Apple has finally solved its iPad problem, by which we mean the generalized unwillingness to upgrade to a newer iPad, which has plagued sales, and made the industry wonder whether there is an actual problem with the concept of a tablet at all.
As it turns out, consumers don’t upgrade their tablets because they don’t like tablets, but rather because the perceived value of a new iPad versus an older one, seems just so insignificant.
With plenty of iPad 2 (Not Air), in circulation, many of which are still perfectly fine for casual home use, upgrading to a new iPad needs to yield more than a thinner body, a faster processor, and a sharper display.
If we were to put the iPad Air 2 and the 9.7 inch iPad Pro side to side, there are a few factors to consider before going by price tag alone. Just as the same applies to laptop PCs, there is more to the price tag of a tablet.
Performance
Starting from the Air 2’s A8X chip versus the iPad Pro’s A9X chip. The latter is almost twice as powerful and fast as the A8X. Applications run faster, smoother, and more reliably than on any other mobile device of similar class, as reported by Ars Technica, Apple reporter John Gruber, and tech site AnandTech.
The iPad Pro is also built to last longer than the iPad Air 2, as a matter of fact, nearly twice as fast, thanks for its far superior hardware. The expected lifespan of an iPad Air 2 is approximately 6 years, however, apps and iOS in general, begins to slow down considerably, in four. By comparison, the iPad Pro’s internals are powerful enough to last, and stay in working order, for up to 8 years.
Accessories
On top of a more powerful chip, more memory, a bigger SSD, and amazing quadraphonic sound, the 9.7 inch iPad Pro brings support for the Apple Pencil, and Smart Keyboard, turning the new tablet into a multimedia powerhouse. More than that, just as its bigger version did, the 9.7 inch version of the iPad Pro comes packed with good enough specs to provide an experience equivalent to that of a small laptop.
Cost
One might argue that the iPad Pro and the iPad Air 2 are $200 apart, but as we mentioned earlier, the iPad Pro will likely outlive any iPad Air 2, twice, which turns an investment of $400 in an iPad Air 2 today, an $800 expense, four years from now, compared to the iPad Pro, which retains its value a lot longer than any other iPad, or competing tablet on the market.