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I agree 3gb of ram should be the minimum in 2019, hell I think 4 should be since they want these to be replace a laptop more and more. But I don’t agree that devices with 2gb currently run like crap either
I agree. 2 GB machines don't run like crap, but they are showing their age in terms of app and tab refreshes. It's fine to run iPadOS 13 on these older 2 GB machines, but any new 2019 purchase needs to have 3 GB or more, unless it's a closeout price.

Luckily it would appear the 10.2" iPad does indeed have 3 GB. 3 GB + A10 is a much better combo than say 2 GB + A11.
 
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I agree. 2 GB machines don't run like crap, but they are showing their age in terms of app and tab refreshes. It's fine to run iPadOS 13 on these older 2 GB machines, but any new 2019 purchase needs to have 3 GB or more, unless it's a closeout price.

Luckily it would appear the 10.2" iPad does indeed have 3 GB. 3 GB + A10 is a much better combo than say 2 GB + A11.
for sure, if they were to upgrade one, I would have chosen the ram as well. Speed hasn’t been an issue on the 6th gen, multitasking is more the main complaint. I don’t use mine heavy enough to really notice it’s an issue anyways but I know in the future the ram will hurt it more than the cpu
 
Now that it’s confirmed for 3go of ram, the kids are in debate if they want the mini form factor or the larger 10.2

specs bear no meaning to them (A12 vs A10) it’s just whether or not they want the more portable form factor or the larger screen. air is out of the question, just too expensive of a device for 3 kids. The price difference in Canada between the 10.2 and the mini is only $50, obviously going mini is more future proof but i think they are tired of the small screen (their current tablets are 8” size and they love my 9.7)

my wallet says convince them to the 10.2 since it will be more than enough for them, but nerd side says double storage and 2 generation newer chip, better screen tech for $50 more! Lol

incase any are curious about the price breakdown for canadians:
ipad 10.2 32gb $429
ipad mini 5 64gb $479
ipad air 3 64gb $649

thats why the air is out of the picture lol
 
I find surfing on a mini annoying and tiring, but then again I don't have kid's eyes. However, it sounds like even your kids prefer your 9.7" iPad.

I don't see the faster CPU on the mini as outweighing the advantage of a bigger screen. I think the main issue here is the storage. 32 GB gets filled up really, really fast. 64 GB is the sweet spot for light usage IMO, and 128 GB is good for many moderate users.

iPad mini 64 GB is CAD$499 (edu). Where are you seeing it for $479?
iPad mini 256 GB is CAD$699 (edu).

iPad 10.2 32 GB is CAD$399 (edu).
iPad 10.2 128 GB is CAD$519 (edu).

iPad Air 10.5 64 GB is CAD$619 (edu).
iPad Air 10.5 256 GB is CAD$819 (edu).

In that context, I'd consider getting the iPad 10.2" 128 GB, if they're sick of 8" tablets.
 
I find surfing on a mini annoying and tiring, but then again I don't have kid's eyes. However, it sounds like even your kids prefer your 9.7" iPad.

I don't see the faster CPU on the mini as outweighing the advantage of a bigger screen. I think the main issue here is the storage. 32 GB gets filled up really, really fast. 64 GB is the sweet spot for light usage IMO, and 128 GB is good for many moderate users.

iPad mini 64 GB is CAD$499 (edu). Where are you seeing it for $479?
iPad mini 256 GB is CAD$699 (edu).

iPad 10.2 32 GB is CAD$399 (edu).
iPad 10.2 128 GB is CAD$519 (edu).

iPad Air 10.5 64 GB is CAD$619 (edu).
iPad Air 10.5 256 GB is CAD$819 (edu).

In that context, I'd consider getting the iPad 10.2" 128 GB, if they're sick of 8" tablets.
walmart has the mini for $479 according to my flipp app anyways. All prices are non education pricing since thats not available to me.

32gb isnt too big of an issue since they are getting by with 16gb right now lol. They usually just stream netflix or youtube kids or minecraft currently. I will keep the thought in mind as i do have a 128gb ipad myself but even i barely fill it up
 
It seems Apple is decoupling the support of iPhones and iPads as far as chipsets go, the A8/X based Air 2 and mini 4 are receiving i(pad)OS 13 while the A8 based iPhone 6 will not. given support for the Air 2, it's quite likely the 6th gen will be supported up to and including iOS 15, so you should go 3 years no problem.

Hint: It's RAM (sometimes)

A4 chips with 256mb of RAM got axed while 512mb A4s like iPhone 4 got to live on.

EDIT: was discussed some posts back.

Kids usually don't sweat about specs as other said. They single task a game or youtube video and I think the entry level 10.2" is a perfect investment that won't hurt when kids, being kids, accidentally drops them.
 
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The A10 is definitely going to be quite a long term chip. It is probably one chip being used in so many devices after the A5 and A8. Aside from the iPhone 7 and iPads, it is also in the latest iPod Touch and Apple TV 4K (The A10X).

But then again, it's the last chip without Apple's own custom GPU. I am quite surprised that Apple is not using the A11 as their baseline.
 
The A10 is definitely going to be quite a long term chip. It is probably one chip being used in so many devices after the A5 and A8. Aside from the iPhone 7 and iPads, it is also in the latest iPod Touch and Apple TV 4K (The A10X).

But then again, it's the last chip without Apple's own custom GPU. I am quite surprised that Apple is not using the A11 as their baseline.
I assume this is the last year the A10 will be included in a new product since Apple needs to make sure this chip still lasts another 3-4 years from now to maintain their rep for supporting devices long term.

but I bet we will see the A11 make another appearance since it was a big leap in multitasking and gpu performance over the A10. Just wasn’t enough to be noticeable in most day to day apps yet. Apples chips are a ways ahead of the software to actually take advantage of their full potential. That’s why they can get away with running a chip from 2016 and still actually be relevant in performance
 
I assume this is the last year the A10 will be included in a new product since Apple needs to make sure this chip still lasts another 3-4 years from now to maintain their rep for supporting devices long term.

but I bet we will see the A11 make another appearance since it was a big leap in multitasking and gpu performance over the A10. Just wasn’t enough to be noticeable in most day to day apps yet. Apples chips are a ways ahead of the software to actually take advantage of their full potential. That’s why they can get away with running a chip from 2016 and still actually be relevant in performance
I’m not sure which costs more to produce, A11 or A10. A11 is smaller but is produced on the 10 nm process. A10 is bigger but is produced on the very mature 16 nm process. However, judging by how Apple has been utilizing A11, my guess is they will discontinue A11 products completely in 2020, when they replace the iPhone 8 with an A13 model.

It should be noted that the iPad 10.2" / A10 in Geekbench 5 is roughly as fast as the 2015 1.6 GHz Core i5-5250U 13" MacBook Air.

My 2017 1.2 GHz Core m3-7Y32 MacBook is only about 15% faster in Geekbench 5.

Meanwhile, my iPad Pro 10.5" / A10X is as fast as the 2017 2.3 GHz Core i5-7360U 13" MacBook Pro.

These chips are very decent. The reason I will upgrade my A10X iPad Pro is not because of performance. It's because my wife wants my iPad and because I prefer the 11" form factor and USB-C. And for my MacBook, I won't upgrade that for years (which is possible since I got it with 16 GB RAM), and that scores significantly lower in Geekbench than my iPad Pro 10.5”.
 
I’m not sure which costs more to produce, A11 or A10. A11 is smaller but is produced on the 10 nm process. A10 is bigger but is produced on the very mature 16 nm process. However, judging by how Apple has been utilizing A11, my guess is they will discontinue A11 products completely in 2020, when they replace the iPhone 8 with an A13 model.

It should be noted that the iPad 10.2" / A10 in Geekbench 5 is roughly as fast as the 2015 1.6 GHz Core i5-5250U 13" MacBook Air.

My 2017 1.2 GHz Core m3-7Y32 MacBook is only about 15% faster in Geekbench 5.

Meanwhile, my iPad Pro 10.5" / A10X is as fast as the 2017 2.3 GHz Core i5-7360U 13" MacBook Pro.

These chips are very decent. The reason I will upgrade my A10X iPad Pro is not because of performance. It's because my wife wants my iPad and because I prefer the 11" form factor and USB-C. And for my MacBook, I won't upgrade that for years (which is possible since I got it with 16 GB RAM), and that scores significantly lower in Geekbench than my iPad Pro 10.5”.
My wife (Android/windows laptop user) has been fiddling around more with my iPad when I’m home make some simple videos for advertising. She was getting frustrated with all the free windows programs and I showed her the iMovie app and she stole my iPad for the evening lol.

i think she will eventually take over my 6th gen, the kids will get the 7th gen and I’ll probably upgrade myself to the air.

if I get her hooked on Apple, she may want to switch over to a MacBook one day lol
 
I remember when Apple launched the 6th gen iPad they bragged that the A10 Fusion processor made it more powerful than most laptops/chromebooks. I think that Apple's mobile processors have been overkill for most people's usage for some time now.

What's more, has Apple ever released an iOS device that hasn't had at least 3 years of support and reasonable performance? So since Apple is releasing an iPad with A10 this month, I would say that it's reasonable to expect some decent longevity from the 6th and 7th gen ipads.
As an iPhone 7 user, I can tell you that the A10 remains a very capable processor on iOS 13. Really no slowdowns at all.

I guess the question is, for how much longer? I’m happy with my 7 today, but I’ve has it 2.5 years. I wouldn’t buy a new A10 device today if I wanted 3 years of good performance.
 
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