Hi, this is Wayne again with a topic “Apple Skipped It”.
Hey everyone Travis here and apple skipped. It 2023 was the first year in 13 years. That Apple did not update the iPad at all, since it launched in 2010. Now there could be several reasons and I’m sure there’s a lot of speculation out there to why they didn’t update it, and let’s go over a few of those for a brief history on iPad.
It had an update of some kind every year since it launched, and just a few examples of that would be the first generation 2 second, which added on a significant upgrade to the processor and added in cameras for FaceTime and then from the second to the third Generation was the addition of the retina display. Not only did the mainline iPad receive some type of year-over-year upgrade, there were also some spin-off products that were introduced like the mini air and pro, and these products ultimately led to the lineup that we have today. Currently, in 2024, we we have five iPads that are in the lineup, with varying ages as old as 2021. The current lineup is 12.9 in iPad, Pro 11-in iPad, Pro iPad, Air iPad Mini and iPad, most of which have not received any sort of upgrade in over a year and a half or longer. Now. Why is this personally? I think there’s several reasons and, of course, Apple’s going to keep those reasons to itself, but I broke it down to two. One is some time for them to focus on a fully refreshed, lineup and the second is an upcoming product, which is the Apple Vision Pro now. I am super excited to check out the Apple Vision Pro and see what it’s all about so make sure to subscribe. To see the content all about Apple Vision Pro now, the current lineup of iPad Pros, which I would consider to be the mainline iPad at this point – is basically the 2018 iPad design that has received some internal and external slight upgrades and side.
Note. I still think the 2018 iPad Pro is one of the best of the best. I still use one to this day, so I think Apple’s taking the time to do a little bit of a design refresh alongside a chip refresh which basically would slot in the M3 chip that came out with the IMAX late last year, and I think the perfect Timing for this to launch would be in spring or midyear to not clash with the Apple Vision Pro and let that have its time other than that M3 chip upgrade.
I’M sure there would be some design and physical changes alongside with some internal changes. Now, after the introduction of the M1 chip for iPad pro and first-party pro apps, like logic and Final Cut, the thought would have been that iPad OS would have progressed more and been more advanced to take advantage of that power. So not only do I think apple is prepping Hardware.
In this case they are also probably prepping software to be upgraded in June at WWDC. So there would be more of a leap to the next generation of iPad Hardware. Now the one thing that’s been continuous in the rumor mill lately has been the switch to OLED displays in the iPad, which I’m a little iffy about. Oled coming to iPad would be big, especially for those using it for a Content, consumption device, but for a Content. Creation device or a business tool, I’m not necessarily sure if mini LED, would actually be better than OLED in this case, right now, the 12.9 in iPad Pro has a mini, LED xdr display, which supports HDR up to 1600 nits, and it’s amazing. However, that is the only iPad in the lineup that has a screen of this quality.
The 11-in iPad Pro and the iPad Air have nothing close and if you compare the displays in, let’s say an 11-in iPad Pro to a current MacBook, you can definitely see that the MacBooks have a much more advanced display. So, of course, in this case, bringing OLED to these smaller, less expensive iPads would be great in the sense that it would bring a much better contrast, ratio and color. However, for a device that sits there on static images, especially utilized for business or education, I don’t think that would be a good idea now. I know oled’s come a long way in terms of burnning, but it’s still a risk, especially for a device that sits on static screens a lot of the time similar to the sentiment that apple is doomed, which has been said for many many many years there have Been a lot of people speculating lately that tablets as a whole, including the iPad, are a Dying Breed and, of course, Apple.
Has the largest chunk of market share in the tablet industry with the iPad. But some might argue that the iPad isn’t relevant anymore and I think part of that comes from Ultra portable, thin laptops and very large phones. The only downfall of the iPad has is the fact that it’s too good apple has released iPads in the last few Generations. That pack, the punch with features and in turn last a very long time and the upgrade cycle is closer to a Mac than an iPhone. I would say currently: 2018 iPad models with processors from 2016 are still supported by the latest iPad OS.
We have come to a place in 2024, both on the Mac and PC side, where there are light and thin laptops where weight is no longer a concern, and in the smartphone Arena it seems, like screens, keep getting bigger and bigger, especially on iOS and on Android Android significantly with those foldable devices, so with all that some people might think that a dedicated tablet is no longer needed, and I honestly think that that is not the case from a utilization standpoint. Ipad is used in many many many applications, including creative business, education and personal use cases. So I really don’t think that the iPad is going anywhere now when Steve Jobs talked about Computing devices in 2010, especially comparing tablets, which at the time was a brand new field.
For apple and computer comps, like Mac or PCS, he basically said that PCS and Macs would take the route of let’s a pickup truck where the utilization would still be there, but not be as common, and that the everyday small compact sedan would basically be the equivalent Of the iPad, where most people’s Computing needs could be done with an iPad, and I actually think looking back on this 14 years ago. This is still true today, we’ve gotten to the point with the iPad, where it actually can take on most people’s consumption need and even creation needs for a everyday Computing device, even if Apple doesn’t know if they want to call it a computer or not. What’S a computer now, even though Steve’s vision of what the iPad would become was over a decade ago, in the keynote where the iPad was originally announced, Steve had separate categories for iPhone, iPad and Mac. All of these product categories remain separate, as they all have specific features and benefits.
Now, in the last 20 years, Apple has had multiple Milestone product launches and we’re about to experience one more to name a few of those in the last 20 years. Of course, iPhone was in 2007, iPad was in 2010, Apple watch was in 2015 and we’re about to get apple Vision. Pro Vision Pro is an entirely new product category, as was Apple watch, but Apple watch was a pairing with an iPhone Vision. Pro is a whole new category of product and I think the user experience for Vision Pro is going to feel very familiar yet wildly different.
Ultimately, we are combining all of the experiences that Apple has given over these last 20 years into one product now. I think part of the development of Vision – Pro, of course, was making the OS feel familiar, and a lot of that comes with the ux and UI of Mac, OS iPad OS, iPhone OS and watch OS all to a new experience. So not only do I think, Apple wanted to take the time to change up the design of an upcoming iPad Pro, as well as the internals and software. They also probably wanted to make sure that the Vision Pro launch was going to be the best it possibly can.
Now that’s going to be another product category. So, ultimately, where does this leave us with the iPad? Now, personally, I think we will get a full product line refresh in 2024 from iPad all the way to iPad Pro, all with a Fresh coat of paint and a new user experience with some additional features and iPad OS. But personally, I think iPad as a product category entirely, regardless of what model it is is here to stay, and personally I think it’s going to be many many years before the iPad goes the way of the iPod and apple discontinues it at least until we’re all Wearing Apple Vision, pros and the world becomes ready player one. What are your thoughts on the current state of iPad, whether you like it or you, don’t drop a comment down below. Thank you so much for watching this is Travis and have a great night. .