iPad 10.5” ——> 11” 2020

[kristalsoldier]

If you're worried about trade in value, that would be a reason to upgrade now. I would try Swappa and Craigslist first and see what you can get for it now.

I am not resident in the US.

 

[darngooddesign]

Go for it. Upgrade and enjoy the new iPad.

 

[Christopher Kim]

I did this exact upgrade (though I was able to pass on my 10.5" iPP to my daughter). I agree with others that right now, the 11" iPP (2020) bought new at Apple is a bit long in the tooth. And even though it's likely "good enough" for everything you need, it's now using a 2yr old A12Z processor, and buying it at full price wouldn't make me feel great if 11" iPP is upgraded in the "near future" with an A14X processor.

What I did was buy a new-in-box 2018 11" iPP (very little difference between it and the 2020) on secondary market for a big discount off the new Apple price. That made me feel comfortable I wasn't going to feel sour if a newer iPP comes out in the next 6-9mos. You'll see others on this forum will also suggest buying an Apple refurb to accomplish something similar.

If that isn't an option for you because of where you're located, and if think you'll have that sour feeling if you bought new 2020 iPP today and a A14X-based iPP comes out "soon", then I would wait. Agree with others the improvement / benefit over the 10.5" isn't big enough to make it worth it.

 

[Broadus]

What I did was buy a new-in-box 2018 11" iPP (very little difference between it and the 2020) on secondary market for a big discount off the new Apple price. That made me feel comfortable I wasn't going to feel sour if a newer iPP comes out in the next 6-9mos. You'll see others on this forum will also suggest buying an Apple refurb to accomplish something similar.

That's what I would like to find, too, a new-in-box 2018" iPP. They seem to be non-existent now. Perhaps some Apple refurbs will show up.

 

[kristalsoldier]

Thanks folks. So, what I am understanding from what you are saying is that (1) the upgrade from the 10.5 to the 11 is at best marginal. Perhaps the real benefit is the charging mechanism/ method of the Pencil; (2) the A14X will be better than the A12Z processor, and (3) there is a possibility of a mini-LED tech for the screen (though what I have been reading is that if this indeed happens, it most likely will be for the 12” version and not the 11”.

Against this, there is the prospect of the trade in value of the 10.5 dropping probably by around $50 or so.

Is that a fair summary?

 

[teohyc]

Upgrading from 10.5 to 11 is mostly for the feel-good factor. Based on the workflow you described, there's nothing the 11 can do that your 10.5 can't.

Apple's great at marketing and making people think constantly of their new products.

By upgrading you're just spending money to do the same thing on a different tablet. Yeah, the Apple Pencil charge differently, so what?

 

[kristalsoldier]

Upgrading from 10.5 to 11 is mostly for the feel-good factor. Based on the workflow you described, there's nothing the 11 can do that your 10.5 can't.

Apple's great at marketing and making people think constantly of their new products.

By upgrading you're just spending money to do the same thing on a different tablet. Yeah, the Apple Pencil charge differently, so what?

Thanks. While I get the general thrust of your comment, and like I mentioned above, I am increasingly disinclined to go ahead with the 2020 11” Pro (though I have yet to make a final decision), the “so what” question, I think, is misplaced.

This is because one could equally ask:

A14X, ”so what”?
Promotion, “so what”?
Extension of operational life of a new machine including a 1 year warranty, “so what”?
6 GB RAM, “so what”?
...and so on.

Nevertheless, you make valid points regarding Apple’s marketing prowess and the essentially stable nature of the way I use the iPad for my work.

 

[Ferc Kast]

Thanks. While I get the general thrust of your comment, and like I mentioned above, I am increasingly disinclined to go ahead with the 2020 11” Pro (though I have yet to make a final decision), the “so what” question, I think, is misplaced.

This is because one could equally ask:

A14X, ”so what”?
Promotion, “so what”?
Extension of operational life of a new machine including a 1 year warranty, “so what”?
6 GB RAM, “so what”?
...and so on.

Nevertheless, you make valid points regarding Apple’s marketing prowess and the essentially stable nature of the way I use the iPad for my work.

For me, the dealbreaker was that I wanted to go from the 10.5" to 2020 12.9". I was holding off until they trimmed back the bezels since the first two 12.9" models looked too unwieldy until the 2018 models. USB-C, Face ID, inductive Pencil charging are nice, but the screen / bezel combo sold me on it. A14X will probably be faster, but the A12Z is certainly no slouch. I hardly notice the 120Hz refresh rate personally; but it does seem smooth. 6GB RAM? I'll gladly any RAM they give us, as it can only make the device smoother than it already is.

 

[Christopher Kim]

Thanks folks. So, what I am understanding from what you are saying is that (1) the upgrade from the 10.5 to the 11 is at best marginal. Perhaps the real benefit is the charging mechanism/ method of the Pencil; (2) the A14X will be better than the A12Z processor, and (3) there is a possibility of a mini-LED tech for the screen (though what I have been reading is that if this indeed happens, it most likely will be for the 12” version and not the 11”.

Against this, there is the prospect of the trade in value of the 10.5 dropping probably by around $50 or so.

Is that a fair summary?

Yah, I think that's fair. You could argue about "how much" on the spectrum each of those items are, but each of those are "non-zero", and I think those are the key factors in the decision.

Bottom line for me - as you don't currently "need" the upgrade now, and the "cost" of keeping the 10.5 a little longer is minimal (given it's already depreciated quite a bit), I think it makes sense to wait.

 

[MPclk2006]

Hi all...

I am considering the above upgrade. A few considerations as below

1. I can avail of an education/ staff discount from Apple
2. i can trade in the 10.5 for A$355 (at the Apple store)
3. I will need the 2nd gen Pencil and a case (which I’d prefer to buy from Apple. Not sure if education discount applies, but that’s irrelevant). Adding these after the trade in brings the cost back up to slighty lower than the education discount price)

Why am I thinking about the upgrade?

I should mention two things first: (1) I bought the 10.5 on release day (2) Luckily I don’t have the white spot problem. But I am noticing a marginal degradation of battery which is to be expected. Further, I am not sure if I wait longer I will get a better price for the 10.5 trade in. Further, the 10.5 has 64GB of storage of which, since I am careful, I have used about 60%. The 11” comes stock with 128GB storage, which means I can be more easy about this. Plus, the 11” comes with USB-C, which means (I assume), I can use external storage devices.

My primary use is for my university related work, which is extensive reading, annotating, note taking, document reviews, web-based research and some minor document creation. I extensive use apps like PDF Expert, OneNote, OneDrive, Kindle, Office, some Reddit and Twitter etc.

I have gotten used to Pro Motion and the 4 speaker set up though I use TWE more frequently. Also, I travel quite a bit so carrying ease is important to me. I will not get the Magic Keyboard as I use an external BT KB at the moment and that suits my limited purposes.

Lastly, I intend to keep the iPad for a minimum of 3 years possibly more.

What do you folks think? Is this a worthwhile thought or am I just being deluded and possibly wasting money?

Thanks in advance.

Edit: I MUST add that I really don’t like the charging method of the Gen 1 Pencil with the 10.5. This is a real problem for me when traveling and/ or when on campus .

i just upgraded from the 10.5 to the 11 2020 and I love it. I got a case and screen protector off Amazon, and the Pencil 2. You can wait for the next one but hey you can do that every year because there’s always a new one in the horizon.

 

[kristalsoldier]

i just upgraded from the 10.5 to the 11 2020 and I love it. I got a case and screen protector off Amazon, and the Pencil 2. You can wait for the next one but hey you can do that every year because there’s always a new one in the horizon.

True.

 

[Tsepz]

Also, one question which none of you seem to have addressed. Surely, if I wait for another year, the trade in price of the 10.5 will likely go lower than now. Would I be correct in assuming that? I specifically mean trade in at the Apple store.

According to many here you should literally just keep waiting ? lol, wait for the 2050 iPad Pro if you can that will have a coffee maker built-in.

Honestly I would say go and give the 2020 iPP a try in store if you can and see if you feel any sort of difference and if it is worth your money. Most of the people here are talking about A14X and MiniLED as if these will somehow change how you use the device, but in the end they will barely affect your workflow.

Something to keep in mind is that the 2020 iPad Pros do come with 6GB RAM, this is the first time Apple has upgraded the RAM in the entire range, so that means these things are built for the long term, but it is up to you to determine if it’s worth the price to upgrade now or later.

Black Friday is around the corner, you may get a sweet deal.

 

[thedavid]

I did this exact upgrade, moving from a 10.5 iPad Pro to a 2020 11 inch.

Reasons why I upgraded:
1) White spot
2) Battery was getting kinda lightweight due to daily usage
3) Keyboard smart connector seemed to stop working. Used three keyboards on it and the third one didn’t help.

This 2020 model is fantastic. Just let go of that FOMO about a14 and dive in. My battery lasts seemingly forever now, no white spot, and the keyboard always works. Passed the old one down to my elementary school kids for some light game and educational use.

 

[pepinto]

The iPad pro 10.5” I have now, is my third one. The first one was replaced because of the white spot. The second one was almost DOA (it lasted one week), and the third one is almost one year old and it started developing two white spots. I’ve contacted Apple customer support, described the situation, shared my displeasure regarding having three “lemon” iPads. I will try to have a Pro 11” as replacement of this defective 10.5... Let’s see what happens.

 

[kristalsoldier]

The iPad pro 10.5” I have now, is my third one. The first one was replaced because of the white spot. The second one was almost DOA (it lasted one week), and the third one is almost one year old and it started developing two white spots. I’ve contacted Apple customer support, described the situation, shared my displeasure regarding having three “lemon” iPads. I will try to have a Pro 11” as replacement of this defective 10.5... Let’s see what happens.

That’s not good. Good luck. Hope Apple works things out to your satisfaction.

 

[pepinto]

That’s not good. Good luck. Hope Apple works things out to your satisfaction.

Thanks!

 

[kristalsoldier]

So, I figured since you folks helped me with your comments/ insights/ observations, I’d update you.

I just walked out of an Apple store with the 11” Pro, Wifi 128 GB version.

Following your comments and advice, I thought long and hard. Technically, my 10.5” though slightly over 3 years old was working fine (no white spots but some battery degradation), and could have served me well for a year or more, I decided to trade it in and get the new one.

I’ll share a few of my reasons.

First, it was a few weeks back I had checked the trade in value of the 10.5”. At that time, I was quoted AU$355. I think I may have mentioned it above in one my earlier posts. Well, today when I went in, it was AU$330. While the drop is not really very significant, it was interesting that the price did drop. I asked the Apple salesperson about it and she told me that aside from the price marginally fluctuating, Whenever Apple releases a new iPad, the price of older models does fall. While I am not convinced by what she said, nevertheless, I cannot deny that the price did fall and I have the trade in documentation to prove it. This also meant that if I waited much longer, perhaps the trade in price would fall even more. That would mean, I would be out of pocket by that amount, which is not ideal especially when avoidable.

Second, I have alread mentioned about the 128GB storage, though this is not a major reason. The 6GB RAM is nice but again, nothing critical. Same with the USB-C port.

Third, the cost to me. In addition to the iPad, I also bought the Smart Folio (which is nice, btw) and the Apple Pencil 2. Both are critical for me. The total I paid for all included = US$ 860 (AU$1215), which I think is fair for what it is.

Like my previous iPad, I expect to use this for at least 3 years. And, assuming there is something extraordinary that the next generation of iPads bring, then I can always trade this and get a much better value.

Again, I’d like to thank you all for your inputs. I really appreciate your taking the time and effort to help me with your insights.

Cheers!

Edit: Also, I forgot to mention, the device came with a 1 year free Apple TV subscription. Not sure if this is always bundled with the product. In my case, however, it’s relatively meaningless as I rarely watch anything aside from my personal collection of films and documentaries and some materia on YouTube.

 

[Student of Life]

I don’t really understand your reason for wanting to upgrade. I have the 10.5 and it’s still performing as well as 3 years ago. The 2020 iPad Pro has a nicer looking design, better pencil charging design, and USB-C. However, all the apps you use daily will likely feel the same as they do now, besides maybe being slightly quicker. Will you really use external USB-C storage if you’re only using 60% of 64GB storage now and your storage will double if you upgrade?

The A12Z processor is now basically 2 years old at this point too. I don’t think any of the Pro models are necessarily a good buy right now unless you really need one immediately. If I bought a new model right now, I’d be really concerned about the upcoming A14-based Pro models and likely feel that the upgrade isn‘t worth it if the software basically feels the same as it does on my 10.5, especially after the cost of buying a new case and new Pencil too. Waste of money imo.

You are channeling my thoughts. Sure i'd like an 11 inch pro but my 10.5 pro is still rocking. The 10.5 with the apple keyboard and pencil have been my favorite iPad combo so far. If I can find a great great deal and im not even sure what that would be in my book I might get an 11 inch pro but honestly im content.

 

[Shanghaichica]

It's a good upgrade but not one you would think on paper. I don't have the 2020 iPad Pro, I have the 2018 iPad Pro 11 and upgraded from the iPad Pro 10.5. I only upgraded because my kids damaged the charging port on my 10.5 inch pro. It still charged but was finicky and I knew it was only a matter of time before it stopped charging. I figured I might as well cut my loses and get a new iPad as it wasn't worth paying for a repair. I went for the 2018 pro in the end as there wasn't much difference between that and the 2020 model and I was upgrading because I had to not because of some compelling new features.

Anyhow it's a nice upgrade. The bigger screen, updated design, Face ID, Apple pencil charging method and compatibility with the magic keyboard are nice little upgrades imo.

 

[kristalsoldier]

It's a good upgrade but not one you would think on paper. I don't have the 2020 iPad Pro, I have the 2018 iPad Pro 11 and upgraded from the iPad Pro 10.5. I only upgraded because my kids damaged the charging port on my 10.5 inch pro. It still charged but was finicky and I knew it was only a matter of time before it stopped charging. I figured I might as well cut my loses and get a new iPad as it wasn't worth paying for a repair. I went for the 2018 pro in the end as there wasn't much difference between that and the 2020 model and I was upgrading because I had to not because of some compelling new features.

Anyhow it's a nice upgrade. The bigger screen, updated design, Face ID, Apple pencil charging method and compatibility with the magic keyboard are nice little upgrades imo.

Thanks. I don’t contest what you mentioned. But I will observe that (1) my only option for the 2018 Pro would have been a second hand one. The local Apple store has not had a refurb one since I have been looking,, which is a few months And (2) the trade in price was dropping, which means the longer I waited the more out of pocket I would have been.

Now that I have it, I will be very likely using it for a few years like it I did my previous one.

 

[Broadus]

So, I figured since you folks helped me with your comments/ insights/ observations, I’d update you.

I just walked out of an Apple store with the 11” Pro, Wifi 128 GB version.

Following your comments and advice, I thought long and hard. Technically, my 10.5” though slightly over 3 years old was working fine (no white spots but some battery degradation), and could have served me well for a year more more, I decided to trade it in and get the new one.

I’ll share a few of my reasons.

First, it was a few weeks back I had checked the trade in value of the 10.5”. At that time, I was quoted AU$355. I think I may have mentioned it above in one my earlier posts. Well, today when I went in, it was AU$330. While the drop is not really very significant, it was interesting that the price did drop. I asked the Apple salesperson about it and she told me that aside from the price marginally fluctuating, Whenever Apple releases a new iPad, the price of older models does fall. While I am not convinced by what she said, nevertheless, I cannot deny that the price did fall and I have the trade in documentation to prove it. This also meant that if I waited much longer, perhaps the trade in price would fall even more. That would mean, I would be out of pocket by that amount, which is not ideal especially when avoidable.

Second, I have alread mentioned about the 128GB storage, though this is not a major reason. The 6GB RAM is nice but again, nothing critical. Same with the USB-C port.

Third, the cost to me. In addition to the iPad, I also bought the Smart Folio (which is nice, btw) and the Apple Pencil 2. Both are critical for me. The total I paid for all included = US$ 860 (AU$1215), which I think is fair for what it is.

Like my previous iPad, I expect to use this for at least 3 years. And, assuming there is something extraordinary that the next generation of iPads bring, then I can always trade this and get a much better value.

Again, I’d like to that you all for your inputs. I really appreciate your taking the time and effort to help me with your insights.

Cheers!

I think you did well. In fact, there’s not a bad choice among the 2018 and 2020 iPP and the new Air 4. Also, the 2020 iPP has a half-year track record. You could get five good years out of it. Enjoy!

 

[kristalsoldier]

I think you did well. In fact, there’s not a bad choice among the 2018 and 2020 iPP and the new Air 4. Also, the 2020 iPP has a half-year track record. You could get five good years out of it. Enjoy!

Thanks. Yes, that’s the intent.

 

[Shanghaichica]

Thanks. I don’t contest what you mentioned. But I will observe that (1) my only option for the 2018 Pro would have been a second hand one. The local Apple store has not had a refurb one since I have been looking,, which is a few months And (2) the trade in price was dropping, which means the longer I waited the more out of pocket I would have been.

Now that I have it, I will be very likely using it for a few years like it I did my previous one.

I was lucky to find a good 2018 refurb. If not for that I would have had to get the 2020 pro.

 

[Tsepz]

So, I figured since you folks helped me with your comments/ insights/ observations, I’d update you.

I just walked out of an Apple store with the 11” Pro, Wifi 128 GB version.

Following your comments and advice, I thought long and hard. Technically, my 10.5” though slightly over 3 years old was working fine (no white spots but some battery degradation), and could have served me well for a year more more, I decided to trade it in and get the new one.

I’ll share a few of my reasons.

First, it was a few weeks back I had checked the trade in value of the 10.5”. At that time, I was quoted AU$355. I think I may have mentioned it above in one my earlier posts. Well, today when I went in, it was AU$330. While the drop is not really very significant, it was interesting that the price did drop. I asked the Apple salesperson about it and she told me that aside from the price marginally fluctuating, Whenever Apple releases a new iPad, the price of older models does fall. While I am not convinced by what she said, nevertheless, I cannot deny that the price did fall and I have the trade in documentation to prove it. This also meant that if I waited much longer, perhaps the trade in price would fall even more. That would mean, I would be out of pocket by that amount, which is not ideal especially when avoidable.

Second, I have alread mentioned about the 128GB storage, though this is not a major reason. The 6GB RAM is nice but again, nothing critical. Same with the USB-C port.

Third, the cost to me. In addition to the iPad, I also bought the Smart Folio (which is nice, btw) and the Apple Pencil 2. Both are critical for me. The total I paid for all included = US$ 860 (AU$1215), which I think is fair for what it is.

Like my previous iPad, I expect to use this for at least 3 years. And, assuming there is something extraordinary that the next generation of iPads bring, then I can always trade this and get a much better value.

Again, I’d like to that you all for your inputs. I really appreciate your taking the time and effort to help me with your insights.

Cheers!

Congratulations and enjoy ?

Yep, going to be using mine for many years to, best lockdown purchase lol.

 

[Sarbun96]

The A12Z processor is now basically 2 years old at this point too.

came out in march 2020 ?