I have always been a big fan of aphorisms. They act like tiny little subroutines that help me lead my life. For example, there are ‘twice cut once’, which I try to keep in mind when working in the store. Another way that works is a gram of prevention is worth a pound of cure. “When it comes to my puppy,” give him a centimeter, then he takes a kilometer. ” It’s winter, so remember to tell the kids, “do not eat yellow snow.”
Then there is the lot of wisdom that Mr. Spock shared by Star Trek (which is strangely predicted these days).
- “Without followers, evil cannot spread.”
- “Insufficient facts always invite danger.”
- “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the single, or the one.”
Over the years, I also developed my own aphorisms. Six cups of coffee can be too much. And my favorite, especially for this time of year: never buy an iPad in January.
Also: Which iPad model should you buy?
It never fails that some friend reaches out to me in January to ask which iPad to buy. They did not get one for Christmas. They are trying to plan their new year and want to make adjustments. But January is a terrible time to buy an iPad, just as August is a terrible time to buy an iPhone. News is just around the corner.
The statistics confirm this. The following cards tell the story.
Look at this first graph. It represents all iPad announcements since its first launch in 2010. As you can see, most iPads were announced in October or March, with a slight lead in March. When I count iPads, I count unique models (like an iPad, iPad Air, and iPad mini), but not model variations (like models that have cell phone capability versus those that do not).
Graph: ZDNet / David Gewirtz
What this chart tells us is that iPads are often announced in March. But the evidence for March announcements is even more convincing in this next graph.
Graph: ZDNet / David Gewirtz
Note that the months in which Apple announced iPads were over the years earlier in the year. For the past five years, there has always been an announcement in March. For the past three years, Apple has also had an iPad announcement.
When you think about it, it makes sense. Apple announces the basic (cheaper) models in October, just in time for giving away holiday gifts. Apple announces the Pro models in March, when the annual corporate budget dollar is still relatively fresh, the silly season and the resulting hangover spent on the holidays is over, and the new heat in terms of powerful Pro models comes alive made into an exciting spring event.
Just a few months ago, Apple announced the 8th generation iPad (in September) and the 4th generation iPad AIr (in October). But Apple has not yet updated its Pro models.
The latest iPad Air (launched in October) has the same A14 Bionic CPU as the current iPhone 12 generation. Meanwhile, the latest two iPad Pro models (the 11-inch and 12.9-inch) still have the A12z chip.
Given how much focus Apple has given on its iPad solution and iPadOS, it’s a reasonable assumption that Apple will upgrade the iPad Pro models (and perhaps the iPad mini as well) to a variant of the A14 chip.
Since Apple has been doing iPad launches every March for the past five years, there’s a fair chance Apple will hold a March event – most likely the new iPad Pro models. Unless the pandemic throws it off for some reason, it’s questionable because Apple has already knocked pandemic-restricted Apple events out of the park three times now, but we can reasonably trust that they will continue their pattern this year as well.
So as the aphorism goes, so it is January. Do not buy an iPad in January, especially if you want a Pro model. Most likely new ones will be available in March.
What are you hoping for in a new iPad? Did you get one for the holidays or give one as a gift? Are you waiting to buy a new Pro model when they announce in March? Let us know in the comments below.
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