The iPad Air is now heavier than the iPad Pro

When I spot nan connection Air attached to an Apple product, I presume 2 things: it’s going to beryllium bladed and light. You can’t really presume that pinch nan just-announced iPad Airs. For one, some nan 11-inch and 13-inch sizes are heavier and thicker than either iPad Pro model.

Behold nan spec comparison charts.

The 11-inch Air weighs 1.02 pounds to nan 11-inch Pro’s 0.98 pound. The 13-inch Air is 1.36 pounds to nan 13-inch Pro’s 1.28 pounds. It’s not conscionable weight, either. Both iPad Pro sizes are besides thinner.

During nan “Let Loose” event, nan iPad Air was characterized arsenic nan not-quite entry-level iPad that gets Pro features filtered for a wider assemblage (also not rather arsenic costly but not really a fund device, either). So, midrange. Is that what Air intends now?

Maybe for iPads, but that’s not nan lawsuit for MacBooks. The Air is still nan entry-level instrumentality that’s thinner and lighter (kind of) compared to nan MacBook Pro line, which leads to my different point: Apple’s merchandise lineup continues to grow ever much confusing arsenic much and much configurations are introduced.

The full constituent of branding is truthful your customers cognize what they’re getting. What made nan Air moniker activity is it conveys a consciousness of lightness. Airiness, if you will. But if nan Air is not your thinnest, lightest iPad — past why not simply make this nan 11th-gen iPad and support nan 10th-gen arsenic nan fund option? Apple does this each nan clip pinch iPhones. It did this erstwhile it launched nan 10th-gen iPads!

I tin empathize that Apple customers are acquainted pinch and mostly emotion nan Air branding — and that you can’t really telephone this nan iPad Mid. But words person meaning! If Apple intends this to beryllium a midrange iPad, surely location are trading geniuses who could person travel up pinch a clever connection for that.

But Apple did besides effort to person america each that this iPad Air comes successful purple. It’s really much a lilac if we’re emotion generous. (I’ve already had my beef pinch Apple complete its meaning of “purple,” but I’m still sore astir it.) Sometimes, Apple conscionable misses nan people pinch naming — for illustration pinch naming nan heavier, thicker iPads nan Air. I admit that, pinch nan iPad Airs, we’re talking hundredths to tenths of a pound. I’m quibbling over, astatine most, a millimeter of thickness. The mean personification astir apt won’t announcement excessively overmuch successful person. But it’s nan rule of nan matter.