Apple missed the mark with the new “budget” iPad

Welcome to our weekend Apple Breakfast column, which includes all the Apple news you missed this week in a handy bite-sized summary. We call it Apple Breakfast because we think it goes great with a cup of coffee or tea in the morning, but it’s cool if you want to read it during lunch or dinner hours as well.

No matter the price, feel the quality

It’s been a big week in Apple land, with the tech giant rolling out new versions of its iPad, iPad Pro and Apple TV 4K product lines. But not everyone was impressed, with some followers of the company focusing on the price of the new devices much more than their updated specs and expanded feature sets.

On the one hand, this interest in the bottom line has had PR benefits: most notably, the new Apple TV is considerably cheaper, making it much more attractive at a time when the cost of living is rising. skyrocketing and household bills spiraling out of control. . But the 10th generation iPad is significantly more expensive than its predecessor, and it was hard to escape gasps of outrage on social media after Apple revealed the new price.

I’m writing this from the UK, where prices (including those of the iPad Pro models) seem particularly high, largely due to currency fluctuations and general 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, American consumers are not spared from price increases. The 9th generation iPad started at $329 when it was first released, but the 10th generation model now starts at $449. Note that the 9th Gen is still on sale so the cheapest option remains, but its price hasn’t dropped a dime despite being now a year old. (And in the UK it’s actually part at the top.) Sleight of hand can’t hide the fact that Apple is asking consumers to dig deeper.

Everything could have been so different. If Apple had an event in October, as we wrote about last week, it could have easily controlled the narrative. The presenters could have talked about the bigger increase in screen size from the base iPad, the addition of 5G and USB-C, the faster processor and much improved cameras, and even its vibrant new color options. If potential customers get their information directly from the feed, Apple can tell the story any way it wants, instead of hoping the media will draw the desired conclusion from its press releases…which they didn’t. sure not done.

It’s not even like the new iPad was a disappointing launch (although it does blur the lineup a bit). There’s a lot to like here and it has many significant upgrades. (Unfortunately, that doesn’t include a laminated display, but you can’t have it all.) The problem isn’t that the 10th-gen iPad necessarily offers bad value, but that it’s gone out of its way. , moving away from the budget slot and cannibalizing iPad Air territory. Apple needed a new budget iPad, not a second midrange one.

Most of us are feeling the pinch right now, and it’s hard to imagine that Apple will sell many iPad Pro M2s in the current economic climate, or even that the 10th Gen iPad will sell in the same quantities. than its predecessor. Maybe he doesn’t need it to be considered a success. But a compelling cheap iPad would have done the trick for many, and it would be sad for Apple to turn away from the budget market at a time when money is tight for so many people.

Trending: Top stories of the week

Is Apple scamming the rest of the world with inflated prices? Karen Haslam did the math.

Apples new range of tablets is confusing, redundant and overwhelming. Good luck figuring out which iPad to buy now.

Apple is quietly preparing for a future without the iPhone or another big thing.

And you thought the iPhone 14 Pro Max was expensive… A $599 iPhone just sold for nearly $40,000.

The rumor mill

The last week of October will be a A large for Apple, it may be the biggest ever.

A new home screen, video clips and new AR chat features… Apple is believed to be planning a major overhaul of Messages in iOS 17.

Apple is reportedly working on a dock that will turn the iPad into a home speaker and hub.

A major overhaul is likely in store for Apple iPhone SE 4.

Podcast of the week

The deployment of the M2 resumes its course with the introduction of the new iPad Pro. Apple also updated the standard iPad and Apple TV! We’re talking about what’s new on this episode of the Macworld Podcast.

You can watch every Macworld podcast episode on Spotify, Soundcloud, Podcasts app or our own site.

Software updates, bugs and issues

iPadOS 16 is coming Monday but you’ll need one brand new iPad to get all the features.

And with that, we’re done for this week. If you want to receive regular roundups, sign up for our newsletters. You can also follow us on Twitter for the latest news. See you next Saturday, enjoy the rest of your weekend and stay Appley.