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iPad What does an ideal iPad look like to you?

Z

zerocharlie

macrumors member
Original poster
Jul 6, 2022
47
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For some, your ideal iPad might already be in Apple's, albeit crowded, lineup. Others might be wishing for a different device to compliment their ideal setup.

So, my question is: what would be the ideal iPad for you?

Because I have a MacBook Pro and PM iPhone, I use an iPad for tasks away from my desk that fit a screen between an iPhone and my 14" MacBook Pro. Therefore, I wish I could have:

  • iPad Mini size
  • Base M-series chip (iPad is my favorite Lightroom editor for my Sony camera)
  • ProMotion Display
  • Matte Display
  • Landscape-center FT camera
  • FaceID
  • Single camera on the back (for scanning documents, etc)
  • Pencil 2 support (or maybe a little shorter Pencil that still has magnetic charging like Pencil 2?)
  • iPadOS optimized for mini screen ratio
  • Thunderbolt capability in the USB-C connector (for transferring RAW photos at faster rates)
  • 512GB+ storage option
 
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The current mini is pretty close to perfect for me. I have an iPad Pro too but much prefer using the mini. The A15 is basically just an M2 Lite, so I don't really feel like I'm missing much in terms of performance. The one thing I'd like to carry over from the Pro is FaceID. Other than that it's pretty perfect for my needs. I mainly use it in portrait orientation, so the camera position is fine. ProMotion is more of a gimmick than a necessity in my opinion. The mini already supports USB 3 speeds, so going to Thunderbolt wouldn't make a difference unless my camera had it too (which it doesn't).
 
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I can;t think of anything the M1 11" Pro doesn't do that I would need in future. Its one of the best computers I have ever owned.

However I would love to see the same capabilities in a Mini-sized chassis to make it even more portable.

So ideal would be an 8" M1 iPad Pro.
 
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No jelly scrolling on the iPad mini would make it feel somewhat compelling. Worst jelly scrolling I have seen on any tech device let alone an Apple branded iPad that’s not even a base model.
 
Same as the correct Mini 6 included TouchID, but with the latest A series CPU, 8GB RAM and 128GB/512GB storage options.
 
iPad mini size (but a little larger, maybe 7" instead of 6.3), OLED ProMotion screen with Always-on display, M3 chip, smaller bezels, iPhone 15 Pro Max camera, cellular, Thunderbolt 5 Port, made of carbon fiber or titanium. MagSafe on the back with UWB support so you can connect accessories using it.
Basically a mega-sized iPhone 15 Pro Max but with thunderbolt 5, an M3 chip, and upgraded MagSafe.
 
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OrenLindsey said:
iPad mini size (but a little larger, maybe 7" instead of 6.3), OLED ProMotion screen with Always-on display, M3 chip, smaller bezels, iPhone 15 Pro Max camera, cellular, Thunderbolt 5 Port, made of carbon fiber or titanium. MagSafe on the back with UWB support so you can connect accessories using it.
Basically a mega-sized iPhone 15 Pro Max but with thunderbolt 5, an M3 chip, and upgraded MagSafe.
Click to expand...
This would be an impressive machine. Any particular use case for something this well equipped?
 
Lots of talk about the mini, but the screen is way too small for me. My ideal iPad: 12” with ProMotion, MBP-like battery life, MBP-like speakers, ability to run MacOS.
 
rulymammoth said:
Lots of talk about the mini, but the screen is way too small for me. My ideal iPad: 12” with ProMotion, MBP-like battery life, MBP-like speakers, ability to run MacOS.
Click to expand...
I think this type of product would interest me as well. Mainly if they could make a full size iPad work with MacOS. Maybe it would work natively or when connected to a dock. I could see use from an iPad that doubles as a MBA.

Of course, Apple would rather sell you 2 products instead of 1 product that can do 2 things.
 
If we are talking hardware I like my 11" iPad. Put the FaceTime camera on the long edge and I'm even more happy.

Perhaps replace the back-facing camera system with something cheap and simple without a hump, just good enough to scan a QR code.
 
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I have an iPad Pro 11, but I honestly miss the feel of my iPad Air 2.

The 9.7" was a perfect size, and the curved sides made it great to hold.

So yeah, my ideal iPad would be an iPad Pro with edge-to-edge screen, Face ID, 9.7" form factor and more rounded side corners. Might be a difficult feat with the current Pencil charging location though....
 
Depends on the situation but for home use.

13-14 inch
iPhone Pro Max camera system (I do not buy high end phones but like the camera). I do not mind looking like a jerk as long as the viewfinder is big.
Two USB-C ports one in each short side to avoid cable mess
FT Camera on the longer side as a consequence
Same aspect ratio as the current iPad Pro
Titanium frame would be nice but forget about a glass backside for wireless charging.
16-24 Gb RAM
1TB SSD
M3 of course

I believe it will cost a package though...

MacOS, don't we have Macs for that???
 
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I've settled on my iPad Mini 6 as my primary iPad this year after 4 years with a 2nd Gen iPP 12.9. The form factor works well for me to carry around in my sling bag wherever I go without felling bulky.

While I'd be able to make use of an upgraded larger iPad I just can't justify the expense when I have other tools in my toolbox like my Surface Pro 9 and Dell Precision laptop so I think my ideal iPad at this point would probably be an upgraded Mini with more RAM and better display.
 
Yall are being too short-sighted here. The ideal iPad is whatever they had in the Expanse: as thin as a sheet of glass, expandable screen size that doesn't take up additional space; holographic display; invisible cameras, microphones, sensors, and batteries; never needs to be charged; incredibly durable.

tablet-sized_S1E9_Syfy.jpg
 
Run MacOS while connected to a keyboard and iPadOS when not connected to a keyboard and simultaneously also in either setup (people can say MacOS isn’t touch capable but use a keyboard and mouse and it’s the perfect MacBook!), 1TB+ SSD/32GB RAM, Aluminum Magic Keyboard, mmWave 5G, WiFi 7, Thunderbolt 5, audio jack, MagSafe like MacBook connector, 9”, 11” and 13” versions all OLED then MicroLED when capable, Vision Pro capable video recording/editing with dual cameras on the back that are eye-width apart, Apple Pencil that can be kept inside the edge of the device like a Samsung Galaxy Ultra phone, M3 SoC, horizontal and vertical cameras hidden in bezels, motion gestures using Lidar, able to connect to external displays and run MacOS, and at least 3mm thicker to allow better battery performance/life.

So it’s essentially a Mac when you wirelessly attach a keyboard | mouse (and 4k to 8k monitor) or run iPadOS apps if you wish. Then it would cannibalize MacBooks for a lot of people but think of all the people who would give a reason to buy one. Right now people who have an M1 have no real reason to upgrade for at least five more years or maybe ten years. This would be a truly Apple device.

Right now the iPad Pro is a joke. It’s capable enough to run MacOS but crippled by Apple to sell another device. I think Apple was never afraid of cannibalism of its products by new product lines but Tim only cares about his stock vesting annually. So have to make shareholders happy. I rather see the money spent on creating devices like this where in your bag it could work with any display instantly and connect wirelessly to it so you have your data and display but also can connect for full Mac-powered computing.
 
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As you can see from my signature, I have a 2021 12.9" M1 iPad Pro provided by the university I work for. With over a thousand shared desks, most of which have two very old 24" monitors, I would like my ideal iPad to support two external monitors. Otherwise, my manager will not agree to a reason for me to get a new iPad because the one I have is perfectly fine.
I told IT 5 years ago to put 34" monitors on every desk and they agreed it was a good idea and the future. But we are still stuck with 10 year old Dell monitors. OK, they gave me an HP E34m G4 for home and one for the office desk I use often.
Since the Pro version of the M Series has the ability to support two external displays, many people have told me that even with the M3 Pro it is not possible to have this in an iPad, I still hope. Or maybe the next M4 will support it.
Since I personally am happy with 34" monitors around me, I think other people may not be.
 
Last edited:
  1. 12"'ish
  2. Lightweight with the Magic Keyboard case
  3. Full desktop safari browsing
  4. Dedicated Whatsapp support
  5. Better file support than what there is currently
  6. A little more OS flexibility
  7. Better battery life like on the M1 Macs
 
I have two ideal iPads.

iPad Mini 5, but a little smaller, updated A chip, more RAM, higher brightness (for outdoor use), front-facing loud stereo speakers, Smart Connector (for dock/stand/mount charging), and water-proof (for use in bathroom and kitchen).

iPad Pro 12.9 2nd gen, but a little bigger, updated M chip with more RAM, 2TB storage, higher brightness, front-facing speakers, convertible laptop form factor with 180 keyboard, and at least one flat edge for Pencil 2 compatibility.
(I’m ok with iPadOS for the most part, I just want apps to more consistently use the share sheet, but I would also alternatively just take a light MacBook with Pencil support and a 180 convertible form factor.)

I also want stands and mounts with built-in Smart Connectors for charging. I don’t know why those don’t seem to exist outside of keyboards.
 
iPad Air size with FaceID and touchID on the button, and a little kickstand on the back so we can stand it up without needing a cover
 
ThailandToo said:
Run MacOS while connected to a keyboard and iPadOS when not connected to a keyboard and simultaneously also in either setup (people can say MacOS isn’t touch capable but use a keyboard and mouse and it’s the perfect MacBook!), 1TB+ SSD/32GB RAM, Aluminum Magic Keyboard, mmWave 5G, WiFi 7, Thunderbolt 5, audio jack, MagSafe like MacBook connector, 9”, 11” and 13” versions all OLED then MicroLED when capable, Vision Pro capable video recording/editing with dual cameras on the back that are eye-width apart, Apple Pencil that can be kept inside the edge of the device like a Samsung Galaxy Ultra phone, M3 SoC, horizontal and vertical cameras hidden in bezels, motion gestures using Lidar, able to connect to external displays and run MacOS, and at least 3mm thicker to allow better battery performance/life.

So it’s essentially a Mac when you wirelessly attach a keyboard | mouse (and 4k to 8k monitor) or run iPadOS apps if you wish. Then it would cannibalize MacBooks for a lot of people but think of all the people who would give a reason to buy one. Right now people who have an M1 have no real reason to upgrade for at least five more years or maybe ten years. This would be a truly Apple device.

Right now the iPad Pro is a joke. It’s capable enough to run MacOS but crippled by Apple to sell another device. I think Apple was never afraid of cannibalism of its products by new product lines but Tim only cares about his stock vesting annually. So have to make shareholders happy. I rather see the money spent on creating devices like this where in your bag it could work with any display instantly and connect wirelessly to it so you have your data and display but also can connect for full Mac-powered computing.
Click to expand...
If I’m using my iPad naked for iPad stuff and want to I do something quick in MacOS, like edit the tags of an album I just downloaded, I don't want to have to get up and get my MK. I’m sure Apple isn’t interested i all the complaints about people being force to buy the Magic Keyboard because the Folio keyboard doesn’t have a trackpad. My work Lenovo has a touch screen and I already catch myself trying to tap on my Mac’s notifications and popups/modals So it woudl be frustrating to have a great touchscreen but not be able to use it.

I want Apple to do a better integration of the two OSes than dual booting allows. I want macOS to adjust for touch operation on the iPad. I want an app document to be accessible by either OS’ app, assuming both OSes have that app. I want to be able to hot-swap between the two OSes.
 
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