The 9th generation iPad listed on Apple’s website is currently priced at € 439. It is the most affordable tablet in the company’s range and is made from premium materials such as aluminum. Despite the slew of reports referring to the device as a low-cost model, it is certainly not made with “cheap” materials.
However, an all-metal iPad line may not have existed, like the company would have considered using plastic to further lower the price and compete with other products. It appears that Apple has held back from going down this path to offer its customers the best possible hardware, with the best materials available.
The plastic iPad would compete with the Chromebooks
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple’s team would consider bundling a plastic iPad with a cheap keyboard accessory and selling it wholesale. a single package for less than $ 500. In the “Power On” newsletter, the idea was to fight with Chromebooks, taking market share from these machines and ultimately making the iPad the new standard in the classroom.
” That’s why Apple internally thought about releasing an iPad with a plastic back and keyboard that come together in a box for under $ 500. Apparently the idea was scrapped, but it was probably Apple’s only real hope of making it happen. Chromebooks in most schools. “
Apple’s launch history only includes products that come with chargers, headphones, or cables. There has never been a time when the company has provided an entire keyboard, which is just the opposite of other companies like Samsung, a company that continues to provide a ship full of freebies for first-time users when unveil new products.
Apple’s current strategy could revolve around creating demand for customers who believe the product itself is quality and who have to purchase different and expensive accessories to get the best possible experience.
The iPad 10, which was to be the “affordable” successor to the iPad 9, has a starting price of € 589 and to complete the “replacement” experience for your laptop, customers need to purchase another Magic Keyboard Folio. which costs € 369, plus an Apple Pencil (1st generation) for € 119.
Customers don’t have to buy these accessories, and some of them may opt for the newer model, mainly for media consumption, while using a Bluetooth-enabled keyboard to do productivity work. Suppose Apple started supplying a cheap iPad made of plastic, in this case it is possible that this cheap material has gradually spread to other products in an attempt to reach more customers, but at the expense of the quality of the material.
