iPad Pro or Air2?

[Scuba]

I've been thinking about buying an iPad. Had the first generation one but stopped using it a few years ago as many websites didn't work well with it. My j*b provided one but haven't had one since ER just over a year ago. I've gotten used to using my laptop or phone, so this isn't really a need but it would be nice to have one. Would use mainly for surfing the net and email.

We are an all Apple household so I don't want an Android tablet. Thinking of either the iPad Air2 or the smaller of the two iPad Pros. The Pro appears to have a lot of additional features but is also much costlier. They weigh the same and are almost the same size.

Thoughts?

 

[explanade]

iPad Air 2 came out just over 3 years ago.

I picked one up about a year and half ago on the Black Friday deal. But then it broke a few months ago. The screen would not register any touches.

I went to Apple Store and they offered to swap it for a brand new Air 2 with cellular modem for $299 plus tax. I got reimbursed for this amount by my credit card company since it was within the extended warranty period from when I purchased with a Visa.

But I chose to buy the 10.5 inch with cellular about a month ago since it was released earlier this year, more for future proofing.

The iPad Pro lets you use the Pencil but I'm not an artist so I probably won't buy the Pencil. Screen is nicer, more color-accurate and it has 4 speakers for viewing videos.


For Black Friday, Target, Best Buy are selling the $650 iPad Pro 10.5-inch Wifi with 64 GB for $520, or $130 off. I think you can order it online instead of fighting the crowds.

 

[Ready]

I have both an Air 2 and the 10.5 Pro model. The Pro is great, but it's a matter of personal opinion as to whether the higher price is justified. I still use my Air 2 all the time and can't say I notice that much difference, but I do really enjoy the Pro. The slightly larger screen is very nice, and it still is easy to hold with one hand.

I had the 12.9" model and didn't care for it. It was just too big to hold, even while sitting on the sofa. I didn't use it all that much other than taking it to office meetings.

 

[mpeirce]

The iPad Air 2 isn't being manufactured any more and Apple no longer sells it. It was replaced by the current "iPad" (Apple just calls it the iPad with no modifier - or call it the 2017 iPad).

This 2017 iPad is similar to the older Air 2, but it's an odd "upgrade". It's faster (uses the A9 instead of the A8X processor), but is a smidge thicker and heavier. It's also significantly cheaper than the Air2 ($329, while the Air 2 was selling for $399

Think of the new iPad as a cost reduced Air 2. Because of this it's selling very well.

The iPad Pro 10.5" is a different beast. Think of it as, well, the "Pro" version of the iPad. It's very fast (runs faster than some MacBooks and Windows laptops) has an amazing screen with pro features like TrueTone (continuous color calibration based on ambient light - the new iPhone X has this too), ProMotion (dynamic refresh rates up to 120Mhz), four speakers for stereo and it's loud!), Smart Connector for keyboards, and of course, Pencil support.

Is this worth the much more $649? Depends on what you use it for? If it's just to play and watch videos on, the regular iPad is a better deal, but the Pro is very nice.

https://www.apple.com/ipad/compare/

 

[W2R]

I replaced my old iPad 2, with an iPad Air 2 back in January, 2016. Since I only use it while seated in my easy chair, I bought a fairly cheap cover for it thinking an Otterbox would be overkill.

A couple of months ago, it fell off the table next to my easy chair, onto the floor. Now there is a 2" gap between the back and the front, where I can see inside. Either the front or back (or both) are bent so there is no way to close that gap or get the front attached to the back again. And of course, it was not working very well like that.

So, I shut it off and retired it, and went back to my old iPad 2 which is much sturdier. I have had that for years, since it first came out.

I guess that if/when I decide to buy another iPad, there is NO WAY that I will buy the Air 2. I would go for some other model. I am the type of person who never, never, ever breaks electronic devices, at least until now. So, I am inclined to think that the Air 2 is too fragile to ever want another one.

I like the description that Mpierce provided for the new iPad - - that it is a little thicker, heavier, and probably more sturdy than the Air 2. That is a terrific improvement, IMO. Plus, I like the lower price. These are the two best improvements I can think of. Mpierce, I think you may have sold me on it. At least I will give it considerable thought.

 

[Meadbh]

I replaced my old iPad 2, with an iPad Air 2 back in January, 2016. Since I only use it while seated in my easy chair, I bought a fairly cheap cover for it.

A couple of months ago, it fell off the table next to my easy chair, onto the floor. Now there is a 2" gap between the back and the front, where I can see inside. Either the front or back (or both) are bent so there is no way to close that gap or get the front attached to the back again. And of course, it was not working very well like that.

So, I shut it off and retired it, and went back to my old iPad 2 which is much sturdier. I have had that for years, since it first came out.

I guess that if/when I decide to buy another iPad, there is NO WAY that I will buy the Air 2. I would go for some other model. I am the type of person who never, never, ever breaks electronic devices, at least until now. So, I am inclined to think that the Air 2 is too fragile to ever want another one.

I had an iPad2 for several years, and travelled internationally with it. One day in 2015, I dropped it on the tiled kitchen floor, shattering the screen. I replaced it with an iPad Air2, which, again, has travelled internationally with me on planes, trains, autombiles and ships. It has crossed the Atlantic on a cruise ship, survived many airline connections, and trekked throughout Croatia without a dedicated cover inside my travel shoulder bag. It has even accompanied me on a round of golf. At home, I have dropped it on the carpet several times, but I do take care to avoid operating it over tiled floors. So far, so good.

YMMV. I find it hard to imagine a two inch gap on an iPad. A picture would be helpful.

 

[explanade]

Difference between the Air 2 and the 2017 iPad is that the screen is not bonded to the substrates, resulting in a thicker design.

Air 2 screen is suppose to be better. The bonded design is used on all the higher-priced iPad models.

 

[Huston55]

I recently (within last year) replaced my old iPad with an iPad Pro (12.9”, 128GB). I chose the ‘Pro’ over the iPad because I like using a real keyboard instead of one on the screen (I like the combo keyboard/cover/stand), and I chose the larger version because I watch a lot of video on it. I chose 128GB because it’s plenty for me and I saved a bit by not getting a model with more storage. I’m very pleased with my choice.

If those same features appeal to you, I’d recommend a 12.9” ‘Pro’ and, if you’re not a power user, you can defray some of the additional cost (over the iPad) by getting a model with less storage capacity.

 

[eytonxav]

iPad Air 2 came out just over 3 years ago.

I picked one up about a year and half ago on the Black Friday deal. But then it broke a few months ago. The screen would not register any touches.

LOL, I did the same as a x-mas present for DW. It also lost touch thru the screen and became a brick that could not be fixed according to our local Apple store. After seeing your post, I wonder how common this problem has been on the Air 2?

 

[HFWR]

My Air2 still going strong after 3+ years. Even iOS11 hasn’t slowed it...

 

[davebarnes]

We own both.
Pro if you want to add the keyboard and use it for input.
Regular iPad if you are just going to read.

Compose vs Consume.

⬆︎Above written on regular iPad.
⬇︎Below written on iMac.

I find the iPad fine for writing short (20 or fewer words) comments.
But, when I want to write something longer such as a 200-word Yelp review then I need a real keyboard.
We took our iPad Pro on vacation as I knew that I would be writing 123 Yelp reviews. And, 5 AirBnB reviews.

 

[Midpack]

I was planning to get a much bigger iPad Pro when my iPad Air2 Gen 2 dies. But looking at the Apple website just now, it appears the Pro comes in the original 12.9" AND 10.5." That's not much bigger than the standard size 9.7" iPad (no longer called Air). So when/if my iPad dies or just can't keep up with newer iOS versions, I'll have to go look at them again. Maybe the 10.5" is a good compromise. The Pro models are notably more expensive, but they have better processors and more features too. I use my iPad (and SmartTV) more than my PC by a mile these days...

https://www.apple.com/ipad/compare/

 

[braumeister]

When trying to decide which Apple product to buy and when to buy it (or wait for a newer model), I think this is the best resource around:

Buying Guide

 

[W2R]

I had an iPad2 for several years, and travelled internationally with it. One day in 2015, I dropped it on the tiled kitchen floor, shattering the screen. I replaced it with an iPad Air2, which, again, has travelled internationally with me on planes, trains, autombiles and ships. It has crossed the Atlantic on a cruise ship, survived many airline connections, and trekked throughout Croatia without a dedicated cover inside my travel shoulder bag. It has even accompanied me on a round of golf. At home, I have dropped it on the carpet several times, but I do take care to avoid operating it over tiled floors. So far, so good.

YMMV. I find it hard to imagine a two inch gap on an iPad. A picture would be helpful.

I know! Its' just awful. I tried to push it back together so probably the gap is more like one inch if I photographed it, but it is on the bottom of a big pile of stuff in a box right now. What a nightmare. The worst part is that honestly I don't know how it fell - - I did not notice it had fallen until I saw it on the floor. Normally I keep it plugged in all the time. My best guess is that I got my left arm wrapped around the cord, fell deeply asleep when napping as I sometimes do, and flung it to the floor? I get pretty active when I am asleep. It must have hit very hard on its side and bounced around a bit. The screen itself did not break, and weirdly, I could see what was displayed on it from the inside.

At any rate I do think I might buy one of those 2017 iPads now that Mpierce mentioned. The price is very atttractive and my spending so far this year has been less than in prior years. I will get an Otterbox cover or some other more sturdy cover for it, given my history, and maybe that will protect it from my crazy nightmares or whatever was the cause.

Maybe there will be a Black Friday or Cyber Monday sale. Or, if I buy it through Amazon with my Amazon Visa card, maybe I can get 5% back in rewards.

I know, Mpierce is probably laughing because so many of my past posts about Apple products have been quite negative and his have been more pro Apple. But hey, what can I say. I really *do* enjoy the beautiful graphics that iPads provide. I mostly use my iPad to play simple, beautiful games like jigsaw puzzles* and so on, while listening to podcasts or youtube videos, or maybe for a little sudoku or web browsing as I ramp things down at bedtime. This might not sound like I am getting my money's worth, but I feel that I am.

* For those few who are interested, my jigsaw puzzle app is the MobilityWare one, and to my rather uncritical eye, the puzzles are utterly gorgeous. There are probably other equally gorgeous jigsaw puzzle apps.

 

[explanade]

Maybe there will be a Black Friday or Cyber Monday sale. Or, if I buy it through Amazon with my Amazon Visa card, maybe I can get 5% back in rewards.

As I and others have mentioned, several stores are discounting the iPad from $329 to $250 and the 10.5-inch iPad Pro from $649 to $529 on Black Friday.

 

[Al18]

Wife has an iPad Air 2 128 GB and loves it. I got her old iPad 4 64 GB and love it also. Considering Black Friday sales, I'm sure you'll find a good price on whatever iPad you choose.

 

[W2R]

As I and others have mentioned, several stores are discounting the iPad from $329 to $250 and the 10.5-inch iPad Pro from $649 to $529 on Black Friday.

OH!!!! OH thank you! I'll go back and re-read the thread because somehow I missed that.

Edited to add: Ordered, and on its way! Thanks again.

 

[Scuba]

Thanks for the comments. I did compare them on the Apple site. Problem is, if I get one of them, I'm definitely going to want cellular coverage so I can use it when we travel. Don't have to have the biggest storage but 64 is too small for me. So it becomes more like a $400-$500 price difference between Pro vs regular.

 

[braumeister]

I'm definitely going to want cellular coverage so I can use it when we travel.

FWIW, I normally don't need anything but wifi for my iPad when traveling. On the rare occasions when I want to download something directly to it, I create a hotspot on my iPhone and log the pad into it using wifi.

 

[mpeirce]

I'm definitely going to want cellular coverage so I can use it when we travel..

I thought this too, but I ended up never really using the cellular data on the older iPad I had. One the Air 2 I simply use my phones data plan by turning on the "Personal Hotspot" feature when I need it. It shares the data from my phone's data plan over WiFi. No need to pay for an extra data plan for the iPad. This works really well for me. Especially since I only need it a couple of time a year.

 

[LastOfTheBoomers]

The only other thing that made me want to get the cellular version is that it had the GPS chip - but I decided to just get the Wi-Fi version and use my phone

 

[explanade]

FWIW, I normally don't need anything but wifi for my iPad when traveling. On the rare occasions when I want to download something directly to it, I create a hotspot on my iPhone and log the pad into it using wifi.

For international travel, you'd need an unlocked device.

iPads are always unlocked but iPhones may not be, depending on whether you paid full price upfront or pay in installments.

 

[braumeister]

T-Mobile gives me unlimited data overseas just like in the US, so it's a non-issue.

For the record, I always buy unlocked full price iPhones from Apple.

 

[explanade]

Well if you want fast data while overseas, then you have to get a local SIM in an unlocked device.

I paid for the cellular model because I often get SIMs with a lot of data and then tether to other devices. iPad has the biggest battery so it can serve up the connection for a long time.

 

[Scuba]

Great idea re the personal hotspot via phone. Thanks!