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What features would you like to see in the upcoming 12.9 iPad Pro for 2021?

  • Mini-led screen

    Votes: 58 68.2%
  • HDR support

    Votes: 25 29.4%
  • Better battery life 12+ hours

    Votes: 41 48.2%
  • Faster Face ID

    Votes: 20 23.5%
  • New magic keyboard (function keys, book mode, larger trackpad, Apple Pencil storage)

    Votes: 29 34.1%
  • New Apple Pencil

    Votes: 13 15.3%
  • A14x or M1 chip

    Votes: 50 58.8%
  • 8gb of ram

    Votes: 50 58.8%
  • Better monitor support

    Votes: 43 50.6%
  • Thunderbolt 3 port (s)

    Votes: 31 36.5%
  • Camera at the top in landscape mode (like macs)

    Votes: 32 37.6%
  • Larger screen

    Votes: 14 16.5%
  • 5G

    Votes: 19 22.4%
  • Other

    Votes: 8 9.4%

  • Total voters
    85

Ipadlover29

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
May 28, 2011
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What features would you like to see in the upcoming 12.9 iPad Pro for 2021?
 
There like at least one similar thread to this.
Given that its week from being announced, whats the point of such poll if we all know that the product has been finalized and it wont affect anything?
Rename it 2022 and if would make sense, perhaps, just maybe Apple will listen one day.
 
Apple should block portrait orientation and make the Magic Keyboard non-removable. Because no one is using the Pro without the keyboard or in portrait orientation. 🤷‍♂️
But to be serious: Everything I want is mainly software-based.
 
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Is that... realistic, per se?
What about it isn’t?

Same chip? Check
Competitors already done similar? Check
Mouse and keyboard attached? Check

Sure, some logistics to work out regarding how data / storage would work, but that’s it. Hardly a hard thing to sort.

That said, maybe you meant realistic in terms of ‘would Apple ever do this’? In which case, no, no they probably won’t. No idea why, but they seem against it. Some say it’s money, but I’m here never purchasing another MacBook or iPad again until it happens so I don’t really get that argument from my perspective. Their actually going to get a less money from me in the long term by avoiding it, I’m sure that’s absolutely nothing to them but still, there could be others out there.
The iPad Pro costs more than a MacBook anyway, particularly once you add all the external accessories.
 
What about it isn’t?

Same chip? Check
Competitors already done similar? Check
Mouse and keyboard attached? Check

Sure, some logistics to work out regarding how data / storage would work, but that’s it. Hardly a hard thing to sort.

That said, maybe you meant realistic in terms of ‘would Apple ever do this’? In which case, no, no they probably won’t. No idea why, but they seem against it. Some say it’s money, but I’m here never purchasing another MacBook or iPad again until it happens so I don’t really get that argument from my perspective. Their actually going to get a less money from me in the long term by avoiding it, I’m sure that’s absolutely nothing to them but still, there could be others out there.
The iPad Pro costs more than a MacBook anyway, particularly once you add all the external accessories.
My thought with them moving to M series chips; was to mesh the iPad into the Mac environment.

imagine plugging your Mac into a monitor, hook up your mouse trackpad and you have Mac OSX with a file system.
Undock it and now you have a tablet.
maybe even you can over ride the monitor hookup by once peripherals are hooked up it goes straight into OSX.

Something similar with the iMac..
What about a stand that folds down and you can use it as a giant iPad with a pencil?

want to go back into OSX, move the stand back into a different position and now you have Mac

I know it sounds crazy but it could be done. Especially with the new chips.

Dreaming? Maybe.. but yeah it could be done; you could mesh the 2 systems and multiple environments could be booted up depending on the position of a stand, or if you are hooked up to monitors, peripherals, etc.
 
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The usual MacOS in iPad dreamers...
The fact that something can be done doesn't mean it will.
Apple has more to lose overall than gain from it, and the fact that 0.001% of people (probably less...) wouldn't buy either device because of this doesn't matter to Apple.
iPads and Macs will not merge, they both will continue to improve, and people will continue to buy them...
 
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The usual MacOS in iPad dreamers...
The fact that something can be done doesn't mean it will.
Apple has more to lose overall than gain from it, and the fact that 0.001% of people (probably less...) wouldn't buy either device because of this doesn't matter to Apple.
iPads and Macs will not merge, they both will continue to improve, and people will continue to buy them...
An iPad magnetically mounted to the Magic Keyboard with mouse and trackpad that can automatically switch into a Mac OS X environment; and then when pulled off the magnetic stand will run iOS; is a much better user experience; then having iPad OS limiting to what an overpowered device can do; and using a keyboard and mouse on iOS.

The roadmap for this and current devices is already there. Apple just has to implement it.

Magic Keyboard senses iPad is magnetically hooked up; charges device via MagSafe connection
iPad running ARM Chip
Backlight keyboard and trackpad built into Magic Keyboard
Mac OSX boots

iPad senses it's pulled off the stand; back into iOS with your Apple Pencil onto of the device that's magnetically charing

What's not to love there? Snap it into the device peripheral accessory; you have a Mac.
Pull it out - you have an iPad.

Total hybrid. Can be done. The accessories and chips are already there.
 
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An iPad magnetically mounted to the Magic Keyboard with mouse and trackpad that can automatically switch into a Mac OS X environment; and then when pulled off the magnetic stand will run iOS; is a much better user experience; then having iPad OS limiting to what an overpowered device can do; and using a keyboard and mouse on iOS.

The roadmap for this and current devices is already there. Apple just has to implement it.

Magic Keyboard senses iPad is magnetically hooked up; charges device via MagSafe connection
iPad running ARM Chip
Backlight keyboard and trackpad built into Magic Keyboard

iPad senses it's pulled off the stand; back into iOS with your Apple Pencil onto of the device that's magnetically charing

What's not to love there?
I agree, but that's not going to happen.... An iPad that can turn into what, a non touch/pen Mac? Not happening
A touch/pen Mac? Not happening either.
 
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Exactly, there is no way Apple is going to create an combination of Mac and Ipad. Otherwise how will Apple make profit?
 
I no longer want OS X on the iPad, I do hope for better external monitor support though. And that either Apple makes it easier for developers to move over apps that work on M1 Macs to iPad OS or that developers start doing that on their own. When they run the same hardware I don’t see why games and programs that run on the MacBook Air shouldn’t be able to be run on the iPad Pro and so on.
 
Very superficial, but I'd like to see some additional finish colors with the updated iPad Pro
 
Exactly, there is no way Apple is going to create an combination of Mac and Ipad. Otherwise how will Apple make profit?

From people already buying the iPad Pro that costs more than a Macbook? Otherwise you know, might as well just buy the 'cheap' ipad eventually.

I no longer want OS X on the iPad, I do hope for better external monitor support though. And that either Apple makes it easier for developers to move over apps that work on M1 Macs to iPad OS or that developers start doing that on their own. When they run the same hardware I don’t see why games and programs that run on the MacBook Air shouldn’t be able to be run on the iPad Pro and so on.

This is what Apple wants to happen and is trying to force. But I don't believe developers are interested in it. The amount of iOS apps that got disabled from running on M1 macs is probably an indication of this.

I wouldn't be surprised if Apple hoped adding all iOS/iPadOS apps to M1 macs would get developers to add support for keyboard/mouse, but in reality they all just disabled the ability to install them - has anyone seen any actively say they want to bring them over to MacOS (big name apps I mean, like netflix etc)? As for the other way around, its much less likely for iPad to gain MacOS apps this way because MacOS is much more open than iPadOS (so far) will ever be. If the MacOS app has to be neutered in order to be brought to iOS/iPadOS, developers just won't bother...

The only reason I would even consider MacOS on an iPad is because Apple seems to be taking forever to get iPadOS where it could go. Either because they are reluctant to add new features (e.g. finally adding mouse support) or its just too held back from being based on iOS.
One step closer every 2 years is painfully slow, and its even more frustrating now when a fully matured ready to go operating system is now capable of running on the exact hardware in the tablet.
 
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:rolleyes: Really? 🤣

The internals of the iPad Pro 2020 were literally used for the dev kits.

If Apple released an identical tablet but called it a Mac would that be enough for you then?

I love some peoples resistance to new form factors.
I'm dead serious. An iPad isn't a Mac.
 
From people already buying the iPad Pro that costs more than a Macbook? Otherwise you know, might as well just buy the 'cheap' ipad eventually.



This is what Apple wants to happen and is trying to force. But I don't believe developers are interested in it. The amount of iOS apps that got disabled from running on M1 macs is probably an indication of this.

I wouldn't be surprised if Apple hoped adding all iOS/iPadOS apps to M1 macs would get developers to add support for keyboard/mouse, but in reality they all just disabled the ability to install them - has anyone seen any actively say they want to bring them over to MacOS (big name apps I mean, like netflix etc)? As for the other way around, its much less likely for iPad to gain MacOS apps this way because MacOS is much more open than iPadOS (so far) will ever be. If the MacOS app has to be neutered in order to be brought to iOS/iPadOS, developers just won't bother...

The only reason I would even consider MacOS on an iPad is because Apple seems to be taking forever to get iPadOS where it could go. Either because they are reluctant to add new features (e.g. finally adding mouse support) or its just too held back from being based on iOS.
One step closer every 2 years is painfully slow, and its even more frustrating now when a fully matured ready to go operating system is now capable of running on the exact hardware in the tablet.
How will Apple then make profit? If they are able to make the Ipad a full fledged macbook, then consumers would logically move towards the touchscreen/laptop combination. Whereas, if they are able to create the gap between the Ipad and Macbook, consumers would have to purchase both systems that would help work with the Apple ecosystem and profit Apple themselves.
 
I'd say the most important feature would be immediate availability.

This chip shortage makes me nervous. And there's talk of low yields.
 
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As for the other way around, its much less likely for iPad to gain MacOS apps this way because MacOS is much more open than iPadOS (so far) will ever be. If the MacOS app has to be neutered in order to be brought to iOS/iPadOS, developers just won't bother...

Why would the developers care about the OS being more open? When I’m coding something I don give a damn if the user can pull up a terminal and change root level stuff or not... For most applications or games it is the other way around, being more locked down helps them with for example security and in many cases easier coding as well as not having to worry about piracy.

Especially game developers have a lot to gain to get it out to all devices when iPads, Macs and Apple TV’s will run the same hardware. Mac is a small market so if you can reach a much larger audience than that it makes the investment make more sense.

If Apple kept working on tools for Mac OS apps to be easily compiled for both now that they both run same CPU/GPU I am sure developers will follow. I thunk right now they are held back because the requirements of being able to use it completely in touch mode.
 
The camera does need to be on the top in landscape mode. The only iPad for which this not being the case makes any sense at all is the iPad mini.

Certainly more RAM, an A14X would be good too. As would Thunderbolt (though that's nowhere near a must). 5G on cellular models seems like it should happen, though I don't personally need it (as I don't typically take my 12.9" iPad Pros anywhere there isn't accessible Wi-Fi).

The main thing I want to see is more of an iPadOS feature rather than a hardware feature, but that's multi-user support. It has existed on macOS since Mac OS X. iPadOS is derived from modern day macOS. Why not give it to us on iPadOS? Why else fork off iPadOS from iOS to begin with? So far, that separation seems to be in name only...
 
All the iPad features I want have nothing to do with the hardware. It's all about improving iPadOS. iPadOS feels like it's years behind the hardware. I still feel like I'm just using a really big iPhone when I'm using an iPad Pro.

Is that... realistic, per se?

I think having iPadOS literally turn into MacOS like that isn't quite realistic, however, I do think it's quite possible for iPadOS' UI to turn into something that more closely matches MacOS when a keyboard/mouse/monitor is plugged in. For example, I don't expect to ever be able to run MacOS apps on an iPad (even though I'd love that) but I do think it's perfectly reasonable to allow multiple windowed apps that can be moved around, resized, etc when using an external monitor.

I think it's only natural to move in this direction. If Apple really wanted the iPad to remain a touch-only device, they never would have released the Magic Keyboard and added external mouse and keyboard support. Just look at how they advertise it. They show people using the iPad like they would a laptop.
 
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