All iPads Which iPad product line would you eliminate from the iPad family as a whole, if given the choice?

[AlastorKatriona]

All of them except iPad Pro and iPad Air.

Apple only needs 2 tiers for iPads, with different sizes at both tiers.

Then the cheapest iPad Air needs to start at $399. iPad Pro needs to start at $699.

Sell only old/last gen iPads at the $299 price point. Retire the iPad mini for the sad sack that it is.

 

[Supermallet]

I'd drop iPad to two lines: iPad and iPad Pro. Both lineups would have a mini size, a 10-11 inch size, and a 13 inch. The iPad line would use the A#X chips and have TouchID in the power button, lower max brightness non-HDR LCD displays at 60hz, support for the lower end Apple Pencil only. The pros would have M series chips, OLED promotion HDR displays, FaceID, support for higher end Pencils, etc. Keyboard accessories would work across both lines. Lower end would have less RAM and lower max storage options. Then it becomes more about what do you need to do and what size helps you best do it. Streamlined and easy.

 

[erikkfi]

Echoing others: the "Air" moniker doesn't make sense. Either produce a significantly thinner, lighter iPad or ditch that name. This is part of the issue with the confusing iPad lineup. What they mean by "Air" now is "better." It's got the laminated display, better display, better pencil compatibility.

If they need to have all these product lines (leaving aside that argument for the moment) here's how to fix the branding:

iPad SE (this is what you call the 11th-generation basic iPad when it comes out)
iPad (iPad Air gets rebranded to this)
iPad Pro

There's your good, better, best. Bonus points for having the mid-tier iPad in three sizes: Mini, Regular, and Large. Then you're down to three actual product lines with branding that makes sense.

 

[weezin]

There should be the regular iPad and the pro iPad and that's it (in various sizes). I don't get why there's an iPad and also an iPad Air - what is the difference supposed to be? Just combine them and simplify the product line.

 

[Yebubbleman]

So, if I was asked this question six months to a year ago, I would've probably said the 11-inch iPad Pro. My reasoning for that was that for all use cases (as far as I could tell) for which the features that an iPad Pro has that an iPad Air does not would almost universally be better on the larger display (let alone the mini LED/XDR one that the 12.9-inch iPad has had since transitioning to M-series SoCs from AxX/Z series SoCs). Plus, it would allow for clearer differentiation between an iPad Air rocking more or less the same size and most of the processing capabilities and the 12.9-inch iPad Pro.

Now, having thought about it more carefully and realizing the features Apple seems to be reserving for the iPad Pro line (and only tagging the iPad Air along for due to it now also having moved from A-series SoCs to M-series SoCs), the iPad Air seems to make the least amount of sense from a marketing perspective. Plus, you don't get the virtual memory/swapping feature on the 64GB model (which would seem to be a pivotal feature for advancing iPadOS on M-series iPads), leading to fragmentation WITHIN the iPad Air line. And, as others have said, with the iPad Pro seeming poised to be even thinner than the current iPad Air, it makes even less sense to exist.

I previously thought that the Fifth Generation iPad Air was the perfect iPad to have in order to have the definitive iPadOS experience, without getting the higher-end Pro features that may or may not be necessary. But I realize that, outside of the context of iPad Pros and whatever Apple and iPad Pro owners have in mind for them, iPadOS' strength (at least as it stands today), is in content consumption, not content creation. Multi-tasking features on the Air are fragmented and most folks wanting to use an iPad Air probably aren't likely to take advantage of them. And, again, they're fragmented.

Long story short, if I was tasked by Joswiak to make the product line more streamlined, I'd make improvements to the 10th Generation iPad (that honestly ought to not jump the price), and then nix the Air. Apple obviously has ambitions for the iPad Pro that make sense for it, but less sense to the iPads folks buy for content consumption.

If there was an option for "none", I would have checked that. The more choices for us consumers and for Apple as a business the better, in my opinion.

The exercise was more to see what one would do in a hypothetical wherein you were forced to remove one to streamline the lineup. I'm not necessarily advocating the removal of choice. Though, we really do have too many options at the 10-11-inch size and not enough at the others. Furthermore if, after 14 years, lack of choice on which 9.7-11-inch iPad one should buy is what causes folks to not buy iPads, Apple has a much bigger problem on its hands.

None, except the 10.2, which is not speciafically mentioned. All the other models have their place in the line, including the smaller pro and the air. Not only that, the new 12.9 air will have its place too.
Those who want to remove a device simply have no use for it but they all have a point and a price point to fill.
I for instance have no use for the base iPad or for the air, I only buy pro and mini, but still fill those other iPads are important in the line.
Of course the usual minimalists would like to remove models, but that's to the detriment of Apple and consumers

Again, this was a hypothetical exercise the point of which was to think about what one would remove in terms of strategy; not which iPad one dislikes the most.

As "VP of iPad Marketing," your job would have you seeing the lineup differently than we consumers see it. I suspect the catalyst for this poll is probably grounded in a popular consumer viewpoint concept of "the good old days" when there was as little as a single model or two for sale. Thus, all these (many) choices seem to be undesirable through our consumer lens.

Some of us even connect the concept to the late Apple Inc situation just before Jobs became CEO again... in which he consolidated the many to the few and focused on the few. What we seem to ignore about that was that Apple was TINY then... even having to go to Bill Gates for a relatively small loan just to keep the doors open. Was it Jobs genius to consolidate down to the few or was business reality such that Apple could only afford to make relatively few products during that "nearly bankrupt" period? Who really knows? Our lenses can see history a thousand different ways too, depending on how one wants to see it.

Apple Inc in 2024 is typically either "richest company in the world" or running a close second or so at any given time. There's no path back towards a tiny few products that then maintains all that revenue to maintain or grow that standing. It's a very different Apple than it was in 1996-1997 and it needs broader product lines (and "next big things" new lines to roll out) to maintain "another record quarter" growth.

They don't make all these different iPads but then sell only the good ones. They must be selling enough of each line to justify its existence as a line. As VP of iPad Marketing, we would see this in company dollars & sense (alt spelling intentional) and continue doing whatever was likely to yield the most revenue from our division... even if that means adding MORE iPad variety in the future. 🤪 That's the JOB!

Through our consumer lens, we may wish that they would simplify down to only the best of each line of Apple products... which is probably judged best by the one we personally choose to own. However, ask the next consumer what are best offerings from each line and their answer may differ from yours. And ask the next consumer and their opinion will probably differ from the other two. Etc.

My personal favorite iPad- and the only one I choose to own- is iPad Mini. So based upon my judgement, I might think the rest of the lineup is dumb but keep making that one "best" iPad (as I see it). However, yesterday or so, I saw a thread asking how long until Apple finally kills the Mini, filled with select posts poking at it as seemingly weakest link (in that opinion). Apparently that guy feels differently than I do??? Consumers have opinions that differ from our own??? Who would think it? 😉

This VP who arbitrarily kills a line because they like it least personally may be killing a big stream of revenue important to the department. Sales for that line might not automatically shift to what is left... but may bail to Fire or other tablet options. Department sales go down and this VP is soon fired for not doing the job, which is less about picking favorites and more about maximizing revenue & profit.

Now, if we want to reframe the poll and ask what is the least desirable iPad in the lineup, this consumer would offer any of them other than Mini. However, I'm sharp enough to know the next guy(s) may feel very differently... even- as odd as it could seem- rank Mini last and thus the first one deserving to be ejected. And the next guy will likely identify another one that should be first on the block. Thus, 5 lines of iPads in 2024 apparently is the right number of lines through the business lens at Apple Inc. I'm certain they don't make any iPad models at all knowing that nobody will want them... as measured by revenue instead of any one person's opinion... or sentimentality.

First off, I definitely appreciate the thoughtful analysis. I'm not saying that such a move would necessarily make sense. It might. That lineup is messy. But I definitely won't say that lack of sales are a direct result of disproportionate choices. Though, I will say that the line DOES suffer from having disproportionate choices (four iPads that are 10-11 inches vs. one 8.3 inches and one - soon to be two - for 12.9 inches). Also, while far from a perfect hypothetical, the assumption isn't that the person stepping into this role would be deciding to cull an iPad line, but rather would be told that his or her first order of business is to do that (as dictated by senior management at Apple). Not saying it's strategically the right move. Just to see how the decision would be made from that standpoint.

I'd get rid of the iPad Pro (all of them). They don't do anything that you can't do on the air, and just cost more.

Alternatively, they can get rid of the fisher price OS and put a proper OS on the iPad Pro if they want to sell it at those prices.

I have an iPad, iPad Mini, and iPad Air in our house, and aside from the pen compatibility matrix and screen size, they all seem nearly identical to me.

I think putting a more powerful OS (not macOS; but also not the current incarnation of iPadOS either) is what's needed for the iPad Pros. The hardware is plenty powerful. The specs are amazing (you have Thunderbolt on there, for crying out loud!). But iPadOS still feels like it's iOS+ and not an OS designed nor suited to the kinds of tasks and capabilities that the iPad Pro is advertised and marketed for. If Apple doesn't want to advance this and if iPadOS is to remain what it always was, then yeah, the iPad Pro doesn't make much marketing sense. Then again, any M-series iPad seems like overkill, given iPadOS' current limitations.

And yeah, mini, Air, and standard all seem too similar. The mini's size definitely sets it apart and that's fine. It made sense for it to be that way in 2013 and it still makes sense for it to be that way in 2024. But Air vs. standard seems more about how high the Air can be priced vs. how much can we take away from it to sell the standard. Just beef up the standard to be what the fourth generation iPad Air was (in all other non-SoC respects), scrap the M-series processor, and then forego "Air" and then it'll make more sense.

Very good analysis and the replies to this thread prove your point (and mine above when I said "Those who want to remove a device (from the line) simply have no use for it"), each would like to remove different models (or none at all), based on their personal needs and views... but in the end it's Apple that chooses what's good for them as a company and they know better than anyone here...

Again, the exercise wasn't to remove one's least favorite iPad from the line. But rather to put one into the shoes of the person WORKING AT APPLE to remove the most extraneous one from the line. To see what those of us Apple users would do if such a burden ever rested on us.

 

[rui no onna]

Again, the exercise wasn't to remove one's least favorite iPad from the line. But rather to put one into the shoes of the person WORKING AT APPLE to remove the most extraneous one from the line. To see what those of us Apple users would do if such a burden ever rested on us.

Frankly, I reckon the Apple executive would just look at the balance sheets and get rid of the model bringing the least profit.

I expect that’s what happened to the iPhone mini.

 

[Digitalguy]

So, if I was asked this question six months to a year ago, I would've probably said the 11-inch iPad Pro. My reasoning for that was that for all use cases (as far as I could tell) for which the features that an iPad Pro has that an iPad Air does not would almost universally be better on the larger display (let alone the mini LED/XDR one that the 12.9-inch iPad has had since transitioning to M-series SoCs from AxX/Z series SoCs). Plus, it would allow for clearer differentiation between an iPad Air rocking more or less the same size and most of the processing capabilities and the 12.9-inch iPad Pro.

Now, having thought about it more carefully and realizing the features Apple seems to be reserving for the iPad Pro line (and only tagging the iPad Air along for due to it now also having moved from A-series SoCs to M-series SoCs), the iPad Air seems to make the least amount of sense from a marketing perspective. Plus, you don't get the virtual memory/swapping feature on the 64GB model (which would seem to be a pivotal feature for advancing iPadOS on M-series iPads), leading to fragmentation WITHIN the iPad Air line. And, as others have said, with the iPad Pro seeming poised to be even thinner than the current iPad Air, it makes even less sense to exist.

I previously thought that the Fifth Generation iPad Air was the perfect iPad to have in order to have the definitive iPadOS experience, without getting the higher-end Pro features that may or may not be necessary. But I realize that, outside of the context of iPad Pros and whatever Apple and iPad Pro owners have in mind for them, iPadOS' strength (at least as it stands today), is in content consumption, not content creation. Multi-tasking features on the Air are fragmented and most folks wanting to use an iPad Air probably aren't likely to take advantage of them. And, again, they're fragmented.

Long story short, if I was tasked by Joswiak to make the product line more streamlined, I'd make improvements to the 10th Generation iPad (that honestly ought to not jump the price), and then nix the Air. Apple obviously has ambitions for the iPad Pro that make sense for it, but less sense to the iPads folks buy for content consumption.




The exercise was more to see what one would do in a hypothetical wherein you were forced to remove one to streamline the lineup. I'm not necessarily advocating the removal of choice. Though, we really do have too many options at the 10-11-inch size and not enough at the others. Furthermore if, after 14 years, lack of choice on which 9.7-11-inch iPad one should buy is what causes folks to not buy iPads, Apple has a much bigger problem on its hands.



Again, this was a hypothetical exercise the point of which was to think about what one would remove in terms of strategy; not which iPad one dislikes the most.



First off, I definitely appreciate the thoughtful analysis. I'm not saying that such a move would necessarily make sense. It might. That lineup is messy. But I definitely won't say that lack of sales are a direct result of disproportionate choices. Though, I will say that the line DOES suffer from having disproportionate choices (four iPads that are 10-11 inches vs. one 8.3 inches and one - soon to be two - for 12.9 inches). Also, while far from a perfect hypothetical, the assumption isn't that the person stepping into this role would be deciding to cull an iPad line, but rather would be told that his or her first order of business is to do that (as dictated by senior management at Apple). Not saying it's strategically the right move. Just to see how the decision would be made from that standpoint.



I think putting a more powerful OS (not macOS; but also not the current incarnation of iPadOS either) is what's needed for the iPad Pros. The hardware is plenty powerful. The specs are amazing (you have Thunderbolt on there, for crying out loud!). But iPadOS still feels like it's iOS+ and not an OS designed nor suited to the kinds of tasks and capabilities that the iPad Pro is advertised and marketed for. If Apple doesn't want to advance this and if iPadOS is to remain what it always was, then yeah, the iPad Pro doesn't make much marketing sense. Then again, any M-series iPad seems like overkill, given iPadOS' current limitations.

And yeah, mini, Air, and standard all seem too similar. The mini's size definitely sets it apart and that's fine. It made sense for it to be that way in 2013 and it still makes sense for it to be that way in 2024. But Air vs. standard seems more about how high the Air can be priced vs. how much can we take away from it to sell the standard. Just beef up the standard to be what the fourth generation iPad Air was (in all other non-SoC respects), scrap the M-series processor, and then forego "Air" and then it'll make more sense.


Again, the exercise wasn't to remove one's least favorite iPad from the line. But rather to put one into the shoes of the person WORKING AT APPLE to remove the most extraneous one from the line. To see what those of us Apple users would do if such a burden ever rested on us.

To me it sounds more like a "confirmation bias" exercise than anything else. If you force me to remove an iPad and I think they all have their place strategically (except the 10.2), what will I remove? Either the one that earns Apple the least, but only Apple knows that, as I was saying... Or the one I have the least interest in, because of course that's the only logical choice when you think that they all are there for a reason and a price point and that the line is not messy as you claim, but that's precisely what you keep saying it's not the point of the exercise... because the point is to agree that the line is messy and should be streamlined... 😉
Personally I would actually add another iPad to the line, not remove one. A larger 14.5/15" iPad ultra, maybe with more features for enthusiasts, because I think that there is a market for that.

 

[lenningj]

If the iPad and iPad Air merge/consolidate, this could simplify the fragmented iPad line

 

[schneeland]

I personally wouldn't remove any model. However, the iPad Air gets renamed to iPad, and the former iPad gets renamed to iPad SE. I will then pester my fellow marketing VP of the Mac department until they give in and do the same for Macbooks.

 

[Yebubbleman]

To me it sounds more like a "confirmation bias" exercise than anything else. If you force me to remove an iPad and I think they all have their place strategically (except the 10.2), what will I remove? Either the one that earns Apple the least, but only Apple knows that, as I was saying... Or the one I have the least interest in, because of course that's the only logical choice when you think that they all are there for a reason and a price point and that the line is not messy as you claim, but that's precisely what you keep saying it's not the point of the exercise... because the point is to agree that the line is messy and should be streamlined... 😉
Personally I would actually add another iPad to the line, not remove one. A larger 14.5/15" iPad ultra, maybe with more features for enthusiasts, because I think that there is a market for that.

Presumably, your boss (in this hypothetical, Greg Joswiak) asking you to do something you don't see the point in doing, based on a premise you don't agree with, won't stop you from doing it anyway. And, of course Apple has data that none of us have. So, of course the idea is that you make your decision with as much information as you can have. Unless you actually are the VP of iPad marketing, it's not like this is a real-world problem you'd ever have to contend with anyway. PLAY ALONG ANYWAY. 😛

 

[Rafterman]

I'm surprised the Air is leading in the poll. The Air is gives you the processor and RAM of the Pros (except for the 16GB RAM in the 1TB+ Pros), without the bells and whistles - and price. I would think the Air is the one you would keep before any other.

 

[JPack]

Decision made strategically?

iPad mini

Apple already tells you the answer. Within the iPad lineup, it's the mini that's least frequently updated. It tells you the priority for Apple and very likely the size of the mini market.

 

[klasma]

I'm surprised the Air is leading in the poll. The Air is gives you the processor and RAM of the Pros (except for the 16GB RAM in the 1TB+ Pros), without the bells and whistles - and price. I would think the Air is the one you would keep before any other.

The differences to the iPad 10th aren't that many:
https://www.apple.com/ipad/compare/?modelList=ipad-10th-gen,ipad-air-5th-gen,ipad-pro-11-4th-gen
(The link doesn't quite work, the page insists on inserting the 12.9" Pro no matter what. Dark pattern?)

Somewhat faster SoC, somewhat better display, some other minor differences. This should really be one model. In between iPad 10th, iPad Air, and iPad Pro 11", there's one model too many, and it makes sense to slash the middle one.

 

[JPack]

The differences to the iPad 10th aren't that many:
https://www.apple.com/ipad/compare/?modelList=ipad-10th-gen,ipad-air-5th-gen,ipad-pro-11-4th-gen
(The link doesn't quite work, the page insists on inserting the 12.9" Pro no matter what. Dark pattern?)

Somewhat faster SoC, somewhat better display, some other minor differences. This should really be one model. In between iPad 10th, iPad Air, and iPad Pro 11", there's one model too many, and it makes sense to slash the middle one.

So you prefer to live in a world where you have to choose between: $449 iPad A14/4GB or $799 iPad Pro M2/8GB? Don't you think the gap is too wide?

$449 iPad is cheap, slow, and lacks RAM. It has a non-laminated display and doesn't work with pressure sensitive Pencil 2. The goal was to make the display cheap to repair.

For people who want a premium media consumption device with light multi-tasking, the iPad Air is perfect.

 

[klasma]

So you prefer to live in a world where you have to choose between: $449 iPad A14/4GB or $799 iPad Pro M2/8GB? Don't you think the gap is too wide?

I would make the gap a bit closer. But I think it makes little sense to have three models of virtually the same size artificially and rather arbitrarily divided into features (in addition to the storage, cellular, and color options that exist anyway). Although soon we'll have the same situation with the iPhone (SE4/regular/Pro). It made more sense with the iPad 9, like currently with the SE3. And I think it certainly makes more sense to remove the Air than to remove the 10th or the 11" (or the mini or the 12"). The premise was if you had to pick one, which would you remove.

 

[JPack]

I would make the gap a bit closer. But I think it makes little sense to have three models of virtually the same size artificially and rather arbitrarily divided into features (in addition to the storage, cellular, and color options that exist anyway). Although soon we'll have the same situation with the iPhone (SE4/regular/Pro). It made more sense with the iPad 9, like currently with the SE3. And I think it certainly makes more sense to remove the Air than to remove the 10th or the 11" (or the mini or the 12"). The premise was if you had to pick one, which would you remove.

Personally, I see the divide between iPad, Air, and Pro as quite natural. You pay +$150 for better processor, RAM, and display, then +$200 if you want even more processor, display, and camera. This is like buying a Mac.

Processor | RAM | Display | Camera
$449 iPad | $599 iPad Air | $799 iPad Pro

iPad Air has different chassis to accommodate the laminated display. Similar with iPad Pro for the camera. You either punish all the education/kid buyers by killing $449 iPad or punish mainstream customers by killing iPad Air.

I'd prefer to kill iPad mini because the vast majority of consumers prefer a 10 or 11-inch display. More options in the middle make sense.

 

[The Clark]

Scenario: You are hired as the new Vice President of iPad Marketing at Apple. Once the welcoming committees and intro meetings die down, you are told by Greg Joswiak that Apple has too many iPad product lines and that one will have to be discontinued without replacement at the next major product refresh/launch (of at least one of the other iPad lines).

Which model do you pick to get rid of?

For the sake of argument (and stemming it), let's assume that this decision is to be made purely strategically for the benefit of the iPad product family as a whole and that your decision isn't necessarily supposed to reflect your own preference whatsoever.

I would be more concerned that someone at Apple Thought that I was qualified to be VP of marketing.

 

[klky]

Easy. The iPad Air goes without a second thought.

I think people are getting hung up on removing tiers when the real issue is the naming.

The naming convention of "iPad" and "iPad Air" is confusing and not meaningful. I'm talking from a marketing standpoint. Presumably if one of my goals is to attract new customers, surely choosing between "iPad" or "iPad Pro" (or even "iPad mini") is a lot easier to understand. For those that don't know and appreciate the history of how the "Air" moniker came about, what does "Air" even mean?

The iPad should get the higher specs of the Air and be simply called "iPad". To maintain your lowest end price tier, just keep the older iPad around. Just like with iPhone. Again from a marketing standpoint, does Apple really want "iPad" to be known as the cheap one? Let's be honest, that's how we've come to think of "iPad".

Equally baffling to me is the "MacBook Air' when a "MacBook" doesn't even exist. I raised this in another forum last year and someone actually said, "Apple will never get rid of the "Air" branding as it's too important". Really? More so than simply "MacBook"? And when "Air" has totally lost its original meaning? Ok sure. Agree to disagree.

 

[Yebubbleman]

I'm surprised the Air is leading in the poll. The Air is gives you the processor and RAM of the Pros (except for the 16GB RAM in the 1TB+ Pros), without the bells and whistles - and price. I would think the Air is the one you would keep before any other.

It’s not a bad tablet. For being an M-series iPad, it is one’s least expensive way into getting the absolute most out of iPadOS 16 through the latest version of 17. However, it has more than someone using an iPad for casual use cases needs and not enough for someone using an iPad for higher-end/professional use cases. Put it this way. Who, buying an iPad Air, needs an M1 in that iPad Air? All you’re otherwise left with over a 10th Generation iPad is laminated display (which I agree is nice, but not really necessary), faster USB speeds (not sure that matters in too many practical scenarios), different keyboard options (which may or may not matter), a slightly thicker chassis (may or may not be a good thing), and Second Generation Apple Pencil 2 support (which I won’t knock because that is objectively the best way to Apple Pencil, though I question whether or not one’s use of the Apple Pencil wouldn’t be better on an iPad with the better screen refresh rate).

For the iPad user that isn’t playing super intense games, working in Procreate, or Final Cut Pro, or Logic Pro, using their iPad as a reference display, or doing anything even remotely of the caliber of the aforementioned tasks, what does a 5th Generation iPad Air get you over a 10th Generation iPad?

Just my guess, but I think that’s a big part of why the Air is leading in this poll.

Decision made strategically?

iPad mini

Apple already tells you the answer. Within the iPad lineup, it's the mini that's least frequently updated. It tells you the priority for Apple and very likely the size of the mini market.

Much as I’d be absolutely heartbroken to see the iPad mini go, you are playing the game correctly and you do make an extremely valid point. I think the only reason I didn’t pick the mini is that there do seem to be SOME use cases for it that seem to compel Apple to keep it in the lineup. The 5th Generation iPad mini and iPad mini 4 both found their way to mobile POS systems, though, I’ve yet to see the 6th Generation iPad mini make similar inroads, outside of an actual Apple Store.

It has virtually no competition; small tablets do exist, but they’re all WAY lower-end or way outdated. A far cry from the Nexus 7 days.

I think it makes marketing sense to have; though it does seem as though their update frequency does suggest their lack of care and attention to it. Then again, 18 months for ANY iPad release doesn’t say anything positive about ANY iPad.

This is entirely conjecture, but the whole product line seems to be in trouble.

Easy. The iPad Air goes without a second thought.

I think people are getting hung up on removing tiers when the real issue is the naming.

The naming convention of "iPad" and "iPad Air" is confusing and not meaningful. I'm talking from a marketing standpoint. Presumably if one of my goals is to attract new customers, surely choosing between "iPad" or "iPad Pro" (or even "iPad mini") is a lot easier to understand. For those that don't know and appreciate the history of how the "Air" moniker came about, what does "Air" even mean?

The iPad should get the higher specs of the Air and be simply called "iPad". To maintain your lowest end price tier, just keep the older iPad around. Just like with iPhone. Again from a marketing standpoint, does Apple really want "iPad" to be known as the cheap one? Let's be honest, that's how we've come to think of "iPad".

Equally baffling to me is the "MacBook Air' when a "MacBook" doesn't even exist. I raised this in another forum last year and someone actually said, "Apple will never get rid of the "Air" branding as it's too important". Really? More so than simply "MacBook"? And when "Air" has totally lost its original meaning? Ok sure. Agree to disagree.

I definitely agree with this. The original ”iPad Air” was the true successor of the fourth generation iPad. Why they brought the “standard” iPad back for a fifth generation, three processor generations, after the fourth generation, putting the iPad Air on hiatus until it inexplicably returns in 2019 to replace the 10.5-inch iPad Pro, is all beyond me. That mid-range iPad should’ve always been “iPad”. And if “iPad” changed to “iPad Air”, then that change should’ve stuck. In any case, if “iPad Air” was just “iPad” and the 9th and 10th Generation iPads were education-only iPads, that’d make more marketing sense.

Then again, I think that giving the iPad Air the M1 was the move that really made minimal sense, especially since you don’t get every benefit that having an M1 offers when you only get the 64GB models. That’s fragmentation within the family that makes no sense.

Furthermore, who is the Air even catering to? Yes, a laminated display is nicer than a non-laminated display. If I’m primarily using it for content consumption, does that make a serious difference? I’d argue not. The first generation Apple Pencil is an annoying product to use; who is going to be getting serious about drawing (to the point where either the USB-C Apple Pencil or the first generation Apple Pencil are not optimal) and not getting an iPad Pro? (I’m not saying nobody, but it’s definitely niche at that point.)

Hell, the 4th/5th Gen Air and the 9th/10th Gen standard both don’t have camera flashes. The mini and the Pro do. How does that make any sense?

A Fifth Generation iPad Air is a formidable tablet. It’s not a bad piece of tech whatsoever. And it would’ve been what I would’ve recommended to pretty much any prospective iPad owner before realizing that Apple clearly wants two very different experiences between iPad Pros and all other iPads and that the Air is awkwardly straddling That middle line. Now, if I know someone isn’t going to use an Apple Pencil and just wants to casually use an iPad for content consumption and/or to more comfortably do things that are too small to do on a phone, I’m going to recommend the 10th Generation iPad instead.

 

[engbren]

I think iPad, iPad Air and iPad Pro all have their place. I personally dislike the iPad Air as it seems too premium priced for what it delivers. However, it appears to be positioned there as a gateway device to encourage purchasers to spend that little bit more for the Pro. I struggle to understand iPad Mini - it seems too expensive for a small screen device and I think that should return to an entry level model with entry level pricing.
The thing that needs work is iPadOS. Apple are pitching an iPad as a laptop replacement, even if only inferrentially by marketing it with a keyboard and trackpad accessory. However, its a touch UX with keyboard and trackpad bolted onto the side. It is functional, it works, but it feels awkward and unfamiliar when used with the trackpad. I'd like to see iPadOS do a better job of adapting to how the user wants to use it.

 

[rui no onna]

Then again, I think that giving the iPad Air the M1 was the move that really made minimal sense, especially since you don’t get every benefit that having an M1 offers when you only get the 64GB models. That’s fragmentation within the family that makes no sense.

Has there been a tangible difference between the 64GB and 256GB due to lack of swap? Afaik, apart from swap, both Air 5 capacities support all the same features and can run all the same apps.

That said, I would’ve much preferred 128GB base even with a $50 price bump.

 

[rui no onna]

I struggle to understand iPad Mini - it seems too expensive for a small screen device and I think that should return to an entry level model with entry level pricing.

No thanks. Since there’s only one iPad mini model, having it as mid-range is a decent compromise between the two extremes. The entry level iPad cuts one too many corners for my taste.

 

[Yebubbleman]

I'd like to see iPadOS do a better job of adapting to how the user wants to use it.

I think this right here (or more accurately, the lack thereof) is what’s truly wrong with the whole lineup and the iPadOS platform as a whole.

Though, I’d argue that this isn’t as bad on the iPad mini; all of the things you can do on the iPad Pro or Air and can’t do on the mini are all things that don’t make sense to do on the mini to begin with. Similarly, I don’t need a Smart Connector on an iPad mini because the keyboard I’d likely have to use with it would be so unpleasantly small, there’s no way anyone would ever consider buying it.

Has there been a tangible difference between the 64GB and 256GB due to lack of swap? Afaik, apart from swap, both Air 5 capacities support all the same features and can run all the same apps.

No tangible difference that I’m aware of. But then again, I’ve not yet owned an iPad that has this feature (considering a refurbished M1/5th Generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro, one of the reasons for which being to check out what it’s like to use that feature).

I suspect that the feature gap between A-series iPads and M-series iPads will get wider and that some of the under-the-hood features that the latter has (but the former doesn’t), such as swap/virtual memory will probably evolve over time.

That said, I would’ve much preferred 128GB base even with a $50 price bump.

That honestly should’ve been what they did. 64GB even in 2022 for an iPad even that high end is a slap to the face. Then again, 128GB on a 12.9-inch iPad Pro in 2024 for $1100 is also a slap to the face.

 

[chabig]

Which model do you pick to get rid of?

Everyone on the internet says choice is good, so none.

 

[rui no onna]

No tangible difference that I’m aware of. But then again, I’ve not yet owned an iPad that has this feature (considering a refurbished M1/5th Generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro, one of the reasons for which being to check out what it’s like to use that feature).

I suspect that the feature gap between A-series iPads and M-series iPads will get wider and that some of the under-the-hood features that the latter has (but the former doesn’t), such as swap/virtual memory will probably evolve over time.

I have three M1 iPads (2 16GB and 1 8GB RAM) and quite frankly, I can’t tell whether the swap file is being used or not. Apps and tabs on the M1 iPads don’t reload as often as on my Mini 6 but I expect that’s more a function of the extra RAM than the swap file.

I expect by the time swap actually becomes necessary, you’d need like M3 or M4 anyway.