Good luck choosing which iPad to buy: it's going to be complicated

This Tuesday, Apple presented new iPads that will be talked about a lot in the weeks to come. The new 10th generation iPad is a complete redesign that brings it in line with the Air and mini, and the new iPad Pro is the Tablet the fastest ever, with an M2 chip and Wi-Fi 6E.

In a word, the new tablets from Apple are the most powerful in their history, offering more choice to consumers at both ends of the price range.

But buying an iPad is also more confusing than ever. Apple now offers five different iPad ranges, ranging from $429 / MXN 8,999 to over $3,000 / MXN 60,000.

Here’s how the models and their prices break down:

iPad (9th generation, 64 GB): $429 / MXN$8,999
iPad (10th generation, 64 GB): $579 / MXN$11,499
iPad (9th generation, 256 GB): $629 / MXN$12,999
iPad mini (64 GB): $649 / MXN$13,499
iPad Air (64 GB): $769 / MXN$15,499
iPad (10th generation, 256 GB): $779 / MXN$15,499
iPad mini (256 GB): $849 / MXN$17,499
iPad Air (256 GB): $969 / MXN$19,699
iPad Pro (11″, 128 GB): $1,049 / MXN$20,999
iPad Pro (11″, 256 GB): $1,179 / MXN$23,699

iPad Pro (11″, 512 GB): $1,429 / MXN$29,099
iPad Pro (12.9″, 128 GB): $1,449 / MXN$28,999
iPad Pro (12.9″, 256 GB): $1,579 / MXN$31,699
iPad Pro (12.9″, 512 GB): $1,829 / MXN$37,099
iPad Pro (11″, 1 TB): $1,929 / MXN$39,899
iPad Pro (12.9″, 1TB): $2,329 / MXN$47,899
iPad Pro (11″, 2 TB): $2,429 / MXN$50,699
iPad Pro (12.9″, 2 TB): $2,829 / MXN$58,699

These prices don’t even factor in cellular data options, which add an extra $200 / MXN$4,000 on iPad Pro, iPad Air, iPad mini, and iPad 10th Gen; and $170 / MXN$3,500 more on the 9th generation iPad.

So while there are some great options out there, the supply can also be overwhelming. If you can spend $800 / 17,000 MXN, for example, you can have a new iPad with 256 GB, iPad Air with 64 GB, iPad mini with 64 GB or iPad 9th generation with 256 GB and mobile data.

But where it really gets even more confusing is in the feature offerings. Please note the following regarding Apple’s iPad catalog:

Three different iPads have essentially the same 11-inch screen size.
The 10th generation iPad lacks the anti-reflective coating introduced in 2014.
All iPads sold by Apple have a different processor.
The 10th generation iPad is the only model with a camera selfie in landscape orientation.
The iPad Pro has a newer Bluetooth standard (5.3) than the 10th generation iPad (5.2) and iPad Air and iPad mini (5.0).
The iPad mini is the only model that is not compatible with any of Apple’s keyboard cases.
The 10th generation iPad is still not compatible with the 2nd generation Apple Pencil.

Thus, not only do you have to choose between several options of Tablet

but you also have to take into account the small differences between the different lines that might not be obvious to casual consumers.

Most buyers probably couldn’t tell the difference between the 10th Gen iPad’s non-laminated screen and the iPad Air’s laminated screen, or feel the speed of an A15 versus an A13.

How are consumers supposed to make an intelligent buying decision when they have to do charts and comparisons just to understand the different features?

And who is the iPad Air for now? It has an M1 chip and supports the second-generation Apple Pencil, but if you’re a user who needs those features, you should consider the 11″ iPad Pro. And if that’s not the case, you should get the 10th Gen iPad and save $190 / MXN$4,000.

And what about the iPad mini? Is it worth spending $70 / 2000 MXN more than the 10th Gen iPad for a smaller screen and a slightly better processor?

And then there’s the question of the update cycle. The 10th generation iPad has just been released, so we don’t know how often it will be updated, but we do know what’s happening to the other series:

ipadmini: Last updated September 2021; next update scheduled for March 2023.

ipadair: Last updated March 2022; next update scheduled for September 2023.

iPad Pro: Last updated October 2022; next update scheduled for March 2024.

So, if you’re buying an iPad next February, you should keep in mind that the iPad mini might get an update soon after. If you want one in the summer, there’s likely to be an iPad Air update just around the corner.

The new iPad was supposed to simplify purchasing options, but it only blurred the line further. And it seems that Apple still doesn’t know what to do with its line of tabletsso keep testing to see what works.

And at some point, buyers will stop trying to figure it out.

Original article published on igamesnews.com.