A peculiar naming choice for Apple's new tablet hints that the company could expand to a larger, higher-end version in the future. October 22, 2013 2:14 PM PDT Apple's new iPad, the iPad Air. (Credit: James Martin/CNET) Just before introducing a brand new model of the iPad on Tuesday, Apple made a point to show off the many things people can do with iPads. From work to play, athletic training, and even taking a nap on the side of a mountain, the company's tablet can do just about anything for anyone. But that's not how competitors see it. Microsoft in particular has taken the iPad to task since the introduction of its own Surface tablet, pointing to things like its optional keyboard type covers and built-in Office software as things that set it apart. With its new tablets and free iWork and iLife software for all, Apple's addressed at least part of that criticism, and the curious naming convention leads me to believe the company's not done just yet. Apple's new top of the line tablet is called the iPad Air -- a carryover from Apple's MacBook line, and alluding to the thinner and lighter aspects vs. last year's models. Along with a newer, faster model of the iPad Mini with a Retina Display, and aging but still alive iPad 2, Apple's now got a line in two different sizes, four different resolutions and a price that can set a buyer back $299 all the way up to $929. The question is, could Apple follow with those same MacBook naming conventions and introduce -- perhaps as soon as next year -- an iPad Pro? (Credit: James Martin/CNET) There was just such a rumor two years ago, just ahead of the third-generation iPad, suggesting that Apple was going to break out its Retina Display iPad models as something completely separate and higher end for pros. That was partially true, but it also simply became "the new iPad," while the iPad 2 lived on. Based on the new iPad Air, there's very clearly room for Apple to expand what's included. That includes more storage and RAM, the latter of which Apple doesn't advertise, but that makes a marked difference on how iOS applications work. The more RAM you have, the more things can be open at once, and can be switched between without having to refresh that data. And now, with 64-bit processors across all its new iPads, that concept could one day become a reality. But where Apple could stand out more immediately from its current line, and that of competitors, is by going bigger -- perhaps even into the 13-inch realm. It's already gotten there with the Retina displays on its MacBook Pro notebooks, which just became $200 cheaper as part of an update. Recent reports have also suggested the company's explored just such a size for its tablets to go beyond the longstanding 9.7-inch panel. Other things that were missing today, but that would be useful for a higher end device include: Apple's Touch ID system that lets people enter their password with just their fingerprint. A Smart Cover meets keyboard combo (something that's rumored, and has been shown off in Apple patent drawings) Higher storage options beyond 128GB 802.11ac Wi-Fi to get faster speeds off Apple's current AC Wi-Fi router lineup Higher end camera to match, or exceed what's in the iPhone 5S The real question is whether all these specs really push towards anything that's a little more than just a very fully-loaded iPad, and into territory that enables new types of activities that weren't there before. In the meantime, Apple's current pitch is that the iPad Air and iPad Mini are whatever you want them to be. "We designed iPad to be the best tool for the things you do most often," Apple's CEO Tim Cook said on Tuesday. "But honestly we could have never imagined all the ways customers would be using them."
A peculiar naming choice for Apple's new tablet hints that the company could expand to a larger, higher-end version in the future.
Apple's new iPad, the iPad Air.
(Credit: James Martin/CNET)
Just before introducing a brand new model of the iPad on Tuesday, Apple made a point to show off the many things people can do with iPads. From work to play, athletic training, and even taking a nap on the side of a mountain, the company's tablet can do just about anything for anyone.
But that's not how competitors see it. Microsoft in particular has taken the iPad to task since the introduction of its own Surface tablet, pointing to things like its optional keyboard type covers and built-in Office software as things that set it apart.
With its new tablets and free iWork and iLife software for all, Apple's addressed at least part of that criticism, and the curious naming convention leads me to believe the company's not done just yet.
Apple's new top of the line tablet is called the iPad Air -- a carryover from Apple's MacBook line, and alluding to the thinner and lighter aspects vs. last year's models. Along with a newer, faster model of the iPad Mini with a Retina Display, and aging but still alive iPad 2, Apple's now got a line in two different sizes, four different resolutions and a price that can set a buyer back $299 all the way up to $929.
The question is, could Apple follow with those same MacBook naming conventions and introduce -- perhaps as soon as next year -- an iPad Pro?
(Credit: James Martin/CNET)
There was just such a rumor two years ago, just ahead of the third-generation iPad, suggesting that Apple was going to break out its Retina Display iPad models as something completely separate and higher end for pros. That was partially true, but it also simply became "the new iPad," while the iPad 2 lived on.
Based on the new iPad Air, there's very clearly room for Apple to expand what's included. That includes more storage and RAM, the latter of which Apple doesn't advertise, but that makes a marked difference on how iOS applications work. The more RAM you have, the more things can be open at once, and can be switched between without having to refresh that data. And now, with 64-bit processors across all its new iPads, that concept could one day become a reality.
But where Apple could stand out more immediately from its current line, and that of competitors, is by going bigger -- perhaps even into the 13-inch realm. It's already gotten there with the Retina displays on its MacBook Pro notebooks, which just became $200 cheaper as part of an update. Recent reports have also suggested the company's explored just such a size for its tablets to go beyond the longstanding 9.7-inch panel.
Other things that were missing today, but that would be useful for a higher end device include:
- Apple's Touch ID system that lets people enter their password with just their fingerprint.
- A Smart Cover meets keyboard combo (something that's rumored, and has been shown off in Apple patent drawings)
- Higher storage options beyond 128GB
- 802.11ac Wi-Fi to get faster speeds off Apple's current AC Wi-Fi router lineup
- Higher end camera to match, or exceed what's in the iPhone 5S
The real question is whether all these specs really push towards anything that's a little more than just a very fully-loaded iPad, and into territory that enables new types of activities that weren't there before. In the meantime, Apple's current pitch is that the iPad Air and iPad Mini are whatever you want them to be.
"We designed iPad to be the best tool for the things you do most often," Apple's CEO Tim Cook said on Tuesday. "But honestly we could have never imagined all the ways customers would be using them."
