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iPad Buying an iPad Air 3, any advice?

J

Justin Tan

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Nov 30, 2019
13
0
I found a few issues about bright spot in this forum. Is it really a common one and unfixable once the 1 year warranty goes off?

Few reference below
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/bright-spot-possible-on-ipad-air-3.2206488/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/ipad-air-3-bright-spot-on-screen.2229407/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/ipad-air-3-serious-lag.2231599/

And I buy it since we’re all staying at home and need a better device (currently using Air 2, which is laggy) and better ram, is 3gb really a step up? I don’t want apps being shut down frequently like on my air 2.

plan to use it for 4 years, till 2024, sounds possible and doable right? Or any feedbacks for apple pencil 1?
 
Justin Tan said:
I found a few issues about bright spot in this forum. Is it really a common one and unfixable once the 1 year warranty goes off?

Few reference below
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/bright-spot-possible-on-ipad-air-3.2206488/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/ipad-air-3-bright-spot-on-screen.2229407/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/ipad-air-3-serious-lag.2231599/

And I buy it since we’re all staying at home and need a better device (currently using Air 2, which is laggy) and better ram, is 3gb really a step up? I don’t want apps being shut down frequently like on my air 2.

plan to use it for 4 years, till 2024, sounds possible and doable right? Or any feedbacks for apple pencil 1?
Click to expand...
Do not be afraid to get the iPad Air 3. It has 50% more RAM, so it handles multitasking much better.
 
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rui no onna said:
Frankly, even 4GB RAM is not gonna eliminate reloads.
Click to expand...

I agree. Even with the Pro 10.5 that have 4GB RAM, I encounter reloads of websites in Safari. On apps, sometimes Youtube reloads when you go to home screen and go back, especially when you use slide over multitasking.
 
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If you really want to get the maximum of your iPad for the next 4 years, perhaps get a 11” Pro? It is not suffering from white spots, is the most future-proof and has 6GB of RAM to boot.
 
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I just canceled the purchase of the iPad pro 11 ". It was supposed to be my main device at home, equipped with a smart folio keyboard (I have an old linux computer as a file server - SMB, DLNA). However, I doubted reading on the forum about the bending pro. I think about iPad air with a logitech keyboard, especially that I have an iPad mini and I'm happy with it.

I'm afraid, however, whether Air will meet my needs for the next 4 years. I was also thinking about buying a Macbook Pro (base) but it is overkill for me and it's too expensive (it makes more sense in the perspective of 5-6 years). Macbook Air doesn't convince me ....

I use simple spreadsheets, text editor, email, I browse the internet. I also process photos in a simple way (resizing, cropping, watermark).
 
filu_ said:
However, I doubted reading on the forum about the bending pro. I think about iPad air with a logitech keyboard, especially that I have an iPad mini and I'm happy with it.

I'm afraid, however, whether Air will meet my needs for the next 4 years.
Click to expand...

iPad Pro can bend and iPad Air 3 can develop a white spot on its screen. If you spot any of these issues within your warranty period, you can swap them. From what I understand, whether this will concern you and to what degree depends on the amount of repeated physical pressure you will be putting on your iPad. “Light touch” users could have no or little issues, whereas “hard pressers” might get them sooner. Smaller (iPad Mini) and thicker (iPad 7) models avoid these issues due to their size and build.

IMO, if you want your iPad to last you 4 years (implying at least that it can support the latest iPadOS throughout), you would probably be better off with the latest Pro. However, you would also need to factor in battery ageing, etc. Just remember to tap it lightly. 🖐
 
@one more

Thank you for your opinion. I think the iPad Pro will be overkill for me. I don't need two cameras and a lidar, and I have to pay for them. I like it a lot of RAM and 4 speakers but I can't buy it without cameras and lidar ...

I read about the disadvantages of iPad Air, apparently it concerned the 2019 models. Perhaps Apple has improved it. However, they certainly have not improved the construction of the iPad Pro.

I have an iPad mini and it seems very solid with Air. And I have in front of me Air 64 GB LTE Refurbished at a price almost identical to the new Air WiFi (about 25 $ more).

Air probably gets older faster but it's also cheaper.
 
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We have 2 GB iPad Air 2 (2014), 3 GB iPad 7 (2019), and 4 GB iPad Pro 10.5" (2017).

The 3 GB and 4 GB iPads definitely reload noticeably less than the 2 GB iPad, but I have a harder time telling apart the reload behaviour between the iPad 7 and iPad Pro, as they both sometimes still reload.

OTOH, the quad speakers of the iPad Pro are much, much nicer than the dual speakers of the iPad Air 2 and iPad 7. The ProMotion of the iPad Pro is also a nice bonus, but is not a make-or-break feature for me. Same goes for the better camera with flash.
 
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The only thing that works very badly on my mini 5 is the Files application. Also, even simple filming of iPhone movies in iMovie was not a problem.

But I say so because I haven't used Pro for more than a few moments in the store.

We always want more and better, but there is a quota somewhere.
Money stored or worth spending on the item.

In my case, there is no point in buying an iPad Pro.
iPad is not a goal, it's just a tool :)
A tool for doing a few simple things ...
 
filu_ said:
In my case, there is no point in buying an iPad Pro.
iPad is not a goal, it's just a tool :)
A tool for doing a few simple things ...
Click to expand...

FWIW, I still do everything on my iPad Air 2 64 GB and find it runs iPad OS 13.5 remarkably well for my needs. The latest Air 3 model is the one that dates back to 2019 and some people here complained about it developing bright spots. Then there are somewhat confusing rumours about the new Air - some say it will be based on somewhat downshifted current iPad Pro 11 (no Lidar and probably 2 speakers instead of 4), which would be totally fine for me. Others are speculating that the new iPad Air might have a different design altogether, with under-screen TouchID, etc. So I will need to revisit my iPad upgrade options once the new Air is out, as the current Air 3 seems like a very minor upgrade in my case.
 
one more said:
FWIW, I still do everything on my iPad Air 2 64 GB and find it runs iPad OS 13.5 remarkably well for my needs. The latest Air 3 model is the one that dates back to 2019 and some people here complained about it developing bright spots. Then there are somewhat confusing rumours about the new Air - some say it will be based on somewhat downshifted current iPad Pro 11 (no Lidar and probably 2 speakers instead of 4), which would be totally fine for me. Others are speculating that the new iPad Air might have a different design altogether, with under-screen TouchID, etc. So I will need to revisit my iPad upgrade options once the new Air is out, as the current Air 3 seems like a very minor upgrade in my case.
Click to expand...
The iPad Air 3 is a significant upgrade over the iPad Air 2. Noticeably faster, much less reloads, and bigger with Smart Keyboard support. Plus there is Pencil support if you want that. And of course, the iPad Air 3 will get much longer support.
 
EugW said:
The iPad Air 3 is a significant upgrade over the iPad Air 2. Noticeably faster, much less reloads, and bigger with Smart Keyboard support. Plus there is Pencil support if you want that. And of course, the iPad Air 3 will get much longer support.
Click to expand...

True, yet in my case I do not use a Smart Keyboard (as I work in three different languages/keyboard layouts) and no Pencil either. The Air 2 speed is also ok for me, so I can wait for another Air revision. 🙏
 
I just got my air 3 and love the bigger size over the iPad mini. One thing I did not know before buying: Apple eliminated the mute button on the exterior. Terrible idea, Apple! I used that function all the time. Not happy.
 
Dizzler said:
I just got my air 3 and love the bigger size over the iPad mini. One thing I did not know before buying: Apple eliminated the mute button on the exterior. Terrible idea, Apple! I used that function all the time. Not happy.
Click to expand...
It was nice having that mute button option, but at least it's easy to do now via the Control Center.
 
Not sure this is right place for this but

How long does it take PayPal to pay out a transaction? Sold my iPad Air 2 on Swappa, was delivered to buyer 2 weeks ago and still no money to my account
 
pmmacd said:
Not sure this is right place for this but

How long does it take PayPal to pay out a transaction? Sold my iPad Air 2 on Swappa, was delivered to buyer 2 weeks ago and still no money to my account
Click to expand...
My two cents is your question sounds more like a new thread is needed since this one is focused on buying an iPad Air 3.
 
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Namara said:
It was nice having that mute button option, but at least it's easy to do now via the Control Center.
Click to expand...
Maybe. But you have to open the iPad in order to access the control center. I used the mute button as a quick access tool.

I don't like that Apple keeps 1) changing cables and 2) changing dramatically how the device is used. These things tend to be an extension of my hands and it takes too much time to unlearn. Go ahead, design new iOS options, but don't take away the things we loved.
 
Dizzler said:
Maybe. But you have to open the iPad in order to access the control center. I used the mute button as a quick access tool.

I don't like that Apple keeps 1) changing cables and 2) changing dramatically how the device is used. These things tend to be an extension of my hands and it takes too much time to unlearn. Go ahead, design new iOS options, but don't take away the things we loved.
Click to expand...
As mentioned, the mute button has been gone for 6 years. ie. They haven't changed anything regarding this mute switch on the iPad since 2014.

As for the Lightning connector, that's been with us since 2012. Yes, USB-C was introduced in 2018, but that's only with the Pros. And quite frankly, IMO it is necessary for the Pros. I have an iPad Pro 2017 and the Lightning connector is a hindrance, because it doesn't have enough power, and because compatibility is an issue. It doesn't have enough third party support, and I suspect part of the reason is it doesn't provide enough power for good third party device support.

While I don't mind Lightning on my iPhones, for my next iPad for myself, I will not buy a Lightning model. I'd be fine buying a Lightning model for my wife though.
 
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