Apple Designs Exclusive iPad For Fundraiser
Jony Ive, who’s been described as Apple’s “British design guru,” has concocted an exclusive iPad Pro model which will be sold at an upcoming auction.
According to The Independent, this iPad has a yellow laminated backplate made from aluminium, a leather Smart Cover that’s been lined with blue suede, and a carrying case for an Apple Pencil. The back of the device and the Smart Cover have the phrase “Edition 1 of 1” laser etched on.
“If you have the cash to snap this up, you’ll be the only person in the world who owns an (official) iPad Pro in this color,” said Killian Bell of Techno Buffalo, referring to the yellow lamination.
Arafat Bin Sultan of the website Social Barrel said that he found the yellow lamination as “charming” and noted the infamous Apple logo on the back, “sparkles with a glow.”
Jacob Kastrenakes of The Verge reported that this iPad seems to be made out of the same material as any other model and that the only thing different about the device, was its color. He also thought that the Apple Pencil that’s provided had a unique touch with a gold band near the top.
The device, which was designed exclusively for the event, will go up for auction on April 28 at the Phillips auction house in London. This will help to benefit the Design Museum in the British capital, which is moving from its current location in the Tower Bridge neighborhood to Kensington.
Phillips’ official website noted that there will be a public viewing for the all the items up for sale from April 22 up until the auction. There’s also an ongoing online auction until May 2.
“Apple may not be making pure art — these are functional objects, after all — but there absolutely is an art to them,” said Jacob Kastrenakes.
This one-of-a-kind Apple iPad is expected to fetch anywhere from£10,000-£15,000 (or about $14,2000 to $21,300), as reported by Techno Buffalo.
“For that price, I’d demand a Smart Keyboard instead,” said Napier Lopez of the website The Next Web.
According to Wallpaper, Jony Ive has had a connection with the Design Museum since 1990 when they let him show off a mobile phone prototype. In 2003, he won their Designer of the Year award for his work on the iMac.
“We are extremely grateful to the friends of the museum who had donated such outstanding pieces to help us fulfill our ambition of creating one of London’s most important new cultural sites,” said Deyab Syudjic, curator of the Design Museum, who described the auction as “definitive event.”
Ive has also designed the iPod and the Apple Watch, as reported by The Independent. In May 2015, Ive was promoted from vice president of design to chief design officer, and in 2012, he was knighted for his services to the design industry.
This exclusive Apple iPad is just one of many pricey limited edition devices the company has released throughout the years.
According to The Next Web, some of those products have included earbuds made from 18-karat rose gold that sold for $461,000 and a 20 GB iPod Classic that had a red clickwheel and the signatures of the band U2 etched on the back. This sold for a mere $349.
Apple’s iPad Pro 9.7-inch model has been given a glowing review by Troy Wolverton of Financial Review. He noted that while this new model won’t serve as a replacement for a laptop, it is much more portable than the previous iPad model.
“The new iPad Pro represents a significant upgrade over previous mid-sized iPad models and is definitely worth considering whether you’re shopping for your first tablet or looking to replace an older one,” said Wolverton.
[Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images]
