All iPads buying advice for first iPad

[cmpedicini-13]

I have heavily invested into Apple ecosystem over the years, since 1996, to the tune of numerous devices (current devices in my signature block.) But amazingly, I never owned an iPad.

My mother got a base 9th gen with cellular connectivity last year (her first iPad) as my parents live in the country with very spotty Wi-Fi, and frequently travel for business so need to travel light, and also browse on large screens that are lightweight.

I see a few cases for me now:

1. Home renovations or such requiring measurements (not clear to me yet if a LiDAR scanner is needed for that or whether the standard Measure app is good enough. The only time I’ve used it over five iPhones was on my iPhone 14 Pro, although I’m pretty sure the 4/5/7 didn’t come with it installed. The 11 Pro might have?)
2. Photo browsing or media consumption, i.e. Redfin.
3. I see a case for tethering off of hotspot data - as I did when I brought the computer and the phone to my parents place back in January. Was using hotspot data on the computer. (But that’s the only place in my life without robust Wi-Fi, really. I have gigabit AT&T fiber for Wi-Fi and ethernet and am right next to the box in my apt complex, 930Mbps download speed right now. Fort Worth, being part of a HUGE metro, has good coverage)
4. Possible backup for my Garmin GPS on long trips in case that device goes (it has rebooted several times on its own and did so for the first time March 2021, a month after I bought it). My car's internal nav unit gets less reliable over time with no easy resolution, it’s on original 2012 map and I waited too long to update (upgrades via SD card no longer supported), being as it’s a 2013 so CarPlay won’t work.
5. Possibly easier notetaking
6. My wife and I were doing clothes shopping, and with the digital grocery lists and her being more Google-based, various inventory / cross-collaboration on google sheets is just easier on a larger screen than a phone without needing to carry the laptop back and forth

I had eye surgery recently, feeling effects of blurry vision every now and again. I also have cerebral palsy so accessibility is key to me; I’m the guy that dictates a LOT. And large screens are desirable.

Feeling like a Mini 6 only wins on mobility front, but as for the larger screens, an Air 5 (2022) versus a Pro 11 (2022 or maybe 2021?), not sure what to go for. I don’t think I need top storage tier iPP and in 3 1/4 years of 512GB phones, I have not filled more than 50% of the storage. I tend to future-proof and leave a lot of SSD headroom.

 

[cmpedicini-13]

Current storage status on iPhone 14 Pro

 

[BB1970]

I have heavily invested into Apple ecosystem over the years, since 1996, to the tune of numerous devices (current devices in my signature block.) But amazingly, I never owned an iPad.

My mother got a base 9th gen with cellular connectivity last year (her first iPad) as my parents live in the country with very spotty Wi-Fi, and frequently travel for business so need to travel light, and also browse on large screens that are lightweight.

I see a few cases for me now:

1. Home renovations or such requiring measurements (not clear to me yet if a LiDAR scanner is needed for that or whether the standard Measure app is good enough. The only time I’ve used it over five iPhones was on my iPhone 14 Pro, although I’m pretty sure the 4/5/7 didn’t come with it installed. The 11 Pro might have?)
2. Photo browsing or media consumption, i.e. Redfin.
3. I see a case for tethering off of hotspot data - as I did when I brought the computer and the phone to my parents place back in January. Was using hotspot data on the computer. (But that’s the only place in my life without robust Wi-Fi, really. I have gigabit AT&T fiber for Wi-Fi and ethernet and am right next to the box in my apt complex, 930Mbps download speed right now. Fort Worth, being part of a HUGE metro, has good coverage)
4. Possible backup for my Garmin GPS on long trips in case that device goes (it has rebooted several times on its own and did so for the first time March 2021, a month after I bought it). My car's internal nav unit gets less reliable over time with no easy resolution, it’s on original 2012 map and I waited too long to update (upgrades via SD card no longer supported), being as it’s a 2013 so CarPlay won’t work.
5. Possibly easier notetaking
6. My wife and I were doing clothes shopping, and with the digital grocery lists and her being more Google-based, various inventory / cross-collaboration on google sheets is just easier on a larger screen than a phone without needing to carry the laptop back and forth

I had eye surgery recently, feeling effects of blurry vision every now and again. I also have cerebral palsy so accessibility is key to me; I’m the guy that dictates a LOT. And large screens are desirable.

Feeling like a Mini 6 only wins on mobility front, but as for the larger screens, an Air 5 (2022) versus a Pro 11 (2022 or maybe 2021?), not sure what to go for. I don’t think I need top storage tier iPP and in 3 1/4 years of 512GB phones, I have not filled more than 50% of the storage. I tend to future-proof and leave a lot of SSD headroom.

You don’t need the Pro. I do a lot of creative (music production) type things so a pro is more in line with my workflow, but even then, an M1 Air would suffice. I just like the added functionality of a pro, something none of the requirements are on your list, with the exception of Lidar, but… do you really need it? Personally, an iPad Air is in your wheelhouse. The future proof from a beefy processor, the bigger screen than a mini, and it’s cheaper. Now… the question is when? I’m not sure when the new Air is coming. So is it worth the wait or need it now is something only you can decide.

 

[Yebubbleman]

I have heavily invested into Apple ecosystem over the years, since 1996, to the tune of numerous devices (current devices in my signature block.) But amazingly, I never owned an iPad.

My mother got a base 9th gen with cellular connectivity last year (her first iPad) as my parents live in the country with very spotty Wi-Fi, and frequently travel for business so need to travel light, and also browse on large screens that are lightweight.

I see a few cases for me now:

1. Home renovations or such requiring measurements (not clear to me yet if a LiDAR scanner is needed for that or whether the standard Measure app is good enough. The only time I’ve used it over five iPhones was on my iPhone 14 Pro, although I’m pretty sure the 4/5/7 didn’t come with it installed. The 11 Pro might have?)
2. Photo browsing or media consumption, i.e. Redfin.
3. I see a case for tethering off of hotspot data - as I did when I brought the computer and the phone to my parents place back in January. Was using hotspot data on the computer. (But that’s the only place in my life without robust Wi-Fi, really. I have gigabit AT&T fiber for Wi-Fi and ethernet and am right next to the box in my apt complex, 930Mbps download speed right now. Fort Worth, being part of a HUGE metro, has good coverage)
4. Possible backup for my Garmin GPS on long trips in case that device goes (it has rebooted several times on its own and did so for the first time March 2021, a month after I bought it). My car's internal nav unit gets less reliable over time with no easy resolution, it’s on original 2012 map and I waited too long to update (upgrades via SD card no longer supported), being as it’s a 2013 so CarPlay won’t work.
5. Possibly easier notetaking
6. My wife and I were doing clothes shopping, and with the digital grocery lists and her being more Google-based, various inventory / cross-collaboration on google sheets is just easier on a larger screen than a phone without needing to carry the laptop back and forth

I had eye surgery recently, feeling effects of blurry vision every now and again. I also have cerebral palsy so accessibility is key to me; I’m the guy that dictates a LOT. And large screens are desirable.

Feeling like a Mini 6 only wins on mobility front, but as for the larger screens, an Air 5 (2022) versus a Pro 11 (2022 or maybe 2021?), not sure what to go for. I don’t think I need top storage tier iPP and in 3 1/4 years of 512GB phones, I have not filled more than 50% of the storage. I tend to future-proof and leave a lot of SSD headroom.

When it comes to portability, nothing beats an iPad mini. I will take an iPad mini places that I would hate taking an iPad Air to (and that's a decent amount of mobility). Also, having used cellular on iPad Airs, standard iPads, and iPad minis in the past, I think it is far more useful on an iPad mini (again, due to it being not annoying to take along the kinds of journeys I wouldn't want to take an iPad Air along on). Basically, the case for cellular makes more and more sense the smaller the iPad, in my opinion (this is also evidenced by the fact that most places that I'd be actively using a 12.9-inch iPad Pro in would have Wi-Fi that I am able to join.

An iPad mini will also fit more car-mounts than an iPad Air and by a fair amount and it won't be as unwieldy. Back during year 3 of the iPad mini 4 era, I feared that the end was coming for support for the iPad mini with no new model in sight, so I switched to a fifth generation iPad. The experience of using that thing in the car was rough. Not even fun. So, if in-car operation is a must, go with a mini.

However, if you NEED a LiDAR Scanner on your iPad (if you have it on your iPhone 14 Pro, then you don't need it on your iPad), you must go with an iPad Pro. Incidentally, if you're heavily implying that you consistently use at least 256GB of storage on your iPhone and anticipate doing similar on your iPad, then you have to get an iPad Pro as the 9th Generation iPad, the 10th Generation iPad, the current (5th) generation iPad Air, and the current (6th) generation iPad mini all only give you 64GB and 256GB storage options and you will want a buffer if possible. Hell, I'd get at least one size bigger than you think you'll be comfortable with because you can't change it later. Though, should it come to that and should you decide that a 512GB iPad is a must, you are not limited to the current generation of iPad Pro; the previous generation iPad Pros are sold on the Apple Certified Refurbished iPad section of the Apple online store and in addition to being less expensive, they'd ought to fit the bill fine. For all other features, I do not believe you need an iPad Pro.

Do note that, higher storage capacities aside, an iPad Air will suffice for around 95% of 11-inch iPad Pro use cases.

But, if you can comfortably fit on a 256GB 6th generation iPad mini, that'd be what I'd go with.