Apple on Tuesday announced new iPads and killed the old 9th generation iPad with the anachronistic Home button, bringing the number of different models up to six, alongside a confusing three different Apple Pencils.
Joanna Stern for The Wall Street Journal:
Over the years, when I’ve asked Apple executives why there are so many models, the answer is always consumer choice. Analysts say the same.
“From a market perspective, there’s an option for everyone,” explained Carolina Milanesi, a technology analyst with Creative Strategies.
That’s probably true, especially now, but good luck finding that right option without a Ph.D. in iPads.
All the new Pros are powered by Apple’s own M4 chip, which the company says is 4x faster than the previous iPad Pro with M2 and 10x faster than the original iPad Pro. The big sell? AI. AI. AI. In fact, Apple said the term at least seven times in the presentation.
The company said the M4’s neural processing unit (aka “NPU”) makes it more powerful than any “AI PC today.”
Unlike Google and Microsoft, Apple has yet to introduce any generative-AI software tools. We expect that at its annual software conference in June.
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MacDailyNews Take: Yes, there are a lot of different iPads, but the lineup makes sense; iPads are for kids on up to professional users. One size does not fit all.
We would like to see just ONE Apple Pencil that works with every iPad and also with Pro Max iPhones. Apple would sell many more Pencils if they just made one that works everywhere including with their largest iPhone.
The 10.9-inch 10th-generation iPad having its price reduced to $349 should not be overlooked; Apple will move tons of these all through Christmas!
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An ipad for everyone sounds nice.
The ipad lineup is a carefully orchestrated method for getting customers to pay for the “pro” version, which likely doesn’t cost apple that much more to manufacture at scale as compared with the base ipad model whatever its called.
It should be THE ipad for everyone.
There are (at least) 4 AirPods, 5 watches, 8 Macs and 8 iPhones in the lineup.
Considering that iPad as a business is about the same size than Mac or wearables, 6 is not that many anyway.
The Ghost of Steve Jobs is probably spinning a bit about this one. Remember the early/mid-90s before his Second Coming?
Jobs arrived in ’97 and began killing Mac lines (that were mostly indistinguishable) because they slowed down the selection and purchase process. The Mac lineup was like one of those fantastic 8-page Chinese restaurant menus that you read for 15 minutes and still stare blankly at your server when they return to the table a 3rd time.
Too much choice is not a good thing.
I’m not an iPad user. I’ve tried, but I don’t love iOS, and an iPad just doesn’t fit into my workflow. I prefer my MacBook Air.
However, I totally get how artists, designers, and those who want to use a pencil could make an iPad work and love it. Last year, when I shopped for an iPad for my TechnoPhobic girlfriend (who somehow does everything on her iPhone), it seemed confusing with three or more generations floating around.
Just hope Apple is careful not to throw 5 different kinds of Kung Pao Chicken at consumers and still expect robust sales and a peaceful Ghost of Steve. 👻