sellerington

mobird said:

If Apple would release the iPhone mini "Pro" version with stainless steel...

If sales of the current iPhone Mini are lower than expected then I think you are asking for an even more niche product thats unlikely to ever see the light of day.

elijahg said:

sellerington said:
Some people always want the latest release and in Apple’s case that’s usually a substantial number. How often to upgrade is a personal decision but some people can rationalise anything.

Really? Most people even here don't upgrade their iPhones with every iteration, and I'd assume even less so with Macs as they're higher value generally. Is someone really going to spend $3000 one year then another $3000 the next just for FaceID? A few might but its definitely not a "substantial number". Why FaceID hasn't come to the desktop Mac before now though I'm not sure. Would be a really nice value-add option, though unlocking with the watch is just as quick as FaceID on the phone.

A substantial number of people wanting the latest Apple iPhone doesn't necessarily equate to most people upgrading from the previous version, although some people do. The substantial numbers Apple achieve come from people being on differing upgrade cycles and I agree Mac upgrades are generally much longer than iPhone. I wouldn't expect many people to upgrade a Mac just for Face ID although some (with more money than sense?) no doubt would. its more of a cumulative affect and it may be a tipping point for some on different upgrade cycle.

My MacBook Air dates from 2011 so that should be my next upgrade and I will be more than happy with being to unlock via my Watch Series 5 (which I just upgraded to from a Series 3). 

neilm said:

sellerington said:

It is always exciting to see new products being released but its always in the back of my mind that something even better will be along soon.

Beware of the Osborne Effect.

Those “unnamed sources” tease us with the forthcoming releases. Some people always want the latest release and in Apple’s case that’s usually a substantial number. How often to upgrade is a personal decision but some people can rationalise anything.

Iteration is one of Apple's biggest strengths. A newly redesigned iMac will sell very well, especially with the Apple silicon be it M1 or otherwise. The follow up iMac with Face ID will have another USP to boost sales yet again.

Apple design is fantastic but their marketing is brilliant. It is always exciting to see new products being released but its always in the back of my mind that something even better will be along soon. I think this could be a very exciting year with some very desirable new iMacs and MacBooks being released. New designs plus new silicon will be very hard to resist. Face ID was nice on my iPhone until wearing a mask became part of my life and whilst it may be nice to have on a Mac I can wait for that. 

DAalseth said:

That the overall design won't change is not a surprise. I'm waiting to hear about the features. Will it be enough better to warrant the premium over the iPA from last fall. When I got my existing iPP the Apple Pencil was the big separation. I wanted one so I had to go Pro. Now it's not so clearcut.

On the current IPP the biggest difference of the IPA is Touch ID on the power button. I'd expect the  2021 iPad Pro to have a substantial processor upgrade over the previous (2020) IPP which should also be the major difference over the IPA.