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title: Apple has no idea what to do with the iPad
description: Apple recently unveiled their refresh of the iPad mini. Most surprising to me is that it comes with the A17 Pro chip. That got me thinking… Wasn't the iPad mini meant as a small casual device? Why does it need a Pro chip?! But in conversations with friends I came to realize that the iPad lineup has been getting ever more confusing as time went on. And I'm not alone.
image:
src: https://cdn.sebin-nyshkim.net/-rtKd7CgZ6g
alt: iOS face with swirly eyes emoji surrounded by a word cloud of Apple marketing jargon on red background with jagged lines
tags: ['apple']
---
{{ description }}
Since the launch of the iPhone 15 Apple has split the A-line of chips into Pro and non-Pro chips. The non-Pro iPhone 15 got the A16 Bionic, same as the iPhone 14 of the previous year. The iPhone 15 Pro got the improved A17 Pro. That certainly was met with criticism, but was hardly out of the ordinary for a company such as Apple. But with the launch of the iPhone 16 lineup this year, Apple did a complete 180 and both the Pro and non-Pro models of iPhones got the same chip again.
The iPhone lineup has always been pretty easy to navigate. If you don't care and just want an iPhone, you buy a non-Pro iPhone. If you want the best iPhone money can buy, you go Pro. The number of each generation increases by 1 each year, so you can clearly distinguish them.
## How it started…
The iPad lineup, in the beginning, shared it's chip with the iPhone until Apple started branching out and added the X suffix to A-series chips mean for iPads, packing more punch than their iPhone counterparts. The iPad mini meanwhile stayed with the same A-series chips as the iPhone.
The consistent numbering scheme of iPad hardware generations was only shared with the iPhone briefly. After the iPad 2 of 2011, the generational number was dropped in favor of just calling it the iPad and refer to the "nth generation" in support documents.
After the 3rd generation in March 2012 and the 4th generation in November 2012 the naming of the main iPad lineup transitioned to the iPad Air branding in 2013. It was launched alongside the iPad mini 2. Both iPad variants followed up with a new model in 2014.
In 2015 Apple unveiled the iPad Pro lineup along with the Apple Pencil in an attempt to cater to creative professionals and enthusiasts. To this day, this paid off to a certain extend. The iPad has become very popular with a lot of digital artists—who've over time gotten very fed up with the shaky reliability of dedicated drawing tablets from the likes of Wacom.
Then, in 2017, Apple launched the 2nd generation iPad Pro line and revitalized the regular iPad line for a 5th generation (putting the iPad Air line on hold). Alongside the launch of the new hardware, they also ran the "What's a Computer?" ad campaign, in which they suggested that the iPad can serve as a replacement for most computers/laptops on the market at that time. A 6th generation refresh of the regular iPad came in March 2018, followed by the 3rd generation of the iPad Pro in November 2018, along with a 2nd generation of the Apple Pencil.
## …how it's going
In March 2019 Apple revitalized the iPad Air lineup with a 3rd generation and a 5th generation of iPad mini. That meant Apple now offered five (!) different variants of the same product line:
- iPad (6th gen)
- iPad Air (3th gen)
- iPad mini (5th gen)
- iPad Pro 11" (1st gen)[^ipadprogen]
- iPad Pro 12.9" (3rd gen)
What made things more confusing is that Apple went ahead and put the M1 of their ARM-based 2020 MacBook lineup into the 5th generation of iPad Pros in 2021. which muddied the waters even more in terms of product strategy. Now the iPad Pro was as capable as their lauded M-chip-based MacBooks but there was one glaring issue: they were still iPads with iPad software running on them. So putting the M1 in the iPad Pro wasn't much more than a weird flex, since the software running on the iPad was still very much designed with iPad idiosyncrasies in mind[^ipadbabies].
## Weird flex, but okay
Multiple reviewers were quick to point out that the iPad Pro's hardware is held back by its software. Only a handful of apps really supported external screens and iPadOS doesn't allow for multiple apps on different screens, like you would expect from a device that's being touted as a laptop replacement. Multiple productivity apps were and still aren't available for the iPad and then again it's often just watered down versions that can't compete with their desktop counterparts.
[Caitlin McGarry at Gizmodo](https://gizmodo.com/the-ipad-pro-is-as-powerful-as-it-can-be-now-what-1846914479):
> The iPad's hardware is a non-issue at this point. Apple's tablet gets better with every iteration, and the M1 iPad with miniLED display is truly impressive. There are no other tablets that can compare.
>
> But the iPad Pro isn't competing against other tablets. It's competing against the Mac. And though the iPad is very, very capable, its software often feels hamstrung compared to the Mac's.
[Scott Stein at CNET](https://www.cnet.com/news/apple-ipad-pro-review-m1-plus-5g-make-for-an-almost-perfect-tablet):
> Monitor support is a big example. The iPad Pro can only use an external monitor for apps that choose to support it, which is limited now to some games, video-editing tools... and that's mostly it. It doesn't extend your iPad to a second desktop area, or allow multiple apps on different screens. This is what you'd expect monitor support on an M1-equipped iPad would add, and yet here we are.
[Samuel Axon at Ars Technica](https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/05/2021-ipad-pro-review-more-of-the-same-but-way-way-faster-thanks-to-m1/):
> If you're willing to stay within the lane that iPadOS and its apps provide, the iPad can be a delight to use. The software represents a fresh start for computer operating systems compared to legacy-laden desktop OSes like Windows and macOS, and it's loaded with cool voice control, handwriting recognition, and multitasking features that can make it feel downright futuristic.
>
> But beyond the operating system itself, iPadOS struggles to stand toe to toe with similarly priced laptops. That shortcoming is primarily because most of the really powerful creative applications—from Adobe Premiere to Autodesk Maya to Unity to Apple's own Final Cut or Xcode—don't have robust iPad versions.
Apple tried to address these criticisms with iPadOS 16's Stage Manager, an app switcher for when you use your iPad with an external monitor. But reviewers were equally unimpressed, as it was still lagging behind the window management capabilities of a full-fledged desktop OS.
[David Pierce at The Verge](https://www.theverge.com/23420280/ipados-16-stage-manager-review)
> Stage Manager, as a concept, makes sense on a Mac because it adds some structure to the free-form system, letting you quickly collect your mess. In that way, it reminds me of the Mac’s desktop Stacks feature, which automatically creates folders for different file types on your desktop. It’s a simple way to rein in the chaos. On the iPad, though, Stage Manager is just more and different structure on top of all the existing structure. And all that structure just turns back into chaos.
A year later with iPadOS 17, things improved a little bit, but it was still a long shot from actual window managing power users were used to from a desktop OS.
[David Pierce again](https://www.theverge.com/23787477/apple-ipados-17-stage-manager-ipad-multitasking):
> Really, my biggest remaining gripe with Stage Manager is the same one as last year: it has nothing to do with the rest of the iPad’s software. You can’t Command-Tab through spaces, spaces don’t show up in your dock, and you can’t save a space in any meaningful way. As ever, the app switcher is the only useful way to navigate your spaces. If you’re going to use Stage Manager, my recommendation is simple: make five spaces and stick with them. If you find yourself needing more than you can see on the screen at once, Stage Manager isn’t for you.
As of 2024, the iPad Pro is still not a suitable laptop replacement.
[Tony Polanco at tom's guide](https://www.tomsguide.com/tablets/ipads/i-tried-using-the-ipad-pro-2024-as-a-laptop-for-a-week-it-went-exactly-as-expected)
> For all its strengths, the iPad Pro still doesn’t make a great laptop replacement. Not only is iPadOS not good for laptop-like productivity, but you can get a real laptop like the MacBook Air M2 for hundreds of dollars less.
Which brings me to my next point in Apple's confused iPad lineup.
## Upsell me if you can
When the base-model iPad launched in its 10th generation in 2022, reviews were mixed.
There certainly were some notable improvements, like the switch to USB-C, the general chip upgrades and applying the new hardware design to the chassis, making it buttonless and moving the biometric sensor to the power button up top. But this was accompanied by the removal of the headphone jack, a lack of support for the 2nd generation Apple Pencil and an increased price compared to models of years prior ($329 9th gen vs. $449 10th gen).
Especially the situation with the Apple Pencil was hilariously misguided, since the 1st generation Apple Pencil was still using Lightning and the 10th generation iPad switched to USB-C (the fact its design was begging for the thing to snap off if you weren't careful notwithstanding). This necessitated a dongle, which you'd plug into a USB-C cable, which plugged into the iPad.
Making things more awkward was the keyboard situation. Despite the 10th generation base-model iPad sharing the design of its siblings, it was just ever so slightly sized differently that it couldn't share any accessories with them. Apple would rather sell you an entirely separate variant of its Magic Keyboard Folio for an eye-watering $249 on top of the iPad's already increased price.
Adding that all up:
| Item | Price |
| -------------------- | -------: |
| iPad 10th gen | $449 |
| Magic Keyboard Folio | $249 |
| Apple Pencil | $99 |
| **Total** | **$797** |
Now you could argue that you neither need the keyboard nor the pencil. And you'd be right. You can still connect any old Bluetooth keyboard to it and be good to go. The point is to illustrate how Apple's promise about the iPad replacing your laptop runs you as steep a price as an iPad Air with 256 GB of storage at $749[^ipadairstor]. What makes it all appear even more hilariously out of touch is that the same Magic Keyboard Folio for the iPad Air used to only cost you $179[^ipadairfolio].
But just for the sake of argument, let's do the calculation above again but with the iPad Air in mind:
| Item | Price |
| --------------------------------- | --------: |
| iPad Air 5th gen | $749 |
| Magic Keyboard Folio | $179 |
| Apple Pencil 2nd gen[^ipadairpen] | $129 |
| **Total** | **$1057** |
We've now approached the price of a 5th generation iPad Pro 12.9" (128 GB base storage, $1,099). Add another $100 and you could get an M2 MacBook Air. As in, like, an *actual* laptop. To do actual productive things with you'd have gotten a laptop for in the first place.
Of particular note in that regard is that Apple has gone out of their way to also make choosing the right Apple Pencil for your chosen iPad (or vice-versa) absolute misery as well. Specifically making the 2nd generation Apple Pencil, compatible with the 3rd to 6th generation iPad Pro, incompatible with with the 7th generation iPad Pro, in favor of the Apple Pencil Pro. So, if you're upgrading from any of those generations to the latest iPad Pro, you can't use your $149 fancy pen anymore, even if it still works just fine.
Worse still, the specs of the newly released M4 chip inside depend on you *storage configuration* at the time of purchase and iPadOS is still a struggle for productivity use and a laptop replacement, as noted by reviews.
[Brenda Stolyar at Wired](https://www.wired.com/review/apple-ipad-pro-m4-2024/):
> The iPad Pro feels unfinished. With no evidence of what exactly makes the M4 chip all that revolutionary just yet, it's tough to recommend right now—especially for the price. The most expensive iPad Pro configuration (13-inch with nano-texture glass, 2 TB of storage, and cellular connectivity) and the latest accessories (Magic Keyboard Case and Apple Pencil Pro) come out to a whopping $3,077. That's only slightly less than a 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M3 Max chip (1 TB of storage), which starts at $3,199.
You notice the pattern here? In an effort to sell you the iPad as a better and more capable laptop replacement, they also need to sell you on the accessories. And it's these accessories that bump up the price of the proposed laptop replacement to that of the actual laptops in Apple's lineup. Why would you go with an iPad the price of a laptop, when that money would actually get you a laptop?
## All that power and nowhere to put it… unless…
Apple remains the undisputed leader of the tablet market with the iPad. They don't really need to keep stuffing more and more processing power into it. As far as I'm concerned, they could just bring out a new iPad every two years and they would still run circles around every other competitor[^androidmeh].
But I don't think that's why they're doing it. As mentioned in the beginning, the iPad mini has been equipped with an A17 Pro, the same chip as in the iPhone 15 Pro. If you've been keeping up with news in the IT space lately, you've probably noticed a very specific trend getting mentioned quite often: "AI"
![Two girls in school uniforms. One girl is standing with her back to the wall (caption: me). The other girl (caption: every company) points a giant tuba at her (caption: AI), covering her head](https://cdn.sebin-nyshkim.net/-bDpftkDQLP)
Apple has been very hesitant to jump on this bandwagon, but in the end, they are also following Silicon Valley's Hail Mary moment and calling it "Apple Intelligence". The fact is that "AI" calculations are very computationally intensive and require special compute units (NPUs) in processors to be able to come up with results in a reasonable amount of time without draining the battery.
And this is probably also the crux of why Apple has given a device like the iPad mini such a powerful chip. Only two of Apple's A-series chips are equipped with an NPU to perform such "AI" calculations: the A17 Pro and A18 Pro. The other Apple chips sporting these specialized compute units are the M-series. So to not further muddle the spec sheets between iPad models, Apple couldn't *also* put an M-series chip inside the iPad mini as well and ridiculously out-spec that one as well. That only leaves out the base-model iPad from being able to make use of Apple Intelligence.
But if the 7th generation iPad mini is any indication, I'm expecting that to change real soon.
Big Tech is hell-bent on making this whole "AI" tomfoolery work out for them. And for Apple this now also means, going forward, releasing devices that can run their flavor of pixel-guesstimation and word-salad-parrots, always one wrong prompt away from spouting absolute nonsense at you as answers to 3rd grade questions, is now a core business strategy.
As is often the case, any single company dominating a market segment with their product makes for some real questionable choices in the iterations of said product over time. Apple seems outright clueless and without any sense of direction of where to take the iPad lineup in general, since they have absolutely no competition to fight off. The only "competition" is the Mac lineup, and even then, all the iPad lineup does is make people wish they would've gone for a real computer instead.
Having been the top-dog in tablets for years (decades?) have made Apple become complacent and so they do what any company does when they run out of ideas and can basically do whatever: adding bullshit nobody asked for and changing stuff around for the sake of changing stuff around.
The iPad, as a product line, is poised to repeat [the same mistake](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Inc.#1990%E2%80%931997:_Decline_and_restructuring) Apple made in the 90s, when they were in dire straits because their Mac lineup became a confusing mess to navigate. Too many choices with little to no real significance, alienating customers on which model to buy.
Customers trying to make sense of which iPad best serves their needs or why they should bother with any iPad in the first place face the same confusing, alienating product line today.
[^ipadprogen]: Yes, Apple counts the iPad Pro 11" generations differently, being preceded by the iPad Pro 9.7" and iPad Pro 10.5" before it (of course, also each of those separately, to make it even more confusing).
[^ipadbabies]: Or, as senior vice president of software engineering [Craig Federighi himself](https://www.theverge.com/2021/5/20/22444471/epic-apple-fortnite-antitrust-trial-craig-federighi-ios-security) puts it: "With iOS, we were able to create something where children — heck, even infants — can operate an iOS device, and be safe in doing so."
[^ipadairstor]: 64 GB of base storage was laughably small, even in 2022, especially with how atrocious storage management is on iOS/iPadOS. If you only meant to do light stuff on it you'd go for the base-model iPad without any accessories anyways and take the savings over niceness of a fancier slab of glass.
[^ipadairfolio]: Apple seems to have since discontinued the Folio for the iPad Air for the more expensive magnetically attached Magic Keyboard.
[^ipadairpen]: The iPad Air is incompatible with the 1st generation Apple Pencil, so you *have* to go for the more expensive 2nd generation.
[^androidmeh]: Especially with how "meh" Android tablets are, Apple isn't really facing the stiffest competition here, either.