Tag: iPad

Apple made couple of hardware announcements. New Apple Pencil with USB-C port will work with iPads that have USB-C port. It charges via the port and could be attached to iPad side via magnets.

New pencil does not support pressure sensitivity and does not have double tap gesture though. New pencil costs $79.

Also, Apple made base iPad model with eSIM available in China. However, the only supported carrier is China Unicom according to support document.

Apple Newsroom: Apple introduces new Apple Pencil, bringing more value and choice to the lineup

References:

• New Apple Pencil Announced With Hidden USB-C Port and More for $79
• Apple unveils cheaper Apple Pencil with USB-C port and more
• Apple Announces a New, More Affordable Apple Pencil That’s Coming in November
• The Apple Pencil lineup is finally as confusing as the iPad lineup
• Ultimate showdown: New Apple Pencil USB-C vs old Apple Pencils
• Apple Pencil vs Apple Pencil vs Apple Pencil: What’s the deal?
• Apple Announces Updated iPad 10 With eSIM Support in China
• Apple did kind of announce a new iPad after all… in China

AppleInsider refers to Canalys' report claiming that iPad shipments are more than doubled year over year in 2023 Q1.

A report from Canalys seen by AppleInsider shows that shipments of the iPad more than doubled YoY in China for Q1 2023. The tablet market was particularly strong for the quarter, with 38% growth in total.
...
The report says Apple's market share also jumped by about 13% to 38.4% YoY.

AppleInsider

Reference: iPad shipments more than doubled in China for Q1 versus 2022

Consumer Intelligence Report Partners LLC (CIRP) publishes report on iPad model popularity.

Popularity across models shows that iPad Pro combined is more popular than iPad base model. iPad mini is way behind other models.

Interesting fact is that more than half of iPads are with cellular making them connected on the go.

CIRP: Apple Sells Tablets, Too (paid)

Reference: Which iPad is Apple’s most popular for now?

Apple released iTunes 12.12.6 for Windows bringing support for new iPad and iPad Pro models.

References: Apple Releases iTunes 12.12.6 for Windows With Support for New iPads

Apple made couple of hardware announcements today.

iPad

New iPad gets new form-factor, USB-C port and new color options. iPad is now powered by A14 Bionic chip. Touch ID is moved to Power button.

Interestingly front facing camera is using landscape placing.

Controversially new iPad supports first generation of Apple Pencil and will require dongle to pair and charge via USB-C.

New iPad supports WiFi 6 and 5G.

9th generation iPad is still on sale. 10th generation sees significant price increase comparing to previous model.

iPad Pro

New iPad Pro is powered by M2 chip. It now supports Apple Pencil hover which provides guidance on pencil position before it touches the screen which should provide better visual clues in various applications.

New iPad Pro supports WiFi 6E.

Pricing is unchanged for both iPad Pro models.

Apple TV 4K

Apple TV 4K refresh is now using A15 Bionic chip. Apple TV 4K now supports HDR10+. Storage is increased for both models, however, smaller storage model does not have Ethernet port anymore and also does not provide Thread support.

Apple TV Siri Remote now has USB-C port.

Apple shared video announcement of iPads.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUKRkPKg5_U

Apple also announced that iOS 16.1, iPadOS 16.1 and macOS 13 Ventura will be released on October 24.

Apple Newsroom:

• Apple unveils completely redesigned iPad in four vibrant colors
• Apple introduces next-generation iPad Pro, supercharged by the M2 chip
• Apple introduces the powerful next-generation Apple TV 4K

References:

• Apple Unveils 10th-Gen iPad With Complete Redesign, 10.9-Inch Display, USB-C, and More
• Apple debuts all-new iPad 10: Larger display, four colors, landscape front camera, more
• New iPad Only Supports First-Gen Apple Pencil, Requires Adapter to Charge
• Apple announces new 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro with M2 chip, Apple Pencil hover feature
• Apple Announces New iPad Pro With M2 Chip, Hovering Apple Pencil Feature, and More
• M2 iPad Pro Supports Wi-Fi 6E for the First Time
• M2 iPad Pro Wi-Fi + Cellular Models Drop GSM/EDGE Support
• M2 iPad Pro Features New Hover Mode for Apple Pencil
• M2 iPad Pro Seemingly Features Exact Same Display and Camera Hardware as 2021 Model
• M2 iPad Pro Tidbits: ProRes Video Support, RAM Configurations, and More
• Apple announces new Apple TV 4K with A15 Bionic chip and HDR10+ support
• $149 Apple TV 4K 128GB Model Includes Ethernet and Thread Support, 64GB Version Does Not
• Apple TV Remote Now Has a USB-C Port
• New Apple TV is Thinner and Weighs 50% Less With Fanless Design
• iPadOS 16 With Stage Manager, Weather App, and More to Be Available on October 24
• macOS Ventura With Stage Manager and More Launching October 24
• Apple Shares 9-Minute Keynote-Styled Video for New iPad and iPad Pro

Initial beta versions of iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 had noticeable change in Home app. iPad was not eligible to act as Home Hub anymore.

Apple made a comment that iPad could be used as Home hub for "current features" while undisclosed "new features", probably won't be supported.

As of now, it seems that these "new features" are related to Matter standard which HomeKit is adopting.

Reference: iPads Will Work as Home Hubs in iOS 16, But Won't Support New Home Architecture

Apple hosted Peek performance special event. During the presentation there were couple of important announces.

Following iPadOS 15.2 release, Swift Playgrounds 4 is now available.

With Swift Playgrounds 4 developers can now build apps on iPad and submit them to App Store Connect. Projects created by Swift Playgrounds 4 could be opened by Xcode on the Mac.

Notably, apps created in Swift Playgrounds could only use SwiftUI as user interface framework. Projects could use SwiftPM for dependency management.

Apple Developer: Swift Playgrounds 4 now available

App Store: Swift Playgrounds

Release notes: Swift Playgrounds Release Notes

iPad sales are growing in Europe in Q3 while other tablet vendors struggle.

Tablet shipments in Western Europe shrank 20%, with 6.9 million units shipped. “In Q3 2020, tablets had an extraordinary performance as they filled a gap created by PCs shortages. They are now seeing a corrective decline as penetration within the primary userbase saturates,” said analyst Trang Pham.

Despite the contracting market, Apple appeared to be unaffected. In recent quarters, Apple has increasingly widened its leadership in the market with other tablet vendors. In Q3 2021, Apple saw a 33% year-on-year growth while the other top five vendors recorded double-digit declines.

Catalys

Reference: European tablet shipments in Q3 saw iPad as the only winner

Apple's iPad is still quite popular device even in declining tablet market.

Global shipments of tablets clocked in at 42.3 million units in the third quarter, representing a 9.4% year-over-year decline, according to new data from analysis firm IDC. However, Apple's iPad is still growing in the contracting market.
Apple shipped an estimated 14.7 million iPad units in the third quarter, up from 14 million units in Q3 2020. The number marks 4.6% year-over-year growth in iPad shipments, and has netted Apple a larger 34.6% share of the tablet market.

AppleInsider

Also, Apple marks iPad (4th generation) released in 2012 as "obsolete".