the iPad Air, it’s THIN and has an M2 to run your Phone apps FAST.
the iPad Pro, it’s SUPER THIN and has an M4 to run your Phone apps SUPER FAST.
but wait there is one more thing. we are ignoring the Mini again this year.
Thanks for watching.
It’s been another year with no compelling reason to upgrade my 2018 13" iPad.
It still works great for my usage and is fast and snappy—I use it for consuming media, taking notes, and marking up documents. I don’t find the iPad helpful for much else, and a thinner and faster version with a better screen and no other innovations doesn’t give me any reason to want one of these.
At least my bank is happier if they don’t break new ground!!
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They did mention “AI” many times. I guess that’s something.
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While my 2018 12.9" iPad Pro still seems nice and snappy, battery life has really suffered after 5½ years. I only got about 2.5 hours out of it recently. The iPad is probably tied for my most commonly used computing device, so the battery life drop-off is more than enough reason to replace it.
Hopefully the new one will be good through 2029.
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I thought the iPod nano comparison was a nice touch. 
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I still get 4-6 hours from my 2018, depending on what I’m doing with it, but don’t use it much on battery as I use it as a second display most of the time.
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Seems like a big value gap between what’s now the base iPad at $350 with the iPhone 12 processor and the base iPad Air at $600 with the M2.
Percentage wise, $250 is a big jump, but the Air is going to be supported with iPadOS upgrades for years longer, has twice as much storage, is significantly faster, etc.
The base iPad really only makes sense in situations where there’s a high likelihood of breakage, like getting it for the kids or bulk buying by schools or for customer service reps and waiters to take orders.
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I thought it was interesting that the event was presented in many “real life” places, such as a moving train, a library, a rock climbing gym, etc. I guess the message is that the iPad can be used anywhere you happen to be.
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It can. You don’t even need a place to set it down to accomplish a lot of tasks.
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I think the new lineup is impressive but I’ve only met a handful of people who might benefit from an M4 in their Mac. And they would be the only ones that might need the same in an iPad.
My 2020 iPad Pro can handle everything I do, so if I needed to replace it today I’d get the new iPad Air with cellular.
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That is a big difference, but if you add in the processor change (M2 instead of A14) and the extra 64GB of storage (at Apple Prices about $80), plus the significantly better screen and it’s not as big as you’d think
I’d be tempted by the 13” Air, but would end up with the 13” Pro. I love that the camera is on the flat side, that should have been done years ago, but the lack of faceID is a deal breaker for me. With the amount I use authentication, reaching out every time would be a real pain in the arse I know, first world problems
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TouchID is a feature I’d pay extra to have. I used to unlock my iPhone with my finger as I removed it from my pocket. And I could do the same in my car while my phone was in a cradle and I had my eyes on the road.
I am happy FaceID works so well for you. But it and Siri are about the only things in the world today that temp me to curse.
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I am interested in the M4 specs and how that will translate to Apple’s other products. I do think that all of them will be updated this year but we will see.
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I am 100% in the FaceID camp, especially for iPad.
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That was my point. The value gap is a lot bigger than the price gap.
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Most people seem to like it. And a lot of them are quite good at flipping up their sunglasses, and unlocking their iPhones, while the people in the cars behind them are blowing their horns. 
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Most important announcement for me was the addition of “session players” in Logic Pro along with the stem splitter feature (the ability to separate finished audio tracks into four separate vocals, bass, drums and others). It will come to macOS Logic Pro and will be free for existing users (like me). So my credit card is safe this time!
Also of note, this seeming minor changes is Apple being Apple: they may not come to mind as one of the AI powerhouses, but sure they add AI to their products.
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Something I didn’t realize until I looked at the Apple website after the event:
I’d assumed that the squeeze gesture was a replacement for the double-tap gesture supported by the 2nd Generation Apple Pencil, but evidently the double-tap gesture still exists.
Now I’m wondering if they’ve added any haptic feedback to the double tap. I haven’t always had the best of luck getting the double-tap gesture to register. Some sort of haptic confirmation would be welcome.
Face ID works through both my normal glasses and my sunglasses with no issues
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