As a loyal user of the iPad series, this year I gave the fifth-generation iPad Air a 76, which in my opinion is an upgrade above the passing line, but it is still far from being eye-catching and stunning.
M1 chip support, 5G available, new color matching options, and even a slight price cut, well, very good. But the point of loss is that the screen does not support ProMotion adaptive refresh, the starting storage is still 64GB, the rear lens has not been upgraded, and so on.
I naturally know that the 10.9-inch iPad Air and the 11-inch iPad Pro need to be segmented differently to make a significant distinction in price.
According to the current price of the official website, the 64GB capacity WiFi version of the fifth generation iPad Air starts at 4399 yuan, and the WiFi version of the 128GB capacity starts at 6199 yuan, and the difference between the 1800 yuan comes from the rear lens, storage capacity, and ProMotion, which corresponds to the deduction point for the fifth generation iPad Air that I just mentioned.
See this you will ask, then you directly on the iPad Pro is not the end!
Of course, in the configuration of the iPad Pro (11 and 12.9 inches) undoubtedly has stronger performance and the latest technology to assist, but after the optional cellular version, the starting price of the iPad Pro has reached 7399 yuan. Approaching the price of a MacBook Air, which is also equipped with an M1 chip, it is difficult to make a relatively correct decision.
Yes, with the iPhone and MacBook Pro as my daily office and life tools, why do I need an iPad and why do I prefer the iPad Air over the Pro?
In fact, from the first generation of iPad to last November, the positioning of this device and the way I use it are 90% for entertainment and leisure, that is, games, chasing dramas, watching balls, and so on. In the past 4 months or so, I have used the fourth-generation iPad Air as a learning tool and explored what it should have looked like in its original positioning.
With the Apple Pencil, I take Notes in English and daily notebooks in Notability; Enter, sync and manage my reading notes and tips with the software Notion and Magic Keyboard; As a larger screen than my phone, I can take advantage of the iPad OS's current multitasking and split-screen capabilities to improve my work and study efficiency.
These are a few reasons why I am more inseparable from the iPad than I used before and now.
Although it is a commercial company with accurate knife skills, Apple does not seem to have found a clear positioning on the fifth generation of the iPad Air.
For example, if you only chase the drama, consider the basic iPad with a basic cost performance, and have the latest sixth-generation iPad mini for lightness. iPad Air, as an early category that hit the market with thin and light weight, is now compared with the 11-inch iPad Pro, and the two products are not too different in terms of weight, appearance and performance.
If it were not for Apple's 4,000 to 6,000 yuan file of its own tablet in the market activity, I think the iPad Air is a single product line that is easy to be "taken" off.
But this price also ensures that people who belong to this range like it a lot, and people who don't like it feel that it is "high or low".
As the iPad Air, which is currently in the mid-to-high-end price range, it is more like a better-configured learning tool, and it can even complete part of the productivity content. Whether it is the blessing of the second-generation Apple Pencil or magic Keyboard or the direct choice of M1 chips this time, in addition to the regular update, Apple also seems to be weighing whether to make a trade-off between the 10.9-inch iPad Air and the 11-inch iPad Pro.
As a more high-end product line, the iPad Pro expected to be released this fall may be equipped with or even the first M2 self-developed chip, the 11-inch version of the screen will also be upgraded, and it is very likely that the stylus and keyboard will be upgraded.
But whether it is a learning tool or a productivity companion, what is currently plaguing the iPad Air and iPad Pro is the "fatigue" of the iPad OS.
The iPad Pro, originally released last April with the M1, was eye-catching, but at WWDC in June, the iPad OS 15 did not bring the same eye-catching upgrade.
As of now, many versions of the software on the iPad are still stuck in the enlarged iPhone version, whether it is the layout of software functions in large screen space, detail settings or the addition of special functions, the iPad version of the software is still stuck in the only with the help of Apple Pencil can see the difference from the iPhone App.
Since this is the case, the reduction in the initial price may also leave a good impression of "increasing the amount and reducing the price" of the public. But what stands in the way of this product line to a higher level can only be the iPad OS.
As a loyal user of the iPad, at WWDC three months later, I am obviously more looking forward to the big changes brought about by the iPad OS, even if I am more concerned about the former than the rumored virtual reality device.