iPad Model Mix and Its Implications for New Macs and the iPhone Air

The iPad line up is crowded and confusing. At any given time, Apple offers four tiers of iPads, with two of them in multiple sizes. Layer on to that storage capacity options and Wi-Fi or cellular connectivity, and you will see dozens and dozens of distinct devices, and we haven’t even mentioned the different colors available.

This array of models does parallel segments of the iPhone and Mac lineups. There are Pro models that have the newest features and highest specs, and the highest prices. There are Air models that also have premium features, including Mac processors, at somewhat more accessible prices. The “original” iPad is a base model powered by an iPhone processor and selling for just over half the price of the similarly sized iPad Air and one-third of the price of the cheapest iPad Pro.

In the past twelve months, iPad Pro models accounted for 41% of iPad sales, followed closely by iPad Air at 35% (Chart 1).