Apple’s presents a rather confusing iPad lineup to the casual buyer with four tiers: the basic iPad, the premium iPad Air, the most powerful iPad Pro, and the smaller iPad mini. Across these four model groups, there are six model choices, including the newest 10th generation basic iPad, the still-available 9th generation iPad, and two sizes of iPad Pro displays: 12.9-inch and 11-inch. CIRP has found that, when combining the two screen sizes, iPad Pro continues to be the iPad lineup’s best seller.
Michael Levin and Josh Lowitz for CIRP:
Combining the two screen sizes, iPad Pro continues to lead the market, with about half of total sales in the most recent period. iPad Air, iPad, and iPad mini each have 15-20% of total sales.
If we compare these sales to the year-ago June 2022 quarter, we see some interesting shifts. The top-of-the-line 12.9-inch iPad Pro saw its share of sales decline from over one-third to one-quarter in the past year. Similarly, iPad Air saw its share decline from 24% to 19%.
Within the iPad Pro pair, the less-expensive 11-inch model increased its share from 16% to 26%. At the other end of the spectrum the least-expensive iPad mini saw its share grow from 9% to 16%.
iPad Model Sales
As product lines age, the most expensive models attract less attention. The most loyal customers, who jump at the latest models, have already upgraded. Newer customers gravitate to cheaper models as they may be uncertain about how the device will fit into their lifestyle.
So despite the lack of rumors, this may be a very good time for Apple to update the iPad model mix. It would be ambitious to upgrade the barely year-old iPad Pro 12.9 inch. The narrowing value distinction between the four 11-inch options could warrant a realignment, with a more obviously superior iPad Pro and perhaps a more distinct iPad Air.
MacDailyNews Take: It makes sense that the 11-inch iPad Pro is the bestselling iPad: it’s lightweight (Wi-Fi model: 1.03 pounds (466 grams); Wi-Fi + Cellular model 1.04 pounds (470 grams)), powerful (Apple M2 chip: 8-core CPU with 4 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores, 10-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine, 100GB/s memory bandwidth, 8GB RAM on models with 128GB, 256GB, or 512GB storage, 16GB RAM on models with 1TB or 2TB storage), and offers superfast Wi‑Fi 6E – all starting at just $749.
Please help support MacDailyNews. Click or tap here to support our independent tech blog. Thank you!
Support MacDailyNews at no extra cost to you by using this link to shop at Amazon.
I’d be very interested in:
Update to iPad Mini’s screen
11 inch Pro with either OLED or mini LED backlighting (like the 12.9 version)
For me personally, the current iPad OS exceeds my needs and abilities. The screen is the part that I interact with the most and look at the most. Any advances/ tweaks to the Mini and 11 Pro screens are welcome
I quite enjoy my iPad Pro 11″ (2018). The only thing I dislike about it is that the battery drains noticeably when it’s asleep, which means I have to plug it in overnight—something I’ve never had to do with an iPad before. This behavior seems to have started when Apple transitioned newer iPads from iOS to iPadOS (and my older iPad that runs iOS is unaffected). Other than this, it’s a terrific device!
Quicker battery drain when asleep! You can’t be alone and, I’d guess, AAPL would be more than concerned if experienced by many? One of the beni’s of iOS devices IS long battery life.
Same problem with my 2020 11” for several years now. I simply have BT always off now except when using AirDrop or Personal Hotspot. I don’t appear to have this prob with my M1 12.9” with BT always on.
I recall that this began when AirTags were first released, may have to do with Find My because that is often running in the background even when you “disable” it.
The iPad lineup is not more confusing than the iPhone lineup is. It it—more or less—the same. Three tiers: Pro and regular (both with two sizes), and an entry level model with older tech.
As iPad and iPhone have the same lineup, if the iPhone lineup is not as confusing, the difference must be caused by something else than the devices itself.
The confusion is all in the naming. Having as consistent naming as possible for all product lines would make it easier for the average consumer, who aren’t following apple and/or are new to a product, you know one, you know them all. And most people know the iPhone, so the iPad should follow the same conventions.
This is how the iPad lineup should be named to unconfuse it:
iPad Pro 11″ -> iPad Pro
iPad Pro 12.9″ -> iPad Pro Max
iPad Air -> iPad
iPad mini -> iPad mini (it’s confusing today, as it is technically an iPad Air mini)
iPad -> iPad SE
I think Apple should do something similar with MacBooks too, like:
MacBook Pro 14″ -> MacBook Pro
MacBook Pro 16″ -> MacBook Pro Max
Macbook Pro 13″ -> MacBook Pro SE
MacBook Air 13″ (M2) -> MacBook
MacBook Air 15″ (M2) -> MacBook Plus
MacBook Air 13″(M1) -> Macbook SE
(The pro/max/ultra naming for CPUs doesn’t help here. You’d have Macbook Pro Pro, MacBook Pro Max, MacBook Pro Max Pro, Macbook Max Max…) , but that’s bad in its own right already regardless. There’s pro with pro and pro with max and studio with pro and with ultra and mini with pro… Apple should not use same names for models and components.)
The same naming could be extended to watch too, it already has SE (and Ultra) but could use Pro for steel, plus for 45mm aluminum, max for 45mm steel, and mini for the potential smaller ultra (also, plus for potential larger iMac).