Instead of simplifying the iPad, Apple made it more confusing than ever

Welcome to our weekly Apple Breakfast column, which includes all the Apple news you missed last week in a handy bite-sized roundup. We call it Apple Breakfast because we think it goes great with a Monday morning cup of coffee or tea, but it’s cool if you want to give it a read during lunch or dinner hours too.

Simple is as simple does

One of the first things they teach you at tech journalist school is to put yourself in the shoes of the casual reader. I’m immersed in the world of Apple products on a daily basis, but many of those who visit Macworld stubbornly insist on having a life. And things that might seem obvious to me, and to Apple’s head-in-the-clouds hipster marketing team, are baffling to them.

It’s worrying for all concerned, then, when I’m the one finding Apple’s product range baffling. But that’s been the case with the iPad for years: between staggered launches, inconsistent naming conventions, and an excess of choice, the line-up at the start of this year was an absolute mess. Ripe, we all assumed, for a cool glass of “keep it simple, stupid.” But last week’s Let Loose event was disappointedly short of that particular beverage.

First of all, Apple resolutely refused to prune the range to any significant degree. Yes, the 9th-gen iPad was dropped from sale and the 10th-gen model got a price cut, but Apple added another iPad Air to fill the void. So there are still six iPad models on sale, each with further choices of color, storage capacity, cellular connectivity, screen size… and now screen finish, as if the buying decision wasn’t complicated enough already.

Neither was any attempt made to untangle the iPad’s odd naming conventions. The cheapest model is still called simply “iPad,” making any attempt to discuss it a thoroughly Abbott and Costello experience. (“I’m going to buy an iPad.” “Which iPad?” “The iPad.” “But which iPad?” etc.) Then there’s the iPad Air, which counterintuitively isn’t the smallest or lightest model. The smallest Mac uses the “mini” branding, while the slenderest MacBook uses “Air;” only the iPad feels the need to have both.

In fact, the names have even less meaning, because pixel for pixel the iPad Air is now bulkier and heavier than the iPad Pro, too. And at 1.36 pounds the 13-inch Air is by some distance the heaviest iPad currently on sale. Riddle me that one, naming sticklers. And this: If you buy an 11-inch iPad you’re actually still getting a 10.9-inch screen and the 13-inch AIr is actually 12.9 inches, while the 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Pro are accurately named.

And what about the Apple Pencil, an iPad-only accessory so seemingly fundamental to its appeal that Apple plastered one across the launch event artwork? That went from baffling to incomprehensible. Ludicrously there are now four Apple Pencils on sale simultaneously, and it would take me multiple paragraphs, and a major increase in my blood pressure, to explain the differences and which model works with which iPad.

At the risk of repeating myself, Apple should have taken this opportunity to strip back the iPad range to two brands: Air and Pro. As with the MacBook range, the former would focus on portability and keeping down cost and swallow up the rebranded iPad mini as a smaller screen option. The latter would focus on processing power, battery life, and state-of-the-art screen tech. If Apple wants to offer something cheaper as well, it can keep an older Air model on sale, much as it does with the MacBook range.

Admittedly some niche buying options would be lost in this purge. But Apple would gain something far more valuable: clarity. And at long last customers–and experienced tech journalists-would have some hope of understanding what’s going on.

Have your say

Last week I said many of Apple’s events would be better off as an email, and this prompted some strong opinions.

“I used to intently listen to Steve Jobs present the next big Apple product,” wrote John Scott. “But honestly, I don’t even watch the condensed versions now. The right people can do presentations and spur on their customers’ impulse buying. But nobody at Apple today has that personality.

“The leakers also ruined it for any sort of surprises.”

Another reader who asked to remain nameless was less impressed by my argument.

“Sorry, but I look forward to these announcements as they display new products and services in their best light, with Apple presenters who are not ‘charisma-free executives,’” he wrote. “I’ll be online at 7am (as I suspect you will, too) to hear what they have to say and admire a company that makes some of the best designed and most functional products in the world.”

Let Loose special

Everything Apple announced during the ‘Let Loose’ event.

Apple’s iPad event: 5 unexpected surprises you may have missed.

Jason Snell explains how the iPad Pro’s M4 chip sets the iPhone and Mac on a new path.

With the fourth model, the Apple Pencil strategy finally makes sense.

The new iPad Pro is finally here with an M4 chip and OLED display.

Apple announces the M2 iPad Air with a larger 13-inch screen.

Apple debuts M4 processor in new iPad Pro.

New sleeker, aluminum Magic Keyboard makes iPad Pro even more Mac-like.

New Apple Pencil Pro adds a fourth stylus option for iPads.

Apple has tragically killed off its last device that still had a headphone jack.

Apple reveals new AI-enhanced versions of Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro.

Apple’s so behind on AI it needs an intervention.

Podcast of the week

The drought is finally over! Apple has announced new iPad Pros, new iPad Airs, the Apple Pencil Pro, and more! We’re talking about the latest Apple product announcements in this episode of the Macworld Podcast.

You can catch every episode of the Macworld Podcast on Spotify, Soundcloud, the Podcasts app, or our own site.

Reviews corner

Best VPN for Mac: Reviews and buying advice.

The rumor mill

The iPhone 17 may debut a new ‘slim’ model.

Forget new iPads, Apple is actually working on a touchscreen Mac.

And with that, we’re done for this week’s Apple Breakfast. If you’d like to get regular roundups, sign up for our newsletters. You can also follow us on Facebook, Threads, or Twitter for discussion of breaking Apple news stories. See you next Monday, and stay Appley.

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