Apple's new iPad lineup is a mess, with the M2 iPad Pro missing some of the advances in the low-end 10th-gen iPad and the 9th-gen iPad still available for sale
On Tuesday morning, Apple announced new iPad and iPad Pro models via press release. On their own, they are reasonable …
Six ColorsJason Snell
Context & Ripple Effects
Apple kept the 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro starting prices unchanged from the prior M1 generation while adding M2, Wi-Fi 6E, and Pencil hover in the new Pro refresh. But the product hierarchy was already under pressure: reviews of the M1 models argued that hardware advances outpaced iPadOS’s professional workflows, including external-display support and Apple’s own pro apps the earlier M1 iPad Pro critique.
First-order effects
Apple’s iPad shoppers must now compare capabilities across the still-sold ninth-generation iPad, the redesigned tenth-generation model, and M2 iPad Pro rather than follow a straightforward newest-model progression.
Apple must justify the iPad Pro premium with M2 performance, Wi-Fi 6E, and Pencil hover even though some advances appear on the lower-priced tenth-generation iPad but not the Pro.
Second-order effects
The uneven feature split makes Apple’s retail and online merchandising more important, since a buyer’s choice turns on individual features and accessories rather than a simple step up through the range.
The longstanding iPadOS limitations identified with the M1 iPad Pro become more consequential: without clearer professional software advantages, hardware distinctions alone provide a weaker rationale for the Pro tier.
Third-order effects
If Apple continues to update iPad tiers on different design and feature cycles, the lineup will be defined more by overlapping component combinations than by a clean entry-to-Pro ladder.
That pattern would put greater weight on iPadOS and professional applications as the durable way to distinguish iPad Pro from lower-cost iPads, rather than relying on chip refreshes alone.
The trend: Apple’s iPad range is moving toward increasingly granular hardware segmentation, while software capability remains the unresolved test of the Pro tier’s differentiation.
I just feel like, if your tablet lineup requires you to have six different keyboard models with names like “Smart Keyboard Folio for iPad Pro 11-inch (4th generation) and iPad Air (5th generation) - US English” you've probably made a wrong turn somewhere https://twitter.com/...
I would be nice to see Apple take a look at price points and clean up the iPad lineup a bit-it's starting to get crowded & confusing. https://twitter.com/...
Okay and if the 10th-gen iPad gets the M1 chip per that single sketchy report, maybe the iPad mini does too today? Then you have full Stage Manager support across the iPad lineup. Probably getting ahead of myself and the 10th-gen iPad gets the A14 chip as more widely rumored.
My overview of the new iPad and iPad Pro lineup is up @macstoriesnet: https://www.macstories.net/... This was a tricky one to write. None of these iPads are *bad*, in fact they're all quite good in a vacuum. But in context of each other and the full lineup, they're just super wei…
Knowing what works with what in Apple's iPad accessories lineup is kinda tough right now, especially after the new stuff Apple announced today. https://www.theverge.com/...
I'm definitely not a heavy iPad user. I mainly use my iPad mini 6 and the old iPad Air 3. Considering buying a new one, but honestly, the lineup is so confusing right now...
Apple be like “let's go back to the 90s” In all honesty the new iPad should be unlaunched just like the 4080 12GB was. It doesn't really have a place in the lineup. It's too close to the Air, so you might as well buy the Air, and it's too expensive for the $329 crowd. https://twi…
@JrodWilliams I think the iPad Pro is just a speed bump. It is what it is. They can't redesign the device every year. Unfortunately I think it has exposed maybe a lack of cohesive planning across the entire line.
“The absence of Apple's pro media apps on the iPad Pro is an embarrassment. All these other apps are great, yes, but Apple has had an opportunity to take the lead in defining what the pro app experience should be on one of its platforms and has never seized it.” https://twitter.c…
Another good piece on today's new iPads, this one from @jsnell. The Apple Pencil 1 is a fine accessory, but it boggles the mind Apple didn't add support for v2 given all the trouble they went to redesign the iPad. Even my new iPad mini has it! https://sixcolors.com/...