iPad Pro was released last week at the Apple Developer Conference for the quarter that ended on March 31st, the company published its earnings report for the second quarter of the year. The new iPad Air from Apple, which has the M1 chip and Center Stage, and is capable of working over 5G, just launched, but the numbers show that it is not yet available yet sales are down compared to last year, and it’s not generating as much revenue as before. I think iPadOS is to blame for this.
Apple was true ‘very happy to have achieved an all-time revenue record for the first quarter of the year with “an all-time revenue record for the Services department, and March quarter revenue records for iPhone, Mac, Wearables, Home, and Accessories,” however, the iPad has been struggling as it is down 2.2% year over year with $7.65 billion in revenue.
After years of controversy and problems caused by Intel chips and lack of an optimized macOS system, the Mac hardware is finally catching up, but the iPad feels like it is going in the same controversial direction as the Mac went in a few years ago.
No one can deny the iPad lineup has good hardware, but it’s very often said that the software doesn’t follow through. While the iPadOS seems like a good option for the base-model iPad, it seems like it’s always falling behind when it comes to iPad mini, iPad Air, and iPad Pro models – here’s why.
To increase the iPad sales, Apple needs to change iPad OS to different model categories
iPadOS does not provide adequate optimization for the iPad mini as far as iPadOS is concerned. Despite its strange aspect ratio, it always seems as if you’re always in a 4:3 perspective – like when watching an old tube television. I know that this is one of the best iPads to utilize iPhone apps – I’m looking straight at you, Instagram – but I find it odd that Apple didn’t come up with a more convenient way to help users enjoy their favorite iPhone apps on the iPad.
It has to be said that multitasking is also not exactly what this product offers the user. The lack of a larger keyboard and a larger home screen would make this iPad a more appealing device to users in need of multitasking, making it an easier device to use whenever multitasking is required., making this iPad feel better to use.
The iPad Air and iPad Pro M1 aren’t a good fit for Apple’s multitasking strategy, since larger screens can help you do more things at once – especially with the 12.9-inch iPad Pro – so Apple should go the opposite direction. There should be a way for Apple to add a proper “Pro” mode that opens multiple windows and more apps at the same time. Several weeks ago, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman suggested that there would be three modes in iOS:
- The iPad has a standard, touch-first mode with the normal home screen that is part of the current iPad OS
- When an Apple Pencil is connected, a new option will appear that optimizes icons, controls, and other elements of the user interface to support this accessory
- Furthermore, they introduced a new “pro” mode that kicks in when the iPad is connected to a keyboard and trackpad, such as Apple’s own Magic Keyboard, or when an external display is connected to the iPad
Although iPads are expensive, they can perform fewer tasks than Macs
All Apple tablets, except for the $329 base model, are quite pricey. It’s hard to imagine paying $350 for an iPad keyboard that costs $1,599, is it? This is insane. Okay, so we could say that iOS devices have incredible hardware – and we may even be right – but why would you add an M1 chip to a device that cannot properly handle multitasking?
Considering a MacBook Air costs $999 and an M1 Mac mini costs $699 (Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse are both $99 each), the real value is in getting a full machine with a mature operating system as opposed to spending $699 on a 64GB iPad Air and $300 on a Magic Keyboard.
As explained above, the problem isn’t that iPads are expensive, but rather that they cost a lot and don’t let users do half of what they can do on Macs, particularly when it comes to machines such as the M1 that can do everything within milliseconds.
The iPad sales have been wrapped up
We have explored extensively what Apple can improve in the upcoming iPad operating system, always hoping the “next one” will finally unleash the power of the Pro models. We doubt that will happen, but it would be a welcome development. We might be seeing a growth in iPad sales.
What is your wish for the new iPad OS, which is expected at WWDC 2022 just around the corner? Tell us what you think in the comments section below.