Big iPad for little money: is Apple ignoring this wish?
Apple has the right iPad in its range for every budget and purpose. For real? So I and quite a few other users see it a little differently. What is missing? A large, yet inexpensive iPad. But will there ever be Apple? Let’s clarify now in the latest edition of GIGA’s weekend column.
At first glance, Apple’s iPad portfolio appears to be quite complete and seamless. There should be something for everyone. Big or small, cheap or expensive – the customer has the choice. For a better understanding I summarize again briefly:
iPad (10.2 inches) from 379 euros iPad mini (8.9 inches) from 549 euros iPad Air (10.9 inches) from 649 euros iPad Pro (11 inches) from 879 euros iPad Pro (12.9 inches) from 1,199 euros Euro
What Apple is missing: a big and cheap iPad
Where could there be a niche that Apple has not yet occupied? I’ll tell you: A large iPad in the range between 12 and 13 inches is missing for which you do not have to spend a five-digit amount. Marketing strategist, product designer and 9to5Mac author Parker Ortolani also noticed this gap. In his latest post, he fills this with a 12.6-inch version of the cheapest iPad. The design of the first iPad Pro is practically recycled (home button and edges included), but equipped with the cheaper components of the entry-level model. We would then have to do without ProMotion and other gimmicks (source: 9to5Mac).
Et voilĂ : we’re getting one iPad XL at a price of around 500 euros – even if I would put it a bit higher and add another hundred to the calculation. Apple still lacks such a tablet. The competition from Samsung is already ahead and is already offering something similar with the Galaxy Tab S7 FE 5G. Why can’t Apple do this?
I have a suspicion: You could, but do you want to? Such an iPad would certainly be attractive. For many users, including myself, the performance of the inexpensive iPad is completely sufficient. Nevertheless, one would like to have a larger screen for games and not least for films and digital magazines. Take Netflix and Co, for example: I can only download films from streaming providers via the iPad and iPhone, but not to my MacBook. An iPad with a large display would come in handy when traveling.
My thoughts on the weekend: The column aims to provide food for thought and reflect the “flood of news” of the week towards the end. A small selection of the previous articles in the column:
iPhone 14: That is why Apple’s striving for perfection is now a problem Samsung, LG and Co: Listen, televisions have to get “stupid” again Apple’s switch alternative: Not a particularly great idea for good reason
That’s why the iPad XL won’t exist
Unfortunately, Apple will not fulfill this wish for me and many other users. Such a device makes sense for us, but it thwarts Apple’s product strategy. At a price of 500 to 600 euros, the iPad mini and also the iPad Air roll over on the one hand. The full-format display and the better performance speak for them, but they do quite a few would give a damn for an equally expensive model with a large display.
The form factor and design correspond to the iPad Pro from 2015 (here in the video), but with cheaper technology:
If you want a big screen, you will have to dig deep into your pocket in the future, as Apple likes. For the same reason, there is no MacBook Air with a 15- or 16-inch display. Unfortunately, for “political” reasons, such a product cannot exist. Very unfortunate, but unfortunately there is no way to change it.
But you can dream – have a nice Sunday.
