Apple’s iPad lineup is a complete mess up
Is the iPad Air better than the iPad Pro?
In the last two months Apple has released three new iPads, first was the iPad Pro, which was released last month & then the iPad Air and the iPad in the event (time flies). This event was very big for Apple, not only new iPads we also got new Apple watches (the Series 6 and the Apple Watch SE), Apple fitness+ and a new Apple One Bundle. There’s always a hype for Apple events and its products, Apple’s major change in the Apple Watch lineup was series 6 with a new and fast processor along with the all new blood oxymeter. The Apple watch SE on the other hand was introduced at a lower price range. Apple Watch SE offers the same processor which was present in the last years Apple Watch Series 5.
The company announced an updated all new iPad and iPad Air. Talking about the iPad Air, the device was introduced in five colours and it starts from $599. Where as the iPad Pro starts from $799, the starting variant of the iPad Air is of 64GB whereas the iPad Pro starts from 128GB. Both the iPads are almost similar in terms of display & performance.
The A14 is Apple’s first chip built on the 5nm process and the company says it “features a new 6-core design for a 40 percent boost in CPU performance, and a new 4-core graphics architecture for a 30 percent improvement in graphics.” Meanwhile, the new 16-core neural engine is said to be 2x as fast and new machine learning accelerators are expected to offer 10x faster performance.
Other notable hardware changes is the touch ID in the iPad Air, the touch ID is moved to the lock button and should be very convenient. In terms of convenience for most of the users touch ID is far better than Face ID, it’s also great to see USB-C coming to the new iPad Air like the Pro which offers more flexibility with peripherals. The new iPad Air can also support the Apple Pencil Second Generation and the Magic Keyboard.
But the question arises when we compare both the models side by side, Is it worth spending more money on the Pro model ? In Apple, Pro stands for the most premium product in the lineup, but after releasing the iPad Air the lineup is completely messed up, the iPad Air seems more promising and cheaper than the iPad Pro, if Gigabytes is not a concern one should blindly consider iPad Air.
If we talk about the camera setup on both the devices, iPad Pro has a dual camera setup along with the LiDAR scanner (for better Augmented Reality) which supports wide angle range but surprisingly doesn't support portrait mode, on the other hand iPad Air is a single camera setup. However, you’re still getting a very capable rear camera on the 2020 iPad Air that can shoot 4K video and slow-motion at 1080p as well as the same FaceTime camera that comes with the iPad Pro. And how much are you really going to use the LiDAR scanner, ultrawide, and flash on an iPad anyway?
The battery life of the 2020 iPad Air is same as the iPad Pro 11", which is a great deal. The iPad Air weighs just one pound and has 10 hours battery life and the dimensions are identical to the iPad Pro 11".
Which one should you consider?
It depends on the usage of the consumer. If an ultrawide camera and LiDAR aren’t a big deal, you don’t need more than 256GB built-in storage, ProMotion 120Hz refresh rate isn’t a necessity, and you’re good with Touch ID in the top button vs Face ID, the 2020 iPad Air is the clear choice. But spending 200$ more for these features, that are not really important isn't worth it. As per me, iPad Air is a winner. As per the lineup Apple has released a cheaper and a better version than the premium model Pro, the product is a hit, but the question is, Will it affect the sales of the iPad Pro?
By Yash Lalwani
