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Who would buy an iPad Air 3?
- Thread starter gadget123
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I would love to buy an iPad Pro but as I own a 13" 2015 Retina MacBook Pro I can't really justify it. I currently own an iPad Air 2 and I'm more likely to replace it with an iPad Air 3 assuming it has some noticeable improvements and especially if it incorporates some of the features of the iPad Pro like the 4 speakers, Pen support and ideally the extra RAM. If the iPad Air were to be an iPad Pro in a smaller form factor at a lower cost that would be ideal. That Said they have to have some differentiations between the two in order not to cannibalise sales from the iPad Pro.
4 speakers and a flash and Apple watches their iPad sales continue to slow. It would give no reason for 18 months worth of iPad Air 2 users to upgrade, and other iPad purchasers may simply buy the - then cheaper - iPad air 2
I personally want pencil support, but 4K could at least be a selling point for others.
i'm mildly torn. after the ipad 3, i kinda swore off ipads. but i'm stuck on my back for the next 3 months healing from a shattered ankle, and its started tempting me back towards an ipad-like device to pass the time.
if its just a faster, lighter version of the ipad 3, i'm still not sure its worth it. the main thing that has me on the fence is apple pencil support. that is a meaningfully new piece of functionality that might make it worth it, but i'm worried they're going to hold off a year just to try to drive sales of the pro. when in fact i'd go in the opposite direction and get a mini if it supported pencil and didn't have a washed out screen.
if its just a faster, lighter version of the ipad 3, i'm still not sure its worth it. the main thing that has me on the fence is apple pencil support. that is a meaningfully new piece of functionality that might make it worth it, but i'm worried they're going to hold off a year just to try to drive sales of the pro. when in fact i'd go in the opposite direction and get a mini if it supported pencil and didn't have a washed out screen.
I agree with you, although I don't think 4K support and pen would change things much either.
I just can't think of what they could add to really change the decline in iPad sales. Tablets don't get changed as often as phones and not much will change that.
If I'm honest I would be slightly annoyed if the air 3 has better specs than the iPad pro I've just purchased. But I appreciate with any technology there's always something better around the corner, but I assumed the iPad pro would now be pitched as the tablet with the highest specs. In the same way that if I purchased a MacBook Pro I wouldn't expect the MacBook Air to release months later with better specs.
Agreed, all an iPad Air 3 with the rumoured improvements would likely do is drive sales of the Air 2 from those who are looking to upgrade iPad 2/3s. If Apple wants to drrive iPad sales up again, it needs to look at the UI - even after all these years it's still just a large iPod Touch. Thus people are happy with old iPads for the internet and mail. If Apple could come up with a decent productivity UI for the iPad there may be a whole wave of people willing to give them another go.
This is entirely the point. APPLE DID NOT UPGRADE THE IPAD THIS YEAR.
How could you NOT expect iPad sales to fall further?
If Apple wants to boost iPad sales, it needs a compelling upgrade. Improved UI is a great place to start. iPad is not a computer. The majority of iPad buyers don't want a computer. They don't like computers, but iPad does everything they need and they're perfectly happy it's not a computer. Frankly, iOS is a great idea for a phone that fits in your pocket, not iPad! iPad doesn't need to be a computer replacement, MacBook and MacBook Air are the size of iPad and easier to carry and use than iPad if you want a keyboard.
There's 2 ways to get current owners to upgrade. Compelling New Features (more compelling than features that already exist on iPhone, like 3D Touch - and nothing that makes it more like a Mac, because iPad owners don't want a computer) or a Phenomenal Speed Boost.
Ignoring your flagship product for an expensive niche Pro version is a slap in the face to millions of ordinary iPad owners out there, wondering if there's a good reason to upgrade their slowing vintage iPads.
More importantly, is it a sign of things to come? Apple does not care about iPad owners and it doesn't care about the product. It has the PRO and the Mini for price sensitive customers, both with better profit margins.
Neglect is the only word for it. Any wonder iPad sales are heading south.
And after the iPad 3 experience (upgraded after 6 months to iPad 4 for readers who don't know the history), no one is going to TRUST Apple to do the right thing with a mid-cycle iPad Air update, for fear the curse of the iPad 3 will befall buyers of the iPad Air 3.
The signs are already there—no 3D Touch, Smart Connector but no mention of Pencil support, two features that could well be added on-cycle in September, to the cheering of the media who get every upgrade 'for their job' and not normal users who have to make a buying decision for years ahead.
iPad Air 3 is already cursed. It's cursed by the bitter iPad 3 experience, which seems only confirmed by utter neglect of the product and disrespect already shown to loyal buyers this year.
And even if an iPad Air 3 appears in March, it will be cursed by speculation about a September upgrade! Whether a September upgrade happens at all.
Apple has made its own bed and now it's going to lie in it. iPad sales will take hit after hit for another year, and NOBODY is going to RISK an iPad Air 3, as it's safer to wait for iPad Air 4.
That's precisely why I spoke about ordinary iPad owners. I won't be so crass as to put a wikipedia link for flagship here, but Galaxy S is considered the flagship, even though Note is more expensive and has more features. I haven't heard anyone call Mac Pro flagship with 5k iMacs eclipsing it. Check the server log reports, iPad Air 2 is king. It's the flagship, and it's been put in the dock. Welcome to the future - iPad Mini or cumbersome Pro. Apple shot itself in the foot. Accept that.
Nothing is cumbersome at the Pro. Are you really so week that you can't hold less then 800g with 2 hands? How do you hold a bottle of soda?
It's not so much the weight as it is the size. A 12.9 inch tablet is not exactly a portable device even if you're 7 feet tall.
The purpose really isn't for Air 2 users. It's update will be more for everyone still using an iPad 2-4. Which is where the majority of iPad users sit.
I understand, but I would argue the air 2 was already a great reason to upgrade from earlier models. I put it in the same category as the iPad 2 - it'll be a classic that lasts for ages.
If the air 3 is only a relatively minor spec bump, and the air 2 takes the lower priced slot currently occupied by the Air 1, then the Air 2 becomes even more the choice for those upgrading
Air 2 is only 11.2% of active iPads. There are more people using iPad 2s right now rather than Air 2.
So iPad Air 3 will be targeting those people who use pre-Air iPads, trying to convince them to upgrade.
The biggest improvement I would hope for over the Air 2 is increased base storage. The rest is just standard part for the course.
Pencil support on a 10 inch device doesn't seem all that appealing to me especially after using a Surface Pro 2 and then transitioning to a Pro 3. The additional screen real estate was tremendously useful and I can't see myself ever using a 10 inch display with a stylus again.
For the time being, I ordered an Air 2 and will see how I feel about it for the next week or two while keeping an eye on the forums/news to monitor iPad Air 3 leaks.
It's a different decision for me as I have to eat the exchange costs should I choose to grab an Air 3 while the Air 2 is essentially a bargain at the moment compared to what the Air 3 will start at.
Pencil support on a 10 inch device doesn't seem all that appealing to me especially after using a Surface Pro 2 and then transitioning to a Pro 3. The additional screen real estate was tremendously useful and I can't see myself ever using a 10 inch display with a stylus again.
For the time being, I ordered an Air 2 and will see how I feel about it for the next week or two while keeping an eye on the forums/news to monitor iPad Air 3 leaks.
It's a different decision for me as I have to eat the exchange costs should I choose to grab an Air 3 while the Air 2 is essentially a bargain at the moment compared to what the Air 3 will start at.
I don't think the Air 3 will get a 4K screen, but maybe 2016 will be the year all iOS devices will be updated to 3x resolution. This would result in a marketing-friendly "4K" for the iPad Pro 2, and still a very high resolution for the Air 3. The better screen, CPU and speakers will make for a nice upgrade IMO. I'd like thinner&lighter, too, but you can't have everything in one revision i guess..
I don't see a 4k display either. Developers already have their hands full supporting another tablet resolution, no reason to tax them further. Apple also seems very comfortable with their magic number of 264 PPI for tablets and I don't see this changing anything soon. You mess up way too many dependent variables including battery life and GPU performance.
I do think Apple should bring Apple Pencil support to all iPads though. It would really help spur the adoption of said hardware in more apps. There's no reason why I can pen notes in Notability on an iPad Pro but not on my iPad Air or iPad Mini.
I teach holding the iPad in my hand while walking around the classroom. An iPad Pro would simply be too big to hold comfortable in one hand, much less type on. With an iPad Mini, my thumbs can comfortably touch the middle of the virtual keyboard. I can still manage this on an iPad. With an iPad Pro? Forget it. It's also a lot less portable and would not fit into my bag at all.
A couple of points to consider:
1) What will the air3 have?
2) Stop production on the air2 128gb option once the air3 is released.
As an iPad 2 owner, if the Air3 fixes the vibration issue and extends the battery life some, then I'll buy it. If not, it will depend. Dropping #2 will help in convincing some to go with the latest and greatest and make the Air2 the easy choice for the more price conscious.
As for albusseverus's comments, yes the iPad sales will continue to decline as a whole, that is the hard reality of this market. But by getting the ipad2-4 owners to upgrade, it will be a good thing in Apple's eyes. And though the iPad Pro may be the flagship, the Air line will always be where the bulk of the sales are (until more adopt the Pro).
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Air 2 is only 11.2% of active iPads. There are more people using iPad 2s right now rather than Air 2.
So iPad Air 3 will be targeting those people who use pre-Air iPads, trying to convince them to upgrade.
Yep, that's me; seriously considering upgrading to the Air 3 from my venerable iPad 2.
Air 2 is only 11.2% of active iPads. There are more people using iPad 2s right now rather than Air 2.
So iPad Air 3 will be targeting those people who use pre-Air iPads, trying to convince them to upgrade.
I don't get it.
I understand that is who Apple will want to talk to - but if the Air 2 drops $100 and the Air 3 is only a little better, surely the Air 2 is the better upgrade option in terms of value for money? Its like when the Mini 3 came out which was basically a mini 2 + touchID for $100 more. Just buy the now-cheaper mini 2.
The thing is we don't know if it will be a minor or major upgrade. My bet is on the latter. Either way knowing me I will probably upgrade to it or maybe consider getting a refurbished iPad Pro when they are available.
People here should get a little sense of reality - it is INSANE to change a perfectly fine working device yearly. Use them as long as they work as you need and THEN get a new one.
Have Apple fans gone mad, or what is that?
Have Apple fans gone mad, or what is that?
There is nothing wrong or insane about it. Just because you can't either afford to do so or feel you can't justify it doesn't mean others shouldn't. I upgrade my iPhone every year and I do the same with my iPad. The only reason why I didn't get an iPad Pro yet is because I own a 13" MacBook Pro. Depending on the features of the iPad Air 3 I may or may not end up getting an iPad Pro. I will most likely get one or the other. I like to have the best possible features and functionality available.
well.. if they added all new features to Air3, it would be way too expensive and there wouldnt be anything left for air4. people would stay with air3 for a long time...
many didnt bought air2 because it didnt offer much for air owners and it killed all styluses. the reason i dont buy ipad pro is that it doesnt offer anything special for me (having air2). the pencil support isnt enough to get me buying pro. the gui is horrible, been playing with it... it feels cheap! a large tablet without an optimize os. i do like the idea, the size but again "pro" means only "bigger" rather than "for work".
many didnt bought air2 because it didnt offer much for air owners and it killed all styluses. the reason i dont buy ipad pro is that it doesnt offer anything special for me (having air2). the pencil support isnt enough to get me buying pro. the gui is horrible, been playing with it... it feels cheap! a large tablet without an optimize os. i do like the idea, the size but again "pro" means only "bigger" rather than "for work".