New iPads: Apple's Laptop Replacement Push & Peloton CEO Shift - AI Spotlighted at Earnings
New iPads set to launch with potential to serve as laptop replacements, addressing long-standing issues in multitasking and performance. Peloton's CEO steps down amid changes, while AI emerges as a central theme in Apple's earnings conference, emphasising the company's strategic focus. Apple's upcoming WWDC event in June promises significant software updates, particularly in iOS 18 and improvements for Vision Pro, reinforcing the company's commitment to AI advancements.
New iPads are set to arrive on Tuesday, and Apple should go all in on turning them become actual laptop replacements. Also, Peloton's CEO eventually steps down, and AI becomes a huge topic at Apple's earnings conference.
Last week on Power On, Apple rivals retool to compete with the iPhone and Vision Pro. After introducing the iPad in 2010, Steve Jobs claimed that "PCs are going to be like trucks." In other words, individuals would utilise tablets for the majority of their needs (the automobiles in this scenario) and only use a laptop or desktop computer for more demanding jobs.
When the iPad 2 debuted a year later, Jobs reiterated that Apple was now firmly in the post-PC era.
In a way, Jobs was correct. However, this is not necessarily due to the iPad. Millions of individuals now use iPhones as their primary computer. Smartphones have become extremely powerful, with larger screens transforming them into little tablets with computer-like capability. Many people rely solely on their phones.
However, when it comes to converting the iPad into a computer replacement, Apple has gotten off track. The gadget still lacks the multitasking capabilities of a laptop and has less of an edge over standard cellphones.
Apple has taken steps to improve the iPad's usability, but these have proved insufficient. The original iPad Pro, debuted in 2015, had larger screens and an attachable keyboard shell. The chassis was slightly upgraded with the 2018 iPad Pro, and the Magic Keyboard and trackpad, as well as software support for cursor-based navigation, marked a significant step forward in 2020. Nonetheless, none of these advancements made it seem as if you no longer needed a laptop.
Apple released Stage Manager two years ago with the goal of improving the iPad's multitasking capabilities. This optional feature allowed users to move application windows around, but it was so confusing that Apple had to make revisions. This caused a month-long delay in the release of the iPadOS version including the functionality. It was an ambitious project: Apple was attempting to redefine multitasking for those who had never used a Mac. But that didn't make things better.
More recently, Apple has improved the iPad by equipping it with Mac-level CPUs. To clarify, this was primarily a marketing exercise. When Apple put the Mac's M1 CPU in the iPad Pro in 2021, it was essentially the same as a "A14X" chip from that year's model. However, touting the iPad's Mac capabilities goes a long way with both customers and developers.
It's time for Apple to take a stand. Does it want the iPad to be a half-baked laptop alternative or a true computer replacement? Consumers are perplexed as to why they should buy an iPad over a Mac, and vice versa.
The solution: Apple should commit to making the iPad as powerful as a laptop, but in a format that tablet customers prefer. The Mac should be for those who like to work on a traditional computer, while the iPad should be for those who prefer the option of a touch screen.
Otherwise, there shouldn't be much of a difference—though folks who require the highest performance (the trucks, in Jobs' image) would most likely continue with Macs.
This picture is going to blur a little more in the future years as Apple works to bring touch screens to the Mac. When that happens, the decision between a Mac and an iPad will be based on whether you prefer an all-in-one device (laptop) or a modular system (iPad + Magic Keyboard + Apple Pencil).
From a business sense, there has always been concern that the iPad will cannibalise Mac sales if it becomes too powerful. So, what? Neither category is performing very well just present. Apple should just create the finest iPad and Mac it can. The days of purposefully holding back the iPad must come to an end.
Apple has the opportunity to usher in a new era for the iPad at its upcoming "Let Loose" launch event on Tuesday. The presentation, which is slated to last around 35 minutes, should take the product in a new direction. It's also an opportunity to simplify the complicated iPad portfolio, which now consists of five separate versions.
Making the high-end iPad range more similar to its Mac equivalents is the first step towards resolving the issue. That appears to be exactly what Apple intends to do.
This provides the sizes for the two categories. The MacBook Pro and MacBook Air currently provide two screen sizes, whereas the iPad Pro offers two and the iPad Air offers one. Next week, the iPad Air will equal the MacBook Air and get a second screen size.
The CPU configuration will also change. The new iPad Air will most likely contain the M2 chip, while the Pro is rumoured to get a powerful new M4 chip — a component designed to handle Apple's still-emerging artificial intelligence capabilities. The Pro and Air variants, like the MacBook range, will have distinct performance capabilities.
Here's how the iPad lineup will likely look after Tuesday:
iPad (ninth generation) features a 10.2-inch screen with a home button.
iPad (10th generation) features a 10.9-inch screen and no home button.
iPad mini (sixth generation) has an 8.3-inch screen.
iPad Air: 11- and 12.9-inch variants with M2 processors.
iPad Pro: 11- and 12.9-inch variants with M4 processors.
By next year, Apple hopes to have completed the queue cleanup. The ninth-generation iPad will be discontinued and replaced by a less expensive 10.9-inch device, while the iPad mini will have a better processor. Overall, Apple will have the least congested iPad offering in years.
Furthermore, high-end iPads will feel more like computers. The new aluminium Magic Keyboard is expected to be more durable, with a laptop-like design. And new software will make use of the hardware.
As I previously stated, Apple should provide a more intuitive and practical multitasking experience on the iPad. If Apple can pull this off, along with new hardware and an emphasis on AI, the iPad might once again feel like the future.
Apple's quarterly reports have turned into an AI love fest. First, the numbers: Apple's earnings report went as smoothly as possible for a firm whose revenue fell by more than $4 billion. Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook and Chief Financial Officer Luca Maestri appear to have convinced Wall Street that iPhone sales in the period would have increased if not for a $5 billion headwind caused by pent-up demand for the iPhone 14 Pro in the same quarter last year.
The iPad's sales fell, which was not surprising considering the absence of recent improvements. Perhaps more worrying is that sales from the Wearables, Home, and Accessories segment was lower than expected, given the launch of the Vision Pro during the quarter. Meanwhile, services and the Mac sector outperformed expectations.
In China, the situation is little more perplexing. Apple claims that iPhone revenue increased in mainland China, although research organisations such as Counterpoint have been reporting for weeks that demand for the gadget is plummeting there. (Part of the disparity may be due to Apple selling fewer units at higher prices.)
Aside from China, a major focus of the post-results conference call was artificial intelligence. Every other analyst seemed to question Cook about the company's AI intentions, as if he might divulge something during an earnings call. That clearly did not happen, but he did state that Apple feels it would have an advantage in the field due to privacy features, improved integration, and strong in-house chips.
Apple's quarterly reports have turned into an AI love fest. First, the numbers: Apple's earnings report went as smoothly as possible for a firm whose revenue fell by more than $4 billion. Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook and Chief Financial Officer Luca Maestri appear to have convinced Wall Street that iPhone sales in the period would have increased if not for a $5 billion headwind caused by pent-up demand for the iPhone 14 Pro in the same quarter last year.
The iPad's sales fell, which was not surprising considering the absence of recent improvements. Perhaps more worrying is that sales from the Wearables, Home, and Accessories segment was lower than expected, given the launch of the Vision Pro during the quarter. Meanwhile, services and the Mac sector outperformed expectations. In China, the situation is little more perplexing. Apple claims that iPhone revenue increased in mainland China, although research organisations such as Counterpoint have been reporting for weeks that demand for the gadget is plummeting there. (Part of the disparity may be due to Apple selling fewer units at higher prices.)
Aside from China, a major focus of the post-results conference call was artificial intelligence. Every other analyst seemed to question Cook about the company's AI intentions, as if he might divulge something during an earnings call. That clearly did not happen, but he did state that Apple feels it would have an advantage in the field due to privacy features, improved integration, and strong in-house chips.
WWDC 2024 — June 10–14: Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference is expected to begin on Monday, June 10. That is when the company will release iOS 18 and the next major versions of its iPad, Apple Watch, Vision Pro, and Mac software. Internally, the new iPhone operating system is regarded as the most significant upgrade in the device's history, and the Vision Pro will receive its first significant software update since its release. Apple unveiled the Vision Pro at WWDC 2023, but the stakes are higher this year. The 2024 event is intended to highlight the company's revamped AI agenda.
New iPads set to launch with potential to serve as laptop replacements, addressing long-standing issues in multitasking and performance.
Peloton's CEO steps down amid changes, while AI emerges as a central theme in Apple's earnings conference, emphasising the company's strategic focus.
Apple's upcoming WWDC event in June promises significant software updates, particularly in iOS 18 and improvements for Vision Pro, reinforcing the company's commitment to AI advancements.
Source: BLOOMBERG