Don’t buy a promise. Buy the hardware.
Apple once again reminded us that you should buy tech for what it is now and not what it could be
In the days leading up to WWDC21, the rumors of new devices and new possibilities for existing devices were numerous and detailed. Yet, none of these high hopes came into reality — neither new devices nor new S.o. C.’s were presented, and iPadOS did not suddenly become a rival to MacOS.
Especially the later part, the lack of considerable changes to iPadOS left users and buyers, particularly the ones of the new powerful M1 iPad Pro’s, disappointed. It even let to Video titles like this: How Apple JUST Ruined the M1 iPad Pro with iPadOS 15.While I can understand where those titles are coming from, I also think they are people who did not follow the simple rule of buying tech, buy it for what it is now and not what it can be someday.
Applying this rule in particular to the M1 iPad Pro still gives you plenty of reasons to buy Apple’s new iPad Pros. The display on the new 12.9-inch model is simply stunning. The processor is extremely powerful, maybe even too powerful for the device, and the accessories like the magic keyboard make it into a very versatile device for a ton of situations.
Yet, I agree, the fact that there is an M1 chip inside makes it feel that there is still a ton of potential in these iPad’s that could be tapped into. This was precisely the hope leading up to WWDC21. Tapping into this potential and giving the iPad’s access to the same Pro Apps available on macOS, including Final Cut Pro X and XCode. It was also my hope. Various people even claimed that they knew that these Apps were coming to the iPad.
However, there was no announcement at WWDC21 concerning these Apps or the potential of them coming to iPad. The closest thing to it was the addition of SwiftUI to iPadOS, but also, this app is not the “big “app, XCode.
What somewhat adds to the notion that the iPad’s should have these apps is that the new iPad Pros even literally run the same chip as their computer counterparts with MacOS running the apps. While even previous generations iPad Pros had a lot of power, there may have been a possibility that these Programs would need even more computing power, however, this is certainly not the case for the new iPad Pros. Hence, people feel like they are not getting their money’s worth with the new M1 iPads.
As someone who also got one of these new M1 iPad Pros with the big, great screen, I can completely understand their feelings. As previously explained, it is clear that the M1 is an overkill for iPadOS 14 and also will be more than powerful enough for iPadOS 15. And even though I hoped for a less limiting iPadOS 15, the promises of one were not the reason why I got the M1 iPad Pro. The huge screen with the new display technology and the future-proofing the M1 provides were the main arguments for getting it.
Hence, I also don’t feel that Apple ruined the new M1 iPad Pros with iPadOS 15. With iPadOS 15, these devices will still be the top-of-the-line iPads, still have a brilliant screen, and will still be by far the best tablet on the market. However, they aren’t the all-in-one device people hoped they would become.
To conclude, if you are one of the people that can return their M1 iPad Pro or are thinking about getting one, do some soul searching why you got one or want one. Is it because of what they are now, or is it because of what they could be? If it is the latter option, wait or get something cheaper, like the previous year’s model or the iPad Air 4.
If it is because you like the way they are now, go ahead, you won’t be disappointed. Because you bought the hardware and not the promise.
As always, stay safe
Raffael
