We are pleased to present our week-end Apple Breakfast column. It includes all the Apple news this week in a concise roundup. We call it Apple Breakfast because we think it goes great with a morning cup of coffee or tea, but it’s cool if you want to give it a read during lunch or dinner hours too.
Don’t worry about the cost, just feel the quality
It’s been a big week in Apple land, with the tech giant rolling out new versions of its iPad, iPad ProAnd Apple TV 4KThere are many product lines. Not everyone was impressed. Some of its followers were more focused on the cost of new devices than their improved specs and expanded feature set.
This interest in the bottom line was one thing. The new Apple TV is significantly cheaper than its predecessor, which makes it more attractive at a time where the cost of living has soared and household bills have spiraled out of control. However, the 10th-generation iPad was much more expensive than its predecessor. This led to a lot of outrage and outrage on social networks.
This is what I’m writing from the U.K. where the iPad Pro models have very high prices due to currency fluctuations and political drama. But Apple can’t entirely hide behind the weakness of the pound, as our mathematicians discovered in an article linked below.
In any case, U.S. consumers haven’t gotten off scot-free when it comes to price hikes. The first-generation iPad cost $329. However, the price for the 10th generation model is now $449. The 9th-gen is still on sale, mind you, so the cheaper option remains–but it hasn’t dropped in price by a cent despite now being a full year old. (And in the U.K. it’s actually gone Up.) Sleight of hand can’t hide the fact that Apple is asking consumers to dig deeper.
It could have all been different. Apple could have held an October event as we did. SubmittedIt could have easily controlled last week’s narrative. Presenters could have talked about the baseline iPad’s biggest-ever increase in screen size, the addition of 5G and USB-C, the faster processor and much-improved cameras, and even its vibrant new color options. If potential customers are getting their information directly from the stream, Apple gets to tell the story the way it wants, instead of hoping that media reports draw the desired conclusion from its press releases… which, of course, they didn’t.
IDG
It’s not even like the new iPad is a disappointing launch (though it does The lineup is muddyA bit. There’s much to like here and it has many significant improvements. (Sadly this doesn’t include a laminated screen, but you can’t have everything.) The problem is not that the 10th-gen iPad necessarily offers poor value, but that it’s drifted out of its lane, moving away from the budget slot and cannibalizing the iPad Air’s territory. Apple needed a new iPad that was affordable, not another mid-market model.
Most of us are feeling the pinch at the moment, and it’s hard to imagine that Apple will be selling many M2 iPad Pros in the current economic climate, nor indeed that the 10th-gen iPad will sell in the same quantities as its predecessor. Perhaps it doesn’t need to in order to be counted as a success. A compelling, cheap iPad would have been a good choice for many. It would be a shame for Apple to move its attention away from the budget market during a time of tight finances.
Trending: Top Stories of the Week
Is Apple Ripping off the rest the worldWith Inflationary Prices? Karen Haslam did the math.
Apple’s new tablet lineupit is confusing, redundant and overwhelming. Good luck in figuring it out Which iPad should you buy right now?.
Apple is quietly getting ready for a Future without the iPhone–or Another big thing.
And you thought the iPhone 14 Pro Max was expensive… A iPhone 599Only sold Nearly $40,000.
The rumor mill
The Last week of OctoberIt will be a Big one for Apple—maybe it’s biggest ever.
New home screen, video clips, AR chat features now available… Apple is believed to be planning a major Messages overhauliOS 17.
Apple is reportedly Working on a dockThis will make the iPad a truly portable device. Home hub and speaker.
A Major redesign is likely in store for Apple’s iPhone SE 4.
Podcast of Week
The introduction of the new M2 rolling out system has accelerated the M2 rollout. iPad Pro new. Apple also updated the Apple TV and the iPad regular. This episode of Macworld Podcast features the latest releases.
Each episode of Macworld Podcast is available online Spotify, Soundcloud?, Podcasts appYou can also call it: Visit our site.
Software updates, bugs & problems
iPadOS 16 Monday, April 20 but you’ll need a New iPadYou can get all features.
And with that, we’re done for this week. If you’d like to get regular roundups, sign up for Subscribe to our newsletter. You can also follow us Follow us on Twitter for breaking news stories. Stay Appley, see you next Saturday.
