Apple iPad is a Faster, Cheaper iPad Air 2 (cnet.com) 104
Say good-bye to the iPad Air, it's just the iPad now. From a report on CNET: Apple announced on Tuesday morning that it will be dropping the price of the 9.7-inch iPad by $70. The tablet's A8X processor will be getting an upgrade too, jumping over to the A9 chip used in the iPad Pro. The upgrade will replace the iPad Air 2, but the iPad Mini 4 will live on, starting at $399. The updated pricing will start on Friday, at $329 for the 32GB model and $459 for the 32GB WiFi with cellular service model. It's Apple's cheapest iPad, after the company decided to replace the iPad Mini 2, which started at $269. Although Apple's iPad is leading the tablet market, it's still a tumbling one as demand takes a decline thanks to people holding onto their tablets longer.
Thicker: So what ? (Score:2)
Do you really need that much to be able to cut cheese with your tablet ?!
I understand that it's preferable for gadgets not to weight 1 metric ton, and not to be as fat as a cinderblock, but as long as they are portable does it really make sense to chase after every last millimetre ?
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but as long as they are portable does it really make sense to chase after every last millimetre ?
There's a huge difference between "portable" and "I can comfortably hold this with one hand for an extended period of time".
The use case for a laptop as opposed to a tablet can be quite different.
What shape is your hand ? (Score:2)
There's a huge difference between "portable" and "I can comfortably hold this with one hand for an extended period of time".
Again, we're not speaking about something shaped like a brick.
We're speaking about 6.1mm vs 7.5mm.
i.e.: differences in the mm range, in a object that's less than 1cm thick.
What weird shape does a hand have so that a 6.1mm thick object can comfortably fit for an extended period of time, but a 7.5mm thick object suddenly can't anymore ?!
I just can't get why people are paying so much attention to mm differences in objects that are thin enough for nearly all most common use cases...
Faster, cheaper iPad Air 1 you mean (Score:4, Informative)
The new iPad shares the same 7.5mm thick 1.03lb body as the iPad Air 1. It also shares the same non-laminated screen and no anti-reflective coating as the iPad Air 1. The Air 2 was 6.1mm thick, 0.963lb with a fully laminated screen with anti-reflective coating.
The new iPad is an iPad Air 1 on the outside, with an A9 CPU (from iPhone 6S) on the inside and the camera and TouchID from the iPad Air 2.
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Does it have a real headphone jack? Or did they remove that to make it cheaper?
Re:Faster, cheaper iPad Air 1 you mean (Score:5, Funny)
Does it have a real headphone jack? Or did they have the courage to remove that?
FTFY
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This one INCLUDES the headphone jack - as seen here [apple.com]. Wonder why, though - did they get the message that nobody likes it's disappearing from the iPhone 7?
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IMO, Schools. That's all. Students use cheap headphones/headsets, not bluetooth doodads. We discussed BT headphones with our kids, but what killed it for me was having yet another device that needed to be power managed or it wouldn't work. So wires it is.
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Does it have a real headphone jack? Or did they remove that to make it cheaper?
No they made it cheaper by redefining cheaper as meaning costing $50 more.
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Basically, yup. The iPad Air 2 was effectively a prototype 9.7 inch iPad Pro, and bears more in common with the current 9.7 inch iPad Pro than it does with the new iPad, for exactly the reasons you specified.
To be fair, the iPad Air 2 remains a great machine, and by all indications that trend has continued into the Pro line. I still use my iPad Air 2 on a daily basis and have no plans to replace it anytime soon, given that it's still operating just as well today as the day that I bought it. But with a situa
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How does it compare to Galaxy S tab 2, 3 and Asus Zenpad 3S? Lenovo Yoga 3? Sony had one too whatever that one was called ..
The cheaper ... TrekStor? and C... 12-13" Chinese ones?
Soooo, the real headline should read.... (Score:1)
"New iPad gets faster and cheaper, but it is uglier with lower quality screen."
Re:Honest question: what is the best... (Score:4, Interesting)
It depends on what you're looking for specifically. At the moment every Windows 10 tablet can run full Windows programs, and they range anywhere from little 7" tablets you can pick up at Walmart for $69 to the top end Surface Book for $3199.
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Yeah, weirdly the least compatible Windows tablet was created by Microsoft themselves. The original Surface ran the more proprietary "Windows RT" which did not support the full Windows runtime.
That said, it is yet unknown what restrictions the upcoming "Cloud Edition" of Windows 10 will have. A leaked build seems to indicate this will at least optionally lock a device to the app store only, but it is unclear what types of devices this will be targeted at and whether that limitation can be disabled.
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I would add that you should be cautious. Android invented the "landfill android" market, where the tablets themselves, technically ran (maybe) whatever apps are available in the google store, but performed so shockingly badly that they weren't fit for even the most basic purposes. Hell, I (mistakenly) bought one that ended up being so terrible that it wasn't even good enough for reading books or browsing basic web pages. Also, all but the most mainstream brands got zero updates so you were screwed for se
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Like I said, it depends largely on what your requirements are. We live in an age where a serviceable notebook computer can be had for $200 and a $50 Fire or Nook is actually a pretty solid choice for basic tasks.
With Windows you also have a far more standardized architecture, with updates being provided directly by the software vendor rather than needing to be customized by each manufacturer. Upgrading the little Stream 7 tablet that I picked up for $49 a couple years back to Windows 10 worked fine. Hard
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Go cheap.
I bought my gf a tablet from Amazon that was the cheapest Windows 10 tablet I could find.
It came with a one-year's Office 365 subscription and cost 100 GBP (that's about $124). It had a removable keyboard, just like the Surface, it functions well as a tablet, runs "full" Windows (she uses it for her Steam games, Skype, etc.).
There's no need to pay $300+ for an iPad when you can have a Windows laptop for that, or three Windows tablets of a similar size
The "brand" was something like Linc or similar.
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I came to say something similar. I bought my missus a £35 Amazon Fire Tablet for Christmas. It does everything she needs. If I were to buy a tablet again I'd feel a right chump if I spent more than £35 without a very good reason (or maybe the extra £10 to remove ads from the lock screen - although on the other hand, who cares since after 10 minutes the brain just ignores them).
We haven't even side loaded the google app store yet (which isn't hard) as she's happy enough with the browser and
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probably a Linx tablet (http://amzn.eu/7ol5pw3 [amzn.eu]). We got some at work to try out, and for light use they aren't too bad. Not as speedy as a Surface Pro, but much cheaper and definitely capable enough for a bit of web browsing, simple Office use, etc. They have a micro-HDMI port so can easily be hooked up to a TV or monitor when necessary.
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Go expensive. Given that you're wanting to run full windows programs and not apps I'm guessing you actually want to do some real work on the thing. In that case I find the Surface line excellent and so does my partner, but my more budget conscious parents are loving their HP Elite x2
Wrong Processor (Score:1)
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It does look like a decent tablet for a reasonable price.
Much cheaper than the iPhone (Score:4, Insightful)
It amazes me that they can offer the iPad for so cheap compared to the iPhone. Most components are the same, but the display and battery (probably the two most expensive components) must be much more expensive on the tablet, because of the size.
We can thank carrier subsidies. A lot of people buy phones they can't afford because of that. I doubt they would be going to the bank to get a loan if it wasn't offered by the carrier.
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Sometimes it costs more to get similar performance into a smaller package.
Sometimes, but not in that case. They use the same components. The A9 CPU in the iPhone is NOT a miniaturized version of the A9 in the iPad.
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First, you're just talking about the CPU. IT says nothing about the other components. But let's set that aside for a second.
When you actually look at the numbers, the iPhone SE has the same CPU and the same basic functionality as the new iPad. It appears to have a nicer camera, and can also make phone calls. It's about a quarter of the size and weight, which can be good or bad, depending on your needs. When you compare the 32GB iPhone SE with the 32GB iPad with cellular, the iPad is actually $60 more
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I am not just talking about the CPU. Other chips (RAM, flash) are not smaller on the iPhone.
The iPhone SE is cheaper, but that's because, as I said, the cellular version of the iPad is overpriced. The cellular radio can't be worth $130 since you can get cheap smartphones at this price. The ability to make phone calls doesn't add any hardware cost since their is already a microphone and speaker.
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The 0% interest is the subsidy.
My point of view is that if you don't have $700 for a phone, you can't afford a $700 phone, period, even if you finance it on two years.
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My point of view is that if you don't have $700 for a phone, you can't afford a $700 phone, period, even if you finance it on two years.
While I agree it isn't wise to have a $700 phone if you don't have $700 available in your checking account, it is also unwise to pay for the phone up front if you can get 0% financing.
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Agreed, except if that means getting a SIM-locked phone for the same price as an unlocked one, as it is often the case with the iPhone.
The interest you save on two years isn't worth the hassle/unlock cost.
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When you are calculating the daily cost of a phone, you are doing it wrong. Just like those calculating the weekly cost of a car.
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Maybe I am. Please explain.
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A phone has a price, say $700. No matter how you split it up to months, weeks, days or milliseconds, it is not going to be any cheaper. So any calculation of the sort is useless. Most people are not being paid by the day anyways.
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And what in the world difference does it make how often someone is paid? Do you normalize every price to your salary frequency?
Re:Much cheaper than the iPhone (Score:4, Interesting)
It amazes me that the iPad is so damn expensive in the first place, given what it is.
That they bolt on about 50% profit for the phone model is chickenfeed in comparison.
Honestly, I bought a GBP 5 Android tablet the other day. Technically it beat most of the iPad Mini specs that are its closest rival. Sure, you can argue "screen resolution" but why would you on such a tiny device to start with?
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Brand/model?
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And that's why your devices are expensive.
No idea of the brand.
No idea of the model.
Just works.
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I think the concept of asking for brand and model is that a 5GBP tablet is unbelievably cheap. The cheapest I can see on eBay for a new tablet is around 30GBP for a 7" model running KitKat, which is doggy ancient these days.
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I've bought at least three 10GBP ones from Amazon Today's Deals.
There's one hanging in my office window now. No idea of brand (it's just plain and blank, but I think it puts up a logo when you turn it on, I just can't turn it off at the moment as it's on wireless and does stuff all day long).
We use them as everything from digital signage to server monitors.
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That's why I'm asking the brand/model, to see if I can find it as cheap as this in Canada.
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I can't speak for the OP, but as I just posted above - a £35 (sale price, but on sale often) Amazon Fire Tablet does everything any other tablet can do. And if it doesn't, you can side load the google app store. My wife certainly hasn't found anything missing.
If someone wants to pay 10x the price for a slightly nicer screen then good on them, but I can't see the value for a 7 inch picture.
Re:Much cheaper than the iPhone (Score:5, Funny)
It amazes me that the iPad is so damn expensive in the first place, given what it is.
That they bolt on about 50% profit for the phone model is chickenfeed in comparison.
Honestly, I bought a GBP 5 Android tablet the other day. Technically it beat most of the iPad Mini specs that are its closest rival. Sure, you can argue "screen resolution" but why would you on such a tiny device to start with?
Don't knock it, its probably more powerful than the Mac Pro by now.
Re:Much cheaper than the iPhone (Score:4, Insightful)
That's because Apple has been ignoring the iPad Mini for like 3+ years now. Seriously, what have they done with it since putting the Retina display in it? Add the TouchID that all other iOS devices have, and throw us a bone with storage. It's the red-headed stepchild of tablets. If you really want to make it look like shit, compare it to the Nvidia Shield K1 that is now like 14 months old, and better in every way at practically half the price.
I really like the form factor of the iPad Mini, but Apple seems hell bent on not making products I want, and in fact killing off the line of products that are even close.
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£5 tablet?
Where?
I don't know what the devices cost so .. Can't comment, you two seem to disagree on which device have the most profit? No?
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It amazes me that people have already forgotten that Apple is why tablet prices are so low. Just before the iPad came out, people were seriously anticipating $899 or $999 starting prices from Apple and figuring they could sell an Android competitor at $699. The actual $499 base price for an original iPad shocked the tablet industry.
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Not just carrier subsidies but the radio in them is significantly different. Anytime you change a radio around (even if you're changing frequencies for different carriers or modulation), be ready to shell out big time for an FCC certification.
The iPad on the other hand just has BT/WiFi so much less strict regulations and as long as you keep the board and antenna's the same, putting a different shell on them isn't all that expensive.
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Even the cellular iPad is less expensive than the iPhone.
And we all know they make much more profit on the cellular iPad. The radio is not worth $130. You can get stand-alone WiFi/Cellular hotspot for that price. As well as cheap smartphones.
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As it's been said before, that's not the fault of "android" - that's the fault of shitty manufacturers.
Nvidia just released Android 7 for the Shield K1 tablet, even though they've discontinued production. Not a whole lot of other manufacturers out there that would continue development on something they no longer sell.
And that tablet is still one of the best (if not THE best) 8-inch android tablet you can buy, even though it's 14 months old. Every manufacturer is sitting atop a big pile of laurels right no
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I need a new iPad... (Score:1)
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I'm still using a first generation iPad mini, which I believe has the same internals as the iPad 2. It still works well enough for what I want it to do - read the web, play games, watch baseball games. And considering it's a a four year old device, the battery life is actually still decent.
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And considering it's a a four year old device, the battery life is actually still decent.
I had a first generation iPod Touch that lasted eight years before the battery died. Battery life was touch and go for the last year or so.
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Explain creimer why people choose to live in or around SV if they have a low paying job (compared to tech workers)?
Explain AC why you're asking an off-topic question?
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With the trade in credit I can get, it may be a worthwhile upgrade.
Thanks for the heads up. I'm seriously looking into trading in my iPad 2.
What about all the other rumors? (Score:2)
Weird announcement - no dog and pony show, just a website update and some new info. And there's all the rumors about new hardware. As an Apple-head who wants to replace an older iPad, I'm torn. Get a mostly-better for less, or wait and hope they've got something coming in a month?
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Apple has always done some fairly low-key upgrades as well as the big splashy ones.
Wait...new iPad? (Score:2)
WTF is with Apple's fear of the number 3?
The iPad 3 was not the 3 - it was the New iPad
Now the iPad Air 3 is a New iPad, but is neither the Air nor the 3.
Is this what you get when you have marketers sit around a table and you ask them to brand your new device revision and you just get blank stares back?
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They should just go with the year of release. Oh wait, can't do that because if they skip a year people will notice.
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They've been doing that with Mac for over a decade.
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There's using the same naming logic as the Fast and Furious movies (i.e. random out of sequence numbers)
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Too Little for Too Much (Score:1)
I bought an iPad last year for entertainment purposes for my travel. I had a first generation one, but that one was obsolete long ago because it can't go past iOS 5 and so most new apps won't work. Heck, even old apps won't work. I'm mostly disappointed with my new purchase.
The problem is that some apps are written for iPhone only...why is there a difference? It's the same goddamn OS. Like, how is there not vector scaling of graphics? Instead, you can view it at iPhone screen size, occupying about 30%
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How is it Apple's fault that Southwest Airlines haven't released an iPad-specific version of their app? It's also very clear why Southwest haven't done so: the vast majority of the use case that they're addressing are travellers moving to and through airports, who are much, much more likely to access the app on their iphones than on an ipad.
There's plenty of business-focused apps that are optimised for iPad because that's what their target market will be using. But they're very vertical-specific, by and lar
Why does apple always screw me over (Score:2)
Re:Why does apple always screw me over (Score:4, Interesting)
Yep, giant "M'eh".
Macs were outdated by time their did their last refresh. Mac Pro is a farce at this point. Mini is a severely overpriced 2 core puck. Years old mobile guts in fancy packaging at Gucci prices.
Itunes got mangled beyond recognition to integrate it with Apple Music. hard to search without getting a big screen full of stuff to buy instead of stuff in my library.
iPhone is the only thing getting any love, and it has become a me-too follower of Samsung (though less fire and bribery prone).
For a company that has expanded greatly over the recent years they seem to be doing a lot less. Well, a lot less products and a lot more ego stroking anyway. What the hell are all those people doing? Spinning the motherboard yearly to keep everything up to date should be a baseline expectation, and nothing viewed as even innovative, just doing their job.
Sigh.
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The only real argument I can see for new over used is battery life. Sometimes used items have a worn out battery.