As of 10:00 PM KST on October 18, 2022, there were changes to the Apple App Store.
It was an update regarding the new iPad series that was only rumored.. Normally, Apple throws a huge party for new products, so what's with this? Quietly releasing new products?? I thought that was weird...!!!
Why would they quietly release it without a reason?
This time, the iPad Pro 6th Gen, iPad 10th Gen, and the new Apple TV 4K were released.
First, the iPad Pro 6th Gen.
https://www.apple.com/kr/ipad-pro/
Whoa~~!! Apple's new AP chip, the M2 chipset, has been added!!! Wow, it's amazing!!! It seems like it might be possible... but if you go to the detailed page and take a look, there is something noticeable.
Wait, is this the price? Am I seeing this right..?
Whether due to exchange rates, the price has skyrocketed.
The price of the base model iPad Pro 11th Gen on the US official site is $799. Dividing 1,249,000 / 799 makes it look like the exchange rate is set at around 1,563 won, but that's not the case. Since the US has a separate VAT, if you calculate based on the price excluding VAT, it is 1,135,454 won. Dividing this by $799 gives about 1,421 won, so it appears to be a result that almost reflects the current exchange rate.
If high exchange rates continue like this... Apple's expensive prices are expected to continue.
So, for fun, I decided to get the most expensive configuration.. 2TB with Cellular.. Apple Pencil, and the official Magic Keyboard.. the price comes to a whopping… 4,318,000 KRW. Oh... it's expensive.. If you add AppleCare+ to that, it's around 4.5 million won. It seems like the price of a used compact car. (AppleCare+ seems essential.. at this level..)
Of course, for those who can afford to buy and use the iPad Pro in full specs regardless of purpose or budget.. would they just laugh it off? For someone like me who loves value for money and mainly uses the base model, the price is hard to accept.
Although detailed specs haven't been posted yet, IT fans searching quickly found that compared to the previous model, the changes include a slightly larger screen size, the M2 chipset, and the camera system, and there is exactly one peculiar thing
It is said to be a "hover" feature for the Apple Pencil. I think that will be slightly advantageous when drawing.
I'm hesitating to buy the M2 iPad Pro, but the main factors are the M2 chip and the Apple Pencil part... Since I'm actually using it to show my son Octonaut videos on the iPad Pro, I guess I probably won't buy this product..
While surprised by the high price of the iPad Pro, there was another true trap card.
Here comes the new iPad 10th Gen. Ta-da
https://www.apple.com/kr/ipad-10.9/
The base iPad, which is loved by many users as an entry-level model, has completely changed with a new design. While this part was already somewhat known through rumors..
Well, one could argue that such changes are not a bad thing. In fact, if you look at the detailed page above, the base iPad shows a lot of changes.
The design has completely changed, the performance is excellent with the A14 Bionic chip, a quite cute new Magic Keyboard Folio has been released, and the first-generation Apple Pencil, which hasn't retired yet, is also visible... huh??? Is this friend coming out again?
But wait. Haven't you noticed something strange?
On the product detail page, the image placement is oddly arranged so it doesn't show the charging port side.. but if you look closely, as you watch the product introduction video at the top. The charging port part. This is the point where the USB-C port is applied to this iPad 10th Gen.
Wait, so it says it uses the first-generation Apple Pencil? This friend, who is called the 'Submarine Patch' edition... is a very bizarre friend who charges by plugging the Lightning port into a butt (?), right?!!
Moreover, a Lightning to USB-C connector has been added. Starting today, if you purchase the first-generation Apple Pencil from the official site, a USB-C adapter will be provided as an additional item…
You can buy this friend for as little as 12,000 won on the Apple official website.
Wow.. Apple is really surprising.
Perhaps there was talk that USB-C would need to be unified in Europe starting next year. Since the base iPad is a product heavily supplied to schools and government offices, it must have a USB-C port installed... I think it might be a makeshift solution released because it would be a waste of money to remake the first-generation Apple Pencil... It's truly Apple-like to release something that is obviously going to get dirty looks and curses, but do it shamelessly like a 'submarine patch'. (Not a compliment, it's a criticism.)
Well... AliExpress will likely release compatible products for around 1,000 won soon.. (It's not a technically difficult product). However, looking at the reactions in IT communities, there are stories like, 'So the 1st Gen Pencil was actually usable in a USB-C environment all along, and they were just blocking it until now!!!'
It seems we need to check whether the iPad 10th Gen product supports only the 1st Gen Pencil or if the 2nd Gen Pencil can also be used.. Since the handwriting recognition method is different, the 2nd Gen probably won't work though..
And there was another surprising news...
The base price has risen significantly, starting at 679,000 KRW for the 64GB model. Even if we attribute this to unavoidable exchange rate fluctuations, it's hard to believe the price of an entry-level iPad, which used to be purchasable for around 300,000 KRW, has risen so much. It seems the previous generation models will be more popular. (The 9th Gen also has decent performance.)
Additionally, the new Apple TV has been released..
https://www.apple.com/kr/apple-tv-4k/
Although I don't use the Apple TV much (the older model is somewhere in my house), I knew the previous generation was more than capable, so there isn't much excitement.
It seems the reaction is that considering the exchange rate, the Apple TV, which is priced similarly, hasn't actually gotten cheaper..
I'm actually thinking about buying the Apple TV once since it's not too expensive...
That concludes our brief coverage of the iPad Pro 6th Gen and 10th Gen, which were released at lightning speed like a 'submarine patch,' along with the Apple TV news.
Of course, due to the impact of exchange rates, it is extremely expensive, and the story of resurrecting the Lightning connector are points that are more negative than positive... It was news that was surprising..
Moreover, I realized something even more profoundly.
I couldn't help but think, "Marketing is truly Apple."
Highlight strengths and hide weaknesses.
Based on the content, I think it's worthy of being called a 'submarine patch'.