In the Market for a Tablet? No-Brainer to buy an iPad

I am sure you know by now Apple has announced a new iPad model simply called iPad – aka the 5th Generation. This is not quite an update to the Air 2 as some of the features, such as weight and thickness, are the same as the Air.

The fact Apple did not hold an event for the announcement had more to do with not setting high expectations than with the significance of this product. The 9.7” iPad has been the most popular model for Apple. Since moving to the iPad Air line, Apple has been able to please customers who thought they wanted a smaller form factor. In reality, what they wanted was the higher portability that comes with a lighter device. The price drop of the older Mini generation helped buyers who wanted the most affordable iPad but would have not necessarily picked this product based on screen size.

Apple believes there is still a market opportunity for iPad both as people upgrade older models and as they discover iPads for the first time. For many consumers, however, making the jump to buying the first iPad or upgrading to a new model has not been easy. Depending on where you are in the process, there are either cheaper Android alternatives marketed as equals or the iPad you are using still fulfills your needs, making it hard to justify an upgrade.

This week, Apple made buying an iPad simpler and more affordable. The new line up is pretty clear:

    • iPad Mini is no longer the entry level iPad with consumers choosing this option based on form factor rather than price
    • No need to use the Air name as iPads are all lighter and slimmer than they were before the Air was introduced. I made the same argument for the MacBook Air when the new MacBook was announced and we’ll see if I am right
    • 9.7” is not only the most popular size but it is where Apple sees the future of iPad as it plays well in consumer, enterprise, and education. So the price aggressively comes down to $329
    • iPad Pro remains the flagship for people who want the best and/or people who are ready to make the switch from a PC or a Mac and make the iPad Pro their main computing device. The two sizes offer choice depending on your mobility requirements.

Tablets remain a category of device many consumers do not see as necessary. In fact, according to a GWI report, only 5% of online Americans consider a tablet as their most important device to access the internet, whether at home or elsewhere. This compares to 24% for smartphones and 40% for laptops. This lack of a clear role limits how much consumers are prepared to spend on them. Yet, when people use iPads satisfaction is high.

According to J.D. Power, iPads have the highest satisfaction in the category at 830 (out of 1000). Satisfaction is measured across performance, ease of use, features, styling and design and cost. iPads outperform the competition on every factor aside from cost. Apple just addressed this very point.

 Apple is not going to Concede the Education Market to Chromebooks

Tablets are not just a consumer play and Apple is very well aware of that. Over the past year or so, Apple has been focusing on empowering their iPads in the enterprise through partnerships with IBM and SAP. Education is another major market for iPads but lately, Apple has been under pressure from a growing number of Chromebooks being used, especially by K-12 schools.

While $329 is an aggressive price in the consumer market, Apple pushed even more on education and will make the new iPad available through its education channel for $299. Targeted, aggressive pricing is something Apple is willing to do for certain segments and done in a way that does not negatively impact the brand.

Apple also collaborated with Logitech to make a rugged case available through the same channel, priced at around $99. Logitech will also offer an add-on keyboard for the rugged case and a “Rugged Combo”.

While even at this price, Apple remains higher than Chromebooks. But there is more than just iPad Apple brings to the table compared to Chromebooks. Once the price gap closes, the other factors hold a different weight. Apple’s app ecosystem is much larger than what Chromebooks have to offer and the fact Android apps will run on Chromebooks will not make the situation much better. Many of the Android apps available in the store are still not optimized for tablet use, which of course, limits how user-friendly and rich the experience can be. Accessories ecosystem is also a plus for Apple as it lets the iPad better fit in with other tools teachers might be using in the classroom. The last point I think worth mentioning is security. Apple’s strong focus on privacy and security for its devices and the apps that run on them is an added benefit I am sure schools consider. Google and Apple both offer specific education tools to monitor access on the devices to limit vulnerabilities but the cloud/browser-based nature makes that more challenging. Of course, the fact Google Docs work well on iPad is a reassurance for teachers who are invested in those tools.

The education market is certainly becoming a battleground for Google, Apple, and Microsoft. It will be interesting to see who will focus on a more holistic experience that centers on empowering teachers and students to teach and learn vs. facilitating admin and management of kids and staff.

In Other News

There were more Apple announcements on Tuesday.

There was an updated storage option for the iPhone SE that now starts at 32GB for the same price of $399 and a small $50 premium for the 128GB version. This is a sensible move by Apple to future-proof this line for further software upgrades.

To celebrate the ten year anniversary of support for Product RED and the fight against HIV, Apple released a RED iPhone. This is a first for Apple who have done several RED products over the years — iPods, Beats headsets, iPhone and iPad Cases — but never an iPhone.

Lastly, Apple announced Clips, a video editing app that will be available as a free download in April. Despite some confusion on social media, this is NOT a competitor to Snapchat or Instagram. Clips is about creating content to be shared on the social platform of choice. iPhone is used more and more for pictures and videos and giving users the opportunity to add features such as stickers, lenses, and filters makes a lot of sense. Apple is aware, however, that its audience is not made up of social savvy teenagers only. So Clips comes as a separate app rather than being integrated into the main camera app. First and foremost, this approach avoids annoying users who are not interested. It also offers Apple an opportunity to further develop Clips by adding other capabilities in the future – think AR.

It remains to be seen, however, if avid Snapchat and Instagram users will be interested in creating the content in Clips before they share it through their social platforms. If Clips takes off, Apple would have created direct user engagement and would have shifted value back to the hardware and, ultimately, leave to the social network platform the delivery portion of the engagement.

Clips is a great example of the kind of first party apps Apple should be focusing on to add value to hardware. While the wider ecosystem is a great strength and the balance of keeping partners and developers engaged is tricky, there is certainly room for Apple to do more.

Published by

Carolina Milanesi

Carolina is a Principal Analyst at Creative Strategies, Inc, a market intelligence and strategy consulting firm based in Silicon Valley and recognized as one of the premier sources of quantitative and qualitative research and insights in tech. At Creative Strategies, Carolina focuses on consumer tech across the board. From hardware to services, she analyzes today to help predict and shape tomorrow. In her prior role as Chief of Research at Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, she drove thought leadership research by marrying her deep understanding of global market dynamics with the wealth of data coming from ComTech’s longitudinal studies on smartphones and tablets. Prior to her ComTech role, Carolina spent 14 years at Gartner, most recently as their Consumer Devices Research VP and Agenda Manager. In this role, she led the forecast and market share teams on smartphones, tablets, and PCs. She spent most of her time advising clients from VC firms, to technology providers, to traditional enterprise clients. Carolina is often quoted as an industry expert and commentator in publications such as The Financial Times, Bloomberg, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. She regularly appears on BBC, Bloomberg TV, Fox, NBC News and other networks. Her Twitter account was recently listed in the “101 accounts to follow to make Twitter more interesting” by Wired Italy.

63 thoughts on “In the Market for a Tablet? No-Brainer to buy an iPad”

  1. Shades of that Twitter guy’s “there”s no reason to buy Android but price” from a few years ago… The iPad just got a lot more competitive, but I wouldn’t call buying an iPad a “no-brainer”. There are still valid reasons to go Android:

    1- Price. Obviously with a lower price come more limited features, but most users are OK with those limitations. A “good enough” Chinese Android tablet (the techtablets.com guy likes Cube, I’m happy with mine) is $100 for 8″, $180 for 10″, $300 for 12″. That’s 1/2 to 1/5 of Apple’s prices. The mid range Yoga Tab 3 from Lenovo is $120/$160 on Amazon respectively (with lower specs).

    2- Features.
    – Large storage. Kids (and many adults) need to be entertained even when offline (plane/train/car/storm…). My tablets all have either 128 or 256GB SD cards, plus I carry a few dual-USB sticks with emergency Wacky Races, Indiana Jones, and 30Rock.
    – Dual boot. the ability to boot Windows when you must, even if it’s only on an Atom, comes in handy at times.
    – Lenovo Yoga Tab. The design of these things is majorly clever. Just got a Yoga Tab 3 Plus for my iBrother, the kids call it “Marseilles’ iPad” and love it, as does he, because built-in stand and rest if good to great. My mom and sister similarly like their older models.
    – Desktop mode. Being able to connect (and use ^^) a screen, keyboard and mouse w/ no dongles really enhances utility. especially combined with Windows dual-boot. Was skiing in the Alps earlier this month, TV was down most evenings, having a $80 spare tablet loaded with media to connect to the TV while we lay comatose from tiredness and food was nice.
    – Widgets. I’m still hung up on those. I can at a glance see what messages I got and what news popped up; that alone allowed me to replace my 3rd PC monitor with a tablet.

    Aside from that, Chromebooks are actually more secure than iPads, so the security argument plays the other way around. And iPad + case+keyboard+admin and apps is about 2x more expensive than Chromebooks… What’s more important: have ‘puters in 2x more classrooms, or make Apple happy ?

  2. “simply called iPad – aka the 5th Generation.”

    Pedant note, this is the 7th generation full size ipad. The airs were generations 5 and 6.

    “This is a first for Apple who have done several RED products over the years — iPods, Beats headsets, iPhones, iPad Cases — but never an iPhone.”

    Copyediting note: i think you meant “headsets, and iphone and ipad cases”.

    Other thoughts:

    Apple now no longer sells any 16 gb IOS devices except for the ipod touch. I expect the touch will get a capacity bump later this year, if it lives on. The ipad mini’s new pricing is really a very odd duck – for the same amount of money, you can now get an ipod touch or an ipad mini at the same capacity point. Another reason to expect a touch update later this year, I think.

    “Apple believes there is still a market opportunity for iPad”.

    Ahem. That the ipad is in decline is an annoying myth believed by far too many pundits. The ipad mini is in sharp decline. The full size ipad, after taking off like a rocket, is selling very steadily at a level well above the mac’s. With the ipad, Apple essentially tripled the size of their home computer market. And that’s what ipads are – inexpensive little computers which can easily take the place of a PC for people who only ever needed a PC to access the internet, and not so easily take the place of a PC for people who needed one for writing or other work.

    “there are either cheaper Android alternatives marketed as equals or the iPad you are using still fulfills your needs, making it hard to justify an upgrade.”

    While the new ipad is definitely in part a shot across the bows of people who are still rocking their ipad 2s, here’s another way of looking at it:

    In 2010 when Jobs introduced the ipad, he set the price point at $500. At the time, this was an incredible bargain compared to the average cost of a basic consumer notebook computer. Apple is now, somewhat belatedly, making the cost of the ipad once again highly competitive with the cost of your basic windows notebook.

    One last thing: The odd duck pricing of the remaining ipad mini in the lineup is probably driven by internal data Apple has on just who is continuing to buy mini ipads. If I had to guess, it’s not readers, who are putting ebooks on their 5″ phones. Instead, it’s gamers who are getting it as an alternative to handheld gaming consoles, and the remaining high capacity mini is targeted at people who have been stuffing their ipads full of games and media, and not the readers for whom the mini initially seemed such a perfect fit.

    1. “the new ipad is definitely in part a shot across the bows of people who are still rocking their ipad 2s”

      Yep. We have six iPad 2s (64 GB models) that are just now beginning to show their age. We bought them in 2011. That’s a heck of a lot of use and value out of the devices. We’ll probably upgrade some of them closer to the end of 2017.

      1. “closer to the end of 2017.”

        I have come to think that Apple has decided that last year’s springtime 9.7″ ipad pro launch event was a mistake, and they are moving their refresh of the ipad pros (which is in the works, judging by the leaks from the supply chain to apple rumour sites) to the fall.

        1. For whatever reason we do tend to purchase stuff like this in the fall. Maybe that fits better with consumer buying habits.

    2. Apple actually called it 5th as I suppose the count the Air as a separate line so u have iPad all the way to 4 then switched to Air

      1. I guess I will get used to the official terminology eventually. It’s still wrong, though. *twitch*

  3. The new iPad 9.7″ starting at $329 is great.

    The Mini moving to $399 is baffling. This is the iPad size that most of my friends bought for their children. The size was right and price was right. Now the price is Wrong.

    1. The new pricing for the mini means Apple believes buyers care more about size than price. I agree with you that this is counter-intuitive and only think it makes sense if Apple plans on releasing a cheaper and smaller iPad nano.

      1. And specs.

        I always wondered about that size:price correlation for tablets. It’s not the case for laptops (specs correlate a lot more strongly; ultraportables are a lot more expensive than good’ol fat laptops too), not the case for PCs (a NUC /Brix/… Mac mini-lookalike is 2-3x the price of a standard mini-ITX PC that’s in a way 2-3x bigger, but to see it another way can still be VESA mounted behind a monitor. Ditto cars, though not pizzas.

        And the new iPad isn’t really premium. The screen is neither laminated not antiglare, that’s low-midrange.

      2. said in a slightly different way if you bought the Mini despite of size because of price now you don’t have to

    2. “Now the price is Wrong.”

      I think what this means is that the lower capacity models of ipad mini were selling very poorly. Very few people were buying the small capacity minis anymore, so apple axed all the capacities that weren’t selling enough units to justify their continued existence.

      1. It tells us that we really don’t know what Apple is thinking.

        My friends never would have bought Minis at $400 for their kids. They actually all have the 16GB model.

        1. The regular iPad is very portable, so parents could get that for $329, now with 32 GB. Seems like a pretty good deal. Maybe Apple will eventually kill the Mini, given the screen size increases in the iPhone (essentially iPad Nanos).

        2. It tells us Apple thinks then can get by with the 9.7″ iPad as the entry level device. It also tells us Apple doesn’t want to sell an iPad for less than $329 right now. Specifically, Apple doesn’t want to sell 32 GB iPad minis for less than $329.

          It also suggests the iPod touch was selling better (or better fits Apples plans) than the iPad mini2.

        3. Would they have bought the 10″ model instead ?
          I had this very discussion with my iBrother before I bought (cough) his (cough) tablet, I advocated 8″ because it’s easier for my 11yo nephew to play on, he insisted on 10″ because it’s better for videos for all 3 kids, and still OK to play on.
          People might be inflexible on price but flexible on size ?

          1. Maybe, if it was much cheaper. They bought the cheapest Mini, only when it was on sale. And the mini is better sized for a 9 year old girl.

    3. did they buy the mini due to price or form factor? Apple’s argument is that if you bought the mini due to price now you don’t have to cause you can buy the 9.7″ which makes sense to me

  4. Apple did not give any new reason to buy an iPad over any other tablet. Buying options may be a bit less confusing and the price change might drive some new sales. However, none of this really changes the iPad’s overall value proposition. There is still a significant price gap between iPads and Android tablets and the entry price point is still the same.

    1. there is quite a bit of a difference between what you can do with an Android tablet and an iPad. The good one are not cheap and you still have less of an ecosystem

      1. Yes, but none of that changed yesterday. Buying an iPad is no more a “no-brainer” now than it was before.

      2. Please clarify. What can I do on my iPad that I cannot do on properly configured Android tablet?

        I don’t think we’re counting the absolute number of applications any more.

        What I do know is that anyone can write or run any application on Android, without anyone’s permission.

        If we’re talking about stuff like Continuity, that exists across the aisle too.

        1. Indeed. I’m really wondering about that “inferior tablet ecosystem”. Does anyone have a concrete example of stuff you can do on an iPad but can’t do on an Android, apart from music creation ? (If not, then maybe don’t say cra it ?)

          I’ve got about 10 androidtabletteers around me, including 2 mixed-OS households, I never got any remark about Android being unable to do something (except iMessage, but that doesn’t count). But did get some “Ohhhhs, so you just USB it to your PC and copy stuff over ?” ;-p

          1. Article on Asymco today might answer some of your questions.

            http://www.asymco.com/2017/03/24/ipad-optics/

            The iPad now has an installed base of over 300 million, with customer satisfaction rates that are very high (96 and 97 percent for the larger iPads, 94 for the Mini), and an 85 percent market share in the US of tablets over $200. Also, the iPad has double digit growth in China and India. Add to that the expansion into the corporate world.

            Clearly the iPad is doing something that resonates with the people buying iPads. Likely it is many small things that are just a bit easier, a bit nicer, or deliver the overall experience in a way that aligns just a bit better with what these customers want.

            These people buying iPads are not wrong or misguided or foolish or sheep, they’re just making choices that you don’t agree with.

            I understand why you and klahanas don’t think the iPad is a good purchase, but your experience is not universal. The iPad can be totally wrong for you and totally right for many, many others.

          2. Perhaps the non-universality position should be steered inside your garden. Those of us on both sides of the fence are quite aware of universality.

          3. Your reply makes no sense. My point stands, the iPad can be totally wrong for you and obarthelemy and totally right for many, many others. Let me predict your reply: “Choices! Freedom! Censorship!” There, I saved you some time.

          4. You’re ducking the issue. You’ve said nothing to counter my point:

            “Clearly the iPad is doing something that resonates with the people buying iPads. Likely it is many small things that are just a bit easier, a bit nicer, or deliver the overall experience in a way that aligns just a bit better with what these customers want.

            These people buying iPads are not wrong or misguided or foolish or sheep, they’re just making choices that you don’t agree with.”

            All you did was try to steer the discussion towards your personal hobby horse in an effort to claim some twisted moral high ground so you can deride the choices others are making, and essentially run down your ex-girlfriend (Apple). I wonder if you realize how much you come off as a jilted lover when it comes to Apple. It does not paint a pretty picture of you as a human being, it really doesn’t. But you’re free to carry on.

          5. I praised no company, I just rounded out the “no-brainer” coverage. You know, fair and balanced, not echo chamber. I didn’t use the word in the title, though I do take exception to the bias in the title.

            Where did I say foolish? Your hang ups are your own. I called no one misguided or foolish.

          6. Again, you’ve said nothing to counter my point. Why don’t you explain why people choose to buy iPads?

            By the way, I did not say that you called people misguided or foolish. I offered a few of the most common myths about Apple customers. Interesting that you took it that way.

            So then, you agree that people buying iPads are making a perfectly rational choice that meets their needs and delivers value and benefit to them? In other words, they are making a good choice, for them.

          7. I do not explain why people buy Apple because I really do not care…
            It’s not for me to “curate” where people spend their money.

            Meanwhile, I got my first two iPads last year. The 12 and the 9. Only reason was for the pen. Trading I the 9 for the Galaxy Tab 3 today. Keeping the 12. That’s what I care about.

          8. You’re avoiding the question. So I can take this response as your agreement that people buying iPads are making a good, rational choice, for them.

            Just as your choice to trade in one of your iPads for a Galaxy Tab is a good choice, for you. Imagine what a jerk I’d be if I tried to put forth the notion that your choice to buy a Galaxy Tab was a poor choice.

          9. Don’t even think of putting words in my mouth.

            I couldn’t care any more as to who’s toilet paper they buy. Would you be endorsing a brand on my behalf there too?

            You’re being ridiculous. Who do you think you are?

            PS- Imagine what a jerk you would be if you tried to stuff words in my mouth.

          10. I’m not putting words in your mouth. I’m trying to get you to answer a very simple question, and you’re (predictably) avoiding the question. So, if you don’t care what brand of tablet people buy then surely you agree that people buying iPads are making a good, rational choice.

            You’ve painted yourself into a corner here, and you’re just realizing it, hence your lame answer “Oh, I don’t care what people buy”.

            You don’t want to admit that people buying iPads are making a good, rational choice, but you understand how much of a jerk you’ll be if you say those people are making a poor choice. So you’re attempting to wriggle out of this by saying you don’t care.

            If you don’t have an opinion either way about people buying iPads making a good choice or a poor choice, that means you don’t think it’s a poor choice. Otherwise you’d say that. Which means you agree people buying iPads are making a good, rational choice. If you thought otherwise you’d speak up.

          11. I am unqualified answering a question for which I don’t care. It’s that simple. I do think care who buys what for whatever reason. I care about users choices. I impose none.

            I will not admit and answer for other people’s accusations. I DO think that often YOU’RE not rational.

            I created applecynic so that it signifies my position on Apple matters. It’s called honesty. I want them to see me coming. I know this somehow doesn’t register with you. But you know what? I’ve been accepted much more than even I originally thought. And, if you think I get angry at Apple, you should see the fanclub over there, especially on pro machine matters.

            Why in the world do you think that I need an alias to comment on MDN? As you said in the past, it’s a persona. It’s fun “Space Gorilla”. Now go and download the Mirror App (if it’s allowed) before you accuse me of anything.

            Meanwhile MDN is a different forum. Much less structured and also gets quite political at times.

          12. I don’t read macdailynews, it was just an accident that I came across one of your comments and someone calling you out as klahanas. But I did take some time to read a few comments. Yeah, lots of intelligent discussion going on there . I’m sure there must be the odd good comment, but it looks like a bunch of fans and trolls going at each other. I see why you fit in.

            I asked you a very simple question, and you chose to duck the question. You’re free to do so of course, but don’t try to sell me your “unqualified answering a question for which I don’t care” BS.

          13. Not BS. Your one company fixation is BS. Why don’t you ask about Samsung, MS, Uber, Fender, Sony, Frigidaire,…etc?

            I don’t care how any of them are doing. I don’t know enough to have an opinion. I don’t care enough to know. That’s business stuff that although important, I find mind numbingly boring.

          14. I discuss other companies and subjects often, with people in the real world. I’m fascinated by Design, how things work, the future of our world and technology, and also business models since that is what drives us forward. You should care about how companies are doing and how they succeed or fail (“business stuff” as you say), it will teach you much.

            I am also fascinated by how humans behave and allow emotion and bias to rule them, and on that subject Apple is a lightning rod. I engage people like you from time to time (and manipulate you, easily) to learn more. It’s a free education (other than my time here and there) on a subject of interest. I suppose I should at least thank you.

          15. I always thought this was true, but your narcissism exceeds even mine.
            Manipulate…indeed.

            I care what current phenomena place what stresses on the future, but I know enough not to get granular and absolute. You proclaim worse that a fortune teller.

            But I’m okay with you being smarter than me. I wont compete with you.

          16. “A concrete example of stuff you can do on an iPad but can’t do on an Android”:

            Run the latest operating system.

          17. How do you give 1/2 a vote up?
            To run anything else though you need permission. From yourself, and only from yourself.

          18. because” running an operating system” is a reason why people buy tablets ?

            Hence the famous watercooler conversation:
            Hey, I run 5 operating systems !
            Me just 4, but the latests, man
            Got that new red OS ?
            Nah, with the kids I gotta get the blue ones

          19. I am not that familiar with the latest Android, but my father who has it on his phone complains that he can’t sync his photos wirelessly to the computer. For iPhone it is seamless including integration with iCloud and iPhoto.

          20. I’m sure it can be done on Android, but your comment touches on what I said, there’s just a lot of little things that are just a bit easier, a bit nicer, within the Apple ecosystem, and that has value. People are voting with their wallets, obviously Apple is delivering something these buyers are looking for. On the flip side there are things that are easier and better on Android, but it depends what experience you’re looking for.

          21. I agree. I think Android still has its DIY spirit coming from Linux roots while iPhone offers a more polished experience.

          22. More that it accommodates a DIY spirit. Whether the built in functions are elegant or not is in the eye of the beholder.

          23. I can only talk from my personal experience about iOS vs. Android since I haven’t done any significant surveys especially on the features that interest me.

            Back in ’00s I built a Home theater based on Ubuntu Linux for my parents. I jumped through the number of hoops while building it and ended up having more features than on my parents’ Windows box, but honestly it wasn’t that reliable, so my parents ended up using their Windows box. This experience taught me about Linux and about importance of out-the-box experience for older and not very technically inclined people.

            Right now I don’t own an iPad, but I bought one for my parents and they use it to watch TV in the kitchen mostly and my nephew has one. He uses it to play games. As for myself, I own an iPhone 6 and Macbook Air, which I find meeting my needs. I used to have an Android phone before my previous employer (Apple) gave me a free iPhone and I haven’t looked back ever since. I am planning to keep it for 5 years (three more years ago) and then buy a new one. This way I get a lot of mileage from my phone and I don’t care much about its price vs. Android phone.

          24. I find it’s typical to get a lot of years out of Apple devices. We have six iPad 2s from 2011 still in regular use, just now starting to show their age. We also have two iMacs and a Macbook Pro from 2009, still working great. And my youngest teenager is using an iPhone 4S from 2011. So that’s 6 to 8 years on all devices so far, with no major issues on any device. We did upgrade one iMac to a 2 TB hard drive, but I think that’s it. Oh, and I have an iPod Touch from 2008 which I still use regularly.

          25. I just bought a quad core i7 NUC, and added Linux Mint on it. Totally different and improved experience form the ’00s. Still not as elegant as even Windows though, but hugely improved. Installed in less than half an hour and detected all hardware just fine.

            While on the subject of Linux, I’m Linux tolerant, but I’m not a Linux fan. I vehemently favor open access, not necessarily insistent on open source.

            I actually own 2 iPads, both Pros, one 9 and one 12. I was going to trade the 9 yesterday, but kept it and bought Galaxy Tab s3 outright. I’m saving the iPads for trade in to the new iPad when it comes out. Why am I saying this… Tablets are fine, IMO they were waaaaaay too overhyped when they came out. They are as exciting as a fridge. And like a fridge, it won’t cook everything either. Like a fridge, they are mostly for consumption. 😉

            These days the trend is towards appliance computing, which means less general purpose (less personal) and more disposable. If you want to cover all applications, you need multiple devices. Though if I could only pick one, it would be a desktop Windows machine, not even a laptop. This not out of love for MS (they should have been busted up) but for breadth of applicability.

          26. He’ll be able to see them on his computer through a browser. From there he can download them. Otherwise there should be an app that directly syncs with a PC.

  5. Hi Carolina,

    Included LTE with Swift Playground in 6 languages changes everything. Care to comment?

    My comment: Mobile Rebooted. Mark the date.

    1. Both LTE and dev tools/courses have been available on tablets for years, so nothing new. Plus both have failed to make an impression: LTE because it’s mostly not needed at all, then can be had via phone tethering, so in the end targets very few users; and tablets are about the worst device to code on, even for learning.

      The interesting things about the new iPad are the price and the low-mid range specs.

  6. 24 comments, not counting this one so far. I wonder how many there would have been had it been a “brainer”.

  7. Tim Cook said “The iPad is the purest expression of our vision of personal computing.” Although people took that to mean the iPad Pro, I think that it was actually directed to this iteration of iPad.

    That is to say, the new iPad is the purest expression of the iPad lineup.

    Just as the original iPad was an inexpensive and simple slate of glass that was intended for a wide range of tasks including content creation, I see the new iPad as going back to its root, shedding all that was bolted on as Apple searched for what would sell.

    The deletion of a cheap 8 inch in particular, suggests to me that Apple now has confidence on what the iPad needs to be. Although the introduction was very subdued, I can foresee quite a marketing push from them in the coming months.

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