OLED iPad Pros Could Start From $1,500, Rising to as Much as $2,000

[bondr006]

Apple's upcoming OLED iPad Pro will start at $1,500, rising to between $1,800 and $2,000 depending on size and configuration, representing a major increase in prices compared to Apple's current equivalents. That's according to a new report on the news aggregator account "yeux1122" on the Naver blog.

This is the second time a Korean source has claimed that Apple's new iPad Pros will be vastly more expensive that the company's existing models. Last March, a report by The Elec estimated prices starting at $1,500 and $1,800 for the 11-inch and 13-inch models, respectively.

The $2,000 figure for the 13-inch model in the latest report could refer to a new, higher storage capacity offered by Apple, although that would actually present a slightly lower top-end price – the current 12.9-inch iPad Pro maxed out at 2TB starts from $2,100, depending on Wi-Fi or cellular configuration.

If accurate, these price hikes would make the new 11-inch device over 80% more expensive than the existing 11-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ with LED Liquid Retina display, which starts at $799. As for the 13-inch model, assuming a base configuration costing $1,800, it would be around 60% more expensive than the current 12.9-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ with mini-LED Liquid Retina XDR display, which starts at $1,099.

For further reference, the OLED iPad Pro price estimates far exceed the starting price of some MacBook configurations that Apple currently sells, with the 13.6-inch MacBook Air with M2 chip starting at $1,199. The main reason for the price hikes is believed to be the large proportion of material costs taken up by Apple's OLED panel procurement from the likes of LG and Samsung.

Today's report suggests that Apple will justify the higher prices by increasing storage and emphasizing the benefits in quality of OLED over existing iPad screens, particularly the higher contrast and brightness offered at an equivalent or lower level of power consumption. The report also implies that Apple will promote the new devices' thinness and lightness compared to rival tablets and/or previous-generation iPads.

MagSafe charging is a possibility for the upcoming iPad Pro models, and the devices will also be accompanied by a refreshed version of the Magic Keyboard that includes a larger trackpad to make the iPad Pro look more like a laptop than the current model, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

New ‌iPad Air‌ and ‌iPad Pro‌ models and accompanying accessories are expected to launch around the end of March, which is also when Apple plans to release iOS 17.4 and iPadOS 17.4. Apple is likely to hold a spring event to introduce the new devices, according to Gurman.

Article Link: OLED iPad Pros Could Start From $1,500, Rising to as Much as $2,000

Almost double current already expensive base prices? WTH Apple? I was going to buy a new 12.9" M3 iPP, but if this is the case, I'll just get one of the M2 models. Again, WTH Apple?

 

[Iconoclysm]

Yet companies are making record profits year after year...hmmmmmm. 🧐

"Companies" does not mean this specific one and this specific product.

"Apple gross profit for the twelve months ending September 30, 2023 was $169.148B, a 0.96% decline year-over-year. "

 

[Wizard_of_Woz]

"Companies" does not mean this specific one and this specific product.

"Apple gross profit for the twelve months ending September 30, 2023 was $169.148B, a 0.96% decline year-over-year. "

And when did I mention Apple or the iPad specifically in my OP, regarding price gouging?

 

[Iconoclysm]

And when did I mention Apple or the iPad specifically in my OP, regarding price gouging?

In your original post?

 

[Spaceboi Scaphandre]

If the M3 iPad Pro doesn’t come with 15” display, dual monitor support and up to 24GB of RAM, I'm
done.

Even then why the hell would you buy that over a Macbook Pro? If you're spending $1500-2000 on an iPad, just buy a 14 inch Macbook Pro at that point. It'll do the same things that iPad could, and so much more.

One would argue they're an artist and that's fair, but like...the older iPads are still there. Just get those instead if all you're gonna use the thing for is drawing. You don't need to spend $1500-2000 just for an iPad to use as a drawing tablet

 

[Wizard_of_Woz]

In your original post?

"$1500-$2000 for an iPad anything is ****ing outrageous!" That was my mention of the iPad. I made no specific mention of the iPad after saying the rumored price increase is outrageous. After this, I was referring to consumer goods across the board in the US.

 

[bondr006]

"Companies" does not mean this specific one and this specific product.

"Apple gross profit for the twelve months ending September 30, 2023 was $169.148B, a 0.96% decline year-over-year. "

I think it does mean "THIS SPECIFIC ONE". Apple has the highest Market Cap of any company in the world. Not only that, but Apple has by far, the highest profit margin of any other company in the world.

 

[hovscorpion12]

Even then why the hell would you buy that over a Macbook Pro? If you're spending $1500-2000 on an iPad, just buy a 14 inch Macbook Pro at that point. It'll do the same things that iPad could, and so much more.

One would argue they're an artist and that's fair, but like...the older iPads are still there. Just get those instead if all you're gonna use the thing for is drawing. You don't need to spend $1500-2000 just for an iPad to use as a drawing tablet

The only advantage iPad has over Mac’s is 5G. Even if you have 100GB of mobile Hotspot, if you need to upload or download a 100GB file, your Hotspot data is all gone.

The iPad does allow users to be truly on the go and independent.

 

[thingstoponder]

I’m so over OLED. Such a flawed technology shouldn’t require such a price. I can’t wait for microLED as the true LCD successor.

 

[MJaP]

So the savings they are making not having to include cutting-edge full array local dimming mini LED backlights with thousands of zone aren't being passed onto the consumer then? Sounds like Apple are using the excuse of moving to a new technology (for them) to arbitrarily hike prices even further. Samsung have been putting quality OLED displays in their tablets for years and at much lower price points. I have a couple of modern iPads but I still have a Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 from 5 years ago which has an OLED screen as it's as bright and vibrant as ever with no burn in that I can see.

Samsung's current massive 14.6" OLED Tab S9 Ultra is £500 cheaper than the current M2 iPad Pro for the 512gb model.

 

[1738]

Apple will try to justify the price rises, but if the estimates are true I really cant see these being big sellers unless they were to be true laptop replacements and run MacOS

It's not far off currently. I use my iPad Pro as a mobile tablet when I'm on the go and hook it up to my USB-C display when I'm at my desk. With Stage Manager, you can layer apps and windows, the same way you would a Mac. The USB-C port carries the ethernet connection that's hardwired into the back of my display. And even things like propriety wireless dongles for Plantronics wireless headsets will plug into the back for my display and the headphones will be accessible on my iPads without installing any drivers, like you would on macOS. File navigation and that definitely takes some time to get used to and thew way I manage files on iPad is different than how I do it on my Mac but I don't see why an iPad Pro couldn't replace a Mac, for most users. The most glaring gap is that there's no Xcode for iPad and you can't really compile on an iPad. But I for most developer/non-engineering use cases, it works great and outpaces macOS for many things.

 

[Spaceboi Scaphandre]

The only advantage iPad has over Mac’s is 5G. Even if you have 100GB of mobile Hotspot, if you need to upload or download a 100GB file, your Hotspot data is all gone.

The iPad does allow users to be truly on the go and independent.

So does my 14 inch MBP, even moreso since it has a lot longer battery life than an iPad Pro.

I just can't wrap my head around an iPad Pro and haven't for years since they put the M Series chips in it.

 

[Iconoclysm]

"$1500-$2000 for an iPad anything is ****ing outrageous!" That was my mention of the iPad. I made no specific mention of the iPad after saying the rumored price increase is outrageous. After this, I was referring to consumer goods across the board in the US.

I know my current iPad Pro cost $1800 so it's really not that big a stretch, and I do use it for functionality like Logic Pro that makes it worth the price.

I'm with you on price gouging otherwise, just not seeing it in this sector like say, the price of necessities.

 

[JulianL]

Yikes!

I buy a new iPhone almost every year and always like to get it on launch day so I regularly go through the orders-now-open frenzy and pretty much every year I see how quickly the delivery dates can slip for those who aren’t quite fast enough to get their orders in in time to secure a day-1 delivery.

I haven’t ordered a new iPad since my launch day 12.9” M1 iPad Pro so I don’t really know if iPads still have the same frenzy to get a day-1 delivery but if they do then I wonder whether, if the price hikes are anything close to as significant as this article/rumour suggests, it will be noticeably easier to get a day-1 delivery of a 2024 iPad Pro.

 

[Virinprew]

I know it’s incomparable but I miss the $499 of the original iPad.

 

[spinedoc77]

There is no way that Apple could justify these new prices.

The iPad Pro is my main and favourite device, so $1800 sounds good compared to my Mac. I just hope the update is worth it.

The 2nd answers the first. As long as there is demand then Apple can justify these prices. The iPad in general isn't my cup of tea as it doesn't have a real OS (for MY purposes), but it sells more than any other tablet. It's not like it's Apple's first expensive product.

 

[spinedoc77]

What are the chances of the new M3 Pro models running the full MacOS?

Zero. Apple banks on convincing consumers they need multiple devices, they are in the business of selling hardware.

 

[jdawgnoonan]

If Apple wants to sell almost no iPad Pros this seems like a great way to do it. I certainly will not upgrade my 13" M1 iPad Pro to one of these, and I also will not downgrade to an iPad Air with a 60 hz screen. Maybe my era of having an iOS based mobile laptop (with the Magic Keyboard) is almost at an end. I am not ever going to spend MacBook Pro money on an iPad. And I am not ever buying an iPad that has a 60 hz screen unless it is a mini.

 

[xgman]

wait.. it's not April Fools Day yet?

 

[Adelphos33]

I have an M1 iPad Air and M1 IPad Pro 12.9". Unless these OLED iPads have other features, I may be keeping those machines indefinitely.

 

[erikkfi]

So they’re turning the iPad into a more expensive MacBook that can only run programs approved and sold by Apple…

 

[spinedoc77]

$1500-$2000 for an iPad anything is ****ing outrageous! The problem, in the US anyway, is that idiots out there will actually pay these prices, which is why prices keep going up all the time now. There has never been a time in the 43 years I've been on this earth when prices have risen as much as they have over the past three years. I've asked people 20-30 years older than me and they've never seen this kind of price gouging before either. But yeah, keep charging your way through life. The chickens are going to come home to roost sooner than later.

I think there is a difference between price gouging, which to me is something that is done to those who *need* a product like food, toilet paper, or a basic computer. Versus the high end market where purchases aren't necessities but luxuries. I fully agree that prices in BOTH these categories have been rising drastically, I just don't really feel bad for that second category, even though I'm personally in it. Apple and other companies have realized that people with money will gladly pay more for a luxury item, and people without money will also gladly put luxury items on credit.

There is a market for these, trust me. If Apple, with $3 Trillion smackeroos to do all kinds of market analysis can bank on a $3500 Vision Pro and $700 for a set of freakin' wheels for a Mac Pro, then they already did the market research and know they will sell enough $2k iPads to make a profit.

 

[jdawgnoonan]

So they’re turning the iPad into a more expensive MacBook that can only run programs approved and sold by Apple…

Maybe this is a method to make the Vision Pro seem more reasonable since it appears that Vision Pro runs iPad apps superimposed over the real world. I am sure in 5 years that it will all make sense, but at the moment I see fancy toys for rich people.

 

[Renjo2007]

Deep blacks is the main selling point of OLED tech but if this price is true, I would just wait till my M1 iPad Pro 12.9 mini LED dies and buy the S9 Ultra or its successor. In fact, Dolby Vision is really nice on my M1 iPad Pro 12.9 mini LED compared to HDR on my Samsung S8 Ultra OLED but cant justify the price hike for this upcoming iPad Pro OLED. I love OLED tech as I also have LG OLED EVO 65inch tv but $2k for iPad Pro OLED is a hard pass.

 

[JordanCautious]

At that point, I might as well just get a higher tier MacBook Pro lmao. Who tf is paying $1.5-2k for an OLED iPad when iPadOS is still horrible. If it could run MacOS, that would be one thing. An M3 Pro MacBook Pro 14" costs $2k...even the Vision Pro is a better use of money than a $2k iPad. And I say that as someone who uses their 12.9" iPad Pro every single day as my sole entertainment device