Newly announced iPad coming 'next week' to Apple stores, other retail establishments

AppleInsider

While the newly announced 9-7 inch iPad can be ordered from Apple's online store on Friday, users wanting to purchase it in Apple Retail stores or other large electronics stores will need to wait until "next week," according to Apple.

Apple has provided a bit more information on the new iPad shopping situation. Orders placed on Friday, the first day of availability, will arrive the following week at some point, with no specific day given.

Additionally, the same timetable has been given for Apple Store availability. Big box retailers like Best Buy and Target have informed AppleInsider that they are expecting stock in stores at some point in the beginning of April, with orders starting on Friday, the same as the Apple online store.

It is not certain why a specific timetable has not been given for availability. The larger-scale iPhone rollouts generally have the first wave shipped directly from China -- but where early 2017 iPad adopters will have their orders fulfilled from is not yet clear.

Apple's new iPad announced on Tuesday returns to the iPad Air's thickness and includes a non-laminated Retina Display and larger battery than the iPad Air 2. An A9 processor drives the new unit, with 32GB of device storage -- all available for $329 to start.

Also on Tuesday, Apple revealed a special edition (Product)Red iPhone 7, the doubling of storage on the iPhone SE without changing the price of the device, and a new Clips app for social media video generation.

For up-to-date product availability on Apple's new selection of 9.7-inch iPads, check out the AppleInsider 2017 iPad Price Guide.

ny1822

Just got an email from Best Buy...they are giving you $25 gift card starting Friday when ordering the new ipad

xbit

So were the rumours of updated iPad Pro models false then? Or are we still expecting a big announcement later in the year?

k2kw

Mike,  any chance this updated iPad has been redesigned internally to make it easier to assemble.   Could Apple be thinking down the road if the need manufacturing to be done in India or US?

sirlance99

k2kw said:

Mike,  any chance this updated iPad has been redesigned internally to make it easier to assemble.   Could Apple be thinking down the road if the need manufacturing to be done in India or US?

iPads and iPhones will not be assembled in the U.S.. Unless Apple want's lower profit margin or they raise the prices, it won't happen. 

tyler82

xbit said:

So were the rumours of updated iPad Pro models false then? Or are we still expecting a big announcement later in the year?

The iPad is just a passing thought to Apple, just like Mac Pro, Mac Mini, AirPort. No new or major innovations in 2 years?? No 3D touch? Apple is strictly an iPhone company.

wooloomooloo

So what's the difference between the iPad and the iPad Pro if you get the 128GB model? Same A9 chip, same 2GB RAM and same storage - yet the iPad Pro is $270 more expensive?

mike wuerthele

k2kw said:

Mike,  any chance this updated iPad has been redesigned internally to make it easier to assemble.   Could Apple be thinking down the road if the need manufacturing to be done in India or US?

No idea. Willing to bet it's virtually identical internally to the iPad Air (not 2).

mike wuerthele

Wooloomooloo said:

So what's the difference between the iPad and the iPad Pro if you get the 128GB model? Same A9 chip, same 2GB RAM and same storage - yet the iPad Pro is $270 more expensive?

The iPad Pro has the A9X (2934/4737 geekbench), which performs better than the new iPad (probably 2397/4013). 

The Pro also has the Wide Color screen with the DCI-P3 color gamut, plus Pencil support.

mike wuerthele

xbit said:

So were the rumours of updated iPad Pro models false then? Or are we still expecting a big announcement later in the year?

There's enough smoke to indicate a fire on new iPad Pros. An event is likely later in the year.

thewhitefalcon

Wooloomooloo said:

So what's the difference between the iPad and the iPad Pro if you get the 128GB model? Same A9 chip, same 2GB RAM and same storage - yet the iPad Pro is $270 more expensive?

iPad Pro 9.7" is A9X, not A9, has Pencil support, a laminated display with anti glare, has the Smart Connector, has quad speakers, dual microphones, a 5MP front camera, a 12MP rear camera with flash and 4K video support, Wide Color gamut support, and True Tone display management. The difference is pretty marked. 

anome

Wooloomooloo said:

So what's the difference between the iPad and the iPad Pro if you get the 128GB model? Same A9 chip, same 2GB RAM and same storage - yet the iPad Pro is $270 more expensive?

The iPad Pro 9.7 uses the A9X processor, not the A9. Typically, where the iPhone uses an An processor, the iPad released on the same cycle would use an AnX processor.

The X lines tend to have more RAM and a beefier GPU. There are also a whole lot of other components that the iPad Pro has over the iPad. (See the compare page here.)

edited March 2017

smarky

Are we still thinking we will get updated Pro's at an event real soon?

Here in the UK, not liking this new iPad, because it's not really any cheaper, it's the same price the Air 2 was last year before they increased the prices! 

I have an iPhone and I maxed out iPad, but with the prices apple charges for the iPads and the current insanely high prices of Apple products here in the UK, I am thinking of going for an android tablet, there are some nice tablets out there for not a bad price!

I am interested in the Pro, because of Pencil support and the possibility of using it with Duvet Display and Photoshop etc, plus i want something portable and it's cheaper than buying an Apple laptop and would be more useful to me.

eric_wvgg

I sort of get why some people go for Android phones over iPhones, but I can't imagine why someone would weigh an iPad Pro vs an Android tablet.

The former is the top-of-the-line, state of the art shit. The latter is barely supported, has jokeful software, no good stylus options.

anome

Mike Wuerthele said:

xbit said:

So were the rumours of updated iPad Pro models false then? Or are we still expecting a big announcement later in the year?

There's enough smoke to indicate a fire on new iPad Pros. An event is likely later in the year.

I'm guessing the Fall event at this point for iPad Pros. Get them out for the holiday season. I'm not sure there's a pressing need to get them out earlier, other than our desire to run out and buy them.

Maybe they'll have them at WWDC for the Back To School sales, but they might continue not announcing hardware at WWDC. It's not meant to be a hardware conference as such. On the other hand, if they have an update for the Mac Pro, they may well announce it at WWDC.

Then again, they might decide to crack the seal on the Steve Jobs Theatre as soon as they're moved in, and announce everything then.

chia

smarky said:

Here in the UK, not liking this new iPad, because it's not really any cheaper, it's the same price the Air 2 was last year before they increased the prices! 

I have an iPhone and I maxed out iPad, but with the prices apple charges for the iPads and the current insanely high prices of Apple products here in the UK, I am thinking of going for an android tablet, there are some nice tablets out there for not a bad price!

It's not Apple's fault that the value of the pound fell significantly against the US dollar last year, nor are they alone in being a company needing to adjust their pricing accordingly.

If you wish to waste your hard-earned devalued money on an inferior tablet which will slow to a crawl, not have many, if any software updates and have inferior software that doesn't take advantage of the large tablet screen, then go right ahead and buy an Android tablet.  I made the mistake of buying one for £80.  First time and last time I ever buy an Android tablet.  You're better off saving for an iPad, even if they should  double in price, they're worth it.

derek98116

tyler82 said:

xbit said:

So were the rumours of updated iPad Pro models false then? Or are we still expecting a big announcement later in the year?

The iPad is just a passing thought to Apple, just like Mac Pro, Mac Mini, AirPort. No new or major innovations in 2 years?? No 3D touch? Apple is strictly an iPhone company.

For all the fuss Apple made about the antiqued 3.5mm headphone jack when they released the iPhone 7 last year it sure seems they would've removed it from their new iPads too....or have they changed their mind and are going to be adding it back for the iPhone 8 too? Why are the iPhone and iPad lineup so drastically different in terms of hardware features? At the very least I expected 3D touch seeing that it's now 2 year old technology.

palegolas

Wooloomooloo said:

So what's the difference between the iPad and the iPad Pro if you get the 128GB model? Same A9 chip, same 2GB RAM and same storage - yet the iPad Pro is $270 more expensive?

pencil

guyr

Has anyone seen one of these new iPads to know the impact of the 'lack' of screen lamination & anti glare? I see the lack of anti glare being more an issue outside and but will the lack of lamination mean the screen is more scratchable ?  Hoping for some reports before making a decision...