Big anticipations for Apple’s new products
Just when we thought Apple’s tablet game was fizzling, they tease us with a new lineup. The company, best known for its iPhone keynotes, is rumored to showcase a lineup of three iPad upgrades along with a game-changing new release. If predictions from the Japanese website Mac Otakara prove correct, we can expect the new iPad lineup to take center stage at an upcoming March event.
Here’s the rumored lineup:
-a 7.9-inch iPad Pro (a possible refresh of the iPad mini 4)
-a 9.7-inch iPad Pro upgrade
-a 12.9-inch iPad Pro upgrade
-an all-new 10.5-inch iPad Pro
This will be the first major upgrade to Apple’s iPad lineup since 2015.
The company has dominated the tablet market, although the market itself has been in decline over the past few years. In the third quarter of 2016, market research firm IDC reported a year-over-year drop of 14.7% in global tablet shipments. Can a new lineup of iPad Pros resurrect consumer interest?
A return to glory days is possible if Apple can accomplish two key goals.
First, Apple needs consumers to view the iPad Pro as a legit computer, rather than another fancy gadget. It already got a head start on this with last week’s release of four YouTube ads Steve Jobs might describe as insanely creative.
One ad boldly claims that the iPad Pro is’t just a computer, it’s “better than a computer.”
With such a bold claim, Apple needs to back it up with the right specs. Let’s take a look the initial spec predictions.
[clickToTweet tweet=”The folks over at Macrumors are on board with Mac Otakaru’s predictions.” quote=”The folks over at Macrumors are on board with Mac Otakaru’s predictions.”]
They believe that Apple’s two larger, higher-end iPad releases will feature Apple’s A10X processor. Transcripts from Apple’s iPhone 7 release reiterate that the A10 processor has a 40% greater CPU performance and 50% greater graphics performance over the A9X.
The 12.9-inch and 7.9-inch iPads are also expected to adopt Tru Tone display technology, which optimizes the user’s screen based on their environment. These moves, along with an upgraded quad microphone can help solidify the iPad pro as a legitimate competitor to a computer, with the power to handle both productivity and entertainment.
Second, Apple needs to wow tablet consumers again. If the rumors are true, the new 10.5-inch iPad can accomplish this with a refreshingly new design. Mac Okatura believes the 10.5-inch version will be the first iPad with an end-to-end screen and no home button.
Besides the futuristic style points Apple gets with this move, users get a larger display without necessarily going up in size.
This is a huge move in mobile’s race to go completely bezel-free.
Apple can’t ever make taking a photo with an iPad look cool.
Seriously guys, blocking everyone’s view for an iPad photo opp is not cool. However, with an innovative end-to- end screen design, a new iPad can become relevant again. More importantly, if Apple can back up its claim of their iPad Pro being “better than a computer” then consumers (especially business and creative professionals) will take notice.
