Mark Gurman reported last week that Apple’s next 9.7-inch iPad won’t be an “iPad Air 3,” but a smaller “iPad Pro,” complete with Pencil and Smart Keyboard support.
I tend to think the iPad name change is accurate. Looking at the Mac the line, it’s not hard to imagine the Air name going away anyway, but more importantly, bringing the Keyboard and Pencil to the 9.7-inch form factor down the line will give developers incentive to support the accessories and may help move people with older devices to purchase a new iPad.
Today, MacRumors’ Juli Clover writes that this year’s iPhone 7 and 7 Plus could have a top-tier sibling dubbed the “iPhone Pro.” This model is said to sport the dual-camera system that’s been making the rounds recently, while the poor man’s iPhone 7 Plus would feature as single shooter.
(For those keeping up at home, it means that the iPhone SE, iPhone 6S, 6S Plus, 7, 7 Plus and Pro could all be on sale this fall. That’s a lot of iPhones.)
Assumedly, the iPhone Pro would carry a larger price tag than the Plus, which has historically been $100 more than the smaller base-model. If the Pro is $200 more than the base model, it may help the ever-important iPhone average selling price.
I don’t feel nearly as good about this rumor as I do the iPad one. I had assumed up to this point that the dual-lens system would be like optical image stabilization and limited the more expensive Plus only.
Apple’s no stranger to making questionable decisions for a increased price tag, but I’m not sure this is a place where it would make sense from a product point of view. As a Plus user, I’m already used to paying a little bit more for a larger screen and better low-light camera performance.
I’m sure that Apple would build the case for why the two-lens camera is worth the money, but there’s a worry in the back of my mind that Apple would be trying to inject new life into the iPhone ASP on the backs of its most passionate users.