Apple's Getting Personal To Push iPad Air 2 Upgrades
It's no great surprise that Apple would like you to upgrade your old iPad for a new one, but the company is getting personal as it pushes the new iPad Air 2, pointing out exactly why existing owners of earlier models should probably wade in and buy a fresh one. Open up the Apple Store app on your older iPad and head over to the iPad Air 2 page, and there's a direct side-by-side comparison of just how the updated model measures up. Unsurprisingly, size and weight are the main focus, with Apple emphasizing just what a difference a 6.1mm tablet can make in your bag or in your hand.
The feature identifies what iPad the Apple Store app is being run on, and then generates the comparison automatically complete with stats on just how much thinner the new model is.
Interestingly, it only seems to work for the full-sized iPad. We tested it on an iPad 3rd Gen – the first to get the Retina display – and were presented with a page highlighting how the iPad Air 2 is 35-percent thinner. However, no direct comparison was given with our iPad mini or iPad mini 2 (née iPad mini with Retina display) when we viewed the same screen on the smaller tablets.
Instead you're shown a generic "vs" page of the original iPad Air against the updated version.
Update: You can also manually compare iPads (though, again, not iPad minis) with the iPad Air 2 at Apple's site [Thanks Chris!]
Demand for the iPad in the first few years was vast, as Apple CEO Tim Cook highlighted at the company's event yesterday. That's left 225m iPads out in the wild, but also resulted in another challenge: how to persuade existing owners that it's time for them to upgrade.
It's not an issue Apple alone faces; tablet sales in general have slowed, several analyst firms have suggested in recent months. Still, as the leading player in the space it's something the Cupertino firm needs to find a way to address if it can.
Presales of the iPad Air 2 – along with the new iPad mini 3, which has a more minor update with Touch ID and a new gold color – kicked off earlier today, with shipments and in-store availability expected next week.
VIA Denim & Steel