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iPad Air
- Thread starter Radec
- Start date
lol perfect
wsoxfan1214
Banned
The new Mini will be the perfect Pinball Arcade machine for me.
Had an iPad 3, really liked it, but I loved my Mini so much more, even despite the crummy screen. I´ll also gladly pay the price increase for having their top-of-the-line mobile processor in it. Mini form factor + big iPad specs is something I wanted all along.
However, I´m really glad I don´t store movies, music or many large apps on my iPad. The price jumps for more storage are where the price tags really start inflating.
One benefit of Apple products is their very high resale value, especially if you keep them in a nice shape (which isn´t too hard with the iPad), so being able to resell them is something that makes the higher prices easier for me to justify.
Had an iPad 3, really liked it, but I loved my Mini so much more, even despite the crummy screen. I´ll also gladly pay the price increase for having their top-of-the-line mobile processor in it. Mini form factor + big iPad specs is something I wanted all along.
However, I´m really glad I don´t store movies, music or many large apps on my iPad. The price jumps for more storage are where the price tags really start inflating.
One benefit of Apple products is their very high resale value, especially if you keep them in a nice shape (which isn´t too hard with the iPad), so being able to resell them is something that makes the higher prices easier for me to justify.
is there any chance the older ipad smart covers will work on the air? I have a red leather one which I really like, but I'd balk at paying that price again for basically the same cover (just want a front cover). If I had to buy a new one I'd probably go for the cheaper plastic one (they still have the same microfibre lining right?)
"Hi, can you tell me how much it costs to upgrade from 64GB to 128GB?"
"$100"
"oh cool, $100 for 64GB is ok. Hey, how much is it to upgrade from 16GB to 32GB? I guess its only 16GB so maybe $25 extra?"
"$100"
"wha....?"
Betta Lines
Member
So yesterday, it seemed simple - the full-size iPad received the huge weight reduction that I've always wanted, it's the fastest one yet, and it's still the same price. The Mini 2, on the other hand, got thicker, heavier and more expensive. It's like Apple had made the decision for me. The iPad Air was the one to buy.
But the more I think about it, the more unclear it becomes. This for three reasons:
1. The Specs.
The Mini 2 might be thicker and heavier than the previous model, but it is still exactly the same thickness as the iPad Air, and still 138g lighter. It has now received the Retina display, and at exactly the same resolution, you could argue that the higher PPI makes it an even higher-quality screen than the iPad Air (assuming other specs like gamut and contrast are the same). But crucially, it also has the same SoC as the iPad Air, the A7, and the same claimed battery life.
So if everything is the same spec as the flagship iPad... the fact it is even lighter surely makes the Mini 2 a greater technical achievement, and even more worthy of the 'iPad Air' name?
2. The Name
So the full-size iPad is now the 'Air'. This moniker has been used on Apple's laptop line to denote a premium but 'lite' version of the Pro models. MacBook Airs have always compromised in performance with weight reduction being a higher priority than the Pros. The iPad Air on the other hand, is supposed to still be the flagship iPad. The most powerful. But is it actually as powerful as they could have made it? This renaming suggests not. As does the name of the chip inside - the A7. It is unclear whether the A7 in the Air is identical to the one in the 5S, but it can't have received enough of a bump to be given the 'A7X' name. This is the first time the new iPad hasn't been given a significantly more powerful chip compared to the iPhone. Have they compromised on a bigger performance difference to make it 'lite', and therefore... is keeping it at the same price actually not that great a deal?
3. The Pricing
The Mini 2 has increased in price, and considering the original Mini was already perceived as being overpriced compared to the Nexus 7, it seems ludicrous at first glance. But they are making the point that it is actually the same spec as the flagship iPad, and is, in the UK, £80 cheaper. So if we're literally getting the flagship iPad in an even lighter shell, are we supposed to see the Mini 2 as a bargain?
The messaging is unclear. Look at their homepage - the iPad Air is slide 1. The new iPhones are slides 2 and 3. The Mini 2 is already demoted to slide 4, despite it being apparently more impressive than the iPad Air. It's like they want to present the full-size iPad as the flagship product, but haven't given any good reasons why it is, compared to the Mini 2. They haven't said it's more powerful than the Mini 2, and it doesn't have any extra features, not even Touch ID. The surface finishes are identical. The only difference is screen size.
It just doesn't add up. They are not explicitly saying that the Mini 2 is also an iPad Air, but the specs suggest that it is. They could have changed the messaging entirely, saying there are now two iPad Airs - a 7.9" and a 9.7". But they didn't. What are they not telling us?
But the more I think about it, the more unclear it becomes. This for three reasons:
1. The Specs.
The Mini 2 might be thicker and heavier than the previous model, but it is still exactly the same thickness as the iPad Air, and still 138g lighter. It has now received the Retina display, and at exactly the same resolution, you could argue that the higher PPI makes it an even higher-quality screen than the iPad Air (assuming other specs like gamut and contrast are the same). But crucially, it also has the same SoC as the iPad Air, the A7, and the same claimed battery life.
So if everything is the same spec as the flagship iPad... the fact it is even lighter surely makes the Mini 2 a greater technical achievement, and even more worthy of the 'iPad Air' name?
2. The Name
So the full-size iPad is now the 'Air'. This moniker has been used on Apple's laptop line to denote a premium but 'lite' version of the Pro models. MacBook Airs have always compromised in performance with weight reduction being a higher priority than the Pros. The iPad Air on the other hand, is supposed to still be the flagship iPad. The most powerful. But is it actually as powerful as they could have made it? This renaming suggests not. As does the name of the chip inside - the A7. It is unclear whether the A7 in the Air is identical to the one in the 5S, but it can't have received enough of a bump to be given the 'A7X' name. This is the first time the new iPad hasn't been given a significantly more powerful chip compared to the iPhone. Have they compromised on a bigger performance difference to make it 'lite', and therefore... is keeping it at the same price actually not that great a deal?
3. The Pricing
The Mini 2 has increased in price, and considering the original Mini was already perceived as being overpriced compared to the Nexus 7, it seems ludicrous at first glance. But they are making the point that it is actually the same spec as the flagship iPad, and is, in the UK, £80 cheaper. So if we're literally getting the flagship iPad in an even lighter shell, are we supposed to see the Mini 2 as a bargain?
The messaging is unclear. Look at their homepage - the iPad Air is slide 1. The new iPhones are slides 2 and 3. The Mini 2 is already demoted to slide 4, despite it being apparently more impressive than the iPad Air. It's like they want to present the full-size iPad as the flagship product, but haven't given any good reasons why it is, compared to the Mini 2. They haven't said it's more powerful than the Mini 2, and it doesn't have any extra features, not even Touch ID. The surface finishes are identical. The only difference is screen size.
It just doesn't add up. They are not explicitly saying that the Mini 2 is also an iPad Air, but the specs suggest that it is. They could have changed the messaging entirely, saying there are now two iPad Airs - a 7.9" and a 9.7". But they didn't. What are they not telling us?
The iPad 3 is slow because its processor has to drive that Retina screen. I've compared the iPad 2 and iPad 3 side by side (iOS7) and the iPad 2 is often more fluid in the animations.
Problem with the iPad 3 is that it's underpowered. More RAM won't change that. More RAM would increase the ability to have more apps and browser tabs running at a time.
Edit: To add perspective: I'm upgrading to an Retina Mini from my iPad 3. I'm done with that laggy device.
jts
...hate me...
Yep, Apple is pushing the 9,7" to the point where you feel like a chump if you get anything else. I guess they want to counter the momentum a bit, as the iPad mini took iPad market by storm. And that $100 price difference covers the BOM difference between the 9.7" and the 7.9" so the Air has better margins for sure.
I'm keeping my beloved 1st gen mini one more year, but if I had to buy a new iPad this year, it would be the mini (with retina) as well. The 9.7" is great... to make kiosks, living room devices, larger canvas for artistic types, etc. But I prize portability above all that.
I want to fix something in your points though:
This is not the first time the iPad didn't get a significantly "better" chip than the iPhone. iPad is A4 like the iPhone 4, iPad 2 is A5 like the iPhone 4S.
The X series were makeshift frankensteins that existed only while the vanilla SoCs were not up to speed to drive a 1536x2048 display. They don't have a reason to exist anymore.
TheContact
Member
thousand dollar ipads huh, good one apple
the air does look cool though, I'm guessing this is the "new ipad". Did they stop numbering them?
the air does look cool though, I'm guessing this is the "new ipad". Did they stop numbering them?
Ken Masters
Banned
So no pre orders? God dammit apple
Betta Lines
Member
Ahh but in those cases the A4 and A5 were introduced in the iPad, and then went into the iPhone later.
They've changed the timing of releases though - I guess this new iPad could have come out earlier than the 5S.
It's not a big deal, just a small point about how the new iPad range is being presented in a fairly confusing way.
Diablohead
Member
Ken Masters
Banned
The iPad 2 is the only one iPad that officially has a number.
shit, the mini is almost the same weight as the air now? and the same thickness? Looking forward to impressions from those that bought the mini due to the lightness and size, and comparing the retina mini to the air.
as to your other points - I think you're over-thinking it. Both tablets being on the A7 makes sense from apple's logistics point of view, and with the ipads and iphone 5S all being on the same chip, helps developers with a relatively level playing field (allowing for the higher res of ipad).
I think which one you go for now is simply a case of whether you value portability over screen size. Mine is primarily a living room device so I'll go for the air - the weight saving , size reduction and speed increase basically remove the main problems I had with my ipad 3. I do sometimes take it on trips with me, but not that often and it'll be used in hotel rooms or on planes, so no big deal
Haunted
Member
I don't get it.
And they say WiiU is a bad name to differentiate products. Nintendo yet again taking a page from the Apple playbook!
Ugh, I hate this.16GB - $499
32GB - $599
64GB - $699
128GB - $799
There's no way that additional GB are that expensive, right?
went on a flight last week and figured I'd rent a movie from itunes - had some credit lying around. 5GB for a HD rental!? Fuck me.
jts
...hate me...
Size and weight differences are smaller now but still existent. The iPad Air weighs 50% more than the mini I carry around everyday with me and yes, I throw my mini on the back pocket of my jeans sometimes... because I can.
TheContact
Member
I'm probably going to get the ipad mini with retina. I still have a first gen ipad, and while it is pretty slow and can't go past ios5 it does the job. Having something portable to carry around with me would be awesome, I'd definitely want the wifi+cellular version though
jts
...hate me...
Swap #3 and #4 and you're golden.
I long for Apple just calling them "iPad". Then you would just have the iPad '10, iPad '11, iPad '12 (later retconned to "early '12"), iPad late '12, iPad '13.
Ken Masters
Banned
Question:
This will be my first ipad (or tablet for that matter) and I need advice regarding storage.
I have a 64GB iPhone and before that I had a 64GB iPod touch but I only need/ed that much storage on those devices to hold my music and podcasts. Given that I have my iPhone with me at all times, I think I can comfortably skip syncing my music to the ipad. Sans music I only use a few gigs of the storage on my iPhone.
To current iPad owners, how much storage do you have and what do you use it for? Outside of larger iPad games I can't imagine what I will even need gigs of storage for as I primarily plan to use the device for viewing documents, streaming video, and browsing the web.
I'm currently leaning towards getting the 32GB model but I don't want to aim too low and regret it before I'm ready to upgrade again in 2-3 years.
This will be my first ipad (or tablet for that matter) and I need advice regarding storage.
I have a 64GB iPhone and before that I had a 64GB iPod touch but I only need/ed that much storage on those devices to hold my music and podcasts. Given that I have my iPhone with me at all times, I think I can comfortably skip syncing my music to the ipad. Sans music I only use a few gigs of the storage on my iPhone.
To current iPad owners, how much storage do you have and what do you use it for? Outside of larger iPad games I can't imagine what I will even need gigs of storage for as I primarily plan to use the device for viewing documents, streaming video, and browsing the web.
I'm currently leaning towards getting the 32GB model but I don't want to aim too low and regret it before I'm ready to upgrade again in 2-3 years.
32 should be fine for you. I've tried to cut back on having tons of apps, but even a few big ones can eat up a lot of storage - and with a 16GB ipad I think you only have about 13GB usable.
plus if you download any magazines (ipad is fantastic for those), they can be hundreds of megs each issue.
plus if you download any magazines (ipad is fantastic for those), they can be hundreds of megs each issue.
Ken Masters
Banned
The iPad apps are big, 16GB will start to fill quickly if you're not careful
32 GB's is plenty, I use mine to store alot of comics and various apps. I did win alot of space back when I got Spotify though, that helps.
I had mine engraved - foolishly - so I think it's going to be hard to sell. Selling in GBP with a smart cover so I would be happy with £250
jts
...hate me...
They don't need to be baggy.
Of course it's not your go-to carrying place for the mini, but in a hurry you need to clear both your hands for grabbing your girls boobs - done. Just a small example of what can be done with every bit of extra portability.
It will start to fill, thats right but how often are you going to be using all of those apps. I have a 32GB iPad 3 and i can tell you that i barely use half of my apps on a daily basis so i just backup the ones i dont use to my PC.
Gaming is the biggest culprit on when it comes to big apps. Some hardcore games clock in over 1GB. Fifa 14 is one of them.
Trojita
Rapid Response Threadmaker
iPad
iPad 2
New iPad
iPad 4
iPad Air
I know this because I have a "New iPad" aka what should have been the iPad 3.
Thanks guys. It sounds like I will be good with the 32GB.
I'm generally new to this Apple stuff. Can you pre-order this or is there going to be a scramble that first weekend like with the 5S?
Maninthemirror
Banned
This pretty much sums up how i feel . The air monicker on ipad makes me feel that we will get a true ipad pro next year
Ollie Pooch
In a perfect world, we'd all be homersexual
I wonder if the mini is demoted a few spots in the banner order because it's not available yet.
Ken Masters
Banned
I love my iPhone 5S leather case and I'm definitely getting the smart case. The feel of it is great, it's thin & light, and I love that it allows me to be slightly less delicate with the device. I can set it down on any surface without worrying about scratching the device or my furniture. And it does with without cheapening the device. I looked at dozens of cases for my 5S before I decided on Apple's leather case and it ended up having by far the best combination of all the features I wanted.
I agree that the pricing is absurd but I just consider part of the cost of doing business so to speak. The device I want to own is an iPad Air with the case. I consider it one complete product. I plan to use this device up to a few hours every day for the next 2-3 years. I think the total cost is completely worth it.
Ken Masters
Banned
just the fact it's an awesome easy to use security feature they likely held back for the iPad Air 2 is what pisses people off. Plus people have really private info on iPads as much as they do on phones (especially how both devices are likely synced).
Grumble. Oh well, I was able to get my 5S the night it launched (in the configuration I wanted btw). Hopefully the Apple stores in nyc will have the stock to cover the initial demand.
jts
...hate me...
I wanted to setup an iPad in kiosk mode in our company and a fingerprint sensor would be great, as it would let our dumb workers login with ease and speed and without being trusted a passcode that they would lose and share left and right.
I agree. The lack of a fingerprint scanner is a clear negative to me, especially since it is almost certainly going to be in the next model.
The other major benefit is that I liked not having a password that I might potentially have to give out. My friends/girlfriend will want to play with my ipad and I don't want to have to give them my password. The fingerprint scanner removes the presence of that conversation.
While I see what you're saying, the 5S only stores 5 separate fingerprints. I personally use four of those just to cover my own thumbs and index fingers.
I guess maybe the fingerprint functionality will be expanded when they do put in on ipads. The application that you mentioned makes too much sense.
Actually is:
iPad
iPad 2
The New iPad
The New iPad (4th generation)
iPad Air
The 4th gen is never called iPad4 by Apple.
jts
...hate me...
The 4th was simply dubbed iPad (with retina display). First guy got it right, but mixed up 3 and 4.
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