That's what I paid for my Gen 8 a few years ago. Amazing that the price has not gone up!
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All iPads Best value iPad?
- Thread starter covertsurfer
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It’s a great machine, isn’t it? Things like a laminated screen you don’t miss if you’ve never seen it. I would strongly argue that if someone needs a device for 4K video editing they need an M1 MacBook Air which you can grab for $700 refurb if you shop around.
While the OP asked for our subjective answer, I get a headache thinking about which iPad I would buy today if I didn’t have any iPads and could only buy one, and wanted the best bang for the buck, lol.
Anyhow, I agree that the 9th gen is a good value for most consumers, especially someone who doesn’t own an iPad, someone who might appreciate a headphone jack, and that genuine Apple accessories are available in new condition on eBay for a fraction of the cost because so many generations (including the 10.5”) use the same accessories.
Anyhow, I agree that the 9th gen is a good value for most consumers, especially someone who doesn’t own an iPad, someone who might appreciate a headphone jack, and that genuine Apple accessories are available in new condition on eBay for a fraction of the cost because so many generations (including the 10.5”) use the same accessories.
If I were buying my first iPad, the 9th gen for under $300 would be my choice since I wouldn't know how well iPads will work for my usage.
Since I've been using iPads for over 10 years though, I'm familiar with what it can and cannot do, useful life, etc. Hence, I'm willing to pay a premium for the iPad Pro with large storage. The convenience factor and longer useful life is worth it to me.
Also, the beefy hardware tends to work well if handing down devices to family. I'm no longer happy with the performance on 4GB RAM iPads but my mom is perfectly content using my old 2017 iPad Pro 12.9.
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The cheapest one: the 9th gen. As a bonus, you get a headphone jack - the last iPad to offer it. Or an Android tablet, with sideloading, better text input and more.
I just bought my son a 9th gen iPad (64 GB base storage) on sale for $250 and bought him an Apple Smart Keyboard to pair with it for $80, so I'm all in at $330 for an iPad with keyboard.
His birthday isn't for another week, but I'm excited to give it to him not only to get his reaction, but to play around with it a bunch myself and see how it compares to my M1 iPad Pro. Outside of some of the obvious design element differences, I'm betting it compares very favorably from a pure function perspective.
Same with my mom. She began with the iPad 3, then 6, and now 9. Perfect for what she uses it for, and definitely the best bang for the buck in her use case. Don't know what I'm going to do when she's ready for the next upgrade. Pretty sure there will be no models with a home button by then. I show her my iPad Pro 11, and she looks at it like it's an altogether different device. Even small learning curves can be big for an 86 year old.
You can use assistive touch to configure a virtual (on-screen) home button
Use AssistiveTouch on iPad
AssistiveTouch helps you use iPad if you have difficulty touching the screen or pressing the buttons.
support.apple.com
To me, the Air with the M1 looks like the best bang for the buck. It is under $500 now at places like Best Buy.
I'm seeing the 9th gen iPad for $270 at Walmart. Has it been this way for a while? Or is it a case of "once it's gone, it's gone" and I should act fast if I want it?
I saw a post on another site that started with Walmart at $270, then Best Buy put it on sale for $250. I bought mine from Target and had them price match Best Buy to $250 so I could also get an additional 5% discount from using my Red Card, so in reality I paid $238+ tax for mine.
I don't believe Best Buy has theirs on sale anymore but I believe they are still carrying them, so I don't think it's a once it gone it's gone sale. Hopefully they will go on sale again soon for those in the market, great deal to be had!
Value does not always mean what is the cheapest.
Best value really is the 5th gen iPad Air M1 - when it is on sale.
While it still would be significantly more expensive than the iPad 9th gen, that 8GB RAM with the Air M1 will keep you in business years longer than the 9th with the old A14 and only 3GB RAM.
The Air M1 will easily have double the lifespan of the 9th gen.
Plus with the Air, you'll have a superior experience with the Pencil gen 2 and better screen.
Best value really is the 5th gen iPad Air M1 - when it is on sale.
While it still would be significantly more expensive than the iPad 9th gen, that 8GB RAM with the Air M1 will keep you in business years longer than the 9th with the old A14 and only 3GB RAM.
The Air M1 will easily have double the lifespan of the 9th gen.
Plus with the Air, you'll have a superior experience with the Pencil gen 2 and better screen.
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No one in this thread is equating "value" with "cheapest".
If one is not going to create content on their iPad, then the added cost for the 8GB RAM is money wasted. And if reducing the need for page reloads when browsing is a justification, then one has to weigh how much that is worth.
But in addition to the cost of the device itself, the cost of the Apple Pencil 2, and folio cases and keyboards compound the increase in cost. Even when on sale, the 5th gen Air with accessories is twice the price of the 9th gen with accessories.
As for lifespan, it's unknown how long the M1 Air will be supported compared to the 9th gen... but assuming that it will be twice as long (lets assume 10 years vs 5), one has to weigh the value of keeping that air for 10 years... with a tired battery and 10 yr old processor.
within a few years, the base iPad will have equal or greater processing power than that M1 Air, for a price that will be less than whatever Air is available at that time.
I've owned iPads since day-1 of gen-1. I've pushed each generation to their limits. Over the years I've learned that unless you're going to take full advantage of the capabilities unique to the higher end models, then the base models offer the greatest value.
There's no such thing as "future proofing". Fear of missing out (of storage capacity) without actually experiencing running out of storage, causes people to pay a disproportionate price for the higher storage tiers.
With so little professional software available for the iPad and the way iPadOS handles multitasking, I don't think there are many advantages in having additional RAM or an M1 (unless you're an artist or know for sure you'll need them for some workflow). You're still basically able to run only one app at a time.
Sure, there may be reloading of pages, but I haven't experienced them for a long time, and I have only 2 GB of RAM on the 6th gen iPad. The worst thing I've noticed is music in the background stops playing for a fraction of a second when I open Safari. I play demanding games on my 6th gen, and they run fine.
Buying an entry-level iPad allowed me to purchase 2 capable devices for $700 instead of just one iPhone or iPad, and they both perform all the tasks I need. I also believe mobile devices are way overpowered these days, so there's really no need to have the latest and greatest.