GRUBER: Apple's Entry Level iPads 'Work Against The Foundation Of Apple's Brand'

Apple is offering 16 GB, 64 GB, and 128 GB storage on iPads and iPhones. Previously, Apple's iOS line up had 16, 32, and 64 GB of storage.

Apple should have double the entry level, too, says Gruber.

The 16 GB option is simply not enough for most people using the iPhone or the iPad. They run out of storage space for everything they want to do with the iPad.

It costs $100 extra to bump up each storage tier. Apple is inducing people to spend the extra $100 to get 64 GB of storage. This is good for Apple in the near term since that the vast majority of that $100 falls straight to the bottom line, but in the long term, it's not smart, says Gruber.

In his review of the iPad Air 2, Gruber writes:

There's no doubt in my mind it's good short-term business sense to go with a 16/64/128 lineup instead of 32/64/128. But Apple is not a short-term business. They're a long-term business, built on a relationship of trust with repeat customers. 16 GB iPads work against the foundation of Apple's brand, which is that they only make good products.

It's rare for Gruber to be critical of Apple, so this sticks out. It's unclear if Apple is going to change anything next year, but when even the most sympathetic people are frustrated, it suggests a change is due.