Apple's iPad has plummeted, with a conscience? Here's the truth!
Apple's latest generation of iPad tablets attracted a lot of attention at the launch event. This new product not only has the price been greatly reduced, but the configuration has also been significantly improved, which has made many fruit fans call it a "conscience product". But some people have questioned whether Apple's move has another hidden meaning. Let's find out.
Apple announced at the press conference that the starting price of the new generation of entry-level iPad is 2998 yuan, which is nearly 1000 yuan lower than the same product last year. This is undoubtedly an eye-catching "crazy price reduction" operation. Many fruit fans have said that Apple is really thinking about users this time and has launched a cost-effective tablet.
When we carefully studied the specific configuration of the new product, we found some doubts. The new iPad is not only equipped with Apple's latest M1 chip, but the display has also been upgraded to a miniLED panel, which is a great improvement over the previous model. Some netizens jokingly said, "This is simply shoddy!" ＂
In the face of such a "conscientious" new product, consumers can't help but start to doubt Apple's intentions. On the one hand, the price has been greatly reduced, and on the other hand, it has invested heavily in hardware, which is a bit "abnormal". Could it be that Apple is "planning" something?
Unexpectedly, Apple soon "revealed" the truth of this mystery in person. It turned out that at this new product launch conference, Apple took the initiative to upgrade the old iPad orders previously booked by users to new products for free. In other words, the old and new iPads are essentially the same product, but the chip and screen are different.
This seemingly "abnormal" operation is actually a microcosm of Apple's good intentions. For years, Apple has been criticized for being overpriced and not consumer-friendly. Through the free upgrade, users not only enjoy the experience of the latest products, but also convey Apple's attention and care for users.
For the average consumer who has not been eligible for a free upgrade, the price of the new iPad may still be a little expensive. Taking the 12.9-inch version as an example, the starting price is as high as RMB 11,499, which is considered a high price in the tablet field. But having said that, iPad Pro, as Apple's flagship tablet, is the industry's top in terms of hardware configuration and user experience, and the price naturally has to match.
This is the first tablet with an M1 chip, which is comparable in performance to a laptop. With a miniLED screen and 5G network support, the new iPad Pro performs best-in-class in every aspect, whether it's for office, gaming, or entertainment. For those who have professional needs for tablets, the price is still quite worth it.
Unfortunately, Apple doesn't seem to have made much of a breakthrough in the software ecosystem. Despite the increasing strength of hardware, due to system-level limitations, it is still difficult for the iPad Pro to completely replace traditional laptops and become a true "productivity platform". This may be one of the reasons why Apple is cautious when it comes to pricing.
The arrival of the new iPad Pro will undoubtedly put the tablet market into a period of "cooling-off period". With its outstanding hardware strength, it will continue to dominate the high-end tablet market and become the industry's "performance lever". But other manufacturers will not sit still, and will launch more cost-effective new tablet products in the future to get a piece of the pie.
For ordinary consumers, whether it is worth buying a new iPad Pro needs to be weighed according to their actual needs. If you're just looking for a tablet for everyday entertainment and light work, the entry-level iPad 9 or iPad Air will be good enough. But if you need a "mobile workstation" that can really deliver high-end productivity, the new iPad Pro is definitely the best choice.
No matter which one you choose in the end, I believe that with the continuous improvement of Apple's ecosystem, the application scenarios of tablets will become more and more extensive in the future. Perhaps one day, it can really completely replace the traditional laptop and become the main device of our work and life. This requires Apple's continuous innovation and investment in both hardware and software. We'll see.