were to come to pass, then it would be an instant purchase for me.
I had always preferred using a ZUGU case with a standalone bluetooth keyboard and trackpad if necessary. Most of the time I don't really need a keyboard with my iPad and it made no sense, for me, to buy one. I still have an old Apple Magic Keyboard that takes AA batteries. This works perfectly for trips when I might need it.
Yeah, I have a small rechargeable bluetooth keyboard that I got off Amazon a very long time ago that I take with me if I'm traveling and might need a keyboard. The biggest drawback is it's so old that it uses Micro USB to charge and I always have to try to remember what I did with the cable since the last time I used it. I really need to get a new one that uses USB-C.
The PowerBook never had a touchbar.
I've been using the 4th gen iPad Air since it launched in 2020 and I kinda want to upgrade, but the problem is that Apple made that iPad too good! It still meets all of my needs as well as it did on day 1. I don't think I'll get anything out of a faster processor or Apple Intelligence. And not even a re-design? If that's the case, this will be 4 generations of the Air that look identical.
lol if they became less and less useful why did you keep buying them?
I wonder will Apple NOT use the M3, but the same "binned" M4 as the iPhone 16e with the new iPad Air models? Especially now that no Apple product will use the M3 once the new MacBook Air models arrive?
There are occasional rumors that the the next iPad Air may go from 60 to 90 Hz refresh rate, easily doable with the current LCD panels.
There are occasional rumors that the the next iPad Air may go from 60 to 90 Hz refresh rate, easily doable with the current LCD panels.
I guess that giving the iPad Air the full 120 Hz "pro-motion" would make it too much like the iPad Pro models. I wonder if a 90 Hz refresh rate would be as satisfyingly smooth scrolling like the 120 Hz rate is?
Last edited:
The 11" iPad Pro Magic Keyboard's touchpad is haptic. The shell also feels like aluminum to me. If it's plastic, it's the best imitation of aluminum I've ever seen.
The 11" iPad Pro is also considered ergonomically acceptable by governmental occupational health agencies at 18 mm key spacing. However, you may be used to larger keyboards, at 19 mm key spacing. That's the standard for Macs and 13" iPad Pros.
The biggest criticism about that keyboard is it wobbles and can tilt backwards when the screen is firmly tapped.
Ok, I’m even less interested in iPad’s than I was before 😂
I’ve had a few - today I have a mini 6 for scrolling mostly, and the 5 as a backup, but mostly used as a meditation-timer.
I was pondering about that before I bought my 2024 MBA, and came to the conclusion that I need the 2nd Mac a lot more than iPad’s. I would’ve loved an even smaller MBA, but Apple don’t do them anymore, so 13’6 have to do.
But I’ll skip iPad mini 7 - see how interested I am when 8 arrives?