Two senior Apple executives talk about 'Most Mac users also have iPads' and 'iPad as an AI PC' in an interview

Fast Company, an IT news site, has published an interview with Greg Joswiak, Apple's senior vice president of worldwide marketing, and John Tarnus, Apple's senior vice president of hardware engineering, in which they discuss the iPad series that will be released in May 2024.

Apple still isn't done building its dream iPad - Fast Company
https://www.fastcompany.com/91124983/ipad-greg-joswiak-john-ternus-interview

This Joz quote is why macOS will likely never come to the iPad - 9to5Mac
https://9to5mac.com/2024/05/15/majority-of-mac-users-also-own-ipad/

Apple released a new iPad Pro on May 15, 2024. At the same time, a new iPad Air model was released for the first time in over two years, and it was the first iPad Air to be available in two sizes, 11 inches and 13 inches . Apple has also reduced the price of the 10th generation iPad.

Joswiak and Tarnas acknowledged that the iPad lineup had been a bit complicated up until now, and explained that this announcement was meant to streamline the iPad lineup. Joswiak argued that the compatibility issues have been resolved by the fact that the new Apple Pencil Pro and Apple Pencil (USB-C) can be used with both the iPad Pro and iPad Air.

Tarnus said that the decision to place the front camera on the long bezel to be used in landscape orientation was a technical challenge, as it was necessary to avoid interference with the Apple Pencil's charging coil, which is connected via a magnetic connector. To accommodate both the front camera and the magnetic connector, Apple apparently reduced the size of the charging coil by more than half.

According to Tarnus, the new iPad Pro, which will be released in May 2024, is a product that embodies the 'magic glass' concept that Apple has been advocating for some time. The new iPad Pro is equipped with the M4 chip and is the first iPad series to use an OLED display, making it the thinnest and lightest iPad to date, without sacrificing high performance and battery life, Tarnus said.

Joswiak said that he wants to convey how much the overall user experience of the product can be improved by using the new chips designed by the company, rather than just talking about the performance improvement rate like semiconductor companies such as Intel and AMD. As for the M4 chip, Joswiak said that it was essential to realize the thinness and lightness of the iPad Pro and its OLED display.

Joswiak and Tarnus believe that the iPad and Mac each have different roles, and point out that many customers currently use both. They argue that 'the iPad should have a different definition of 'pro' than the Mac.'

Joswiak said, 'Most Mac users also own an iPad, and use both devices for different purposes. Many iPad users also have a Mac, and some have a Windows PC,' suggesting that Apple's ecosystem is expanding beyond the boundaries of iOS and macOS. Tanas also used the drawing app Procreate as an example to emphasize that the iPad has become an indispensable tool for artists.

Joswiak also emphasized Apple's technological superiority by pointing out that Apple has long had a Neural Engine (NPU) specialized for machine learning in its in-house developed chips, stating, 'Apple has been a leader in AI for many years. It introduced Siri to the iPhone in 2015 and has been focusing on AI from an early stage. The iPad announced this time is fully equipped as an AI machine and will rival all the AI PCs the industry calls. ' In addition, Tarnas said that the M4 chip's Neural Engine supports AI functions in applications such as LiveText, Center Stage, Photomator and Logic Pro for iPad 2.

'We believe there is still great potential for the iPad,' Joswiak and Tarnus said. 'After 14 years, the iPad will remain an important Apple product for the foreseeable future.'

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