Okay, the new iPad Air 6s aren’t perfect. The 60 Hz IPS panel is good proof of this and even more so if we compare it to its competitors or to the iPad Pro 2024. However, and without wanting to minimize the importance of those who like a better screen, the truth is that These aren’t bad tablets at all.. They pack a lot of power with the M2 processor and are compatible with the new Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil Pro.
But if you ask me, the best is in its price. On the one hand, the 11-inch model has dropped in price compared to the iPad Air 5. On the other hand, the new 13-inch size means that we can finally opt for a large-screen iPad without having to opt for for the “Pro” and pay not only more than 1,000 dollars, but even up to 1,500 dollars.
There has never been a big iPad for less than 1,000 dollars. Until today
In 2017, the first major iPad hit the market. It was the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, a diagonal that, despite design changes, remained the standard in the coming years until 2024 where, with 0.1 inch more, it remains the maximum size.
However, Whoever wanted the biggest iPad had to go for the “Pro”. In 2017, the disbursement was already significant, around 900 dollars rounded up. However, over time it has increased and the proximity of 1,500 dollars has already been marked in the range.
Rising or falling prices are always somewhat relative. In fact, all new iPads are victims of inflation, whether for better or worse. Therefore, beyond keeping the raw data of their cost when they were launched, it seems relevant to us to see these prices in accordance with today and the variations that have occurred in the euro in general and in the Spanish CPI in particular . As you can see, technically, the barrier of 1,000 dollars was crossed in the first generation.
|
PRICE IT CAME WITH |
EQUIVALENT TODAY WITH INFLATION |
|
|---|---|---|
|
IPAD PRO 12.9” (2017) |
899 dollars |
1,100 dollars (approximately) |
|
IPAD PRO 12.9” (2018) |
1,099 dollars |
1,300 dollars (approximately) |
|
IPAD PRO 12.9” (2020) |
1,099 dollars |
1,075 dollars (approximately) |
|
IPAD PRO 12.9” (2021) |
1,199 dollars |
1,300 dollars (approximately) |
|
IPAD PRO 12.9” (2022) |
1,499 dollars |
1,580 dollars (approximately) |
|
IPAD PRO 13″ (2024) |
1,549 dollars |
1,549 dollars |
|
IPAD AIR 13” (2024) |
949 dollars |
949 dollars |
Who wants a big screen doesn’t always need a “Pro”
With the iPad Pro, you not only get a big screen. You also get a large screen for technological purposes with its OLED panel and 120 Hz refresh rate. Of course, also an even more powerful device with the M4 chip or more base memory. It is not my intention in this article to try to sell the idea that these are identical devices. They are not at all.
On paper it doesn’t seem like it, but the difference between the 11 and 13 inch model is very noticeable.
Son 600 dollars difference which may not compensate everyone. Here, I speak on behalf of many, but above all and above all, myself. Over the past few months I’ve been using a smaller iPad that I’ve found a new use for, but for many purposes I would still prioritize an iPad with the largest screen size possible.
And it’s not because he’s a big donkey that he walks or not. Simply a bigger screen is always much more versatile and even more so in an iPadOS like the current one which, despite its slow progress, already offers a multitude of options for working with a dual screen and even having several floating windows with which to interact simultaneously.
Preferences for a large screen also have varied origins. From those like me who work with several windows at the same time to those who prefer a larger canvas to write their ideas, draw or simply be able to watch series and films with a larger screen than the 10.9 and 11 inches of the one of the iPad. screens from other ranges have been relegated.
The iPad Air isn’t cheap, but it’s 60% cheaper than the iPad Pro.
Of course, I insist on highlighting the other advantages of a ‘Pro’. But also, models like the iPad Air are more than enough for many. I don’t know if it’s for a large majority or a very small niche. The fact is, whether there are many or few, there are those who waste the enormous power of a “Pro” in every sense of the word. Therefore, depriving those seeking lesser benefits of a large screen was, in my opinion, of course, complete sacrilege.
With the new iPad Air we don’t have anything cheap either. Let’s not be mistaken. It is 950 dollars which, although it does not exceed the psychological barrier of 1,000 dollars, is close. However, it doesn’t reach that barrier, and it’s not even moderately close to the iPad Pro. To compare apples to apples (pun intended), the latest big ‘Pro’ costs 60% more than that big ‘Air’. A significant difference.
In the end, whether we like it or not, The trend towards ever-larger screens is irreversible And if not, ask the iPhone mini (may they rest in peace). The 15-inch MacBook Air example is also another good example. Precisely during the presentation of these iPads, Apple emphasized that, according to its studies, the 15-inch MacBook model succeeds even more than the small one. That might not happen with the 13-inch iPad Air, but there are certainly signs that Apple is optimistic about it and that we fans of large tablets are happy, too.
Images and video | Manzana
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