After summing up the iPad over the last decade yesterday, now it’s time to turn to the platform’s immediate future. So what can we expect as far as new hardware and improvements to iPadOS? Here are a few completely unscientific predictions with absolutely no sources for the new year ahead.
The iPad Pro has some limitations when you compare it to a traditional laptop with a touchscreen and pen compatibility. I think any fan of the device who’s honest with themselves understands that. There are fewer of them than there used to be thanks to Apple’s efforts to beef up the iPad on the software side over the last three years. The release of iPadOS this summer was a another big step in this process, freeing the iPad from the hardware and software schedule of the iPhone.
Ming-Chi Kuo has a new report that clarifies some previous information he released back in October. In that previous note, he predicted that Apple would release new iPad Pros with new Mini-LED displays in the Fall of 2020 with a new MacBook coming the following year. Now he saying that it will be the 12.9″ Pro alone that gets a Mini-LED display in the third quarter of next year.
A month or so ago, a small refresh of the iPad Pro in 2019 seemed like a given. So did an October event covering several rumored Apple products. However, as we prepare to close out the month next week, the time for invitations to such an event has come and gone with no news. Continue reading
Everyone is expecting an Apple event in the next two weeks and the star of the show is likely to be updated 11″ and 12.9″ iPad Pros. The highlight feature for this year according to months of rumors is the new triple-camera system found on the iPhone 11 Pro.
I get that I’m talking about a device that is over a year away when the 2019 version hasn’t been released. It hasn’t even been announced. We don’t even know when the announcement event will be yet. Normally I don’t like doing this kind of thing, but I think this particular rumor is interesting to be worth paying attention to.
I noticed an article at analyst site Seeking Alpha last week that caught my eye. It was titled Apple’s Accelerating Tablet Dominance Is Underappreciated and it went over several points that Apple’s tablet lineup now has in its favor. Writer Zvi Bar makes some pretty convincing arguments, but does it matter?
I’ve heard about the Brydge Keyboard for the iPad for years and seen the glowing reviews. However, I have typically stuck with products from ZAGG and Logitech, as they tend to be a little less expensive and provide more coverage as cases. The main thing that kept me from trying the more expensive Brydge was the fact that it was much more keyboard than case, leaving the back of the iPad completely exposed. The other cases I tried had very good keyboards and provided excellent protection, making them better overall choices for me at the time.
I use my iPad Pro as a secondary/personal device, but there are many people who prefer to take the plunge and make it their so-called daily driver machine. More power to them. While I am not in a position to use an iPad as my primary computer at work, I know that it is capable of handling the majority of tasks for many kinds of jobs. I also know a few other who, like me, use an iPad of some kind as their primary home device.
Logitech was the one third party accessory company that brought out keyboard cases for the first two generations of the iPad Pro right after release. They were also the only ones besides Apple to make use of the Smart Connector for their keyboards, rather than relying on Bluetooth.
Their Create cases for the original Pro were a bit heavy and bulky, but had great backlit keyboards. The Slim Combo cases that they released right after the 2017 iPad Pros were even better. In fact, the Slim Combo for the 12.9″ Pro is still my favorite keyboard case of all time. It was a near-perfect balance of protection, portability and utility.
Apple held its public shareholder’s meeting at the Steve Jobs Theater Friday, giving major investors the opportunity to ask Tim Cook and the executive team some direct questions. While a resolution regarding the diversity of the board dominated the discussion and the headlines afterward, there were a few interesting notes regarding current and upcoming products and services that also came out of the event.